Recently I purchased a Nintendo Wireless Adapter to use with my Nintendo DS. I followed the instructions to install the drivers for the adapter from the included CD. However, every time I start the computer the “Found New Hardware” wizard appears asking to install the drivers for the device. It seems like the computer is forgetting that the device has already been installed. How can I fix this problem? The computer is running Windows Vista Home Premium.

Having never used the Nintendo Wireless Adapter I cannot provide specifics on issues which may prevail when using this device with your computer, but I can provide general advice on device installation. To begin, make sure that you have the latest drivers for the device. Looking on the Nintendo website I found that you can download the latest drivers from the following page: www.nintendo.com/consumer/wfc/en_na/customersupport/downloadUSB.jsp . Additionally, on the FAQ page for the device (www.nintendo.com/consumer/wfc/en_na/ds/usbQuestions.jsp) it states that Windows Vista users must use version 1.06 of the driver or higher. It is possible that the version of the driver that came on the CD with the device may be older and not work with Windows Vista. At the time of writing the latest version of the driver (available on the website) is 1.07 so I suggest that you download and try that version as a starting point. Make sure you follow the instructions on the Nintendo download page about installing the drivers, as there are some specific steps that you need to take (particularly regarding the uninstallation of previous versions of the drivers).

If the upgrade of the drivers does not fix the problem, the next suggestion is to completely uninstall the device and then reinstall from scratch. To do this, unplug the device from your computer and then restart twice (the reason that I suggest you restart twice is to make sure that any remnants of the device installation have been cleared). Once this has been done and Windows has rebooted and is online, plug-in the device and then install the latest drivers that you downloaded from the internet. After the drivers are installed, restart the computer again (with the device still connected) and check whether the problem continues.

If you still have difficulties then there is not much else I can suggest, mainly because I have not used these devices before. However, a workaround would be to purchase a wireless router for home. The previously mentioned FAQ page on the Nintendo website states that if you have an existing wireless network at home then you can use your Nintendo DS on the wireless network rather than having to use the USB wireless adapter. This may be a more reliable and long term solution, particularly if you have broadband at home. Wireless routers cost about $80 and are available from most computer shops.