Wifi adapter plugged in/in device manager, no networks

Yelldow · 10 Feb 2018

The problem arised after I had come back from a month of using an ethernet connection which I no longer have access to, so I switched back to this, to find it not working at all. The Wifi adapter doesn't even show up in network connections. In device manager, it shows up and I can't find any problems at all. No errors reported or anything. I installed the drivers twice, and both times the software that came with the adapter closed instantly once I opened it and stayed as a hidden process, but I believe it did that before this was a problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
The adapter is an ASUS USB-N53 802.11a Network Adapter.

EdTittel · 11 Feb 2018

Try Option Two in this TenForums tutorial: Reset Network Adapters. When you plugged the wired adapter in, it might have disabled the wireless adapter. Normally, when the wired connection is disconnected, the wireless turns itself back on. In your case, this automatic behavior seems to have failed. Resetting your network adapters will normally take care of this kind of thing. Give it a try, and let us know what happens afterward. Hope it works for you!
--Ed--

Yelldow · 13 Feb 2018

I tried this, but it didn't work. It's still apperently completely oblivious to the fact that I actually do have a wifi adapter.

EdTittel · 13 Feb 2018

OK, we need for you to give us more information about your wireless network interface(s). What kind of PC do you have, with make and model? If it's home- or custom-built, please give us the motherboard info and/or wireless interface information in as much detail as you can. If you run Piriform Speccy (Free) it will give you this kind of info about your network connections:

Wifi adapter plugged in/in device manager, no networks-speccy-wifiinfo.jpg

Please share that kind of information here as well. The built-in or add-on wireless interface you're trying to use is what we want to identify as closely and carefully as possible.
Thanks!
--Ed--

Yelldow · 16 Feb 2018

Update: I have booted up my old windows 7 drive, and wifi is actually detected and somewhat works. That drive is generally very slow, so I'm not surprised. Also, I've bought and tried another wi-fi adapter to no luck, proving it's a windows 10 (or windows 10 update) issue. My guess is an update during the period I used ethernet that broke wi-fi on my machine.

EdTittel · 18 Feb 2018

At this point, then, it becomes a process of elimination: you could either roll back all updates and start applying them one at a time and see when things break. Or you can start from the most recent update, and start uninstalling them, and see when things start working. Your call.
HTH,
--Ed--

Yelldow · 19 Feb 2018

After an automatic windows update, the problem has been fixed. Both wi-fi adapters show, and the dialog box for my old one stays open now. I have no idea what happened; maybe Microsoft made a mistake and fixed it? I have no idea. Thanks anyways for the help.

EdTittel · 19 Feb 2018

Your speculation -- that MS caused the problem with one update, then fixed it with another -- is quite probably correct. But alas, we'll never know for sure. And THAT's why Windows has been such a perpetual source of joy, wonder, and occasionally astonishment (but always, always, always lots of work) to me!

--Ed-- (with tongue planted firmly in cheek, to keep it from exploring my ears...)