[SOLVED] Failure of Wireless on Windows 7 computer

C

cranleighboy

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 5, 2017
Posts
75
The problem appears to be both wired and wireless, though it is the latter that I am concerned about.

The Computer is a Dell Latitude D630 running Windows 7.

A few months ago my wired connection (at that point my only connection) stopped working, and after explloring various possibilities I decided that the hardware had failed and purchased a ‘dongle’ that gave me Ethernet connectivity through a USB port.

I habe moved on not to a BT Smart Hub 2 which, using the WiFi disk supplied with it has given me Wireless connectivity for the first time in my office. My other computer connects well to the Internet using wireless, so the wireless connectivity works.

The second computer, this one will not connect via wireless, so is connected by a wired connection to the back of the WiFi disk. I now suspect that the wired and wireless routes are sharing a common software problem that the USB ‘dongle’ route avoids.

I have tried a wide variety of suggestions from the internet, none have worked.

Services show that both WLAN Autoconfig and Wired Autoconfig are both set with Startup Type ‘Automatic’ but are not running. Trying to start either gives an error screen ‘Windows could not start the WLAN AutoConfig service on Local Computer//Error 1068: The dependency service or group failed to start’. I have no ideas as to what the dependency service or group concerned is/are.

I have run sfc /scannow which reports that it found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them. I have to admit that I cannot follow the information in the CBS log produced. I can send you the output if you wish.

Answers to your pre-posting requirements:

I have attached the output of ipconfig /all with an annotation that there is no cable at present in the wired port.

My ISP is BT using a DSL broadband connection.

The hub/router is a BT Smart Hub 2 (actual manufacturor unknown)

I run Malwarebytes on the computer.

I have run Xirrus WiFi Inspector (in passing Xirrus has been subsumed into Cambium Networks and I could not find the Inspector on their site, but found it with a Google scan – so the link on the pre-posting requirements page needs updating) and the screen is shown (which so far as I can tell shows nothing!)

Regards Chris
 

Attachments

1st, Windows 7 will no longer receive security updates as of Jan 14 2020. Have you considered upgrading to Win 10? I just did this over the weekend to my Mom's Win 7 laptop and chose to keep her files and apps and it went over without a hitch.

Before you do anything, please make sure to have a valid backup image of your drive so you can revert if things go further south.

Was that ipconfig /all ran in an elevated command prompt?

Also, from an elevated command prompt run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Then run the sfc /scannow again after the DISM finishes.

Xirrus will not show wired connections.
 
1. Yes I have considered Windows 10, and like a number of others, do not like the interface!
2. Yes ipconfig /all did run in an elevated command prompt
3. I tried DISM and it ran but reported that "The restorehealth option is not recognised in this context" by which I presume is meant in the clean-up-image context as it does not appear as an option on the help for cleanup-image. I attach the log (too large to upload!)
4. sfc was still unable to fix some corrupt files -- I attach the log
5. Yes I appreciated that it did not show wired connections, but it also shoed nothing of wireless -- that may well be expected!
 

Attachments

The DISM Restorehealth does not work on WIn 7. Sorry about that. I found where the DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth does the same thing if you have all the current updates for Win 7.
 
I do not believe DISM even exists for Windows 7 and earlier. The System Update Readiness Tool (see: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...-by-using-the-dism-or-system-update-readiness) is what gets used on Win7 and earlier.

At this point getting off of Windows 7 should be the priority for anyone still on it. Liking a UI or not is the least consideration when choosing an OS, and using an unsupported OS (and not just Windows 7) in contact with cyberspace is just asking for problems.
 
Britechguy
1. DISM does exist for Windows 7 (as my previous post indicated), and when the correct parameters are supplied (as xrobwx71 provided) works to completion
2. It might not be your priority, but for many the user interface is a priority. I still find the ribbon interface very difficult to use and much prefer older (even if unsupported) versions of Word, for example. There are many useful features of the old Word that I still haven't found on the ribbon -- to the extent that I may be moving onto one of the alternatives!!

xrobwx71
many thanks for finding the correct parameter, DISM ran successfully to completion -- I attach the log (zipped).
sfc /scannow still found items it couldn't repair -- again log attached
Wired Autoconfig & WLAN AurtoConfig services still fail to start on the basis that a dependency service or group failed to start. Do you know of where or how one can identify those depedency services?

Many thanks
 

Attachments

Thank you plodr, Viper's list enabled me to find the service (CNG Key Isolation) that was stopping Wired AufoConfig services from starting.

In passing it is also a dependency for WLAN AutoConfig as that also started.

So I have now moved on as all is not yet well -- the Authentication process is nor completing, so I suspect another service is not running. So a start down the services list to try to find a possible option!
 
i'm wondering if you have a system restore point dated before this started?

