Wifi AC 7265 not work

[Akem007]

Hello,

Please advise me about a non-functional WiFi card Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 , the windows system does not turn on the card and reports the error code 10 (in Ubuntu everything runs without problems), I have installed the latest drivers and the latest windows 10 updates.

(NTB Asus ROG G751JT)

Thank you
Petr

[Jocelyn_Intel]

Hello, @Akem007  

Thank you for posting on the Intel️® communities.  

Due to this product (Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265) being discontinued, Intel Customer Service no longer supports inquiries for it, but perhaps fellow community members have the knowledge to jump in and help. You may also find the Discontinued Products website helpful to address your request.   

Thank you for understanding.  

Best regards, 

Jocelyn M.  

Intel Customer Support Technician. 

[n_scott_pearson]

The 'latest' drivers are not going to support this older adapter. You need to install the last working driver set and avoid all updates that might be offered on Windows Update (or the Intel Driver and Support Assistant).

Intel is no longer supporting the download of driver packages for discontinued Wireless adapters. Luckily, I saved away the final supporting packages in my archive and have them available in my cloud share. Use this link: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtacZBU04mo-j-tQ34BdSDv6y1BFsg?e=7gn50T to access my archive. Subfolders provide final driver packages for most of the Discontinued Wireless adapters.

Now, since you have installed later driver package(s), you will need to do a clean install in order to get the adapter working again. Here is the process for performing this clean Install; follow each of these steps exactly:

1. If you haven't already, download to your PC - but do not install just yet - the Bluetooth and Wireless driver packages from my archive.
2. Most important! Disable Internet access. Unplug Ethernet cable and/or disable wireless. Keep disabled until told to re-enable. Note this Wireless disable *must* be of type that will persist (stay disabled) across reboots.
3. From the Apps & Features applet, check for instances of Intel PROSet/Wireless Software and Intel Wireless Bluetooth. If none, skip to Step 6.
4. Uninstall each instance of Intel PROSet/Wireless Software and/or Intel Wireless Bluetooth that is present. When prompted, choose "Discard Settings".
5. Manually reboot your computer, keeping Internet access disabled throughout.
6. From the Device Manager applet, check the Network Adapters section for an entry for Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 and check the Bluetooth section for an entry for Intel Wireless Bluetooth that has an intel driver associated with it. If neither is the case, go forward to Step 10.
7. Right click on the entry for Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 and uninstall it, choosing (checkmark) Delete the driver software for this device.
8. Right click on the entry for Intel Wireless Bluetooth and open its properties. If it has an Intel driver associated with it, then uninstall it, choosing to (checkmark) Delete the driver software for this device.
9. Go back to Step 5.
10. Install the downloaded Bluetooth driver package (my rule: always install Bluetooth first).
11. Install the downloaded Wireless driver package.
12. Manually shutdown and reboot your computer.
13. Reenable Internet access. Restore Ethernet cable and/or reenable wireless.
14. Test.

Note that it sometimes takes multiple uninstall (and reboot) cycles to clean out the old installations, so don't give up on the process. If you get to, say, 10 cycles, stop there and attempt the installation of the downloaded drivers.

Hope this helps,

...S

[Akem007]

Hello Scott,

I really appreciate your help, but this isn't working either, I'll buy a new adapter and it will be no problem. Now I tried this adapter in HP EliteBook 1040 and the problem is exactly the same. When I tried the Intel AC 8260 wifi card from HP in Asus, everything worked just fine. It's just strange that the wifi in the Asus works under Ubuntu... I don't get it.

I've already tried drivers from 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021... nothing

Thanks again for your help and your time, but I give up.

Have a nice day
Petr

[bob_can_you_hear_me]

Hi Scott, I'm having the exact same issues. What version drivers were you using please? Thanks.

[n_scott_pearson]

The final driver packages supporting the 7265 Rev. C (7265-C) are 21.10.1. Any later package will not have drivers supporting the 7265-C and they could screw up the older driver installation, so don't use them with this adapter. The actual Wireless driver version included in this package is 18.33.17.1. The Bluetooth package provides driver version 20.100.5.1.

The final driver packages supporting the 7265 Rev. D (7265-D) are 23.40.0. Any later package will not have drivers supporting the 7265-D and they could screw up the older driver installation, so don't use them with this adapter. The actual Wireless driver version included in this package is 19.51.50.2. The Bluetooth package provide driver version 20.100.10.11.

As before, I have the final packages for most of the adapters in my OneDrive space. You can access it here: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtacZBU04mo-j-tQ34BdSDv6y1BFsg?e=7gn50T. The subfolder names indicate which adapters they pertain to.

...S

[bob_can_you_hear_me]

Hi Scott, Thank you for your amazingly generous and helpful reply. I am running Windows 10 64-bit on a Dell Inspiron 5759. In device manager the AC7265 is listed as PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_095B&SUBSYS_52108086&REV_61. On the chip itself it bears the number 7265NGW. I spent 11 hours straight yesterday trying to get this thing to work, including following your delete/reinstall drivers instructions meticulously and using the 21.10.1 drivers for W10/64 downloaded from your folder. In device manager the wireless adapter claims:

No drivers are installed for this device.

