Windows 7 Laptop won't connect to Wireless router with Windows 7: Please Help!

[steve3031]

Hi,

I am having trouble connecting my girlfriends laptop to the internet using her Windows 7 laptop via a Dlink router with Virgin Media. The laptop previously had Windows Vista installed but I recently upgraded it to Windows 7. For about 2 weeks the laptop connected to the wireless router fine, but stopped working about 4 days ago for some unknown reason out of the blue.

We have tried various methods to fix it, including disabling the wireless network adapter and enabling it again, we have tried updating the driver for the adapter but we get a message saying that the driver currently installed is the latest driver. It also won't let me roll back to the previous driver as that option is faded out in the properties box.

I have took her laptop to my house today to try and connect it to my router (which is also with Virgin and is working fine on my computers at my house) and the laptop won't let me connect to the network and it keeps saying there are no network connections available. I understand that usually it displays a list of connections you can log on to, but the laptop is not finding any connections at all.

On Thursday we attempted to connect to the internet by plugging in the blue wire that came with the router and that works fine. It's just it will not connect wirelessly. What really baffles us with this problem is that it worked fine for a couple of weeks then suddenly stopped working. Could it be an update that was installed that has caused the problem perhaps?

I have also tried using System Restore but that hasn't fixed the problem either.

The wireless adapter is called: Atheros AR5005G Wirelss Network Adapter.

Please help as my girlfriend needs her Facebook fix and is very close to throwing her laptop out of the window

 

[CommonTater]

First... many laptops have a semi-hidden "WiFi" switch, usually under their front edge. If this is not all the way in the "on" position your wireless will appear to be broken... So try turning that off and back on and see what you get.

Second Atheros wireless is a bit flakey in Win7. Your best bet is to completely uninstall it from Device Manager, restart the computer and let it re-install by "plug and play" detection. This will give you clean drivers and default settings. From there just set up the SSID and PSK for the router and you should be ok.

 

[Nibiru2012]

How does the wireless icon appear in the system tray? Is it showing that networks are available to connect to?

Does it show the standard 4 bars and such? Is the wireless network secured requiring a password?

You state that you "upgraded" her laptop to Windows 7. So was this an upgrade install over Vista I assume?

A lot of users wh0 have gone the "upgrade" path versus doing a "clean" or custom install have noticed that they start experiencing problems after 10-14 days. Sounds like this is your case if it was an upgrade install over the existing operating system.

Any more information regarding this would be helpful.

Thanks

 

[steve3031]

Thanks we both feel like idiots, I can't belive I did'nt think abount that. She keeps the laptop in a laptop bag,so i bet she has caught the switch when she's put it away. Thnks mate you've saved me a headache.

 

[CommonTater]

So, I gather it's working again... Very good.
Glad I could help.

There's no reason to feel "like idiots"... It's kind of human nature to look for complex solutions first... I've been at this a long time and it's usually the real obvious stuff that trips me up.

 

[coroid]

hi

I am also having the same problem but my wifi switch is turned on. There are 2 laptops and a computer in my house that all connect to my wifi with no problems. I also upgraded from vista to windows 7, the wifi connected fine for a week+ then suddenly stopped I have turned the wifi switch on and off but still no luck, and no wifi networks at all are shown it just says (not connected, no connections are available) can anyone please help me to sort it out? please.

 

[chiwaternut]

This was the problem with my new laptop. This was found in my F8 Key on the keypad.
also I went to "Wireless" Properties and checked "Connect Automatically"- Thanks!