I'm also seeing on the interwebs that in WIn 7, you may need to run the sfc /scannow multiple times, 3-4x, before it will fix the issues. I can't find a why as of yet. (I want to know) :-)

Also, try running it in safe mode.
 
I had wondered about a system restore, trouble is it would be rather far back as I had assumed the wired connection failing (at that point wireless connevction was impossible) was a hardware failure & took evasive action by using a USB port to Ethernet dongle -- so any restore would be many months back & now rather out of date!

I will try the sfc /scannow multiple times (I have also heard that -- I suspect it is that the sequence of corrections might be critcal (Ie if the failings are A B C and A depends on B then you need 2 scans , the first to correct B then the second to correct A -- but that is just a surmise
 
My apologies for a delay in replying, other matters have come up and I have been trying various suggestions to no avail.



Just to recap on the problem & where I have got to.

My computer is running Windows 7 and has network elements installed/connected:

1. Broadcom NetXtreme 57xx Gigabit controller

2. Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection

3. ASIX AX88772 USB2.0 to Fast Ethernet Adapter

4. Bluetooth & WAN Miniport (not of interest)



Of these #3 is working and providing network access via its dongle. #1 & #2 have been worked on (see below) and have got to the stage where when they are enabled give ‘Unidentified Network’ with #2 also showing ‘Limited Access’ (which so far as I can see means ‘no access’!) to the local network (the router is 1 metre away).

It is worth noting that a second computer on the same desk can pick up both wired & wireless connections with no difficulty.



I have worked through various options suggested on the Internet:

a) Various resets on IP & TCP

b) deleting the persistent IP address 0.0.0.0

c) deleting & reloading the devices on both #1 & #2.

in all cases this has been tried with & without device #3 enabled

As both devices use separate hardware (so far as I can see) and different drivers I was not surprised at this result. I suspect that a common element deeper down the software stacks or some other software element which is interfering must be responsible. I put the fact that device #3 works down to its hardware being external and it is using its own software stack.



d) It has been suggested that there might be extraneous items in the list of software items on the Properties list – but I have no way of knowing if any of these can be deleted or if any are missing. The list on all 3 ports is:

Client for Microsoft Networks

Microsoft PEF NDIS ETW Driver

QoS Packet Scheduler

Npcap Packet Driver (NPCAP) (Wi-Fi)

Npcap Packet Driver (NPCAP)

Microsoft Network Monitor 3 Driver

File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks

Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)

Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) (which keeps on – randomly – ticking its box)

Link-Layer Topology Discovery Mapper I/O Driver

Link-Layer Topology Discovery Responder

(Apart from IPv6 all have their boxes ticked, they are set to request both IP & DNS addresses automatically (I have also tries a fixed address to no effect)



Any thoughts would be welcome



Many thanks − Chris
 
They are all on sub-net 192.168.1.0. all 3 ports obtain dynamic addresses from DHCP. I have a memory that I experimented with fixed addresses to no avail, but therebis a suspicion in my mind that somethging in the DHCP stack is playing up -- but port #3 would, I guess, be using the same DHP stack -- but maybe not?
 
I have tried a further change to the network, which has provided more evidence, but no solution!

I purchased a USB to WiFi dongle and the ports are now as listed below

a) wired port in laptop − no connection when enabled

b) wireless port in laptop − unidentified network/limited connectivity when enabled

c) wired port via USB dongle − working perfectly

d) wireless port via USB dongle − unidentified network/limited connectivity when enabled

All ports set to dynamic addresses, but behave in the same way with static addresses.



1. Does not seem to be a hardware issue as non-working ports are each on different hardware and are both internal and external ports

2. Does not seem to be a driver issue (though they have been reloaded) as different drivers are in use on the ports

3. Does not seem to be a network identifier issue as another computer adjacent to this one can connect with no issues and the network identifiers on the 2 machines and the hub have been carefully compared

4. Does not seem to be a DHCP issue as, looking at the wired ports, port a) does not connect and port c) does and gains a network address (unless the 2 ports are using different DHCP software).



After further investigation and very strangely, if a connection attempt on port d) is made (ending up with − unidentified network/limited connectivity when enabled) an IP address appears on ipconfig /all; but with no corresponding entry in the hub’s address table. I suspect that this may be misleading and be some legacy effect!



I suspect (but cannot prove) that the problem occurred before the installation of a new hub and the consequent need to change all the network addresses, as I remember that this computer failed to connect to 2 different hotel WiFi networks last summer (at that time I used a wired connection at home so the wireless port was never used, and about that time the wired port failed to connect and was replaced by the dongle c) above.



I feel that I must me missing some very simply point here! All the obvious points of failure seem to be knocked out by 1-4 above – which suggests something I (and my internet searches) are missing.



Suggestions please



Thanks Chris
 

Has Sysnative Forums helped you? Please consider donating to help us support the site!

Back
Top