And the Bluetooth:

Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing. (Code 39)

Object Name not found.

When I try to install the Bluetooth drivers it says:

The best drivers for your device are already installed.

When I try to install the wireless adapter drivers it says:

A service installation section in this INF is invalid.

This is despite following every step (including optional steps) of your instructions.

The reason I ordered this card is I had the 3160 (in the laptop since birth) that had started to only connect intermittently. I thought it was a hardware fault so ordered a new (claimed to be new on eBay and seems to be) 7265. After not being able to install it I did my research and came to the conclusion it was a drivers issue being a problem between a legacy card and an updated OS. Finally I found your posts, which to me were and are the holy grail on this subject! Alas, I have not succeeded in getting the card properly installed.

If you have any last scraps of hope please do send them my way, altho I've already intruded on your generosity too much already.

Thanks, Matthew

[Akem007]

Hi Scott,

this particular WiFi module was from NTB LENOVO, I tried to make it work according to all the instructions under Windows in NTB Asus and HP, where it did not work at all and it threw an error. Interestingly, it worked under Linux.

Then I tried this mudul in a Lenovo NTB and everything worked fine under Windows. Maybe it's some kind of customization specifically for the Lenovo brand.

Thank you and have a nice day
Petr

[n_scott_pearson]

Let's attack what we can...

First of all, I am seeing indications that would make me believe that you are installing drivers from within Device Manager? Never do this with Intel driver packages; always run the executables.

Secondly, I am seeing indications that you either did not disconnect the Internet (as instructed) or did so in such a way that it could reconnect during a reboot. You *must* disable all Internet access while going through this process. Windows Update simply must not be able to run.  If you have to, delete all known networks or temporarily disable Wireless at the router (or just turn the router off completely). If you cannot do that or there is an open connection possibility, you will need to take the system somewhere where this is not the case.

Third (something I only thought of just now), if you have had multiple Intel Wireless devices in this unit, there is the possibility of having hidden device entries for removed Intel Wireless adapters and these drivers could muck up the workings. In this case, you need to uninstall the drivers for these devices as well, choosing to (checkmark) Delete the driver software for this device.

When you get to step 10, there should be no entry(s) for any Intel wireless adapter (well, other than an unknown device entry for the installed adapter). If there are, you aren't done and need to go back to Step 6 and continue from there.

Hope this helps,

...S

[bob_can_you_hear_me]

Hi Petr, Thank you for this very interesting info!

Hi Scott, Thank you so much for your continued kindness.

I was doing a mix of installing from device manager and using the executables. The last attempt before I wrote here was with the full clean and then the executables.

The non-functioning card has been the only way to get online so I couldn't get online wirelessly. Instead I have been using a cable, so this issue can be ruled out, at least for the most recent attempts.

The third one is more tricky. I think I was ticking the 'delete the driver software from this device' box but when I first started trying a few days ago, this may not have always been true. I can say it's been true for the last couple of days. I don't see a way to go back in time to remedy this but I have downloaded Driver Store Explorer and deleted every Bluetooth and Network device (apart from the Realtek ones for my ethernet adapter). There was a chunk of Intel entries for both Bluetooth and Network devices and I removed all of them and then did the full clean and install with the cable out the whole time and no joy.

I get the feeling maybe this is the end of the road and that I just have to accept I will never be able to run an internal wireless device on this laptop ever again (I'm sticking with Windows for general convenience).

Currently both devices are showing the same text as I quoted in my first message.

Thanks so much again. It's selfless people like you who really make an internet forum a special place. If this is the end, then at least I have the confidence I've tried everything!

[n_scott_pearson]

Have you thought about installing an upgrade card? You can install the AX200 (WiFi 6), AX210 (WiFi 6e) and BE200 (WiFi 7) in the same socket as the 7265.

From a cost standpoint, using Amazon for examples, they're relatively cheap: AX200 is US$17, AX210 is US$19 and BE200 is US$29.

...S

[bob_can_you_hear_me]

I was worried as the pins on the connector don't look to be the same arrangement on those more recent cards or even the A&E vs E key but if they are actually compatible then that's great news!

[bob_can_you_hear_me]

Just a quick update. I have looked at a photo of the AX200 and on the E pin (not sure what you officially would call it - the middle cut-out on the connector marked with an 'E') there are two connectors but on the 3160 (that the laptop came with) there is none. It's the same for the AX210. On the BE200 there is one connector and in fact this pin is merged into what is the A pin on the other three cards. The form factor itself is the same for all four cards.

[n_scott_pearson]

The keying notches ensure that a card is not plugged into an M.2 connector that the card is not designed to run in. For wireless cards, which require 1-2 PCIe lanes for the Wireless interface and a USB 2.0 port for Bluetooth, three types of M.2 connectors, Type A, Type E or Type A+E, could be supported. Most (virtually all) motherboards only provide a Type E connector, however, as the dedication and routing of a DisplayPort channel is required to support a Type A or Type A+E connector.

Here's a picture showing all four of these adapters, AC-7265, AX200, AX210 and BE200:

As you can see, the keying notch for Type E is present in all cases.

