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Intel AC-8260 with Win 10 32 bit

MGine1
Beginner
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I recently tried to install Windows 10 32 bit on a Lenovo Thinkpad T460s. I had been using Win 7 64 bit; wanted to try Win 10 32 bit because of some legacy software issues. I installed Win 10 on a new SSD; kept the old SSD as "backup." The install, which used the latest version of Win 10 downloaded from Microsoft, went smoothly but when it finished, I had no wireless service. When I look for the AC-8260 in device manager under Win 10, it does not show up. I have tried downloading and installing the latest driver from Intel but this does not fix the problem. It is not the adapter; wireless works flawlessly in Win 7. I note that I have switched back and forth between the Win 7 and Win 10 ssd's and when I use Win 7 everything is fine but when I switch to Win 10, it cannot see the AC-8260. Finally, wired internet works fine under Win 10. Any ideas?

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idata
Employee
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Hello MikeG46,

 

 

This is an expected behavior as the Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 only supports 64-bit versions of Windows® 10, as noted in the driver download page. For more information you may refer back to the following articles:

 

 

- https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005602/network-and-i-o/wireless-networking.html Supported Operating Systems for Intel® Wireless Products.

 

- https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005559/network-and-i-o/wireless-networking.html Download the Latest Driver for Your Intel® Wireless Adapter (footnote).

 

 

Best regards,

 

Carlos A.
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MGine1
Beginner
1,897 Views

Carlos,

Thanks. Can I swap in a 7260, which does support 32 bit or is the socket for the 8260 not backward compatible? Both cards are M2.

Mike

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idata
Employee
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Hello MikeG46,

 

 

This may be possible as both adapters have similar requirements.

 

 

However, some computer manufacturers limit which wireless adapter models may be installed on a particular computer through a hardware white list. Our recommendation is to always verify with your computer manufacturer to see if the Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 will work on your particular system. We do not provide support to custom wireless integrations.

 

 

- https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005846/network-and-i-o/wireless-networking.html Why Doesn't My Laptop Recognize My New Intel® Wireless Adapter?

 

- https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005687/network-and-i-o/wireless-networking.html Regulatory Information Regarding Wireless Hardware Installation or Upgrade

 

- https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000022336/network-and-i-o/wireless-networking.html Can I Purchase Wireless Adapters from Intel?

 

 

We hope this information helps.

 

 

Best regards,

 

Carlos A.
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MGine1
Beginner
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Just an update; no whitelist issue. If anyone needs to run 32 bit Win 10 on a Thinkpad 460s, replacing the AC-8260 with with an 7260NGW wireless card will allow wireless functionality. I have used it for the last few hours and the connection speed is good.

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idata
Employee
1,897 Views

Hello MikeG46,

 

 

Thanks for the update. I'm sure other users in our community will find the information helpful.

 

 

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to let us know.

 

 

Best regards,

 

Carlos A.
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