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Intel Wireless AC-3168 Stopped Working

RichK
Novice
7,529 Views

Hi all,

About 2 weeks ago, the Wireless Dual Band AC-3168 device in my HP Envy 750 desktop stopped working.  I've reverted to a wired setup with a cable draped across my office, but my wife has requested a fix ASAP.

 

I can't pinpoint exactly when it stopped working, but possibly a Windows Update was the original issue.  The only optional update that may have been installed at the time was an HP Printer Driver, but that can't be rolled back automatically and the timing may have just been coincidental anyway.

 

Wifi is not working, but Bluetooth is.  I believe both are handled in the same device, so it seems odd for this to be a hardware issue, correct?

 

The Wireless device was showing as having an "issue" in Device Manager when it wasn't working, all other Network Adapters were showing and operating properly.  I attempted to updated the driver that way, but nothing worked.  I researched here for other solutions, and with a hat tip to @n_scott_pearson for some great instructions, I've already uninstalled the driver through Device Manager and attempted to re-install manually.  One note, I wasn't able to do this when totally disconnected from the internet, since Intel's Driver & Support Assistant software requires the internet to operate.  But I reconnected my wired connection and attempted to install the Win10 Wifi Drivers for Wireless Adapters.  Version 22.70.0 (Latest) fails every time because "One or more issues caused the setup to fail", however all prior software versions work.  I currently have the immediate prior software 22.60.0 installed instead.

 

However, after all that, the Dual Band AD-3168 is no longer showing up in Device Manager, even after scanning for Hardware Changes.  As best I can tell, since I uninstalled the drivers originally, it fell off the hardware list and hasn't returned.  At this point, wifi is still not working, but Bluetooth is operating properly. 

 

Any suggestions for moving forward to locate the hardware within Windows and get it up and running again?

 

Many thanks in advance!

 

-Rich

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1 Solution
RichK
Novice
7,411 Views

For the benefit of others, I'll post what fixed my issue:

 

I was unable to install the latest WiFi driver, it gave the warning that it was not for the right version of Windows.  However, it was the correct Win10, 64 Bit driver, and the other 32 Bit driver wouldn't even start the install because it was incompatible.

 

What ended up working was repairing the Windows 10 install.  I went to the official Windows site (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10), downloaded the "Media Creation Tool", and repaired the Windows installation without losing any programs or files.  The whole process took a few hours, but when finished, the WiFi drivers were already installed and working properly.  Perfect!

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5 Replies
David_G_Intel
Moderator
7,487 Views

Hello RichK  


Thank you for posting on the Intel️® communities. Please provide the Intel® System Support Utility (Intel® SSU) results 

  • Download the Intel SSU https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25293/Intel-System-Support-Utility-for-Windows
  • Open the application and select "Everything" click on "Scan" to see the system and device information. By default, Intel® SSU will take you to the "Summary View".  
  • Click on the menu where it says "Summary" to change to "Detailed View".  
  • To save your scan, click on "Next", then "Save".  

 

Regards, 

David G 

Intel Customer Support Technician 


RichK
Novice
7,477 Views

Thank you David.  I've run the SSU and attached the results.  Very appreciative of any help you can provide!

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RichK
Novice
7,412 Views

For the benefit of others, I'll post what fixed my issue:

 

I was unable to install the latest WiFi driver, it gave the warning that it was not for the right version of Windows.  However, it was the correct Win10, 64 Bit driver, and the other 32 Bit driver wouldn't even start the install because it was incompatible.

 

What ended up working was repairing the Windows 10 install.  I went to the official Windows site (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10), downloaded the "Media Creation Tool", and repaired the Windows installation without losing any programs or files.  The whole process took a few hours, but when finished, the WiFi drivers were already installed and working properly.  Perfect!

David_G_Intel
Moderator
7,374 Views

We are glad to know you found a solution, thank you for taking the time to share this fix, and hopefully, it may help other community members experiencing similar behavior. Since the thread is now solved, we will proceed to close it. 

Please keep in mind that this thread will no longer be monitored by Intel. Thank you for your understanding.    


Best regards, 

David G 

Intel Customer Support Technician 


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David_G_Intel
Moderator
7,317 Views

Upon further investigation, we discovered that this is most likely related to the operating system, the latest update specifically. We recommend checking with your OEM in case there is something corrupted in the latest OS update.


Best regards, 

David G 

Intel Customer Support Technician 


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