Wireless/Networking Driver Problems

[sgeneris]

Dell Latitude E7450 laptop running Windows10 64bit.
Unable to get a response from Dell.

I ran into problems with some software not seeing my Internet connection even though it works fine.

Tried to update the Dell driver for Intel wireless 7265 and got the attached fatal error and log.

Tried to install ISDA and got the attached error and log.

Attached is the SSU report.

Would appreciate your help.

[sgeneris]

Ah, yes, trust the industry to make it as complicated as possible.  Thanx for the explanation.

I guess I should go by DM.

[n_scott_pearson]

Note this news: Intel driver updates fix Windows 10 BSODs, Bluetooth issues. What this means is that, despite the guidance received so far, you should probably download that latest releases (from here: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/30057 (Wireless) and here: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/30061 (Bluetooth)), install them and see if these alleviate your issues.

Obviously, the uninstall issue needs to be addressed before you can do this. Did Revo Uninstaller help you get past with this problem? If not, @AndrewG_Intel will need to step in and help you...

...S

[sgeneris]

I would like to first try to stick with the Dell drivers, before I go to Intel drivers.

Re BT: I don't have BSOD or other problems -- the only issue is why do I install a newer version and DM shows an older version. Here's what the Dell site lists:

Intel 8260/7265/3165 Wi-Fi Driver Urgent

Network

29 Jun 2020

Version 21.90.3.2, A32|Older versions

Last Updated Date 09 Jul 2020

Is this the driver or the package?

The real problem is the Wireless -- I need to uninstall first and I need Andrew's help -- how can I get his attention?

[n_scott_pearson]

Well, we've hit the weekend now, so it will be whenever his weekend is over.

...S

[n_scott_pearson]

Yea, I should have qualified my previous guidance as being for folks that do not have laptops. For laptops, you should stick with the drivers from your vendor, especially if your laptop has dual graphics solutions.

...S

P.S. You get Andrew's attention by including this in a post: @AndrewG_Intel. There, I've done it for you! ;^)

[sgeneris]

I've given it some thought and here is a puzzle:

The Dell Command Update fails checking for new drivers because it does not see the Internet connection. But the Internet connection works fine, which means that the wireless driver also works fine.

Now, if you are correct suspecting that the record of the previous wifi install is messed up, then DCU would have said "failure: I cannot check", but it says "no Internet connection". And I don't see how the driver bad install record could cause this error, unless it's just a bad/misleading error problem. Can you see any reason for the wireless problem would cause DCU to not see the Internet connection?

Reinstalling the wireless driver is a separate issue that I would like to do, but for that I need the help of @AndrewG_Intel so let's wait for his response.

[sgeneris]

In the driver-log.txt of the failure to install the wireless driver are the errors:

Could not locate INF: Extensions\WifiDrv04Customizations.inf
Warning: Could not locate INF: Extensions\PieExtension.INF
Could not find file 'C:\ProgramData\Dell\drivers\32f6740b-b968-4645-8cfb-42a81c7486d5\mup.xml'.

Do you know what are these files and why they would be missing?

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello @sgeneris

When it comes to driver updates, we have two terms: driver package and actual driver and there may a difference in the version number you see. For the Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 the latest driver package version is 22.10.0; however, the actual driver version is 19.51.31.1.

The update package indicates the installation driver package and the driver version refers to the actual driver for each wireless adapter. You can see this in the driver download link under "Detailed Description > Purpose".

Also, you may be receiving driver updates through the Windows® Update service, so you may see a different driver version than the one available on Intel® or DELL™ website.

Also, it is worth mentioning that when it comes to pre-built systems like laptops, it is highly recommended to use the customized drivers provided by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), in this case, Dell*.

System manufacturers regularly customize Intel generic drivers to meet the needs of their specific system design. 

Intel® DSA will scan and provide suggestions for driver updates from our Download Center website, and we only provide generic versions of drivers. Updating from customized drivers (and sometimes Legacy drivers) to generic/newer drivers might fail since the generic driver may not be validated to be installed on your system and replace the customized driver since there may be OEM limitations. The Intel® DSA not installing the driver could be a different behavior. Since we usually handle one issue per product and per thread, if you need further assistance with Intel DSA we recommend creating a new thread so we can focus on one issue at a time and provide the most accurate support.

