Windows 10: New lap setup stuck. Message: "wifi off" with no option to turn it own so that I can...

New laptop stuck in set up. Screen reads "wifi off" with no option to turn wifi on so that I can select home network and windows installation can proceed.

:)

 

New computer setup wifi not working

I am trying to set up a new Lenovo IdeaCentre A540 Series all-in-one running Windows 10 Home. When it was walking through the initial setup, it detected several nearby WiFi networks. I had a problem getting the mouse connected and was not able to set the WiFi network. It was turned off and back on and then, upon getting back to that step, did not detect any WiFi. In Network and Internet settings it has no WiFi adapter listed and no WiFi options anywhere. I did make sure network discovery was turned on and I checked in Device Manager that the network adapter was enabled, but it doesn’t show up anywhere but in Device Manager.

Under Network Properties, it does list WiFi and says “Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter”, status not present and connectivity disconnected. Under Device Manager I don’t see that adapter, it shows “Realtek PCle GbE Family Controller”, which appears to be the Ethernet adapter maybe? and a variety of WAN Miniports.

I’ve pretty much maxed out my knowledge here and I can’t find this exact issue when I search, so any advice would be much appreciated. Trying to help my stepdad set up to work from home during the pandemic...

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Welp, now it's working. I realized I could show hidden devices in Device Manager, so I found the wireless adapter there. It was showing as not connected, so I shut down and dragged everything to another room and connected an ethernet cable, whereupon the wireless adapter started working perfectly. Maybe it was turning it off and back on the third time that worked, who knows...

 

How can I turn off Wifi on shutdown on Windows 10?

@dalchina: Thank you I tried netsh just now with admin (as it suggested in one of the links you gave me) and it worked, though I haven't tried it yet on shutdown....but I should be able to schedule that if I do a bit of googling. It still shows the list of networks....Does that matter? Is there no access if it just disconnects from the router but still has the wifi list?

@dmholt57: I didn't know that. No wonder my family are always warning me about having it near me when it's off and not actually using it on your lap too...that's a little scary.

@bro67: Is there a way of turning off WOL in Windows10? See above answers also

@:dmholt57

 

Windows 10 wifi not turning on Acer Aspire laptop

In order to get the list of available wireless networks, you have to:

1. Switch on Connect to suggested open hotspots (see the screenshot in question);
   
2. Click on Wifi icon in the right corner. Now you have your networks back.
   

After that the parameter from Step 1 can be turned off, networks will be listed normally after restarting Wifi.

P.S. I feel rather stupid at the moment. I thought that open hotspots are passwordless hotspots and so are presumably not very safe. So of course I've turned that off during installation.
Really hard to see any logic in this case.