Cannot get necessary wireless services to start

[LedHed]

Ok, I have an ASUS G751JM gaming laptop in my shop that installed some updates sometime last week. It is running Windows 10 Home 64 Bit, 32 Gigs of RAM, 1 TB hard drive, Intel Core i7 Haswell. I have tested the hard drive and RAM. The Windows version is 1709 (OS Build 16299.309.)

Ever since the most recent update, the Wireless won't connect. I cannot get the Windows connection manager or the WLAN AutoConfig services to start. I have run sfc /scannow, DISM (both of which stop abruptly.) I've also ran tweaking.com windows repair with no luck. I also manually reset all network components. I also looked for updated drivers on Asus' website and contacted Asus tech support - no luck.

The ethernet connection works just fine. If I go into the adapter settings, I can see the wireless adapter but it will not connect. I have tried disabling and re-enabling it, that doesn't work either.

I Googled this problem but I can't seem to find a solution. One of the first pages I found mentioned removing some registry entries in HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCP and HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Eaphost. This didn't work either.

Before any of you suggest it, a nuke and pave is out of the question. The owner bought this laptop used from a friend in order to teach a class (his friend bought a newer model laptop and newer version of the software.) The software is very expensive, so I really would like to resolve this situation for my client.

I don't know what else to try and any (reasonable) suggestions are welcome. I don't think this is a problem with the wireless adapter, I think it's a problem with the Windows Connection Manager and the WLAN Autoconfig services.


Andy

 

[Markverhyden]

Have you tried booting with a Linux disk to see what happens? Does it have 3rd party wireless software controllers like Intel?

 

[Mainstay]

Agreed w/ Mark. Is this just mis-behaving under Windows?

Maybe throw Snappy Driver Installer at it? See if it picks up a better Wireless driver. Also, can you roll back that updated driver? Uninstall it completely and only install with the manufacturers driver.

And before you spend too much time on it, try one of these: https://www.tp-link.com/us/products/details/cat-5520_Archer-T1U.html

 

[GTP]

As @Markverhyden suggests, I'd remove any of the rubbish that computer manufacturers insist on putting on there.
Remove the device completely from Device Manager, deleting the installed driver as well and reboot.
Install the driver from the ASUS website.

 

[Dave 1973]

I've had good luck with creating a new user account for some hardware problems, especially printers. It seems that sometimes the user account will get corrupted and cause things to not work properly.
If it solves the problem, I use Fab's to transfer the user data to the new account.

Might be worth a try ???

 

[LedHed]

So, it's been a long night. @Markverhyden, I did boot off of a couple of linux distros, still no luck. This led me to believe that the internal wireless card was dead. After discovering that, I installed a Netgear USB WiFi adapter, still nothing.

@Dave 1973, new user won't work. For some reason, the software license is tied to the user who installed it (never seen that before but I confirmed it with the company who wrote it.)

@Barcelona, I forgot to mention that I tried that in my original post, thanks for the suggestion though.

I also made an image with DDRescue and transferred it to a brand new drive, just to rule out an intermittent hard drive problem.

It won't be hard to run an Ethernet cable where this laptop sits in the office (he doesn't travel with it.) I've got too many hours into this, so I think I will suggest that to the client. It just bugs me that I can't get those services to start, it also makes me wonder if there will be other problems soon. I want to thank everyone for their suggestions.

 

[GTP]

There is a portable program by ESET that returns all Windows services back to "original" configuration. Should give it a go at least. Download here

Also have you run the full gambit of fixes in NetAdapterRepair AIO? It's under the first tab in your copy of WRT.

 

[Your PCMD]

I can see the wireless adapter but it will not connect.

You see it where? Under device manager? If so, here are 2 things you may try that has worked for me with the same issue you have.

1709 is a PITA update and should not have been in existence. Regardless, if you can see the WiFi adapter in device manager, change the driver for it to a Broadcom generic driver that comes bundled with Windows. In a few cases, this has worked for me.

Secondly, get into bios and make sure the internal WiFi is enabled. Believe it or not, after an update to 1709, some how on a couple laptops the internal WiFi was switched off in bios. How it happens, I have no clue.

