Network Icon Mysteriously Changed

I like your description better than what it supposed to be:  an Ethernet cable.  The red X means that it isn't connected.

What do you see when you right-click on that icon?

Click Start and type "Device Manager" (without quotes) into the Search box and press Enter.

Expand the "Network adapters" section by clicking the arrow.

• What items are listed (please provide full names)?
• Which, if any, of the items has a warning icon?
• Double click any item with a warning icon and report the text under "Device status"
• While you have Device Manager open, if there are any other items, i.e., not in the Network adapters section, that have warning icons, what are the full names of those items.

Please do the following:

Open a Command Prompt window (type cmd in the Search box and press Enter)

• In the black Command Prompt window, type the following and press Enter after each line

             ipconfig /all > "%userprofile%\Desktop\ipinfo.txt"

             notepad "%userprofile%\Desktop\ipinfo.txt"

             exit

• In the open Notepad window, click Edit > Select All (or press CTRL+A) then click Edit > Copy (or press Ctrl+C)
• In the body of your Question, Right-click > Paste (or press CTRL+V) the data from the Notepad window
• Close Notepad and delete ipinfo.txt from your Desktop

EDIT:

IF you see this before you respond, please also do the following:

• Click Start and type "Network Connections" (without quotes) and press Enter
• List all of the items you see

Oh my God, I have not had an Ethernet cable connected for at least 2 years. I use my laptop on wireless. As I said, this happened after a routine automatic Windows updates session. I would bet that some selection that confirmed or accepted wireless operation & usage was changed in those updates.  

When I right-click on the icon I get two selections:

- Troubleshoot Problems (Which I've done but the system detects no problem)

- Open Network and Sharing Center. (when I chose this I see no problems)

When I point at the icon with the mouse-pointer it reads the name of my wireless connection, & the works "internet access" after that. I used to point to my bars to get this same readout.

I'll try your other suggestions....

When checked my Network adapters in device manager, (i.e., Click Start and typed "Device Manager"...) they all looked ok with no warnings.

when I clicked 'Start' and typed "Network Connections and hit 'Enter' I saw the following:

Do you still think I should do the "command Prompt" work?

Lem P

If you give you private email address I supply the 'cmd prompt' results, but not in an open forum. It gives info about my system/ network that may be harmful to share that openly. 

Thks!!

I can tell you this from my cmd connections

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

 It is the same for:

Bluetooth Network Connection:

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 3:

and

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

However, my 'Wireless' connection is connected, which is all I need.

So, since my Ethernet cons have been disconnected for years,what check box can I check to make Windows not report this to me b/c it does not matter??

I don't know why this happens, but it seems that uninstalling and reinstalling your wireless adapter may bring the correct icon back.  See various suggestions and results here, particularly the "Most Helpful Reply" --> http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-networking/network-connection-status-system-tray-icon-wrong/87b16169-1814-4057-ad99-e5171c77ae95

Do make sure that you know the correct password for your wireless network before you uninstall things.