Wireless
Participate in insightful discussions regarding issues related to Intel® Wireless Adapters and technologies
7368 Discussions

Intel Dual Band AC 7260 Random Disconnect and Driver Disappear

MJanc
Beginner
4,464 Views

Hello,

I have seen a couple other threads describing similar problems, but none with a resolution that works for me. Similar threads: ,

I am running Windows 10 on a desktop and the Dual Band AC 7260 has been working fine for years. Several months ago the following problem started although I am not sure of any software or hardware changes that specifically led to the problem. I used to be able to run days between disconnects, but the frequency has increased and now the WIFI won't stay connected for more than an hour.

Problem description:

  • Randomly the card will disconnect from WIFI
  • Device Manager shows the driver is missing for the device once this occurs. Prior to the problem Device Manager shows the device is working properly.
  • The tray icon shows that the WIFI is still active and even connected to my home network. But no other networks are shown and the Wifi status shows "connected but no internet"
  • Once the adapter is in this state, I am no longer able to enable/disable the network adapter (it seems it is hung)
  • The only way to resolve the problem is a reboot, which will crash with DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE.
  • I have checked the System Event logs, but nothing from the AC 7260

I have tried the following steps discussed in other threads but nothing has had an impact:

  • Disabled all applications that automatically start up
  • Removed and reinstalled the latest Intel PROSet Wireless driver and Intel Wireless Bluetooth driver
  • Disabled Ethernet and Bluetooth since I am only using WIFI on this desktop
  • Under Device Manager changed the following setting for the Wireless Adapter: "Power Management" tab and toggle Off the option "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" - seems laptop specific but it was mentioned in several threads.

Attached is the output from the Intel System Support utility that contains all the details on my system and confirms the latest drivers.

At this point I have run out of things to try. Any suggestions or help is appreciated.

0 Kudos
4 Replies
idata
Employee
2,630 Views

Hello mjanczura,

 

 

We understand your system is presenting wireless connectivity issues and the adapter sometimes disappears from Device Manager. As was mentioned in the related threads, this can be caused by different reasons, please try the following in order to discard some possibilities:

 

 

- Check for Windows* updates and make sure the OS has any applicable updates.

 

 

- Contact the https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/topics/OEMs.html Computer Manufacturer Support (HP) and confirm that your system is using the latest BIOS version.

 

 

- Try a clean installation of the wireless driver:

 

 

1. Download the latest driver for your wireless adapter from the Computer Manufacturer Support.

 

2. Go to Control Panel, Programs and Features and Uninstall "Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software", if it is installed. When prompted, choose the option to "Discard settings".

 

3. In Control Panel, Device Manager, Network Adapters, right click on the Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 and Uninstall it. Make sure you mark the option to "Delete the driver software for this device".

 

4. Reboot the PC or scan for hardware changes, check device manager and if an older wireless driver is detected and installed, repeat the actions to uninstall and delete it as well. Repeat this process until the OS does not allow deleting the driver.

 

5. Remove temporary files: Press the Windows Key + R to open the run box. Type Cleanmgr.exe. Press OK. Select the main drive, usually C:\. Check Temporary Files and uncheck everything else. Press OK.

 

6. Go back to device manager, right click on the AC 7260 and select the option to Update Driver Software, then choose to Search Automatically for Driver Software.

 

7. If the issues persists, install the Intel Wireless driver you downloaded from the OEM. During the first steps of PROSet/Wireless installation, make sure to customize the installation and install all driver components.

 

 

Regards,

 

Jonathan B.
0 Kudos
idata
Employee
2,630 Views

Hello mjanczura,

 

 

Please let us know if there has been any progress on this matter, or if you require further assistance.

 

 

Regards,

 

Jonathan B.
0 Kudos
MJanc
Beginner
2,630 Views

Hello Jonathan,

Sorry for the delay. It took me a couple days to go through all of the suggested steps. Unfortunately even after trying all the steps the problem still occurred.

I decided to just purchase a new network adapter for my PC and so far so good. We can consider this thread closed.

Mark

0 Kudos
idata
Employee
2,630 Views

Hello Mark,

 

 

Thanks for the update. We are sorry to hear the issue persisted, however, a wireless upgrade is a good option in some cases.

 

We are glad to know that the issue has been resolved, and that your system is working fine now.

 

 

Regards,

 

Jonathan B.
0 Kudos
Reply