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Vaio wireless issue

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
so my fiance did something to her Viao laptop and can no longer connect and or find any wireless router. the switch to toggle the wifi radio on/off seems to now operate the bluetooth but still turns the wifi radio on as well, but not the software (?). the Intel PROset/Wireless icon is no longer in the system tray too. using Vista to try and "diagnose and repair" the issue says to turn the switch on (durrrr) or use a function key combination....i dont see a function key icon on the keyboard to do that though. no other wireless device has a issue connecting to our network
she says she didnt do anything to make this happen but thats obviously not the case.

i cant find anything online to resolve this issue either.

thoughts?
 

velocipedist

Lubrication Sensei
Jul 11, 2006
559
702
Rainbow City Alabama
On my TZ90 I have a physical switch on the notebook below the av function buttons. It brings a sony wireless utility 3.6 icon up that toggles between 2.4Ghz and 5GHz wireless and bluetooth fuction. wirlessutility.jpg

not sure if that helps.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
her VGN series has the wireless switch on the edge but only turns the radio on or off with a LED indicating whether its on or not. it doesnt bring up a utility either. thanks though
 

valve bouncer

Master Dildoist
Feb 11, 2002
7,843
114
Japan
Have you tried deleting the wireless adapter drivers in add/remove programs/CCleaner then rebooting and letting it find them again. I remembered this worked for me once on my DELL laptop when I had a problem similar and all else had failed.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
Is your wireless software (the Intel PROset software) gone completely? Check the start menu and/or your program files directory.

You could also go into the Windows Services (this should be in the control panel under administrative tools) and look for the Wireless Zero service. This is what lets Windows manage your wireless software. Start the service and see if the Windows wireless starts letting you manage it.

Also... what the dildoist said is good advice.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
Have you tried deleting the wireless adapter drivers in add/remove programs/CCleaner then rebooting and letting it find them again. I remembered this worked for me once on my DELL laptop when I had a problem similar and all else had failed.
would it automatically try and find the drivers once i reboot, or do i need to hook it up to a wired internet connection to search for the drivers that way?



Is your wireless software (the Intel PROset software) gone completely? Check the start menu and/or your program files directory.

You could also go into the Windows Services (this should be in the control panel under administrative tools) and look for the Wireless Zero service. This is what lets Windows manage your wireless software. Start the service and see if the Windows wireless starts letting you manage it.
this is actually what i wound up doing. the Intel software isnt completely gone...only the diagnostic and troubleshooting software is still there and i cant seem to find the file needed to find networks. i/she has no idea what she did (if anything) to make that part of the program disappear.
after searching all the programs, i found the Windows wireless manager and used that one after i rebooted cable modem and router again so it could recognize the networks.
 

valve bouncer

Master Dildoist
Feb 11, 2002
7,843
114
Japan
would it automatically try and find the drivers once i reboot, or do i need to hook it up to a wired internet connection to search for the drivers that way?
I can't exactly remember but I'm pretty sure I would have had the lan cable hooked up. As I recall it was a bit of a leap of faith but once I did it and I saw how it all worked it all made sense (if that makes sense!). Of course anything I say should only be tried after you've tried everything that BV says.

As an aside rice, how is the VAIO to use? I know Sony consumer laptops and desktops have a bit of a reputation as being crappy and I'd never buy another major brand Japanese computer because of all the bloatware they come with but my VAIO desktop from 2003 is still going strong. Only thing I've done to it is up the RAM from 256mb to the maximum ONE GIGABYTE! Still gets daily use. Maybe the exception that proves the rule but mine is a beaut.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
As an aside rice, how is the VAIO to use? I know Sony consumer laptops and desktops have a bit of a reputation as being crappy and I'd never buy another major brand Japanese computer because of all the bloatware they come with but my VAIO desktop from 2003 is still going strong. Only thing I've done to it is up the RAM from 256mb to the maximum ONE GIGABYTE! Still gets daily use. Maybe the exception that proves the rule but mine is a beaut.
its okay i suppose. like you said, there was a lot of bloatware before i got rid of all that crap. i dont like the keyboard on it compared to my two Dell laptops...particularly the touchpad. i think it would be a lot better if it didnt have Vista on it as well. i dont know why she bought it over the other choices on the market but it was before we were together. when i used it before i got my other laptops, i didnt really have any complaints about it.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
piece of sh!t laptop is having the same issues again. im thinking its the wireless card/antenna since it doesnt see any of the networks.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
Did you try bringing the laptop in a public hotspot and see if it picks up? If it does, most probably something is interfering with your wireless signal at home. Worth a try. At least if it doesn't pick up a public wireless signal, it can be safe to say it's the wireless card itself that's the problem.
havent taken it to a public spot but theres 8 other wireless devices in my house that see my network and the other 4 within range of my house.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
did a live connect with a sony nerd and he said there are issues with the registry's files and that is causing the problem. of course the wifi started working when connected to the LAN connection but he was able to see the errors the system reported. the wanted $59.99 to fix it then $34.99 when i said no, then $24.99 when i was about to close the live chat :rolleyes:
going to go to the two local computer "doctors" in town to see what they can do. id rather support them anyway.