Hope this helps,

...S

P.S. Wikipedia provides a good introduction to M.2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.2.

[n_scott_pearson]

Ok, I just thought of something: Do your 3160 and 7265 cards look like this:

If this is what you have, these are the 3160HMW and 7265HMW. The HMW stands for PCIe Half-Mini Wireless. This is part of the older PCIe Mini-Card formfactor, which is often referred to (well, at least by me) as 'M.1'.

If this is indeed what you have, this is a complication because Intel does not manufacture many of its Wireless-AC - and none of its Wireless-AX - cards in this formfactor.

I said a 'complication', and not a 'problem', because there are manufacturers who take the Intel Wireless silicon and mount it on M.1 formfactor cards. This is possible because Intel manufactures integrated modules that can easily be plopped down onto a card regardless of which formfactor is targeted. This is good because, since Intel is no longer manufacturing cards in the HMW form factor, you can still purchase clone cards, in the HMW form factor, that do have Intel's latest and greatest modules.

If you are fine with cards that support WiFi 5, Wireless-AC and Bluetooth 4.x/5.x, there are lots of cards to choose from. Here are a few examples:

• Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260HMW: Bluetooth 4.2, 2x2 tx/rx, 867 Gb/s.
• Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265HMW: Bluetooth 4.2, 2x2 tx/rx, 867 Gb/s.
• Dual Band Wireless-AC 9260HMW: Bluetooth 5.1, 2x2 tx/rx, 1733 Gb/s. 

If, on the other hand, you want to get the very latest cards with WiFi 6/6e, Wireless-AX and Bluetooth 5.x capabilities, they are just a few dollars more. To upgrade to the latest WiFi 6, Wireless-AX and Bluetooth 5.2, you need an Intel AX200 module. For WiFi 6e (which adds support for the 6 GHz Wireless band), you need an AX210 module. These third-party cards utilize the exact same drivers as the NGW cards manufactured by Intel, downloaded (yourself) from the Intel Download Center, so nothing sketchy here. Here are some examples:

• MPE-AX3000H (AX200): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091FJXQHH
• MPE-AXE3000H (AX210): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09F3CLKLH

My recommendation is the MPE-AXE3000H (AX210). Note the following:

• The examples that I have linked here were all chosen semi-randomly and should not be misconstrued to be an endorsement on my part. I have never purchased or used any of these products and thus cannot comment on their quality. I have read reviews, for example, where the OP complained that the connectors came right off the card. The company in question is not one that I used for my examples, however (hence why I said 'semi-randomly').
• In the case of the AX200/AX210 cards, the ones that I actually purchased and tested were from a company named Fenvi - who doesn't seem to offer these particular cards for sale through Amazon (I purchased mine through NewEgg). I found the cards to be good quality and have not had any issues with them.
• Sadly, I haven't found a BE200HMW module out there.

Hope this helps,

...S

P.S. For more information on the PCIe Half-Mini Wireless standard, Wikipedia also has a good introduction: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express.

[bob_can_you_hear_me]

Scott, I've been using the internet for quarter of a century and this is the most generous help anyone has ever given me. I'm truly touched - thank you.

I've attached photos of the cards I have. The 3160 is the one that came with the machine and worked for years. The 7265 I bought recently and failed to get the drivers sorted.

I'll carry on studying your amazing posts!

[n_scott_pearson]

Ok, so, you have the newer NGW parts and can ignore that last 'thought' that I had. Here's what I want you to try next...

1. Shutdown, disconnect power and remove the 7265. Leave socket empty.
2. Boot up into Windows.
3. Using my process above, uninstall any existing drivers - including associated software -  for the 7265 and 3160 (which may be hidden at this point).
4. Also remove any hidden entries of any kind in the Bluetooth section.
5. In Network and Internet Settings | WiFi, click on Manage known Networks and delete all entries displayed.
6. Shutdown, disconnect power and install the 7265.
7. Boot up into Windows with internet access disabled.
8. Open Device Manager, select to display hidden devices and then expand the Bluetooth and Network Adapters sections. With each centered in the window, capture images.
9. Send these images to me. Do not try installing any software yet.

...S

[bob_can_you_hear_me]

Thank you so much for this! I followed everything. Here are the screenshots. There were no entries under Bluetooth devices by this stage.

.

[n_scott_pearson]

So this says (to me) that you should be able to install the Wireless and Bluetooth devices without issue. If there is an issue, then you likely have a bad part (I would normally also say 'or a failing motherboard', but you said a borrowed AC 8260 worked, so that can't be the case. I recommend returning the part if you can and getting an AX210 card as a replacement (and upgrade).

...S

[bob_can_you_hear_me]

Do I try with the Rev C or Rev D drivers? I've only tried with this card and the 3160. The 3160 appeared OK in device manager but started only connecting to the network intermittently. I have ordered the AX210

[n_scott_pearson]

Hhmmm, that's a good question. I have both in my share. If you want to switch from one set to the other (especially if a down-rev), do it as a clean install.

Hope this helps,

..S

P.S. The Rev. D should work with both sets of drivers. The Rev. C with only the older (21.10.1).