Defective Ethernet Port - Windows 7

[pjn32767]

I have a PC using Windows . It is about 4 years old and I have been using it wirelessly. I have tried to use the Ethernet port recently which is a Realtek RTL8168B/8111B Family PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet NIC (NDIS 6.0) . It won`t work and I get the following error message -The device cannot start (Code 10)
I have checked and it is telling me the software is up to date. Any suggestions as to what is wrong and how it can be fixed please ?

[Buenchico]

>>>it is telling me the software is up to date

Never trust Windows to know what's going on! Try downloading and installing the driver, then restarting your computer:
http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=5&PFid=5&Level=5&Conn=4&;DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false#RTL8111B/RTL8168B/RTL8111/RTL8168%3Cbr%3ERTL8111C/RTL8111CP/RTL8111D%28L%29%3Cbr%3ERTL8168C/RTL8111DP/RTL8111E%3Cbr%3ERTL8168E/RTL8111F/RTL8411%3Cbr%3ERTL8111G/RTL8111GUS/RTL8411B%28N%29%3Cbr%3ERTL8118AS

[VHG]

Have you enabled the Realtek network card in Windows device manager?

Make sure the Local Area Connection is not disabled in the Network settings.

Go into the Network and Sharing centre and select Troubleshoot problems.

[pjn32767]

The card is enabled as far as I can tell. Troubleshooting tells me there is a problem with the Ethernet port

[SlackAlice]

I'm with Buenchico on this. Re-install the drivers and do a cold boot restart.

[jomifl]

It could be the plug on the ethernet cable, If I unplug mine it sometimes takes some wiggling (of the plug) to get a connection. Do the indicator lights on the router not tell you anything?

[beso]

If none of the suggestions work, consider this:

Immediately after the October Windows Update the sound in my Toshiba all-in-one stopped working. Windows said that there was no sound device.

Immediately after the November update it started working again.

I agree with Buenchico. It was long ago but I have had Windows report a device that was not even fitted was working properly.