Back to the wireless issue and just to make sure, we understand that you are only experiencing issues connecting to tools like "Dell Command | Update" and running only the OEM drivers from Dell*. Is this correct? Please provide the following details:

1- Is the wireless connection working fine on regular web browsing?

2- Have you checked if there is an antivirus software or firewall that may be blocking the connection?

3- Have you tried connecting to different networks to see if the behavior is the same?

4- By any chance have you tested if using a wired connection (Ethernet LAN cable) the behavior is different?

5- Were you able to try the clean driver installation steps that we previously recommended or the clean install instructions provided by n_scott_pearson using the OEM driver from Dell*?

To reach "Windows Apps & Features", please open the "Windows 10 X Menu" via keyboard combination Windows-Logo + X and select "Apps and Features". The video on this link also shows how to uninstall and install the drivers: Clean Installation of Wireless Drivers.

6- The driver errors on the "driver-log.txt" are from the OEM Dell driver?

Also, please provide a new Intel SSU report.

Note:

If you want to contact Intel® Customer Support directly (e.g. through phone or chat support), here is the Contact us link. Please make sure to select your country or region and to contact us within your local business Support hours.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[sgeneris]

Andrew,

Thanks for responding.

> When it comes to driver updates, we have two terms: driver package and actual driver and there may a difference in the version number you see. For the Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 the latest driver package version is 22.10.0; however, the actual driver version is 19.51.31.1.
The update package indicates the installation driver package and the driver version refers to the actual driver for each wireless adapter. You can see this in the driver download link under "Detailed Description > Purpose".

This is why Dell Command Update is important -- it checks and tells you whether you need to update. Without it it's hard to tell. But it fails because it does not see the Net connection.

>Also, you may be receiving driver updates through the Windows® Update service, so you may see a different driver version than the one available on Intel® or DELL™ website.

No, I do not. I run the earliest stable version of Win10 and I do not allow MS to update it and I want nothing to do with newer versions or updates -- they are a catastrophe.

>Also, it is worth mentioning that when it comes to pre-built systems like laptops, it is highly recommended to use the customized drivers provided by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), in this case, Dell*. System manufacturers regularly customize Intel generic drivers to meet the needs of their specific system design.

That's exactly what I do and why I need DCU to work so that I can make sure that I run the latest Dell drivers.

>Intel® DSA will scan and provide suggestions for driver updates from our Download Center website, and we only provide generic versions of drivers. Updating from customized drivers (and sometimes Legacy drivers) to generic/newer drivers might fail since the generic driver may not be validated to be installed on your system and replace the customized driver since there may be OEM limitations. The Intel® DSA not installing the driver could be a different behavior. Since we usually handle one issue per product and per thread, if you need further assistance with Intel DSA we recommend creating a new thread so we can focus on one issue at a time and provide the most accurate support.

Since I am sticking to Dell drivers, IDSA is not an issue (but it does not install, perhaps because of the early version of Win10).

Back to the wireless issue and just to make sure, we understand that you are only experiencing issues connecting to tools like "Dell Command | Update" and running only the OEM drivers from Dell*. Is this correct? Please provide the following details:

Correct.

>1- Is the wireless connection working fine on regular web browsing?

Yes.

>2- Have you checked if there is an antivirus software or firewall that may be blocking the connection?

I check daily with 3 programs for malware. The only firewall is the Windows firewall.
Since on the 2nd identical laptop does not have this problem, I doubt that is the issue.

>3- Have you tried connecting to different networks to see if the behavior is the same?

Don't have another network, but the 2nd identical laptop on same network works fine. Problem is with one laptop out of 2.

>4- By any chance have you tested if using a wired connection (Ethernet LAN cable) the behavior is different?

Don't have Ethernet network.

>5- Were you able to try the clean driver installation steps that we previously recommended or the clean install instructions provided by n_scott_pearson using the OEM driver from Dell*?

Before I did that I wanted to hear from you. If the prior install was faulty, if I uninstall it may fail and prevent me from reinstalling, losing the wireless. Is there a utility or a manual way to cleanly uninstall a faulty previous install to make sure that the re-install
will work?

>To reach "Windows Apps & Features", please open the "Windows 10 X Menu" via keyboard combination Windows-Logo + X and select "Apps and Features". The video on this link also shows how to uninstall and install the drivers: Clean Installation of Wireless Drivers.

Found that. There was no link in your msg.

>6- The driver errors on the "driver-log.txt" are from the OEM Dell driver?

