I recently reinstalled Windows XP onto my computer and when I did it didnt recognize the driver for network adaptor. How do i get that adaptor driver?

I suggest going to the Acer Aspire website, downloading the drivers and transferring them over to your laptop using a USB drive. Once you get the network drivers installed, you can begin re-acquiring all the software that you lost due to your reinstall.

You don't say what make/model of network adapter (NIC), whether it's wired or wireless, or if it was operating under the same service pack level before, so I have to make a lot of assumptions.

Is Windows really not recognizing it (ie: does it have an exclamation mark next to the NIC in device manager?) or is it being recognized by Windows but just cannot connect to the wireless router? If the latter, check your wireless configuration (SSID, WPA key, etc). Since you have WinXP SP1, it could be that there is not a driver for that particular NIC. Later service packs include updated drivers as well as bug and security fixes. Recommend you identify the NIC and if you have the driver disk for it, go into Windows device manager to select a reinstall from that disk. If you don't have it, use another computer to download its driver and after installing it and getting Internet access, you should also download and install the latest SP, which would be SP3.

Open Device Manager and expand "Network Adaptors"
Check to make sure you have a wireless adaptor shown.
If no wireless adaptor is shown I would suggest you contact Dell Support. When posting for computer assistance it always helps to say what your Operating System is.
Sometimes Windows 10 for example will not recognise hardware designed for earlier OS.

Yes, you need to install the drivers for your network adapter inside your computer. Check your device manager to see if the network adapter is missing the drivers. If it is, you'll have to download the drivers from another computer through the Internet at the manufacturers website. Use a USB flash drive to download the file and then transfer it to the computer with the missing driver. Then install it.

Try this one
http://download.cnet.com/Realtek-AC-97-Driver-Windows-Vista-Windows-7/3000-2120_4-10962344.html

Yes, the device-drivers can be downloaded from the Internet, to one computer, and then burned onto a CD-writable, or written to a USB memory-stick, and then the files can be physically moved to the other computer.

But, "which" device-drivers is completely dependent on which computer that you have. Some motherboards have "integrated" network-adapters and "integrated" USB-ports.

Easiest solution is to take an add-in PCI network-adapter card, and install it, and connect the Ethernet cable to its socket.
Hopefully, Windows will recognize that card, and automatically load the correct device-drivers from the C: drive, i.e., without Internet access.
Or, if you buy an add-in card, it may come with a CD-ROM that contains the device-driver.

Once the device-drivers have been installed, you will have Internet connectivity. Access: http://WindowsUpdate.Microsoft.com
and click "Custom" scan, and then click "Optional Hardware".
Windows Update should find the device-drivers for your motherboard, and install them. Then, you can remove the add-in card, and connect the Ethernet cable to the "on-mother-board" network socket.

First of all you have a wireless "N" adaptor running on a router set for 802.11g. You need to have the same router as the adaptor, "N".

You can down load the driver for windows XP from the following link.
Download RealTek RTL8111C Auto installation program v.702 driver

For windows vista
Click here
Download RealTek RTL8111C Driver v.6.208
Good luck
If my solution proves useful please rate it.
Regards
Arjun.

maybe you didn't install windows xp professional properly

HI
You should not need a driver if you using Windows XP or Vista.
Windows will recognize the driver as a Mass storage device.

but you can also try this website.
http://uk.samsungplay.com/supports/download_model_search.jsp?SMSESSION=NO

Hope it helps

Cheers