Win 7 -64 -- update causes wireless to malfunction and can't fix it

I just did MS updates which included one for Intel driver update for Intel(R) Centrino(R) Ultimate-N 6300 AGN on both my HP 8740 wp and my 8540wp - both with Win7 -64. In both cases, after the update -- the wireless card would not recognize any wireless networks including my own.

I did a restore on the 8540 wp and that restored the wireless. I then started updating everything but the Intel Centrino.

This solution did not work for the 8740 wp -- basically identical machine except for 17 inch screen instead of 15 inch screen.

I checked everything-- wireless turned on in every possible way. Ran Intel's test on the card and it said the "radio" was turned off. and hat's why the wireless wouldn't work. The instructions a\to turn the "radio" back on were incomprehensible.

So now my highest end laptop can't get on the internet unless I move it to the room with the modem and Ethernet it in.

Anybody have any idea for a solution? I presume the optional update screwed it up but restore to two restore points back doesn't undo the problem on this one though one restore point back did on the other one.

 

Shocking...

Lesson to be learned: NEVER USE MICROSOFT DRIVER UPDATES FOR YOUR HARDWARE
Always use your laptop manufacturer's drivers or the OEM drivers (Intel, Nvidia, AMD, etc.)

Every time I have ever used a Windows update drivers on a hardware component, it has always resulted in some sort of BSOD or component failure.

My best advice, uninstall all Intel wireless/wifi drivers and software from your machine. Then download the default drivers from HP for your 6300 card and reinstall. That should get it back to functional. You will have to plug directly into your router/modem (via ethernet) to use the internet, but this will at least get the wireless card working again. And in the future, if you want to update your Intel drivers, get the updated drivers from Intel, not Microsoft.

 

Do you have that buttons app installed. The one that controls wireless on/off switch among other things

I've had similar problem myself, I could turn wireless off but not back on unless I installed that piece of software.

 

Ha, exact same thing happened to me!!! Error Code 80070103, Code 80070436

1. You'd have to go to the hp.com/support website and download the latest drivers for your 8740.

2. I've got an 8540w, and the same happened to me. The latest MS update, Intel driver update for Intel(R) Centrino(R) Ultimate-N 6300 AGN, June 9, 2014, failed. Strange, this has no KB#.
Luckily, I've got the drivers stored under: c:\swsetup. You should also, most HP computers put them there. I went through them until I found the installation: Intel PROSet Wireless.msi under C:\swsetup\sp58826\Win7\S64\Install.
Your SP# will vary, but the .msi should be the same.

3. you can try going to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download\Install and look for the file SETUP.EXE with a round, dark blue icon with the white wireless waves in it. I copied this install directory, and tried to install from there, at which point I think it created c:\intel\Wireless. I ran both setup.exe, and it was the same version. Checking with MS Updates - it's gone!

4. check to see if you have c:\intel\Wireless\setup.exe . I did, and it fixed it, repaired the installation file ver 16.11.0


Try that!
Error Code 80070103, Code 80070436

 

This is what I try to tell others go to the hardware manufacture site and get the drivers directly from them not form M$ drivers especially wifi are the worst they would look like they work but will not connect I know from experience I done it already. For the O/S that will be fine from M$ but for hardware always get the latest drivers/software from them directly not from M$. And also another point don't use 3rd party software to download or look for your drivers those are malware and adware programs - I see alot of this so others beware of those schemes as well.

 

Actually, there is an exception to what I said. You can use the drivers from Windows Update for Microsoft peripherals line their mice and keyboards. But even then, the hit-and-miss rate is still 50-50.

 

Thanks everyone for your feedback.

@ Raji -- uggh -- I can't believe after all these years I still have lessons to learn-- I will never use an MS update for non-MS stuff again (even though in this case the update was provided to MS by Intel itself - see comment at StormJumper below.)

@Sammer003 for the direction -- I will check.

@ StormJumper -- I did get the drivers & software directly from Intel -- turns out they are the same ones they supplied MS for the updates. They said their update is "generic" and they are not responsible for any tweaks HP (or any other computer) may have made for its own computers. They said I had to go to HP technical support. I went to HP's website and the only drivers they have are 4 years old.

I have another question -- to uninstall the update drivers -- the only way I know how to do it- is through the device manager. But it says it uninstalls the device itself and then I am to check a box to uninstall the drivers too. (I have already uninstalled the software through the MS uninstall program and will use ccCleaner to get the rest.) I am nervous to do that. (I have no idea what it means to "uninstall a device.")

Any advice there?

 

I did go to HP's site to get the drivers from that site. It said they were already there and did I want to overwrite. I said yes -- just in case. ANd now the wireless works BUT

But this is what my assistant did 2 days ago and the wireless worked when he did it too. But the next day, the laptop crashed again. And when I got it restarted -- the wireless no longer worked- AGAIN.

So I am wondering if the same thing is going to happen again.

I've been having problems with this laptop not turning on, not coming out of sleep mode and not coming out of hibernation. - just a plain black screen with all the computer lights on indicating the machine is on. I have had to force shut it down through the power button and then turn it on -- going through safe mode, or Windows "corrections" sometimes 2 or 3 times to get it to fully come on. I don't know if that is contributing to the problem.

But I will come back to report.

 

I would go to your device manager and uninstall the driver and then uninstall the Intel wifi drivers/software as well and then reboot your computer and then this time use "Install as Admin" to install the Intel driver/software and reboot and see if this fixes resolves the problem. I use a Intel 6300 in my DV5-xxx unit and it works just fine with two antenna and Intel wifi 16.10 driver/software. I have Windows 7x64 Ult Sp1 for the O/S. The intel driver is 16.11 currently but for my system it installed up to 16.10 maybe because it doesn't use all the feature or 16.10 is the most currently in that package for my dv5.

 

I would have to ask, is there no restore point prior to all the issues?

 

I realize this has become a long thread -- but if you look at my OP -- I tried a couple of restores going over 6 weeks back and it did not resolve the problem for the HP 8740w tho it did for the HP 8750w.

The 8740w ultimately got fixed. I downloaded again, after having updated everything else to its current state, from HP's site the original software for the Intel wireless chip. This time it worked and has continued to for several days now. (I uninstalled the new software but never the new drivers -- and as it is working now -- though I see by StormJumper's post how I could have done it -- I don't want to mess with success at this point.)

I believe the reason the solution didn't work the first time -- tho I don't know if this makes sense -- is that my assst downloaded the HP drivers while the 8740w was still in the 6 week old restore point.

Then I had to do a lot of updates to catch up to the current updated OS, and though I avoided downloadind the Intel Centrino one, some of those updates may have messed things up as well. When running the diagnostics then, it didn't even get past the first stage (wireless not connected to "something' - don't remember what) -whereas originally with the 6 week restore point he diagnostics passed the first 2 stages and failed at "radio not turned on."

Anyway, things seem to be working fine tho I am bothered by using software that is dated form 2010 -- even if it is just for the wireless. I have no idea whether this leaves me vulnerable to hackers - etc.

Thanks for the help, everyone.