Wifi Driver Windows 7
Gifford Brickley
I have been struggling for some time with my Wifi adapter (Intel Centrino N-2230) which 'disappeared' after a recent update to Windows 10. Now I have been without Wifi for more than three weeks and I am really anxious to find a solution.
During an update of Windows 10 (this was before the update to Creator's) the wireless adapter suddenly became 'invisible', i.e. the computer didn't know anymore that it exists (no reference anywhere to Wifi, for example under 'Network and Internet settings' Wifi doesn't appear as an option, etc.).
In Device manager, the network adapter had also disappeared. I found that it still existed under 'hidden devices', tried several things (uninstal followed by scan for hardware changes; or - following the advice by the (not very useful) Dell customer service - installing Intel PROSet/Wireless Software and Drivers for Windows 10 (without any visible effect whatsoever), etc. In between different attempts to find a solution sometimes the device disappeared also from the 'hidden' items of device manager, sometimes came back upon restart, all very erratic.
This morning I gave it another try, uninstalled the 'hidden' device and then reinstalled it using 'instal legacy software' option, but now I get the error message "This device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device. (Code 31)."
Thanks so much for your suggestions on how to resolve the issues with my wireless adapter. I followed the steps you had proposed and was very happy when this morning everything seemed to be perfectly ok. The adapter was visible in Device Manager (with the message 'this device is working correctly'), different networks were detected, and I could even use my Bluetooth speakers at the same time, which had always been a problem in the past (either Bluetooth was working and Wifi wasn't, or vice versa).
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thanks for your suggestions! Concerning Windows updates, it is actually impossible NOT to get updates automatically installed under Windows 10 Home edition unless you have a metered Internet connection. I have recently upgraded to Windows 10 Creators edition, and given the recent cyber attacks I check for updates every morning before doing anything else (just as an additional precaution). So I can guarantee you that my Windows is completely up-to-date (the problem actually appeared before the upgrade to Creators, but a good while after the move to Windows 10 Anniversary Edition - Wifi was working fine under Windows 10 Anniversary until that one update that killed it - and which I couldn't make undone).
Concerning the BIOS, there again this was the first thing the person from the Dell customer service asked me to do - but I had already done it myself just a few days prior. The latest version of the BIOS for my system appears to be A14 from August 2015.
I will now try the clean installation steps with the new driver - I suspect that it will work immediately after I've done it but the question is whether Wifi will still exist when I come back from work tonight!! I'll keep you posted.
bad news - I cannot install the new driver as the wifi adapter is nowhere to be found in device manager (not under 'hidden devices' either). When this happened before I could usually get it back by doing a 'cold reboot', i.e. pressing the power button for a few instances until the computer shuts down and then restarting it. But this time this didn't work either (besides, I don't think this is the best way to treat a computer...).
What I do see in device manager (under Network adapters - hidden devices) are several instances of something called 'Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter' (they are numbered # 4, # 5, # 6). I wonder what that is all about? Are these needed, what are they, and are they perhaps interfering with the Intel N-2230 that has disappeared??
Further up there is also Intel Centrino Wireless Bluetooth + High Speed Virtual Adapter which I suppose has nothing to do with wifi (??), and then of course under Bluetooth the Intel Wireless Bluetooth adapter, again unrelated to wifi, I suppose.
thanks for trying to help even if this is all a bit weird! I still cannot see the wifi adapter in Device manager, but I suppose the number you're looking for is the same that is recorded in the Events log? This is what I can find there:
Since your adapter still refuses to show up in your Device Manager, there is a change it may actually have failed. If this is the case, you may need to contact your computer manufacturer to purchase a replacement.
Based on your system's support and downloads page, it seems your options will be between the same adapter or the Dell Wireless* 1703, 1704, or 1705 WiFi + Bluetooth adapters. However, your safest bet would be to engage your OEM to find out.
Aside from those, you can always opt to switch over to an USB Wireless-AC adapter. These adapters are really small and affordable now days, the downside being that it will permanently occupy one of your USB slots.
thanks for all your help with this! I tried to do a system restore immediately after the problem had occurred but it failed (for whatever reason - the system just said 'restore failed'). By now I have upgraded to Windows 10 Creators and I can no longer even try to restore to a point before the incident. So that option is out. Dell Customer Service told me to delete everything (including my own files - after saving them on a hard drive, of course) and do a complete new installation of Windows, but I refuse to do anything so radical with insecure outcome (it would mean losing all the software I have installed etc. and would simply be a real pain in the neck).
I have already considered buying a USB wireless adaptor and so that's what I will do now. And I'll also give it another try getting a new card installed (which failed previously due to 'logistic' issues related to Customer Service I don't want to get into). I'll report back if and when I manage to get the card exchanged, and whether that solves the problem.
I noticed that when it appeared, it said something is wrong with the adapter. Disabling and enabling the adapter sometimes fixed it and I could find WiFi networks again, but I think it broke again after the PC went to sleep or something like that.
Depending on your operating system, device manager may hide a device for one of several reasons. Sometimes, this can happen once you've uninstalled it's drivers completely. Other times, it may be a sign of failing hardware or your adapter not sitting properly on it's slot.
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After the last update for Windows 11 insider (Home). The driver for the wireless card stopped working. There is already a guide on the issue on Intel's boards, but it is not working either. So i think the issue is with the Windows.
I managed to bring my Killer wireless network adapter back - after wasted a whole morning. Windows updated overnight and I lost the card after that. This was the error I saw in Event Viewer:
@OussD After a lot of research, the problem is usually solved by resetting the bios to default, mainly on dell laptops. The problem is caused after doing bios update or installing windows 11.
Also don't forget to install the updated drivers.
@ballon999 This is not working on my Surface Pro 7. I've tried uninstalling and removing the driver completely several times and each time on the restart it automatically comes back (even when I'm not connected to the internet). I had Windows 11 and reverted back to Windows 10 and still not right.
I had a similar issue when I got my first wifi 6 networking card. My solution was to turn off automatic band selection in the wifi router settings. Apparently the network card couldn't handle when the band changed (something that the router did seemingly randomly), and so the network card errored out and stopped working until it was reset. However, after I turned off automatic band selection there hasn't been another issue, with that machine.
Everyone, try removing the driver then shutting down the OS, not reset/reboot. I've been fighting this for 2 days straight and even after a complete OS reinstall/downgrade from 11 to 10 the problem is still there. Immediately after the reinstall the wifi adapter worked, but after a few reboots it went back to the same issues/events in the system log. Then I tried removing the driver and shutting down completely before powering back on and the wifi is now working. For how long who knows, but give this a shot if you are struggling.
I tried that but device manager doesn't show any network adapter. I bought a macbook air just last week and installed windows 10 (education) on it. I see only 'network controller' in device manager. On a related note, I did have problems installing Windows 10 on this macbook. After Bootcamp assistant created the windows install disk on a flash drive, the computer restarted but did not automatically go to the install disk to bbot up. I had to restart it again and hold the option key for it to do that. So I still do not get the bootcamp screen when I startup. Could my problem be related to that?
I can see the wifi router but it won't connect and took some time to figure out why. My workaround this persistent connectivity issue is to unplug my external monitor before connecting to the wifi router. This indicates I may have a power supply or power management issue. This issue only occurs in Bootcamp, not macOS so it's more likely a power management issue than a power supply issue. Maybe the factory fitted dedicated NVidia GeForce 750M in the high-end late 2013 15" Macbook Pro uses a lot of power when piping to a 4K external monitor via displayport. Once I'm connected to wifi in Bootcamp I can plug the monitor back in and proceed without issues.
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