Unfortunately, I do not remember.

>Also, please provide a new Intel SSU report.

Attached

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello @sgeneris

In addition to our previous post, we would like to confirm that we don't have "a special uninstaller for the wireless driver that can clean up the driver state". So the only uninstall method is through Windows® Apps & Features or from Device Manager.

Also, if you were able to try the clean installation steps using the OEM DELL* driver and the issue persisted, you may try the clean install using the latest Intel® generic package driver version 22.10.0 (driver 19.51.31.1).

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[sgeneris]

Bummer.

If you resend that link to the video I'll see if I can uninstall manually.

But the question is is the problem due to the wireless?

I am trying to stick with Dell drivers. Scott has suggested that drivers beyond v1 are not compatible with my early version of Win10.

[n_scott_pearson]

Let's be careful here. Any particular release package is validated on the current and three previous Windows 10 Updates. Two important takeaways from this statement:

1. You have to look at the release date for a particular package to determine which Windows 10 Updates it has been validated against (and thus specifically and knowingly applies to).
2. The fact that a package is validated against a certain set of Windows 10 Updates does not mean that it won't work with previous Windows 10 Updates. In certain cases, we know that it doesn't apply to previous Windows 10 Updates either because (a) it was specifically not design to (in which case, this would be documented) or (b) simply because we have seen evidence of problems with these previous Windows 10 Updates (unfortunately, end users often only hear about this as tribal knowledge).

I hope I haven't just muddied the waters with these details.

...S

P.S. Gee, for that last case, wouldn't it be nice if Intel has a blog or something that documented this stuff?!?

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello @sgeneris

Thank you for your response.

Regarding your question: "Is there a utility or a manual way to cleanly uninstall a faulty previous install to make sure that the re-install will work?"

We don't have a tool or special uninstaller to cleanly uninstall a faulty previous install but you may check with DELL* or Microsoft® if they have such utility from their side.

The manual way would be following the steps in the video on this link Clean Installation of Wireless Drivers

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000022173/network-and-i-o/wireless.html

Note: We were experiencing some problems with our download center and websites, hence, why issues to access the links were received. We have double-checked and the links for the clean install and driver download link are now working. We do apologize for the inconvenience.

Now, since you want to stick with DELL* drivers, and regarding your concern about "losing the wireless when uninstalling and then not being able to install the driver due to no internet connection" you may try the following:

1- You can create a Windows® Restore point to have a "backup point" (for instructions please check with Microsoft* Support).

2- Then manually download the latest wireless driver from Dell* website available for your laptop model (Latitude E7450). Save the driver installer in a local folder on your computer (e.g. Windows® Downloads or Windows® Desktop).

As per the Dell* website, the latest package version is 21.90.3.2, A32 (once installed the driver version in Device Manager will be 19.51.29.1).

Here is the download link: Intel-8260-7265-3165-Wi-Fi-Driver_94C2C_WIN_21.90.3.2_A32_01.EXE*

3- Before uninstalling the current driver and attempting to install the latest DELL* version, please check with Dell* support if this is the best driver for your system and if it is a valid driver for your current environment.

Once they confirmed it is safe to use the said driver, you can follow the steps in the video for Clean Installation of Wireless Drivers (or try the steps previously shared by n_scott_pearson) to uninstall the current driver and try to install the driver downloaded in step 2.

If the issue persists, our recommendation is to check this directly with DELL support for further assistance and debugging from their side. This is since this doesn't seem to be a driver (driver code) issue considering (1) this system works fine on regular web browsing and (2) another identical computer does not experience this issue. (We would think it has also the same wireless adapter model).

Also, your OEM DELL* is the best channel of support for assistance and debugging of the connectivity/scan issues with the Dell Command | Update* tool as they are the ones that handle all its technical details.

We hope this helps,

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

*Links to third-party sites and references to third-party trademarks are provided for convenience and illustrative purposes only. Unless explicitly stated, Intel® is not responsible for the contents of such links, and no third-party endorsement of Intel® or any of its products is implied.

[sgeneris]

Dell support is not an option -- they do not respond.

There are two issues

1. DCU does not see the Internet connection and cannot check for new drivers, even though it works fine.

2. The latest Wireless driver won't install with fatal failure.

Before I do anything I have 3 questions:

1.  Could the two issues be related?

2. How likely  bad install of the current driver is causing the fatal failure of the new driver to install?

3. How likely it is for the wireless driver to have a bad install and still work ok?

2. Do you

[n_scott_pearson]

They might respond if you pick up the phone and call them.

