PC not recognizing network adapters

This has been a tough one for me. The PC is an IBM ThinkPad T42. Trend Micro Internet Security was crashing regularly. Their tech support suggested a deinstall and reinstall of the 2009 version. During the uninstall, internet connectivity was lost. Diagnosis suggested that the Network Adapters were not there. However, they are there and indicate that they are active and functioning properly. Going back to a restore point gave me internet connectivity, but each time the previous Trend Micro was uninstalled, connectivity went away, both hardwire and wireless adapters. Now the big problem...Trend Micro had me try so many things that now I've lost a good restore point (aaahhhh!). Any ideas on how to approach this?

Left out...running XP Pro.

Since I do not put Junk on my computers I never put on the product that you mentioned.

Why I call it "Junk"? Because of what happened to you, some of these applications mess up the OS when they are uninstalled and their Tech Support would Not admit it and provide help.

First uninstall and try this process, http://www.ezlan.net/clean.html#refreshnet

If it does not help you probably would need to refresh Windows installation.

What do you mean by Diagnosis? Some type of software that performs a system check or...your own observations?

What do you see in Device Manager? (Right click My Computer, choose "Properites", click the Hardware tab in the menu that comes up, and choose Device Manager). Are there any devices shown as unknown, or with exclamation marks on them?

EDIT: Didn't look at what cat6 posted. I'd still try his idea first.