Cannot find wireless networks- "hardware radio switch off" on HP Pavilion dv6 Notebook PC

[ezra33]

Product Name and Number:

HP Pavilion dv6 Notebook PC, Product number: LZ802PA

Operating System installed:

Windows 7 home basic, 64 bit

Error message:

"Hardware radio switch off"

Any changes made to your system before the issue occurred:

I've been searching for a solution all over, including hp website and forum and the manual pdfs.

I have a problem to connect to the internet wirelessly (I can connect using a cable). The wireless button is turned on (F12 key light is blue), but "Intel My WIFI Utility" tells me that the "hardware radio switch off". I've been looking for the switch on the case, and searched for a key shortcut for it- but could not find any.

As a result- my laptop can not recognize any wireless connection, eventhough they exist for sure!

I also used Microsoft System Restore to restore it to an earlier date- before the problem accrued. It did not make any difference.

Also, I reinstalled Intel wireless Drivers, Intel PROSet, and my WIFI for Microsoft Windows 7. It did not help either.

Please help!

[Dragon-Fur]

Ezra,

I did read that it may be disabled - and you might try reflashing (updating the BIOS).  There is an update from October 2011 at your computer's website.  Double check before loading/installing and BIOS update.

HP Notebook System BIOS Update sp55068 F.1B

It could also still be disabled in your Device Manager - just tangled.

I hope this helps!

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 2012 Year of the Dragon!

[ezra33]

Thanks Dragon-Fur, but I updated the BIOS and it did not help :-(

How is it called in the Device Manager? (though I checked it and every device there is enabled)...

[ezra33 · Accepted solution]

I managed to fix it!

I had to enter into the BIOS and enable the network adapter from there!

[Dragon-Fur]

Hi Ezra,

I'm looking all over this thing; I can't find anything that jumps out.  The Device Manager setting would be an anomaly and unlikely; here it is just in case:

Device Manager > Right-Click Intel(R) WiFi Link 1000 BGN > Properties > Advanced >

802.11n Mode > Make sure it's Enabled (running "n" router mode)

I've checked Services, logs, various executables, .dlls., Autoruns (from NirSoft).

I didn't see any hardware on/off swtich in the dv6 service manual, either.  ?

This should work!

Here is a check you can do:

Open a Window and switch to folder  > C:\Windows\System32\

Double Click on the file >  gatherNetworkInfo.vbs

This will create two files, osinfo.txt and WcnInfo.txt

Open the WcnInfo.txt file (with Notepad) and take a look through it. 

When you get to the wireless entries, it should say things like, "device blah-blah working properly"...

Confirm the hardware is healthy...

=========================================================================

.

I hope this helps!

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 2012 Year of the Dragon!

[Dragon-Fur]

Hurray!

I knew it!  I just spent an hour checking this and could not find a single thing elsewise!

Excellent!  I'm glad it's fixed!

[frustrating876]

my wifi is not turning on, please help asap, laptop is just 7 moths old, dv7 customizable edition.

when i trouble shoot it, it says "hardware radio switch off" i cannot find that switch anywhere, i've tried everytthing trouble shooting suggests, still off, please help

[rdavis441should]

I have a DV6. I have the same problem. The hardware Radio Light is on, but it is reported as being off. I have tried the suggested solution. When I double click  the file >  gatherNetworkInfo.vbs, nothing happens. The two files mentioned are not created.

Are there any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance your time and suggestions.

rdavis441

[Chris_OracleDBA]

A couple of notes of interest:

1.) This seems to be a common issue with the HPs and maybe related to a.) a windows update, b.) power management disabling the hardware radio but not re-enabling it.  Our HP 8460p workplace computers are experiencing this as well.

2.) The WiFi button on the laptop (the one with the blue or amber color) is a SOFTWARE radio, not hardware.   So, you have two ways to disable it - the software radio can be disabled, or the hardware radio.  In this case the problem is with the hardware radio.

I fixed it by:

a.) verifying it was enabled in the bios

b.) Installing the HP Connection Manager software from HP

c.) disabling windows mobility center using a registry hack (search online for disable windows mobility center)

d.) Perhaps removing the device from device manager and rescanning for it (can't remember if I did this or not)

Once I got it working, Windows mobility center would keep disabling it so I disabled WMC and now it works perfectly.

So there is something in the above sequence of events that will get it working but I don't know the exact sequence as I went through several steps and its been a few days.

Chris