I use a tethered Blackberry to access the internet on my company laptop. I’ve also installed the same Blackberry Desktop software on my daughter’s laptop, and had no problem hooking up on that machine as well. But I just bought an old used laptop (Dell Lattitude D610) on Ebay, and am having trouble.
The machine runs on XP, so I thought I’d be OK. But when I tried to install the software, I got a message saying it needed “Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1”. I downloaded this (on another machine) and tried to install it on this machine but it gave me an error message saying “the application failed to install properly (0xc0000005)”.
At this point I contacted the seller, who said “I supply the machines with wireless WiFi, the most common internet connection going. Any other means of internet connection, be it ethernet or a connection like you are attempting, will require alot of additional “tinkering” which I can’t help with.”
Question at this point is whether I should return the machine (he will take it back, but I would need to pay shipping) or if I should do the tinkering myself, and this depends on how much “tinkering” it will require. Any guidance as to how much tinkering is involved, and what the exact steps of this tinkering are, would be appreciated.
Was the .NET Framework error from the .NET Framework installer, or from the Blackberry Desktop software? (The error is rather generic, on its own it doesn’t really say much.)
What connection are you using, if it’s not wifi? (My Windows Mobile phone tethers over wifi… I assume Blackberry is the same? Maybe Bluetooth?)
Did the laptop come with Windows XP installed, or did you install your own (clean) copy? Have you considered that maybe it shipped with malware of some sort installed which is breaking your other software?
I’m not sure what this question means. When I attempt to install the Blackberry Desktop software, that message comes up during the process.
It’s a wireless connection. A wireless modem. I am not tech-savvy enough to know whether there is some technical definition of “wi-fi” which is not the same as this.
Re: installation- your post was unclear as to whether the error was coming from .NET 3.5 or from the Blackberry Desktop software. Thanks for clarifying.
Re: tethering- Well, ok, “tethering” is just the feature of a mobile device providing Internet to a desktop or laptop. This can be done over wi-fi (the mobile device becomes a tiny wi-fi access point), Bluetooth (like a wireless mouse or keyboard), or with a USB cable.
I was asking which of these your Blackberry uses for tethering. If it’s wi-fi, you shouldn’t need any software installed at all, is the point I’m getting at-- Windows XP supports wi-fi natively, and that laptop has a wi-fi card in it.
Re: the windows install- I wouldn’t trust an install of Windows XP by some guy selling old laptops on eBay. Personally, I’d do a clean install myself just to be sure.
I’m not sure what you’re saying here. The fact is that it does need software - you can’t just plug in your Blackberry into a computer and run internet. It needs the Blackberry Desktop software to connect.
And the software is what’s not installing properly, as it apparently can’t install properly without Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1. So the fact that Windows XP supports wi-fi natively doesn’t help me.
In any event, I’ve pretty much decided to return the laptop.
I used my old Blackberry on an XT machine as a tethered modem for years; never heard anyone describe wi-fi as being tethered. Wi-fi has always been wireless and tethered has always indicated a physical connection in all the conversations I’ve had with my corporate help desk. Are you using a Verizon phone? They have their own software that let’s you tether to your machine; been years since I’ve had the blackberry so I no longer have a link to it, but you should be able to call your carriers help desk and get it as long as you have a land line to use.
To me, “tethered” has just meant your mobile device shares its internet connection with a PC. Regardless of how it’s shared.
I know in theory it can be done via USB, but in my experience I’ve only seen phones that do it by either turning into a little wifi access point, or over a Bluetooth connection.
The only reason I brought it up is because if his Blackberry could do tethering over wifi he wouldn’t have to bother installing anything and this whole thread would be a non-issue.
Well you are using a definition of tethering that was different from what the majorwireless providers were calling it before 4G broad band came into being. Now I am seeing it described as wireless tethering on quite a few sites. The definition has expanded since I last used used it.