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]

I was expecting this -- thanx for trying.

I tried to install the ISDA and got a failure. The log is attached.

Can you figure out what the problem was?

[sgeneris]

I installed the DMIX utility but there is no user access to it.

What exactly does it do?

[sgeneris]

I noticed that I have 2 different versions of the Intel Network Connections installed (see attachment 1).

When I try to uninstall the older one, I first get the warning in attachment 2.

Then it issues the message in attachment 3, which I don't understand.

Do I uninstall both versions and reinstall only the latest? Should I ignore the warning or will this mess IDP&TF too and I need to uninstall and reinstall it too?

What is ProsetDX.msi and what does the message mean?

Will IDP&TF be messed up and do I need to uninstall and reinstall it too?

Thanx.

[sgeneris]

Andrew,

After some more research, could it be that the 2 versions of the Intel Network Connections installed on my system have something to do with ProSET wireless software? Because when I tried to uninstall them, I got that message that said I gotta do that via ProSET which is not on the system. Is it possible that they were installed by ProSET and I uninstalled ProSET and now they're orfans?

To test this I uninstalled ProSET from my other laptop (Intel says it's unnecessary on Windows10 and advises to remove it) but the 2 Intel Network Connections were not removed either.

I am attaching the last log of the wifi driver failure to install -- perhaps you can detect what caused it

and the two were not removed either

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello sgeneris

Thank you for your response.

Issues installing Intel® Driver & Support Assistant (Intel® DSA) would be a different problem. For assistance with Intel® DSA, we recommend creating a new thread since we usually handle only 1 issue per thread.

Also, it is worth mentioning that while Intel® DSA can detect and offer upgrades for many of the drivers and software that are available on Download Center, your device may not be supported by this tool. Also, the tool might not detect if the intel generic driver being offered is valid to update (replaced) the custom OEM driver in your system (another thing to consider is the old version of Windows® running on the system).

As per screenshot #1, it seems that there are 2 network connections (perhaps one is the Ethernet connection?). And based on screenshot # 3 it seems the message refers to Intel® PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software and DxSetup.exe utility for Command-Line installation.

At this point, we can recommend the following:

1- Remove Intel® DSA and please avoid using any other (third-party) tool for uninstalling or installing drivers.

2- Make sure you download from the DELL* website a copy of the Network and Bluetooth driver installers and save them on the computer. DELL* Latitude E7450 drivers*

3- Uninstall all network connections and Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software and Intel® Wireless Bluetooth from Windows® Apps & Features (or Windows® Control Panel). Then, go to Device Manager and uninstall any other instances of these components. (if you see any of them are reinstall, keep removing them until they are completed uninstalled.

4- Install the drivers downloaded in step 2.

Regarding your questions, the Intel® PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software has been placed in End-Of Life (EOL) status starting with software package version 21.50.X onwards and it is no longer needed for Windows® 10.

About Intel® Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework and the other questions about possible issues, there is the chance that it could affect, but you could check with your OEM or the user's manual to see where this driver is included (what driver installer or package) and try to reinstall. The warning is coming from a third-party uninstaller software so we cannot comment about possible outcomes in that case.

Intel Device Manager Diagnostics Utility (DMIX) seems to be only available on the Dell* website and intended to enhance driver compatibility. However, it seems this is a legacy tool.

Finally, the log is pointing out information related to the DELL* driver, DELL* installation path, etc. Since this software/drivers might be customized by your OEM, the one that can properly assist in this matter is DELL* support team.

If you are still facing issues, the last recommendation we can think of is a clean install of the operating system.

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]

Andrew,

OK, I decided to try what you advised on the laptop where I can't run the Dell Command Update and I get a fatal error when I try to install the Intel Wireless Driver.

I managed to uninstall the 2 Intel Network Connections. I got some warning, but they disappeared from the Revo uninstaller. However, all other Intel drivers seem unaffected and the wireless and the Internet connection continue to work, Device Manager shows that the wireless driver is still working. So the 2 Intel Network Connections were not associated with the wireless driver -- any idea WHAT were they? The uninstaller shows no entry for the wireless, yet the wireless works.

Alas, when I tried to install the OEM Intel wireless driver, it gave me the same fatal error and the DCU still fails.

Any ideas?

uninstalled the 2 Intel Network Connections from the laptop where I was having trouble running the Dell Command Update and I was getting the fatal error trying to install

[sgeneris]

Further: I checked what was the location of the 2 Intel Network Connections and apparently there was a folder C:\Program files\Intel that had the following subfolders:

ANS

DMIX

DOCS

Intel(R) Chipset Device Software

Intel(R) Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework

Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology

IntelNetCmdlets

Media Resource

Media SDK

NCS2

QV

WiFi

Looks like all the Intel drivers and more. This folder was apparently deleted by the uninstall, yet all the drivers continue to work.