Other than that, as you said a N&P is out of the question, you may be able to roll back the update to an earlier version or - since you cloned the drive - reinstall Windows over the existing Windows and choose to keep all programs and files. As far as not doing a N&P because of the expensive program, use PC Mover as it can move the programs along with the registration files over.

 

[Diggs]

I've seen quite a few non-connecting WiFi adapters due to Win10 updates. I remove them in Device Manager and reboot. They re-install, I give them the password and everything is good. Not sure why yours is struggling so much. (You did remove it (virtually) at least once right?)

 

[Archon Prime]

doesn't work even with a USB adapter or linux distro...? that's a noodle scratcher right there.

 

[NJW]

I did boot off of a couple of linux distros, still no luck.

Couple of points arising:

- Which Linux distros? (Not all will have the required firmware bundled.)
- Wi-Fi present but not connecting (=> no firmware), or Wi-Fi not present (=> hardware failure)?
- Make & model (including chipset) of the Wi-Fi would be useful.

After discovering that, I installed a Netgear USB WiFi adapter, still nothing.

In Linux or Windows? If Linux, the same questions as above.

An Atheros-based Wi-Fi adapter should work out of the box with any Linux; others may required firmware binary blobs that aren't necessarily distributed (or distributable), so results may be misleading. Linux Mint is probably the best endowed Live CD in this respect and running

sudo inxi -N

in a terminal will give you all the network card details, including the loaded driver, if any.

Ever since the most recent update, the Wireless won't connect.

What happens if you uninstall that update, either from within Windows, or in WinPE?

 

[LedHed]

Well, I talked it over with the client. He will be replacing that laptop in June or July. He said that Ethernet will be fine for now. I really appreciate all of your suggestions and I will save them in case I see this issue again.

I do want to address some of them, though:
@Your PCMD, I tried the Asus driver and the generic Windows one but I did not check the Bios to see if it was enabled.

@Diggs, yes I removed it from the ddrescue imaged hard drive, it reinstalled after booting up but still nothing.

@McFarlandIT, my thoughts exactly.

@NJW, I booted Mint and Ubuntu. It was a Broadcom WiFi adapter. I wrote down the model number but I can't seem to find it now. I did uninstall the updates (3 of them) but it didn't help. I will say that the client told me it happened after the update. Not sure if he is correct. I found out today that he teaches this class one Saturday a month, the rest of the time it's turned off.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[GTP]

He will be replacing that laptop in June or July.....
I cannot get the Windows connection manager or the WLAN AutoConfig services to start....
Before any of you suggest it, a nuke and pave is out of the question. The owner bought this laptop used from a friend in order to teach a class (his friend bought a newer model laptop and newer version of the software.) The software is very expensive, so I really would like to resolve this situation for my client.

If you cannot N & P now because of the software restriction, how will this affect a "new" laptop?
Are you just going to clone his old drive to the new one?
You will probably end up with the same issue by just moving the problem from one laptop to another, seeing as how those services are not starting.

 

[Markverhyden]

If the wireless did the same thing under Linux, shows up, but cannot connect then it's almost certainly a hardware/firmware problem. Year ago I had a Jet Direct card fail. The call was they were unable to print to a HP LJ 4200N. Traffic was handled by the Windoze server and was using WINS. For some reason it would/will not process WINS named traffic, just IP's.

 

[LedHed]

@Barcelona, he will be buying a new laptop with the special software pre-installed directly from the company who writes it. He bought this one used because the software costs $6000.00. He was able to buy this laptop (a couple of years ago, from a friend) with the software already on it for $2000.00. He can't re-install the software because he doesn't have the original downloaded copy. That is why he told me not to perform a nuke and pave.

 

[Porthos]

He was able to buy this laptop (a couple of years ago, from a friend) with the software already on it for $2000.00. He can't re-install the software because he doesn't have the original downloaded copy.

Heard that one before. Good luck on him returning.

 

[NJW]

@LedHed : thanks for the additional detail. Broadcom used to have obscure hardware switching, which could upset Linux and perhaps Windows if the correct driver wasn't available. It's a few years since that was an active consideration though.

... one [day] a month, the rest of the time it's turned off.

In my experience, that's a recipe for disaster with Windows 10, expensive software or not. Windows' own housekeeping is going to take up most of his class.