Wi-Fi (off) and can't be enabled

Anonymous
2013-03-04T07:16:41+00:00

I have had my laptop for 3 months, and wi-fi just stopped working today.  I cannot turn it back on.  The laptop came pre-installed with Windows 8.  It is a Gateway NV52L15u. 

The wi-fi icon in the tray has a red "x" and says "no connections are available."  In PC Settings, it says "Wi-Fi (Off)" and the option to turn it on is greyed out and cannot be selected.  If  I run the Troubleshooting wizard for the network adapter it tells me to "use the switch on the front or the side of the computer, or the function keys... to enable wireless capability."  The laptop does not have a physical switch, and pressing the wi-fi function key on the keyboard only toggles Airplane Mode on or off.

Laptop re-starts have not fixed the issue.  I have run the laptop with battery and with AC power, but this has made no difference either.  When I open Device Manager, there are no issues.  All the network adapters are "working properly."  I have tried un-installing and re-installing the wireless adapter driver, but this has not changed anything.  I even tried replacing the wi-fi network card with a known-good card from another laptop - the wi-fi issue on the Windows 8 laptop was not fixed and the software behavior did not change (with the minor exception that the network adapter changed to a different make and model). 

I am out of things to try.  I have ruled out faulty hardware being the issue, therefore, it appears to be Windows 8 software related.  Any suggestions would be welcome.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Internet and connectivity

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Anonymous
2013-03-05T00:21:49+00:00

Hi Nathan,

Welcome to Microsoft Community Forums.

Based on the description, it appears that you are facing issues while connecting to Wi-Fi as you are getting an error message "no connections are available". I will definitely help you in fixing this issue.

  1. Have you made any changes on the computer prior to this issue?

Method 1: I would suggest you to follow the steps from the and check if it helps.

Why am I unable to see Wi-Fi networks on my Windows 8 notebook?

When you setup your Windows 8 system for the first time, you may notice that Wi-Fi is off when you view Available Networks. If no wireless networks are listed under Wi-Fi, press the F3 key to attempt to turn the wireless on. If you are still unable to see any wireless networks, use the following steps to resolve this issue.

  1. Completely shut down your computer.
  2. Power on the system. As soon as the first logo screen appears, immediately press the F2 key, or the DEL key if you have a desktop, to enter the BIOS.
  3. Press F9 to load Setup Defaults and press Enter.
  4. Press the F10 key to save changes and restart the system. When Windows loads, your wireless networks should now be available.

For reference:

http://gateway-us.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/27057/kw/no%20connections%20are%20available/session/L3RpbWUvMTM2MjQ0MjQ1MC9zaWQvWHFCUlZsa2w%3D

Method 2: Once the Wireless network is available, I would suggest you to make the connection automatic and check if it helps.

How to Connect to a Network in Windows 8

http://gateway-us.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/26602/kw/connections

Give this a go; I’m confident you will find what you need here. But if you face any further issue please reply to this post and we'll be happy to assist you further.

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-04-15T15:21:47+00:00

    Here is "A" fix and a couple of notes.

    NOTE 1 : This works on Win 8 PRO, which is what I use. YMMV.

    NOTE 2: These instructions are for the new user, if your experienced, no need to bash, you know where to find the Device manager.

    NOTE 3: As I mention later "if you have installed a start button, if you haven't you should", I have tried all of them. I recommend Start Menu 8, its freeware, unobtrusive and and works perfectly.

    Hope this works out for you all.

    Do a custom re-install to save your files Apps, and folders (If you do not know how, instructions are available pretty much everywhere on the web)

    1. On re-install, Select keep files, folders and apps.  Then select Custom.
    2. When the switches option shows up INSURE that "Allow Apps to use my name and Account picture" is switched ON.
    3. Complete the install, this will save all of your files and folders and properly re-install your Network adapter.
    4. After Boot Up, go to Device Manager.

    Note: If you have installed a "Start" button (You should) but here is the path WITH a Start Button - Start > Control Panel > System and Security > Device Manager

    or without the Start Button

    Move Cursor to bottom right of Desktop > Settings > Control Panel > System and Security > Device Manager

    Then

    Device Manager > click on "+" in the box next to  "Network Adapter"

    If you see a Microsoft Kernel Debug Adapter

    Right Click on Microsoft Kernel Debug Adapter > Select Disable and click > Select OK to Reboot.

    Once the Computer Reboots, you should be able to log in.

    Estimated Time: 30 minutes. Depending on system YMMV.

    And one final note. Don't ask why switching on "Allow Apps to use my name and Account picture" works. After over 30 years starting on Vax/Unix, I have learned there are things that "just work" and also keep in mind, what works for me may not work for you. But this is one solution.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-04-14T22:35:27+00:00

    I am having the same exact problem on my laptop with windows 8 and it happened just a few days ago! Something is going on because these things don't just happen and a lot of people are affected! Something is going on with the Wi-Fi being enabled on our computers. I called myself talking to an expert but all he says is refresh it( I DID THAT) OR HAVE MY COMPUTER REPLACED! ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS? SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-04-14T20:36:18+00:00

    As of last night I am facing this exact issue, which the OP posted but Vijay did not address. (He addressed something entirely different, and basic).

    I have been using Win 8 since the preview release. Mostly with no issues and with no issues since the consumer release. That was until I upgraded my network to 802.11AC.

    Netgear is currently (And has been) having major issues with the AC Adapter drivers. I wont go into all of the troubleshooting I have done other than to say I have done everything known to man to make this work

    After having come up with zero solutions, I uninstalled the adapter and drivers, cleaned the registry, did a complete cleanup, rebooted and attempted to re-install an N adapter.

    Win 8 will no longer recognize any adapters. Three separate manufacturers, and they all do the same thing, which relates directly back to the OP.

    The driver and software loads properly. But the adapters show up in the Device Manager as unknown hardware (but enabled). In the Network and Sharing Center, no devices show at all, whereas the OP's devices are greyed out, I don't even have that option. They just are not there, period. When attempting to see the driver status in Device Manager, it shows no driver installed, and no drivers available, either on the drive (And the latest drivers are available on my drives) or online of course, because it cannot see online. Any attempt to install a driver, whether standalone or in the software, succeeds, but I end up with the same status as mentioned above. Unknown device, enabled, no drivers. Which of course leaves me with the Not Connected red x icon and no way to enable anything.

    I understand what Vijay is saying. The Not connected is also Not connected-No networks are available. However, no Networks are going to be available if your not connected. Which is what the OP is saying and which is what I am saying, bottom line, we (And a lot of other people) are not connected.

    To Vijay, or any other MS Tech/Engineer, please address the Network connectivity issue. As that is the real issue and has nothing to do with Networks not being available (In this case).

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-04-14T04:39:36+00:00

    I don't think you understand. We're not idiots, obviously airplane mode disables the wireless connection. For some reason this issue has just popped up out of the blue. We know how to turn the airplane mode on and off, but for some reason the wireless connection won't turn on, you can't enable it. In my case when I look on the "wireless & networks" page, it says my wifi is on, airplane mode is off, but when you go to search for a connection, it says wifi is off. My wireless connection is fine, I have  6 other devices that are having no issue with connections.

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