T41 2373-8SU Wireless Problem

Question

Here is my situation:
I have received 4 T41 and 1 T42 laptops from a MS authorized refurbisher.  Upon initial boot, they boot like brand new out of the box machines.  I set them up for our network and install software needed by our organization.  On first setup, the Windows XP detected area wireless networks and I was able to connect them to our network wirelessly.  After a few days however, when I try to list the available wireless networks I get "No wireless networks were found in range".  The odd part is that they remain connected to the wireless network I connected them to when I set them up but to switch networks (say between work and home) is not possible because no wireless networks (even the one they connect to automatically) show in the wireless networks list.  All 5 of them do this so, I can only assume this is some kind of problem with Windows XP or the laptop.  I have tried the following to fix this situation to no avail:
1. Reinstalling the adapter driver with a more current version from both Intel and Lenovo.  The Intel one says there is no compatible wireless device (though I downloaded and installed what they say to for a Intel PRO/Wireless 2200bg) and the Lenovo one says the driver I already have installed is more current though the dates on the download say otherwise).
2. Reinstalling XP SP3.
3. Trying the adapter drivers for every type of adapter the T41 ever came with thinking the wrong adapter type had been identified by the refurb company.
4. Installing various 3rd party wireless network management software (including IBM Access and LucidLink).  They do not work properly for some reason.
5. Installing Microsoft Hotfix KB942288-v3-x86.  This works briefly.  I install it, restart the computer, the networks list fine, but then a day or two later they are gone again and I'm back to square one.  Reinstalling the patch may or may not work again temporarily but does not provide any kind of lasting solution.  I've done this by trying both just the patch and then trying the patch and reapplying SP3 after the patch.  Neither works permanently.
6. I have tried installing an external USB wireless adapter and it does not work either.  Same thing, says there are wireless networks available but when I click to list them the list says there are no networks in range.
7. Uninstalling the adapter and letting Windows reinstall it.  It identifies it as a Intel PRO/Wireless 2200bg and installs a 12/2007 dated driver.
8. Making sure the wireless signal is on.
9. Disabling any power saving settings that may be putting the adapter to sleep.
I do not believe this is hardware related as the adapter works fine as far as connecting and picking up signal and other adapters do not work either.  It is just that the software does not show the networks available.
Additional ideas from what I've already attempted would be greatly appreciated.  It is not an option for me to replace these things for another 2-3 years and I'd really like to be able to give my employees something they can actually use on a portable basis outside our building.
I have had little success in finding someone else with this problem.  I've been searching for a year for a solution and no one else seems to have this problem which I really find hard to believe since I have 5 of them that do this it can't be an anomaly to me and I can't believe I am the only person still using T41s/T42s out of likely thousands of them that were ever made.
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Answer 1

As the saga continues:
The answer turned out to be even simpler than what I thought.
Turns out that if SP3 is installed while anti-virus software is running entries my be made incorrectly to the registry which cause the available wireless networks list to disappear. There is a MS hotfix for it at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/953979 . It requires you to boot into safe mode, double click the fix file (needs to be extracted from the download first), and then you can reboot into normal mode and botta-bing, the network list is back. No need to reinstall Windows or anything.  Reinstalling Windows worked on the first one I tried it on because I disabled the AV when it was downloading SP3 so it installed properly.  But when I went to do the next one I forgot to do that and was very frustrated when I applied SP3 to it and the list disappeared again.  However, that was the key I needed to find the solution so it all worked out in the end.
The fix opens a command window and closes it so fast you wonder if it really did anything but it does work.
I feel dumb that it took me a year to figure this out, but I didn't really know the problem started after installing SP3 because by the time Windows Update did that the computers were with my users and I had no idea that updates had been run prior to the problem appearing. However, after reinstalling Windows and it working fine in the SP2 install and then not once SP3 was applied things started falling into place as to the problem. Hope this saves someone else a year of pulling their hair out.