Windows 10: Wifi adapter disappeared

Hello,My wifi adapter stopped working recently, after my computer completely froze. Device manager said Code 45. I followed advice given online: uninstalled the adapter, downloaded and installed updated drivers. But it did not make it work and now the adapter completely disappeared from the device manager. I also could not find it entering the BIOS mode. I actually do have bluetooth connectivity, and am able to use USB tethering with the phone to get internet but it is not great. Does anyone know how to solve this ? Any help would be appreciated!

:)

 

Wifi adapter disappears - goes 'hidden'


Running Windows 10 on an Acer laptop. Over the past month, the wifi connection dropped without explanation/warning.

First time, the adapter was visible in Device Manager (with a yellow triangle next to it). An interent search found the suggestion to uninstall it and restart. That worked.

Today, the connection dropped again. In Device Manager at first I could not see the wifi adapter listed. I clicked to see hidden devices and found the adapter and the Bluetooth (which I had not noticed was missing).

I again uninstalled, restarted, and both the wifi and bluetooth have returned.

Anyone any ideas as to what is happening, why it's happening, and what I need to do, please?

I have attached a screenshot of the DM windows as it is now, showing the wifi adapter name, etc.

Thanks very much

WG

 

Wifi adapter disappears after sleep

Thanks for replying.

@spirit MS MVP - This is the reason wifi is disabled when the computer goes into sleep mode. When I untick the "Allow computer to turn off the device to save power" and place the computer into sleep mode, the wifi adapter disappears. If i recheck it, and
put the computer to sleep, the wifi adapter does not get uninstalled.

@Andre - First solution does not work because the adapter does not exist and is not listed in the Device Manager.

Second solution doesnt work because the adapter is not listed in Troubleshooting. I tried troubleshooting all adapters and nothing was returned.

Third solution again does not work because the adapter is not there to uninstall.

The wireless driver/adapter disappears after restarting from sleep mode when the adapter's ""Allow computer to turn off device to save power" setting is unchecked.

 

Wifi adapter completely disappeared, not listed in Device Manager

I'm asking this question not for myself but for anyone who might run into the same problem as me in the future, to save them a lot of time and possibly panic.

I had a BSOD (an undiagnosed graphics issue that is triggered by Skype conference calls). When I rebooted, my wifi adapter had completely disappeared (a Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4A; the computer is a Lenovo Yoga 710-14IKB). The network troubleshooter couldn't bring it back and it had completely disappeared from Device Manager. I plugged in an ethernet adapter and tried downloading and twice reinstalling the driver and then rebooting, but that didn't work. I ran "DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth" and then "sfc /scannow" in an adminstrator PowerShell, but still no joy. I then booted into MX Linux from a USB stick, but that couldn't see the wireless adapter either. By this point I was convinced that the BSOD had killed the wireless adapter hardware, but I tried one more thing. I rebooted into the UEFI settings and looked to see whether the adapter was listed as enabled there. Apparently it was, so I changed nothing and then selected "save and exit". When Windows started up again, the adapter was working. I then tried rebooting into MX Linux and the adapter was working there too.

Which of the steps I took is most likely to have resolved the problem? Was it when I opened the UEFI settings and saved them without changing them?