????????

[n_scott_pearson]

What part of the uninstall deleted this folder ('cause this is really bad)? One of Intel's installation packages? If so, let us know so that this can be reported to the driver team and fixed.

...S

[sgeneris]

No,  I used the Revo uninstaller to uninstall the two Intel Network Connections (INC) that appeared as installed in it. The way it works is it first uses the standard uninstall available for an installed app/driver and then checks for leftovers and allows to delete them.

Apparently, Revo found some standard uninstall and used it to uninstall the 2 INCs, but because I dk what they were, I do not know what  it used.

I note again that all the OEM Intel drivers appear in Revo, but the Wifi driver did not, even though it works and is recognized by Device Manager. This is why I assumed the 2 INCs were associated with the Wireless driver, but apparently not, because after they were uninstalled, wireless continues to work. All I know is that when I checked the location of those INCs, Revo showed that folder with the Intel driver folders, which does not exist anymore after the uninstall.

Which is why I ask: what ARE those 2 INCs? And why all the Intel drivers show in Device Manager and Revo and work, but the wireless shows only in the Device Manager and works, but it does not show in Revo such that it cannot be uninstalled from there. Weird.

[sgeneris]

I went into the C:\Program Files\Intel folder that disappeared when I uninstalled the 2 INC files and looked into the WiFi subfolder. I have attached an image of its content. Note that most of them are log were created in 2017.

I also attached the file ic-install -- can you tell what it is? There are references to PROSet/Wireless software. Can you tell whether these logs were created by the installation of that software that was left behind and were deleted when I uninstalled the 2 INCs?

[sgeneris]

I noticed that Task Manager shows that something called Intel PROSet Monitoring Service is running.

Isn't it part of the PROSet software? And if the software is not necessary and was uninstalled should this srvice be left over still running?

[sgeneris]

@AndrewG_Intel 

You should delete the advertising message in this thread.

[sgeneris]

Andrew,

Can you pls answer the few questions I asked Scott?

Thanx.

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello @sgeneris

Thank you for your response.

Our recommendations were to uninstall programs or drivers either from Windows® App & Features or from Device Manager. Having said that, we are not able to debug third-party uninstaller tools like Revo or comment on the changes/file-folder deletion those tools perform. Also, due to the different methods/tools used, we cannot say if there could be issues with file corruption, Windows® Registry issues, etc.

Also, since the driver or software for your Intel® component might have been changed or replaced by the computer manufacturer and most of the logs point out to "Dell paths" we may not be able to debug this information. (also considering that Intel® PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software has been placed in End-Of Life (EOL) status).

Regarding your questions and since the problems are only related to the DELL* software at this point our final recommendation is to check this with the app/tool developer (Dell*) since that is not from Intel. We recommend trying the different channels of support they have available including community support (link shared in a previous post), or trying the clean OS installation (checking with your OEM DELL* or Microsoft® for guidance.).

Having said that, we will proceed to close this inquiry now from our end and the thread will no longer be monitored. However, we will leave the thread open in case other uses want to participate.

Thank you for your understanding and best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[sgeneris]

I do not think yours is a fair description of what I have been asking -- I have NOT asked you to debunk Dell software.

In the past I had installed ***Intel PROSet Wireless software -- NOT Dell! -- that later proved unnecessary and I uninstalled it. It now looks as if all sorts of leftovers were left behind that may be corrupt and/or interfere with the Dell updates.  I am asking you to help me identify those Intel leftovers, as distinct from Dell's.

For your convenience here are again the specific questions:

1. Task Manager shows Intel PROSet Monitoring Service is running. Isn't it part of the PROSet wifi software? And if the software is not necessary  (if I recall, you also told me that) and was uninstalled, should this service be left over still running? Can I disable it? Where is it physically located so that I can delete it?

2. I went into the C:\Program Files\Intel folder that disappeared when I uninstalled the 2 Intel Network Connections (INC) items and looked into the WiFi subfolder. In the attached ic-install log there are references to PROSet/Wireless. Was this log created by the PROSet installation that was left behind and were deleted when I uninstalled the 2 INCs? IOW, were those 2 INCs PROSet leftovers?

3. Note that without the PRO/Set sware, there are entries for all Dell Intel drivers in Revo ***EXCEPT for wifi***! There were only the two INCs which, when I uninstalled them, a log that referred to PROSet was deleted. This reinforces that they were PROSet leftovers and would explain why wifi continues to work without them. I am asking if you can confirm they are part of the PROSet.

It would be be best if you could  provide some documentation of ***what PROSet used to install*** on a system so that I could look for anything left over that I should remove.

Thanx and happy new year.

FP