# Computer Question for Techies



## Sevenblade (May 26, 2014)

I have a Dell Inspiron 15 Laptop which was using wifi with no problems. Until it wasn't. Suddenly, spontaneously, without warning. No networks are showing up, nothing. It doesn't even show a wifi option anymore, just offers me ethernet or VPN. I've never used anything but wifi on it before. 

I tried the wireless switch, which just shows airplane mode is off, which is supposed to mean the wifi should be running. But its icon has vanished from the bottom right of my desktop screen, replaced by what I assume is an ethernet icon, which is X'd out. 

And this is all I know. I spent over an hour on the phone with customer service, did a system restore, a reboot while pressing F2, F9, F10... So this is a last ditch-effort. Dell is sending me a package in which to ship the computer to their repair facilities, but I don't want to be without my beautiful machine for who knows how long... They say I'll get it back within 7-10 days of when they receive it, but I use it for work and research... 

If you have any expertise/experience in this area - is there anything I missed? Anything they missed? Anything else I might try? 

I'm baffled as to how it was just working perfectly and then suddenly MIA when I came back to the computer a few hours later.


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## jbking (Jun 4, 2010)

There are more than a few options that come to mind here:

1. Driver issues - Could your machine have updated the software used for the wireless networking that now has some bugs that render it inoperable?

2. Security issues - Could the wifi you were using now be changed so that you are no longer seeing the signal?

3. Hardware issues - Could there be damage to the wireless network adapter in the computer?

These would be my suggestion though don't forget that if you do too much changes you may lose your warranty on the machine.


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## Thomas60 (Aug 7, 2011)

1. 99% of all issues are software related... in otherwords, the driver.
2. Security issue is ruled out by virtue of you not seeing a WiFi option anywhere, otherwise you would see a WiFi signal, but not be able to log into it.
3. Hardware... possible I suppose, but it does not explain why your WiFi application has disappeared, if hardware were the case, you should still have access to a WiFi application that can run a diagnostic, which presumably would say "Device not working properly"

Either way your option is
The soft way -> Product Support | Dell US
download, execute to reinstall the WiFi driver
The hard way -> Full system recovery (Backup all the files you want to keep, it will reset the computer to back when you first got it)


From Yahoo said:


> 1. Reboot, and press Ctrl + F11 together, at the Dell logo.
> 2. The Dell PC Restore by Symantec screen will come up.
> 3. Select "Restore" or use the Tab key to highlight it and press Enter.
> 4. if you wish to continue, click "Confirm", or use the Tab key to highlight it and press Enter.
> ...


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## lightwing (Feb 17, 2013)

If it was working fine then spontaneously is gone, that's generally failed hardware (or a virus, though I'd lean toward failed hardware). Sounds like Dell is on the right track having you send it back for repair.

You can check device manager for unknown devices. If there are some, you could try reinstalling the drivers. If there aren't any, and expanding the network adapters category only shows your wired network, then likely it is failed hardware which is no longer being detected.


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## StElmosDream (May 26, 2012)

Often security based issues (outdated Internet encryption types, system admin blocked hardware, routers not exchanging protocols properly) or a need to try seeking more networks in a public space --- test with as many network hotspot and access points as you can before ruling out your own hardware.


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## Sevenblade (May 26, 2014)

@jbking, the only thing I can think of that might've damaged the machine itself is my backpack flying off my passenger seat last week. It was still working for days after that, though I suppose the problem might only know be manifesting itself.

I kind of doubt it's a security issue, because I didn't have any problems with our wifi on the other computers in the house, and my roommates don't have issues. The router and wifi connection are still working.

@Thomas60, a software issue is my suspicion, too. Something must've been changed, because otherwise, why would even the wifi icon disappear? I'm going to try to find a way of taking the "soft option," only we don't have an ethernet cable. It doesn't look like there's another way to reinstall the driver onto the machine itself, is there? I might go out and buy a cable if they're cheap enough... Otherwise, I don't think a system recovery would affect my warranty, so I'll try that.

@lightwing, I ran a full scan, and nothing else seems affected, so I think it's safe to rule out a virus. I'm checking my device manager, but I'm not familiar with most of the devices. Under Human Interface Devices, it shows a couple of Airplane Mode Switches (which it says are working properly), and under Network Adapters, no wifi options are showing up. Just WAN miniports and a Realtek Controller. 

