Windows 8.1: WiFi dropping and/or "Limited"

Ok everybody. I have had to fix this issue for many people after the 8.1 update.

This is often a driver issue because windows 8.1 will use it's own drivers rather than the manufacturer's drivers for the wireless adapter.

The following steps will fix many people's issues with connecting wirelessly after the 8.1 update. 

I'm doing this from memory so forgive any mistakes in the exact dialogue options, but I should be satisfactorily close enough.

Try this:

Step 1:

Go into the device manager.

(If you don't know where to find it, read this or just google it.)

Step 2:

Find your wireless adapter under the category "Network Adapters", (take note of the name on it) then right click on the specific wireless adapter (mine looks like "Qualcomm Atheros AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter") and select "Update Driver Software...".

Step 3:

Windows will ask you if you want to search automatically for the driver, you must NOT choose this option. Instead choose "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer".

Step 4:

Using the name you took note of in step 2, find the correct driver.

(you may have to disable the show compatible, but i don't think i had to. The name from step 2 will be useful here.)

Step 5:

Install that driver and after a reboot (may work without one) your wireless adapter should now work.

Hope this helps some of you.

-Seth

(found some others who have successfully done this here.)

(another method that accomplishes the same goal)

The solution i posted may help you. Our office just did this for some people.

(I'm commenting here so that hopefully you'll receive a notice of a reply and be able to fix the issue.)

Thanks! Worked!

Seth, I've tried that with the Broadcom drivers for my HP laptop and that doesn't work.  I was looking at the update today in hopes that it would fix the problem, but no luck: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2914180/en-us

Mine seems to stop disconnecting from the wifi; is been a couple of days and been not having disconnection problem. 

I haven't change any thing on the driver, except trying to let all the updates to occurred completely, then look for updates on the network device drivers. Again all simply asking Windows to search for the update and install it. At one point I remove the wifi network application something, I forgotten what it was, there are two of them one for blue tooth and one for wifi, only the wifi one was removed. But later it was back Austini think though one of the automatic updates.

Then suddenly all okay.

Either oneof the fix or a combination or things. Not sure.