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    Wireless adapter does not appear in device manager

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by utopian201, Mar 14, 2013.

  1. utopian201

    utopian201 Newbie

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    Hi
    I have a Fujitsu T732. I have switched the wireless devices on using the physical wireless switch. However in device manager, the wlan (Intel 6205) is not listed under network adapters.

    Event viewer shows:
    "The device Fujitsu Wireless Radio Switch Driver (location (unknown)) is offline due to a user-mode driver crash..."

    When I reenable the Radio Switch Driver, only the Bluetooth device is detected under Network adapters, not the wlan adapter.

    When I go to the start screen, swipe to the side and click settings/Change PC settings/Wireless, only Bluetooth - On--Off is listed, no wireless lan device.

    I have also reinstalled the Radio Switch driver, but it has no effect.

    What should I try next?
     
  2. gerryf19

    gerryf19 I am the walrus

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    Windows version?

    Is this a clean install, or is this happening to an older computer?

    There is a WIndows 8 Wireless Radio Switch Driver for this laptop--is that loaded?
     
  3. Pirx

    Pirx Notebook Virtuoso

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    Re-install the driver for the wireless card (not the driver for the switch, that is not the issue), preferably the newest one you can find.
     
  4. Prostar Computer

    Prostar Computer Company Representative

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    Aye. If it's not listed under Device Manager and Event Viewer is showing a crash, then you may either have the wrong driver installed, or no driver for it installed.
     
  5. gerryf19

    gerryf19 I am the walrus

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    the reason I suspect the wireless switch driver is that a device should appear in device manager even if there is no driver--either as an unknown device or device with a problem.

    The wireless switch driver, though, is used by the computer to enable the wireless adapter--to power it on. If it is not powered on, it will not appear in device manager

    I've seen something similar in toshibas...it's wholly unnatural
     
  6. JOSEA

    JOSEA NONE

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    It could also be disabled in the BIOS, but my money is on Gerryf19's solution
     
  7. utopian201

    utopian201 Newbie

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    The problem was a faulty wifi card - it didn't even show up in the bios. I had it sent back to Fujitsu as it is still under warranty, but it took about 3 months for it to get back to me as it was serviced in Germany and required parts either from Japan or the USA.