Just saying,

...S

P.S. I gotta say, if Dell's customer support -- which you paid good money for when you purchased this system -- doesn't respond, why are you purchasing anything from them?

[sgeneris]

They were OK while the laptops were still covered by the service contract The minute it expired, however, they stopped responding. 

The 1st laptop was purchased for me -- I had no control. I bought another one identical to clone and keep in sync to make sure that if anything happens to one I can continue with the other without hassle.

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello @sgeneris

Thank you for your response.

Regarding your questions, it is possible that a driver that has been installed incorrectly may cause some corruption, for instance, in the Windows* Registry, installer files, Windows® .dll files, etc., and this may lead to some issues. However, before going to that conclusion, the recommendation would be going through some initial, for instance:

• Making sure the operating system is up to date.
• Check if there are available system firmware and BIOS updates. (Based on Support for DELL* Latitude E7450* the system is running the latest BIOS A24 but you can check with your OEM if there are newer BIOS releases available or in the release process).
• Since regular browsing is working fine, then it is highly recommended to check directly with the developer of the app that is not working (Dell Command | Update), in this special case, the debugging should come from DELL* support.

To answer your 3 questions: Yes, it is possible that a bad install may cause this error, still work, and it is possible that the issues could be related. However, our drivers require specific OS versions, and since you prefer not to update to the latest versions of Windows® and considering other facts (web browsing is working fine) we are not able to confirm if the issue is a driver problem, so we cannot tell the scenario that you mentioned is what it is actually happening. Having said that and from a "functionality point of view", the Wireless card is working and at this point, what we can recommend is to check this directly with DELL* support or reviewing another Dell* support channels, for instance, Dell Community*.

In this case, the best channel of support is through DELL* since they are the ones that handle all the technical details about the current driver installed and about this app.

Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

*Links to third-party sites and references to third-party trademarks are provided for convenience and illustrative purposes only. Unless explicitly stated, Intel® is not responsible for the contents of such links, and no third-party endorsement of Intel® or any of its products is implied.

[sgeneris]

Catch 22: To check for last valid driver updates I need to use DCU and that is what does not work. There is no response from both Dell and Dell community for systems out of warranty/service.

If there is no utility to uninstall, does Intel have a list of files and registry entries
of a normal install that I can check to determine corruption and delete manually? It should.

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello @sgeneris

We are sorry to know that you are not getting responses regarding the issues with the Dell* Command | Update tool. Unfortunately, this is a third-party tool and it is out of our scope of support.

We will check your inquiry about "if it is a list of files and registry entries". However, we cannot guarantee if this information is available and/or public. As soon as we have any details, we will be posting back in the thread.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[sgeneris]

Thanx.

I understand this is a Dell, not Intel issue. However, given that Dell does not respond,

I thought that Itel might be able to help as I have no other option.

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello sgeneris

Thank you for your patience in this matter.

After checking this further, we would like to inform you that we could not provide a list of files or registry entries since modifying Windows® Registry is out of our scope of support and this also depends upon Windows® and OEM customizations. Since you were running the OEM driver from Dell*, the driver or software might have been changed or replaced by Dell, and thus, installation files and registry entries may vary.

Modifying Windows® Registry is not supported and also, it is a risky task that may lead to other issues that can even prevent the system from booting up. At this point, if you think the issue is due to some kind of operating system (OS) or files corruption, what we can recommend is a clean install of the operating system. Please bear in mind that it is highly recommended to create a backup of all your files, software licenses and software installers, settings, etc, before attempting this task.

It is also highly recommended to check with Microsoft® Support and with the Software vendors before reinstalling the OS to make sure there would not be any issues or licensing limitations when reinstalling.

Usually, laptops have an option or function key to restore the system to factory settings (initial state) if the recovery partition has not been deleted, so perhaps this is an option you may try. We recommend checking the Dell Latitude E7450 Owner's Manual* and additional documents available for your system.

Thank you for your understanding

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

*Links to third-party sites and references to third-party trademarks are provided for convenience and illustrative purposes only. Unless explicitly stated, Intel® is not responsible for the contents of such links, and no third-party endorsement of Intel® or any of its products is implied.