Windows XP randomly disconnects from my WiFi network and doesn't bother trying to reconnect. What can I do?

Windows XP randomly disconnects from my WiFi network and doesn't bother trying to reconnect. What can I do?

I've got a laptop running Windows XP (too old to upgrade) and it does something that's maddeningly frustrating: every now and then, I find my network connectivity has disappeared. If I go to my "Wireless Networks" window, I see that my access point is listed, except where it should say "Connected" it just says "Automatic."