Atheros 928X Issue

Operating System: Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
Wireless Adapter: Atheros AR928x
Driver version: 7.6.0.224 whql (yes this is correct and compatible x64 driver)
Laptop: Asus M50Vm-B1 (like that makes a difference)

Issue: I have been using this device on Windows XP without issues at all for the passed 3 weeks. Today I came home to get on the internet and found out that my wireless connection was labeled "Not connected" under Control Panel>Network Connections. This comes as a big surprise considering I had just used it one hour prior to getting home. Device manager shows the device is working properly.

Problem Solving Tasks:
- Disabled and Enabled the device in both Device Manager and Network Connections.
- Reboot
- Tried to "Repair" connection by right-clicking the device in the Network Connections window and selecting "Repair", but I knew that wouldn't do anything anyway (No networks available to connect to).
- The "router" is the next thing to look at in the equation. I check the settings, everything seems fine, then I reset and reconfigure the "router".
- I restart the computer again and nothing has changed.
-Make sure all of my networking services are running, or at least not disabled and can be started automatically or manually.
- Went back to Device Manager and attempted a different driver (although the current one has been working so well) that doesn't work so I download the newest driver 7.6.0.224 from http://www.atheros.cz/download.php?a...R928X&system=2 and put the driver back on (yes, this is the one I had before the issue arose, just to make sure the other one was not corrupt some how.
-Finally, at a loss I decide to write on http://www.NotebookForums.com and ask for any other opinions. I still can't see any wireless network, even 1 meter away from the three that I know (Yes, I know my own)

This definitely isn't the biggest issue that can arise, but considering it is one that had come up only an hour after good functionality, I question once again as to the cause of this rediculous behaviour.

Any suggestions could possibly be helpful to me and perhaps anyone else.
Note: I would rather not have to open up my laptop at anytime, however, it could prove worthy.

Here is what I got out of that advice: Go to Asus, who has the Vista drivers for the M50Vm not Windows XP x64 driver. Forget the actual manufacturer of the wireless chipset (Atheros, as specified above). If they do have an XP driver somewhere, please provide link as to where so that I know you have been somewhere attempting to help me more than just a standard answer. Also, I apologize if I sound as if anyones opinion/ suggestion doesn't matter because it does, but Please read my POST above!

Also, ASUS has an Intel wireless driver for the Atheros made wireless adapter that somehow escaped them and made its way into my laptop. I'm sorry, but that just doesn't work no matter how much I want it to.

Thank you for trying, I appreciate the effort.

If anyone needs more information I will gladly give them anything I remember and can find. Please read my first post before posting anything though.

Not a stupid question at all as that is something I did not specify in my message. Yes the wireless toggle switch in the front of my laptop is turned on. I have also made sure by pressing the Function+F2 key which has nearly the same effect as the toggle switch, except the toggle has to be on regardless of the situation.

The device is seen, yet it isn't picking up any wireless signals, which seems to be the main issue, considering everything else is exhibiting signs of good function.

Thank you for asking

Sorry, I am apparently SLOW

Sorry for not getting back to you earlier.

I apologize only because going to the manufacturer of the laptop first is priority until they fail at providing the most up to date 64-bit XP driver (which I was trying to get you to understand). I cannot blame them however, because the laptop came with Vista Home Premium (which they did a good job at providing decent drivers until updated.. Thank you for your response.

No, your idea of going to the wrong manufacturer for the driver is still false. Perhaps if ASUS made the device in question, there would be plenty validity in your responses. I have been through ASUS a few times and they have INTEL drivers and VISTA drivers, but nothing of what I am looking for (Atheros provides a great variety of driver for their product). I thank you for taking your time to waste some space on my topic of interest and ultimately my problem. I would have rather liked valid input that made more sense.

I rather enjoyed this awkward discussion, especially when most people would tell me to go to the manufacturer's website of the device, not the one that just took parts and put them together.

Sorry k thx.

I would appreciate comments or suggestions that help me progress, not go backwards, telling me to try different drivers from Atheros should have been the correct response even if I specified doing that already, I might have done it again.

Nice, but I don't think I would want to send my laptop back to ASUS or the reseller just to do something as simple as re-installing Vista. Waste of time and possibly money if I have to pay for some or all of the shipping.