I don't know if hardware issues can show up so long after a shock to the machine, or out of nowhere, but I'm going to try addressing the driver and doing the system recovery. If they don't work, I guess I'll have no choice but to send it on to Dell. I just don't understand why a hardware problem would make the wifi icon itself disappear, or why I no longer even have wifi as a connection option.


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## lightwing (Feb 17, 2013)

Sevenblade said:


> @_lightwing_, I ran a full scan, and nothing else seems affected, so I think it's safe to rule out a virus. I'm checking my device manager, but I'm not familiar with most of the devices. Under Human Interface Devices, it shows a couple of Airplane Mode Switches (which it says are working properly), and under Network Adapters, no wifi options are showing up. Just WAN miniports and a Realtek Controller.
> 
> I don't know if hardware issues can show up so long after a shock to the machine, or out of nowhere,


A shock to the machine? Did it get dropped or something? If so, something might have jarred loose then. You'd need to open it up to check if the wifi card is a separate piece from the mainboard (sometimes they are these days) and that it didn't get jarred loose. Probably shouldn't do that unless you're a little experienced with opening up computers as if you're not careful, you could cause even more damage to the parts inside.



> but I'm going to try addressing the driver and doing the system recovery. If they don't work, I guess I'll have no choice but to send it on to Dell. I just don't understand why a hardware problem would make the wifi icon itself disappear, or why I no longer even have wifi as a connection option.


That's a good step to take. Windows is smart enough to detect hardware and try to install it for you. In the same way, if you remove a piece of hardware, it will typically "remove" it from Windows as well. If the wifi card died, it can have the same effect within windows as if it were removed; hence, it's disappearance.


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## Zombie Devil Duckie (Apr 11, 2012)

Spend $10 bucks, go to walmart and buy a wifi adapter

Edimax EW-7811UN 150Mbps Wireless 11n Nano Size USB Adapter - Walmart.com

If it works, problem solved and you won't necessarily need to send off your laptop. If not, return it to Walmart and get your money back. It might get you by until there is a better time for you to be without your laptop for awhile.

Also, I found this article that might give you some ideas about how power issues affect your wifi:

Intel® Wi-Fi Products â€” Power save polling (PSP) causes connection issues with access points



Hope it helps.

-ZDD


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## Sevenblade (May 26, 2014)

It flew off my car seat last week (in my backpack) when I had to stop suddenly. But it was working fine for days afterward. I don't think the wifi card died, if there is one - at least not of natural causes, because I only bought the machine two months ago. The impact didn't seem all that hard, not enough to do serious damage, and everything else is in working order.

I definitely won't try opening the computer itself, since I have zero experience in doing so. Right now, I'm still waiting to see if any of my friends have an ethernet cable. If not, I'll probably skip the driver reinstall and just do a system recovery, because they're too expensive everywhere I've called.


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## Sevenblade (May 26, 2014)

Zombie Devil Duckie said:


> Spend $10 bucks, go to walmart and buy a wifi adapter
> 
> Edimax EW-7811UN 150Mbps Wireless 11n Nano Size USB Adapter - Walmart.com
> 
> ...


Thanks. Would an adapter work, though, if the wifi option has disappeared? 

As to the connectivity issue, it's not just that I'm not able to access the internet through wifi; the icon itself, all wifi options, have disappeared. When I try to connect, it just offers me ethernet or VPN. Would an adapter change that if something is wrong with a driver or other software?


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## Zombie Devil Duckie (Apr 11, 2012)

> Thanks. Would an adapter work, though, if the wifi option has disappeared?


It usually fixes the issue, yes. Plug and play should install the required drivers for the USB device. If it doesn't work it could mean the damage is something that you can't fix by yourself and requires a service technician.

I'm skipping all of the regular troubleshooting since you spent time with tech support already. This is my "last ditch" wifi advice that I give when everything else fails roud:


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## Sevenblade (May 26, 2014)

Thomas60 said:


> 1. 99% of all issues are software related... in otherwords, the driver.
> 2. Security issue is ruled out by virtue of you not seeing a WiFi option anywhere, otherwise you would see a WiFi signal, but not be able to log into it.
> 3. Hardware... possible I suppose, but it does not explain why your WiFi application has disappeared, if hardware were the case, you should still have access to a WiFi application that can run a diagnostic, which presumably would say "Device not working properly"
> 
> ...


