Windows 10 Anniversary Update broken wireless

Baldqban
Baldqban Member Posts: 4 New User
edited March 2023 in 2017 Archives

 

 

 

The moment the Windows 10 Anniversary update finished installing the wireless access on the two private networks I log on two was broken.  I get the message "can't connect to this network".   The interesting thing is that I can connect to my cable provider's WiFi hot spot just down the block.

 

My machine is an Aspire ES 573-516D.  Device Manager shows the network adapter as a Qualcom Atheros QCA9377. The driver date is 2/25/2016, version 4.0.2.217.   I can provide the name of the five driver files if needed.

 

When the problem first showed I rolled back the Anniversary Update.  It didn't fix the problem.  So I don't know if the current driver is the pre-update, or the post-update.  Regardless, it broke with the update and rolling back the update didn't fix the problem.  I now have configured the system to halt any unauthorized updates

 

Any help will be appreciated.

 

===============================================

 

Windows 10 has been nothing but headaches.  This laptop was running Windows 8.1 just fine.  I let the "upgrade" to Windows 10 take place, and I lost the infrared interface to my dive computer.  That caused me to lose a lot of data and took over 6 months to fix.  Now  the wireless, which was running fine, breaks with the Anniversary  version.  The idiots at Microsoft should be shot for shoving updates down our throats with no recourse, and then using us as beta testers for unproven software.

 

And to add insult to injury, the "upgrade" from Win 7 to 10 failed miserably on the desktop.  Not enough space on the C drive.   That one had to be rolled back as well, and is now awaiting a clean install when I find the time and get more confortable with the process.  Ugh!

Best Answer

  • Baldqban
    Baldqban Member Posts: 4 New User
    Answer ✓

    I finally solved this issue:

     

    I didn't want to roll back the system to the original Win 8 factory image for fear of losing the Win 10 authenticating hash and license created way back by the "upgrade" from 8 to 10.  In addition I didn't want to go thru re-installing numerous applications and having to resolve other driver issues I have encountered, such as the IrDA infrared adapter drive.  The latter actually caused me to lose valuable data.  

     

    Sooo
     

    1.  First I deleted the profile for the network that I could not access.  This was one Microsoft recommendation somewhere in one of their sites.  It didn't work!
       
    2.  I then downloaded the Atheros Wireless LAN Driver (NFA435) driver at this page:
             https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/support-product/5976?b=1.
        
    3. It took me a bit to figure out that I needed to run the EXE loaded in one of the folders created when the files in the ZIP were extracted.  It also took me a bit to figure out I had to navigate to that given folder when I went to re-install the driver from device manager.
        
    4. Once I ran the exe the process seemed to run forever, until it declared itself finished.  The system then rebooted itself.
       
    5. I then re-defined the network, entered the WPA key, and, magically!, I connected to the network, which I had not been able to do since the "upgrade" to the Win 10 Anniversary edition.

     

    So to recap:  my solution to my Win 10 Anniversary edition broken wireless:

     

    1. Delete the non-working network
    2. Download the driver at the Acer support page
    3. Re-install the adapter driver
    4. Configure again the network.

     

    ...what a painful process...!  L  Let's see what Microsoft decides to break next...

     

     

Answers

  • Mary-Acer
    Mary-Acer Acer Crew Posts: 868 Acer Crew

    The best way to determine if this is a hardware issue is to restore the system back to the Acer OEM version of Windows 8.1 that shipped on it from factory. Steps on how to do this are located here:

    http://acer.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/35232

     

    Test the wifi and all other functions and if the wifi still does not work then the system will need repair. If the wifi and other functions are working, you can then upgrade to Windows 10. Steps on this are posted here:

    http://acer.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/37954

  • Baldqban
    Baldqban Member Posts: 4 New User




    I don't believe it is a hardware issue since Wifi was working fine with the version of Windows 10 as of, say, Feb 2016 - I had the build number at one point..  Then Microsoft decided to update the machine to the "Anniversay" version, and that is when the wireless broke.

     

    I rolled back the Win 10 update, but that did not fix the problem.

     

    But it is not totally broken.  I cannnot connect to my own home LAN with my D-Link dir 615 router.  However, I can see my cable/ISP provider hot spot just down the street, and I can connect to it and access the web.  Obviously I don't want to do that since it not a secure connection.  That seems to indicate to me I don't have a hardware problem

     

    I have gone to the Acer site and downloaded the driver for the Atheros adapter.  Tomorrow I am going to see if I can reload it.  I will report.

     

     

  • Baldqban
    Baldqban Member Posts: 4 New User
    Answer ✓

    I finally solved this issue:

     

    I didn't want to roll back the system to the original Win 8 factory image for fear of losing the Win 10 authenticating hash and license created way back by the "upgrade" from 8 to 10.  In addition I didn't want to go thru re-installing numerous applications and having to resolve other driver issues I have encountered, such as the IrDA infrared adapter drive.  The latter actually caused me to lose valuable data.  

     

    Sooo
     

    1.  First I deleted the profile for the network that I could not access.  This was one Microsoft recommendation somewhere in one of their sites.  It didn't work!
       
    2.  I then downloaded the Atheros Wireless LAN Driver (NFA435) driver at this page:
             https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/support-product/5976?b=1.
        
    3. It took me a bit to figure out that I needed to run the EXE loaded in one of the folders created when the files in the ZIP were extracted.  It also took me a bit to figure out I had to navigate to that given folder when I went to re-install the driver from device manager.
        
    4. Once I ran the exe the process seemed to run forever, until it declared itself finished.  The system then rebooted itself.
       
    5. I then re-defined the network, entered the WPA key, and, magically!, I connected to the network, which I had not been able to do since the "upgrade" to the Win 10 Anniversary edition.

     

    So to recap:  my solution to my Win 10 Anniversary edition broken wireless:

     

    1. Delete the non-working network
    2. Download the driver at the Acer support page
    3. Re-install the adapter driver
    4. Configure again the network.

     

    ...what a painful process...!  L  Let's see what Microsoft decides to break next...