Vista frustrations

[Ryan]

I've installed Vista Ultimate onto my friend's laptop. (Compaq C776TU) I have installed all the appropriate drivers for graphics, chipset, sound etc etc

The b@stard wireless won't work. (Code 10 according to Device Manager). I have tried uninstalling and adding the device to no avail. I have installed the latest drivers - still nothing.

I have tried disabling the onboard Ethernet NIC and then uninstalling and reinstalling the wireless

I've installed "HP Wireless assist" which, when I run it, tells me the device has been disabled in Device Manager :angry: but it hasn't! It's sitting there with its stupid little yellow exclamation mark and I can't get the **** to work *GRRR*

I've checked the Services and WLAN AutoConfig is started and is automatic.

I've reached the end of my tether with this poxy thing so am wondering if anyone out there has any ideas?

[Subaru ETA]

i found vista a PITA when i first ogt it and had probs with interent etc. i found just downloading ALL the updates sorted it....(obviously not the interent prob coz i couldnt get on the net! :p )

i cant remember what i did in the end (my bro abit of a vista guru) and hhe helped me out.

the only prob i have with vista at the mo is i just downloaded the demo for GRID and it just gives me a dumb msg and it dont work!

[Ryan]

Downloaded updates already - didn't help.

[bradc]

apart from uninstalling and reinstalling there isn't much you can do I guess

[Ryan]

I've f**ked around too much with this stupid thing... I'm off to the pub.

[bradc]

just try reinstalling windows :)

[Subaru ETA]

kick it...

[Ryan]

just try reinstalling windows :)

I hate taking the easy way out but after 4 hours - it's my last option. Plus I've got some beer now - if it doesn't work, then I'll consider kicking it :)

[Gomez]

What version of Ultimate are you using? Is it 64-bit or 32-bit?

I found that some of the devices I was using would throw the toys out of the cot unless I uninstalled the device, and then rebooted. Some wireless chipsets are complete prats for drivers, namely the Atheros chipsets (which most laptops seem to have).

[Ryan]

What version of Ultimate are you using? Is it 64-bit or 32-bit?

I found that some of the devices I was using would throw the toys out of the cot unless I uninstalled the device, and then rebooted. Some wireless chipsets are complete prats for drivers, namely the Atheros chipsets (which most laptops seem to have).

It's 32bit and the Atheros wireless is precisely what I'm trying to install. According to Compaq's drivers for the C776TU, no mention of Atheros is made - instead drivers are available for a Broadcom Wireless LAN adapter. If I install either, it makes no difference.

[White Lightning]

Just an idea ... but have you checked that it's not disabled in the BIOS setup?

[Spirit]

If all else fails, a PCMCIA card ? Can get them new from £10 over here.

[VR4 MAD]

kick it...

/Grrr then ....................go back to XP................?? /pan :speechles

/toycar

[apeman69]

I assume you've tried the laptop manufacturer's website for model specific drivers. I downgraded a Toshiba laptop from Vista to XP and basically had to install all the motherboard/chipset drivers as well as the wireless LAN ones. There are a few different drivers for the Atheros LAN/WAN hardware on the Toshiba website. May be worth a look.
Any time you re-install the operating system it's a good idea to get as many drivers as you can from the manufacturers website, how ever inappropriate they may seem. Unfortunately with laptops you just don't always know what's in the box until it's too late.

Best of luck

Code 10 in device manager means there are no drivers installed so the ones you have tried don't match the wireless hardware. Another consideration may be the sequence of driver installation. If memory serves with the Toshiba there was a specific sequence to install chipset,LAN/WAN,sound etc but the info on the Toshiba site was pretty good. Don't know about Compaq but my experience of HP would lead me to think that they're crap!

[Beastlee]

Are you sure it's Athereos or Braodcomm? A lot of HP/Compaq units use INtel wireless. What is the exact model of the laptop?

[bradc]

Thats actually a good point, does it have a Centrino sticker on it? If so you will actually be after Intel drivers. You could perhaps open the bottom panels and look for the wlan card and see what brand it actually is

[CANDEE]

As the unit is a Compaq C776TU it has a Intel dual core T2390 processor and shares the RAM with the graphics.

Drivers for the unit are as below:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=2093&lc=en&cc=nz&lang=en&dlc=en&product=3708304

If all else fails take the the unit into Visual Group in Mt Wellington and they can look at it. :)

Jeremy

[CANDEE]

Thats actually a good point, does it have a Centrino sticker on it? If so you will actually be after Intel drivers. You could perhaps open the bottom panels and look for the wlan card and see what brand it actually is

Brad, the wireless card is intergrated with the MB and most likely will be an intel one... /pan

[Ryan]

Hi and thanks for replies. Yes, I have been installing chipset drivers first and have pretty much left the wireless to last.

