Function Key not working, how to turn on wifi on Windows 7

[Ian50]

Well, the answer is finally in hand

There does exist an MS article, explanation and *hotfix* :

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2561821/the-f11-and-f12-keys-do-not-work-when-you-try-to-in...

The F11 and F12 keys do not work when you try to install a 64-bit version of Windows 7 SP1 or of Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 on an EFI-based computer

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Hotfix Download Available

Symptoms

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Consider the following scenario:

• You try to install a 64-bit version of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) or of Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) on an Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI)-based computer.
• The F11 and F12 keys are assigned to an OEM-specific recovery sequence.
• You press the F11 or F12 key during the installation process.

In this scenario, F11 and F12 keys do not work.

Notes

• The F1 through F10 keys work correctly during the Windows installation process.
• This issue does not occur if you install Windows in legacy mode."

Cause

This issue occurs because Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 do not support the EFI_SIMPLE_TEXT_IN_PROTOCOL_EX protocol.

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NOTE: the PC *must* have Win7 installed under UEFI, for which www.sevenforums.com has extremely helpful and detailed "how to" articles. This is not for the faint-hearted as the UEFI BIOS messages will tell you that Win7 cannot boot except in Legacy mode but the MS hotfix will not install on a PC booted in Legacy mode.

Nor will this hotfix install in a Win7 installation that has been installed over an original Win10 installation. That makes a nonsense of the MS declaration above that "the issue does not occur if you install Windows in legacy mode". This is just *NOT* so.

However, the issue is detailed, explained and "hotfixed".

My high regards to those who helped me beat my head to a pulp trying to understand the problem, especially Paul T and jorkki. Finally, End of Story.

Hotfix link:

https://hotfixv4.trafficmanager.net/Windows%207/Windows%20Server2008%20R2%20SP1/sp2/Fix373073/7600/f...

[CF4]

Magic.

[Ian50]

Well, sort of.

I was trying to figure out what registry changes were occurring in my G5 when I pressed F12 (which works ok on the G5) using the Process Monitor & Explore utilities to try and add these registry keys to the recalcitrant G6. Couldn't do it without much tedious frustration, so I typed into the search box:

how to find registry change when f12 key pressed ?

and up came the blankety-blank MS article, explanation and hotfix we were all looking for for 6-7 weeks.

finding that article in the search results was akin to magic

[jorkki]

Ian, so you are saying you got the WiFi working?

The driver refused to load, not because of Win 7 per se but the issue you just described?

I was already trying to set up a Windows 7 environment bootable from an USB to start testing.

That is also somewhat painful as Windows 7 seems to be sensitive to the fact that most USB sticks have the Removable attribute set and that is not easy to change on most of the devices. Should be  circumventable by slipping in a special driver to spoof the status or by getting a specific USB device that tells the system that it is  fixed storage.

I might get an another external USB hard disk to see if it's easier with those but if you solved the enigma I might not bother.

I got as far as the Windows boot screen (with the colourful balls flying) and then after a while blue screen flashing rapidly and then black and stuck.

Could also be that Win 7 (yes I have the 64 bit SP1 which should be ok with UEFI) is not entirely happy working with my system although I do have Legacy mode enabled, which should load the CSM (Compatibility Support Module as well).

I used Rufus to create the bootable image.

[Ian50]

jorkki

Yes the F12 key (and the F11 for that matter) works after installing that MS hotfix so I have the internal AC1368 wifi adapter doing its' thing on the HP250 G6 at last.

It's not that the adapter driver refused to load. It loads and installs perfectly. It's just that Win7 Pro x64 (SP1) installed under UEFI is completely unaware that there *ARE* F11 and F12 keys - which is why pressing them had no effect. And HP has allocated power on/off for the wifi network adapter to the F12 key in their HP250 series machines. A perfect cluster-mess !

Because Win10 does not have this issue, the F12 key works perfectly in a Win10 installation.

