Network adapter missing

**shione83** · 29-09-2020, 10:33 PM

Hey all, I havent been able to make a connection to the internet, despite checking device manager, viewing hidden devices and doing scans, nothing will bring network adaptor up.
As a second to last resort, even did a full restore, still no internet connection
Last resort is to ask the wiz kids here for help.
Cant download anything to this PC but can I download whatever I need to another laptop, also running windows 10. Then transfer it to the other pc?
Thanks in advance

**piroska** · 30-09-2020, 08:28 AM

What adapter? Ethernet or wifi?
Ethernet would be built in.....perhaps it's dead....
Although I'd try a driver first, if you can't download (obviously) download it on another device, put it on a USB stick and copy it over, then install it.

If driver doesn't work, it's dead. Buy a PCI card....ethernet. Or a usb wifi gadget.

**zqwerty** · 30-09-2020, 09:28 AM

The switch on the side of the laptop to turn on wifi has been switched off?

**shione83** · 30-09-2020, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by piroska

What adapter? Ethernet or wifi?
Ethernet would be built in.....perhaps it's dead....
Although I'd try a driver first, if you can't download (obviously) download it on another device, put it on a USB stick and copy it over, then install it.

If driver doesn't work, it's dead. Buy a PCI card....ethernet. Or a usb wifi gadget.

ok.. think its ethernet.
everything I download and put on usb to install on other pc needs the internet at some stage of installing, so where to now?

**Paul.Cov** · 30-09-2020, 05:00 PM

Control Panel > Device Manager > Hardware - Any sign of a network adapter in the list? Any icons with an X or a ! over the icon to indicate troubles? (my experience ends at Win 7, so this might not apply in Win 10).

Are all the ports in the modem enabled? Any firewalls blocking things?

**shione83** · 30-09-2020, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by Paul.Cov

Control Panel > Device Manager > Hardware - Any sign of a network adapter in the list? Any icons with an X or a ! over the icon to indicate troubles? (my experience ends at Win 7, so this might not apply in Win 10).

Are all the ports in the modem enabled? Any firewalls blocking things?

well..lol.. i prtScr but not sure how to attach it here..anyway..
no network adapter but about 7 WAN miniports.. all with updated drivers
no ! marks at all.
all ports are enabled
turned firewall off.
i did find my wifi adapter so can now connect with that. but its not my pc and i aint giving my adapter away haha

**Kame** · 01-10-2020, 05:01 PM

You should not need to view hidden devices, this will just add confusion into the mix.

We specifically need the network adapter or any device that shows an exclamation mark. Then I believe these devices will have an identifier.

If no network adapter, does it have one? Is it fixed (mounted to the motherboard), external (usb, etc) or even a card?

I would check first to see if it is enabled in the bios, just in case the bios controls it. If its not showing in windows, it could be dead, not attached properly.

Since you have a wifi adapter on it, I assume you have the internet on it now?

You could get hirens bootcd, see if the tools on there can help you identify it or I would boot linux, see if the adapter is found or at least get the report on the network device to find out what chipset it uses.