As stated above, it is a Compaq C776TU which uses an Intel Dual Core @ 18.6GHz. If i look at Compaq's website for the drivers:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=2093&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=3708304&lang=en

There are three available to choose from for the wireless. One of the first things I did was check the BIOS but there is very little you can actually change in the BIOS. Installing PCMCIA cards is also out of the question, primarily because there are no slots :(

If I do a Vista search for updated drivers for the "Ethernet Controller" (out of desperation) - it installed the Atheros drivers and I just pretty much got stuck from there.

I am going to try reinstalling the Intel drivers from the URL I pasted above, as I've reinstalled Vista... Let's see what happens.

PS: I had installed WinXP and that itself was an exercise in frustration as there are no XP drivers for Conexant High Def Audio 221 :(

[Ryan]

Thats actually a good point, does it have a Centrino sticker on it? If so you will actually be after Intel drivers. You could perhaps open the bottom panels and look for the wlan card and see what brand it actually is

Tried that too - what Jeremy said :(

[CANDEE]

PS: I had installed WinXP and that itself was an exercise in frustration as there are no XP drivers for Conexant High Def Audio 221 :(

There are no XP drivers available for consumer HP units of any kind...

[Ryan]

OK well downloading the Intel wireless driver didn't do **** either. Ran the .exe and it extracted itself onto a directory on c:

Waited to see if the program would do anything further - nope... Browse to the folder and ran the iSetup file "now performing Intel/ProWireless driver installation" and then the box just disappears.

Wait and wait - nothing... nothing changes in device manager. I've even tried using the INF files from the 32bit folder to update the driver to no avail says that could not find driver software for the device. So clearly - the Intel driver doesn't work.

[CANDEE]

Grrrr!!! I hate vista software issues!!! /Grrr

I think a reimage is in order... /Grrr

[Ryan]

Again??? I'm getting tired of this and I'm really pissed off that Hp/Compaq don't have drivers for XP, forcing users to use this POS Vista

[CANDEE]

Again??? I'm getting tired of this and I'm really pissed off that Hp/Compaq don't have drivers for XP, forcing users to use this POS Vista
Ryan,

I hear you loud and clear, but there maybe an issue with the image that is on the recovery partition - therefore if re-imaging is done again then it should be done from the factory discs that only the repair agent has. :(

I have no idea why the powers at be have set up the consumer units with only Vista on their units...

I have had a few of our repair agents complain about similar issues(yes I do work for HP :( )

Jeremy

[d i c k i e s]

something i was just reading...

First, the problem begins when you uninstall the driver, then try to reinstall it. Turns out that Vista actually re-sets the product (from Intel) to Broadcom - even though it's the same wireless card. What you have to do is go to the Dell support website and download the original driver, then re-install it. Took Dell about 5 minutes to do. Then voila, it worked fine.

[Ryan]

something i was just reading...

First, the problem begins when you uninstall the driver, then try to reinstall it. Turns out that Vista actually re-sets the product (from Intel) to Broadcom - even though it's the same wireless card. What you have to do is go to the Dell support website and download the original driver, then re-install it. Took Dell about 5 minutes to do. Then voila, it worked fine.


Ummm no :) The problem begins with Vista not recognising it in the first place. Intel, Atheros, Broadcom - none of the drivers work, not one.

[d i c k i e s]

sorry that was quoted from what i was reading.. and what this person did to resolve that issue.

[Subaru ETA]

sooo.... you kicked it yet?

[Ryan]

sooo.... you kicked it yet?

No, just quietly seething...

[d3x]

Have you read through this? There seems to be a few work arounds at the moment..


HP support chat about driver for xp (http://forums12.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/bizsupport/questionanswer.do?admit=109447627+1211281584814+28 353475&threadId=1197782)

[Ryan]

Have you read through this? There seems to be a few work arounds at the moment..


HP support chat about driver for xp (http://forums12.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/bizsupport/questionanswer.do?admit=109447627+1211281584814+28 353475&threadId=1197782)

Thank for this but I'm afraid I already tried that option when I had XP on it - when installing the driver it keeps saying "media not detected" or words to that effect.

Vista is back on and is working fine - without the wireless of course. I am sure I will get it to work (eventually).