I tried this (the hard way - I don't know why your quote doesn't show up), and neither of the methods worked. The first one only did what the system restore did last night, with no changes. The second, I couldn't even get past step 1. Pressing F8, even repeatedly, did nothing. 

I also googled "restore to factory settings," and it sounded like it can remove even things the computer came with, like W8. I don't want to do that, so at this point, I'm going to try the wifi adapter. $10 doesn't seem like a huge waste, and even if it doesn't fix the problem now, it sounds like it'll work faster when I get the computer back from Dell.


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## Thomas60 (Aug 7, 2011)

@Sevenblade
Checklist:
1. You've been through control panel, network devices...with no sign of a troubleshoot/diagnose WiFi adapter (I fixed the same problem your describing this way 2 weeks ago). -This works if the problem is a setting
2. Downloading the WiFi driver was also unsuccessful. -This works if there is a software corruption or faulty driver
3. The system recovery function shouldnt take away your windows8, 
It should copy from a partition. Most laptops come with these now, but if you unsure, clock my computer and you should see 2 drives (the c:/ and another hopefully named d:/ recovery ). Creating back up disks is more a safeguard against a complete hard drive failure.

Anyways thanks for at least hearing us out. I hope you find a simple fix


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## Sevenblade (May 26, 2014)

I tried item #1, no dice.

I couldn't try #2, at least not yet, because I haven't got a way to connect to the internet on that computer again yet, so I can't download/reinstall the wifi driver.

I wasn't sure about #3, the system recovery, but I will check on the partition and see if that might work.

Anyway, thanks, everybody, for trying to help.


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## tanstaafl28 (Sep 10, 2012)

What operating system does your laptop run?


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## Sevenblade (May 26, 2014)

tanstaafl28 said:


> What operating system does your laptop run?


Windows 8.1. I've found a temporary solution in an internet dongle, as ZDD suggested. By which time the wifi option and icon have magically reappeared (before the dongle was tried), but remain switched off. I can't switch them back on. I'm now using the "Wifi 2" option. Oh, well, Dell still wants me to send the machine in, and I suppose I'd better.


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## Grandmaster Yoda (Jan 18, 2014)

It could be drivers. There was program on my laptop that I deleted and it was actually the wifi driver so I couldn't use wifi. Thankfully I backed up the computer.


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## tanstaafl28 (Sep 10, 2012)

Sevenblade said:


> Windows 8.1. I've found a temporary solution in an internet dongle, as ZDD suggested. By which time the wifi option and icon have magically reappeared (before the dongle was tried), but remain switched off. I can't switch them back on. I'm now using the "Wifi 2" option. Oh, well, Dell still wants me to send the machine in, and I suppose I'd better.



I've seen this happen with Servers running Windows Server 2008. They just "forget" their network settings and seem to "default" to a setting that doesn't make any sense. I had to uninstall and reinstall them a few times before I could get the OS to stop messing with things. I am willing to bet Dell has accidentally created some sort of driver conflict, or there's a hardware option setting that doesn't jive well with the OS.


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## Sevenblade (May 26, 2014)

Yikes. I'm a little disappointed with Dell, actually. I've had major issues with their computers in the past, which is why I stuck to HP for so long. But people kept telling me how great their experiences were, and this was on sale, so...

Weirdly enough, the Wifi _option_ has reappeared (there's the dongle, which has created "Wifi 2", but plain old "Wifi" has also reappeared). I can turn it on and off, but it says it can't connect to the network. Sometimes, it won't even detect any networks, even though they're there under Wifi 2. At this point, I'm waiting to see if it doesn't self-correct. I had a friend take a look at it, and he thought the culprit was McAfee. I had a free trial subscription with my computer, and let it expire (because McAfee sucks). He said it's also been responsible for interfering with Wifi cards when allowed to expire. I hadn't heard about this, because I don't know anyone who uses it, but it certainly seems suspicious that the Wifi option reappeared as soon as I uninstalled McAfee completely. At first, I couldn't turn it on. Then, I could turn it on, but no networks were detected. Then, it started detecting, but told me it couldn't connect... So, we'll see.


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