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Wireless network card "gone"

Tags:
  • Intel
  • Samsung
  • Internet Access
  • X64
  • Components
  • Wireless Network
Last response: in Components
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September 27, 2014 8:48:40 AM

Samsung NP740U3
Win 8.1 x64
Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 wireless network card

While browsing today I suddenly got the feared yellow triangle and limited internet access.
- I tried disconnecting from the network, but instead of letting me reconnect it showed no networks.
- I tried the windows troubleshooting, but it showed no errors.
- I tried deactivating and reactivating the card, but it wouldn't deactivate when I clicked the button.
- I rebooted, and Windows now only shows my LAN-adapter, no wireless card.

Device manager showed one unknown device.
- I tried letting Windows find drivers for me, but it found nothing.
- I tried downloading drivers from intel, but they did nothing.
- I tried finding them manually using device manager, but when I chose the correct driver it gave me error code 10, "the device won't start".

I turned on "show hidden devices" in Device Manager, and I found my network card. It gave error code 45, "device is not connected".
- I tried updating the drivers in every way I had already tried above, but it's still giving me error code 45.

Finally, in desperation, I uninstalled the driver for the network card in device manager, so now it's completely gone...

I'm also running Ubuntu on this machine (dual-boot), and it's not working there either, so I'm guessing a full format/recovery won't help.

Did my network card just die on me? It has not given me any issues at all before this.

More about : wireless network card

September 27, 2014 9:03:19 AM

Try Re-Installing your Windows. With The Driver CD that your Laptop came with and also Set Default Configuration in your BIOS
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September 27, 2014 9:12:14 AM

I won't be able to test that untill tomorrow, as I don't have the Driver CD with me. Also, I'd rather avoid reinstalling Windows, as it would take days to reconfigure and redownload everything... Is there anything else I could try before reinstalling?

I'm going to try and open the laptop and reseat the card tonight, btw.
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September 27, 2014 9:17:09 AM

You are probably correct, the chip has failed. Is your laptop still under warranty? If so I would contact Samsung.
You might want to talk to their service people, also; they might be able to direct you to a solution.
On the off chance that something IS messed up in the OS, try doing a "system restore". I am unfamiliar with Windows 8 but in W7 you go to 'Control Panel>Recovery'. Select system restore, check mark 'show more restore points', and I would select a point several days prior to the problem and let it run.
If that doesn't work you might have to try the following:
If you have a Windows 8.1 installation disk you can try to repair your Window OS. Make sure that the computer is set to boot from the DVD drive first, and the Windows hard drive or partition second. Install the media and boot to yet, work through the first window or two and select " Repair...." and let it run. This might solve the problem

Good Luck !
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September 27, 2014 9:20:23 AM

viftee said:
I won't be able to test that untill tomorrow, as I don't have the Driver CD with me. Also, I'd rather avoid reinstalling Windows, as it would take days to reconfigure and redownload everything... Is there anything else I could try before reinstalling?

I'm going to try and open the laptop and reseat the card tonight, btw.


You might not be able to reseat it. It is probably hard-wired to the mobo or part of the mobo. I doubt very much that it is a separate card like you would have in a desktop PC. Be very careful.
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September 27, 2014 9:26:41 AM

Did you accidentally flip the wifi switch on the laptop? A large number of laptops have a physical switch that you can hit to turn the WiFi card off. Don't go doing extreme stuff from the start just because you lost WiFi....
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September 27, 2014 9:54:35 AM

nostall said:
You are probably correct, the chip has failed. Is your laptop still under warranty? If so I would contact Samsung.
...(snip)


I am under warranty, but sending it in for repairs would mean being without it for 2-3 weeks. I really don't want to do that, as I need it for university.

I've tried performing a system restore, to the only point available (earlier today actually!), but it did not help. I have no Win8 CD, and I just realised that I probably don't have a Driver CD either, since this laptop has no CD-ROM. It does have a built in recovery function, which basically resets it to factory defaults, but I'd rather avoid that, unless absolutely neccessary.

nostall said:

You might not be able to reseat it. It is probably hard-wired to the mobo or part of the mobo. I doubt very much that it is a separate card like you would have in a desktop PC. Be very careful.


I've watched a movie on how to open it, and it looks like it's removable. I know for a fact that the card used is a regular PCI-e half mini card, but I won't try to rip it out if it's actually hard-wired to the mobo.

hunter315 said:
Did you accidentally flip the wifi switch on the laptop? A large number of laptops have a physical switch that you can hit to turn the WiFi card off. Don't go doing extreme stuff from the start just because you lost WiFi....


This laptop has no physical switch, only a Fn+F12 combo, but that would show the card as deactivated in network settings, not completely gone.
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September 28, 2014 1:06:52 AM

So, after a night of "rest" the card is suddenly working again, with no driver issues at all... It'll probably die again sometime, but I'm good for now at least.
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!