I've got the same problem as you with thinkpad R50e wireless

If you have a Factory Recovery Partition, Reboot and use the procedure in this forum: http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/R-and-L-Series-ThinkPad-Laptops/Product-Recovery-Windows-XP-ThinkPad-R50e/td-p/92036 OR, If you have the Factory Recovery Disks, put Disk 1 in the CD ROM and reboot, OR contact IBM for a Set of Factory Recovery Disks, if available.

If you see the wireless LED light glowing, the defenitely it will have the wireless facility. There might be a harware and a software switch for IBM Laptops. Hardware switch is on the left front panel of the Laptop. To find the software control of Wireless, Press Fn and F5 which will open up a Black window and you can switch ON or OFF the wireless.
Hope this helps. Good Luck ~SmokinJoe~

please try this link for download

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-55042.html#wireless

Wireless LAN ThinkPad 11abg, abgn, bg, bgn for Windows Vista (64-bit and 32-bit) - ThinkPad
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-67351

Wireless LAN ThinkPad (11bg, 11abg, 11abgn) for Windows XP, 2000 - ThinkPad
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-70480

Intel Wireless LAN (11abgn, abg, bg) for Windows Vista - ThinkPad
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-70505

Intel Wireless LAN (abgn, abg, bg) for Windows XP - ThinkPad
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-70504

After download extact the files either Vista Or XP depending on ur O.S...go to device manager - select the hard ware.....right click and select update driver...choose not to go online....browse to the location of driver after selecting have disk and ok

www.opendrivers.com/driver/.../ibm-thinkpad-r50e-bios-embedded-controller-1vht28ww-(1.04)-free-download.html

www.opendrivers.com/driver/.../ibm-thinkpad-r50e-bios-1wet88ww-(2.08)-free-download.html

www.opendrivers.com/driver/233753/ibm-thinkpad-r50e-audio-driver-v5.12.01.5410-windows-2000-xp-free-download.html
www.soft32download.com/software/IBM-ThinkPad-R50e-Audio-driver-download-details.html

try the above two links where you can download the driver

Sorry, no. The R50e series uses only DDR laptop memory.

For determining memory options w/o even opening the PC, try:

http://www.crucial.com

...and run the memory scan.

Yikes. You've set a password on the BIOS and don't remember it?

Well, most manufacturers set a "backdoor" password on the bios that will allow you to get in. It used to be the backdoor PW for IBM was "merlin" but that may no longer be the case. If you absolutely cannot get in, then your option is to open the case to the laptop and disconnect the CMOS battery for about 15 seconds and then reconnect it. That will clear the CMOS to the factory defaults.

I wish you well with this.
Thanks for using FixYa!!

Sounds like you didn't download the right drivers. These devices will work if you get the right drivers, keep trying.

good.