[My HP250 G5 machine has the F12 Airplane key working properly in Win7 from day 1 because HP knew this was an issue and included the MS hotfix as part of the initial factory installation before retailing. I had reversed the G6 machine from Win10 to Win7 so this hotfix remained unknown to me, at the bottom of the garden, until I stumbled over it a few days ago.]

In my potted experience of Windows (starting in the mid '80s with MS-DOS), whenever a major hardware or firmware change occurred, MS had to release the next version of Windows to use it. NT was usb-unaware, Win2k was usb2-unaware, XP needed a kludge to use SATA disks, now Win7 has trickie-dickie issues with UEFI and is natively unaware of usb3 (Intel supplied the kludge for that with an all-round driver, presumably supplied because Win7 had become so popular and widespread) ... and so it goes.

Your part-quote:

> " ... Win 7 (yes I have the 64 bit SP1 which should be ok with UEFI) ..."

As you say, using Rufus to install that will work ok - but then you will need the MS hotfix to be able to use the F11 and F12 keys.

Thanks for the interest. That's what makes these forums worthwhile.

From the sevenforums website, most valuable in my view are the freeware recommendations for using rufus for installation and Macrium7 for imaging/backup/restore.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, all:

See this post...I have not gotten a reply to my question yet, but this person seems to indicate that installing The Intel driver version 18.40.0 allows the 3168AC wifi adapter to work on W7.

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Operating-System-and-Recovery/No-drivers-in-Windows-7/m-p/667...

The problem is, I can't find that driver on Intel's website.

I was able to find this version on Dells website.

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/Drivers/DriversDetails?driverId=4Y1DP

Anyone want to experiment?

[Ian50]

Message on installation attempt is:

"Installation Blocked

This software package cannot be installed on your system"

My system being an HP250 G6 Celeron, initially sold with Win10, which I reverted to Win7 Pro x64, giving rise to the wifi/F12 impasse.

I have commented before on an MS article wherein the F11 and F12 keys are not seen by Win7 x64, with MS offering a "hotfix" here:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2561821/the-f11-and-f12-keys-do-not-work-when-you-try-to-in...

Apart from that, the issue lies in the UEFI (or BIOS) where HP and other manufacturers have deliberately encoded the Win10 key (at MS request, of course). It is this that frustrates reversion to Win7 through blocking the AC3168 wifi power on/off F12 key.

Although MS hotfix linked above works for a UEFI Win7 x64 install, I still prefer to use my USB3 wifi adapter. It seems faster somehow (subjective, I know).

The MS article also states:

"This issue does not occur if you install Windows in legacy mode"

I have not tested that.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Here are two posts where folks have stated the 3168 AC wifi card works on W7.

One says sp79134 worked for this model...see the next to the last post.

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Hardware-and-Upgrade-Questions/I-need-graphics-driver-for-HP-...

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp79001-79500/sp79134.exe

This person stated the latest W7 driver from Intel works for his 255 G6 (AMD)...see the next to the last post.

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Operating-System-and-Recovery/drivers-for-HP-255-G6-1WY47EA/t...

[Ian50]

Thanks for persisting, looking out for this, Paul. Much appreciated.

As we know, the actual 3168 AC wifi card *driver* is not the issue. It's activating the F12/airplane key to turn the power on for the card.

[HP250 Celeron G6 machine, running Win7 Pro x64 after installing Win7 in place of Win10]

1) The newer Win20.70.0 PROset driver does not do anything for the power issue

2) the file sp79134.exe will not fully download from the ftp site you've listed. About 50% of the file downloads then stops as if finished. The file is corrupted, of course, and won't install at all.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

I don't know how these two folks are claiming the card works on their notebooks with W7, then.

I had no problem downloading the entire sp79134 file.

File size indicated 114 MB, and that is what downloaded (actual file size after downloading is 117 MB).

You might want to try it again.  Maybe the FTP site was flaky when you tried downloading the file.