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HP wireless assistant issues

So when I woke up this morning, my HP zd8230us no longer sees any wireless networks. I've been rummaging around through this forum and found this info...

The possibilities (in order of most likely):

  1. There is a wireless button or on off switch somewhere on your laptop. For HP, it's usually a button dead center above the keyboard area, with a bright blue LED that's lit when the wireless is enabled. Sometimes, it's a slide switch on the front left of the laptop. It's there, somewhere.
  2. Windoze will allow you to enable or disable the wireless device. Go unto: Control Panel -> Network Find the wireless device. *RIGHT* click and see if it says "enable" or "disable" at the top of the list.
3 Many laptops come with "wireless managers" that take over running the wireless and sometimes the ethernet devices. I have no clue what comes with your unspecified model HP that might be a laptop. However, if you do happen to have something other than Windoze Wireless Zero Config running the wireless, check its settings for enable/disable.
  1. The BIOS sometimes has a wireless enable or disable setting.

...which I've already gone through. BIOS is enabled, Network through the control panel is enabled, WZD (I think thats what the initials were) is started and automatic...

..But my little antenna button on the top of my notebook isn't turning on. When I press it, nothing happens. When I rt-click on the antenna in the taskbar and click turn on all devices, a balloon pops up and says everything is DISABLED. :huh: An uninstall and reinstall of the HP wireless assistant has not fixed the issue. Oh, and the router is working perfectly fine (my XBOX still works wirelessly).

So I'm baffled. Sorry for the wall of text, but any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

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Reply to
bsmccann
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bsmccann hath wroth:

Are you sure you're awake and not dreaming? Place finger in candle flame. If you scream with pain, you're awake. Otherwise, go back to sleep and the laptop should be fine when you wake up.

Good idea. Read before write.

Is your zd8230us running XP or Vista?

Sounds familiar. Note that there is quite a bit of interaction between these features. You can disable the wireless in two places, and end up with all the indicators appearing to work, but the wireless is still comatose. There's also the possibility of mechanical problems. Open the door on the bottom of the laptop, and inspect the two antenna cables. They sometimes fall off. Also, remove the MiniPCI card temporarily from it's socket and re-insert. Sometimes the cards don't quite fit.

WZC is Wireless Zero Config. If you have XP, you also may have HP Wireless Assistant, which appears in the system tray. Check its settings.

That's not good. Time for the grand reset cerimony. Shut down the laptop normally. Remove the AC power adapter. Remove the battery. Go away for about 3-5 minutes to make absolutely sure everything discharges. Replace battery. Apply AC power. Try again.

Are you pressing the button or the blue light? Don't laugh but I had a customer with eyesight problems who couldn't make the distinction.

Well, then the wireless card probably is disabled somewhere. The question is where. I can't think of any additional ways to enbale/disable the wireless device other than physically removing it. I suggest you check your assumptions and try my list again.

Don't worry. The culprit will be obvious immediately after you blunder across the cause. In my case, when something changes by itself, I usually blame Windoze Update or the cat.

I have yet to see a benifit to that program. I usually uninstall it.

I should hope so. I don't know of any way that a wireless router can disable a clients wireless device. However, that would be a nice addition to 802.11, where the access point owner can vaporize or disable a attacking client adapter.

Last resort (and I do mean last).

  1. Go to Control Panel -> Network and right click on the wireless device. Select "Repair". Sometimes, this works.
  2. Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore Roll back your Windoze registry to yesterday, when it was working. If you've installed applications and updates, be prepared to reinstall them.
Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Followed by pressing the master reset button. [snicker]

Reply to
DTC

DTC hath wroth:

The typical HP laptop doesn't have a master reset button. However, one can easily be added through the USB port:

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

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