Geek Squad was a nice suggestion, but that also is a waste of money considering I should be ready for my A+ soon, CCNA in less than a year, as well as some MCP's towards my MCSE. Technically putting myself in Geek Squads shoes real soon. That being said, this issue really is an exciting learning experience as this is the first notebook/ laptop I have ever used. Not only that but all of a sudden the wireless adapter decided to tell windows that it works, but cannot complete it's function by connecting to wireless AP's.

Yes it did work about one hour before getting home. This is another thing I cannot seem to wrap my head around since I did not change anything, nor did I even physically touch the laptop during the commute from school to my house.

Hope this may have sparked some ideas to the people who may view this post and think they might be able to give their supported or unsupported input to help me, and perhaps others, with the same or similar issues.

Thank you for telling me this, but I already knew (its in the absolute first post)

I understand, however, finding the actual driver for the device has already been accomplished. Atheros themselves provide the drivers for Linux, Windows XP (x86 and x64), Vista (x86 and x64) so there really is not an issue there (they all worked previously, I tested which was better).

Note: Not all latest drivers are the best for some people's systems. Some old bugs may have arisen or performance may suffer because some other area of the coding has made it do something else.

So now that we have come this far I would like to put the driver type issue away. Move onto the physical component if we can, perhaps the OS itself.

Main Question at this point:
Could there possibly be anything else that would stop my card from seeing what it saw previously in terms of wireless AP's/ Signals?

Any input is greatly appreciate. Some more than others but then again, this is to learn from.

Although I have already checked over the BIOS I will check over it again. Some devices do not even show up there on some laptops but perhaps I may have overlooked something. This was some good advice. I thank you for your input.

I take a little pride in being able to have most of my messages or responses to anything spoken or written alright or well. Unless of course I am playing a game, then I just start typing things or saying things that don't seem to make a whole lot of sense.

I just don't like redundancy. Gives me a headache at times, making me tell people to read what the topic is actually about and what things I have already done. For the most part I am very nice, its when it gets to 1:10 AM in the morning and I still have no wireless. Especially, when I have to constantly move around and help other people with their issues and I can't seem to solve my own .

I also considered looking inside, as long as I don't happen to move the GPU or CPU around, it should be okay. Hell, the card might not even be near them.

I will have to check out a website, perhaps ASUS might actually have the layout for me this time. Thank you for your help, once again. I will not be replying anytime too soon as I think staying up close to 40hrs doing assignments, correcting issues, and ultimately speaking to all of you (Joking, it was fun for now) has tired me out.

This is my first Technical forum by the way. I am so far enjoying it. I look like this right now

Okay, so I have actually fixed the issue now, I hope it won't do this again.

Troubleshooting Steps:
1. I first tried to uninstall and re-install the drivers from Atheros once more. However, like before it didn't help at all.

2. I then decided to check the BIOS, which came up with nothing at all related to the WLAN. I then turned off the laptop.

3. Taking a small screw driver, I took out the 5 screws holding the back part of the laptop out (The back part where all the good stuff is).

4. Looking inside I found no evidence of the antenna having damage at all, it was also safely secure, which ultimately made me happy. Some manufacturer's tend to just leave it hanging, not tied somewhere and protected by a sheath of some sort (possibly light plastic).

5. I turn the computer back on and decide that I want to search for all possible driver files (on my machine). Come to find out something unusual went missing when I first put XP on my machine. located under %systemroot%\NLDRV as 6 different folders containing various information vital to functionality.

6. I pop the driver disc containing the program and files that are missing from my system into my DVD drive. Launch the setup and files are restored/ re-installed back into the computer. Fine... but no real difference until the next step.

7. Launch the Atheros Client Utility, create a custom profile listing some SSID's including mine. Find out there is a "Scan" button listed on the program, so I scan and I see 3 networks, 1 of which is mine.

8. I still cannot seem to connect to the wireless AP and my Network Connections service shows that I am still disconnected, Microsoft cannot find any wireless networks so I search carefully around the Atheros Client Utility program.

9. There is an option to choose the Atheros Client, Windows, or a Third party program. Oddly enough, I click on the Windows checkbox to change over (Although windows itself tells me I am using Windows for my client). Located under the properties of the device, in Network Connections service, located under the Wireless Networks tab it shows "Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings" which was the default all along!

So basically it came down to Windows ultimately messing with my settings. Understandably the program that should have been installed and never removed should have always been on my system. However, even without that program and it's services, I was still able to use wireless for nearly a month going back and forth from school to home.

I will now make this thread part of my Change Management Log just in case this happens again and I forget how to get it back exactly.

Thank everyone in this thread that at least tried to give some good advice and help me reach my goal.