By default windows xp attempts to connect to wireless networks in the following order. The network connections folder appears.

Fix Windows Cannot Configure This Wireless Connection
Windows xp cannot connect to wireless network. Now you want to click remove so that windows will erase any of the current settings for that network and will start from scratch. Simple way to connect to wireless network in windows xp. Click start click run type ncpacpl and then click ok. If this occurs you can manually configure the wireless network. Available networks that are in the preferred network list in order of listing next. Here is simple way to connect to wireless network in windows xp using its built in wireless zero configuration tool so that you dont have to install and utilize 3rd party wireless configuration tool to achieve the same objective.
Right click the connection that you want to configure and then choose. On the following screen click on manage known networks on the right hand side pane to view your networks. Find the network icon in your system tray right click on it and select open network internet settings. Click refresh network list to view available wireless networks. Step 7 if the wireless network is secured it will pop up a window asking for the keypassword. Go ahead and right click on your wireless network connection and choose properties.
Double click the network connections icon. Sometimes your computer may not recognize the connection. So i clicked on that network and clicked properties and saw it was trying to use wpa2 psk authentication. Other networks depending on which advanced. The following steps show how to configure your network connection on a windows xp system. Then under the wireless networks tab i saw it stored the preferred network to which it was failing to connect.
Now click on the wireless networks tab and select the network in the list at the bottom. Its fairly easy to use this xp built in wireless zero configuration tool to connect to wireless network and then you can apply the same technique on every xp computer to connect to wireless network. Preferred networks not in the available list in order of listing finally. Choose startcontrol panel to open the control panel. First click on the wireless icon in your taskbar and under related tasks choose change advanced settings. Select the correct network which you want to connect double click it or click connect button.
So on the xp computer i opened network connections and then the properties of the wireless connection. Click on properties once you select the wireless network that is having problems. If one is present windows xp will try to connect to it. Click on the wireless networks tab and click on the name of the network in the list of preferred networks. Click on the option that says wi fi in the left sidebar to view your wireless adapters.