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Lost wifi card when trying to upgrade to W7!

jmd
Grafter
Posts: 2,933
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Lost wifi card when trying to upgrade to W7!

Thought I would upgrade to W7 [have only had discs since December 09!] and Dell send you a disc that you put in to check system.  It came up with message saying that the Wlan card utility would be removed and in doing so removing my wireless card!  Now I have to sit by the router attached by cable and it is not very comfortable.
Tried to go ahead with upgrade but said there was a conflict with Catalyst Centre.  Have look on Dell website and found the wireless driver but for some reason it won't download keeps saying it is incompatible.  Getting very irritated and wished I had not bothered with W7!!
Has anyone else had problems with this and how did they correct it?

ps have gone on Dell Community Forum and they tell you just to continue with upgrade but since the machine won't not sure what else to try.  Have emailed Dell support but thought I would also ask the brains on here!
13 REPLIES 13
Oldjim
Resting Legend
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Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Lost wifi card when trying to upgrade to W7!

First thing is to uninstall the Catalyst Centre which is part of the ATI graphics software then continue with the upgrade
HPsauce
Pro
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Registered: ‎02-02-2008

Re: Lost wifi card when trying to upgrade to W7!

What version of W7 did you install - x86 or x64?
I prefer x64 BUT some bits of hardware may not have x64 drivers, is that your problem?
jmd
Grafter
Posts: 2,933
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Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Lost wifi card when trying to upgrade to W7!

is the ATI Catalyst Centre not an essential thing then?
It is 64bit
Oldjim
Resting Legend
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Re: Lost wifi card when trying to upgrade to W7!

No it isn't
ATI provide two things -
The drivers and their fancy software.
I always avoided the software (Catalyst Control Centre) and just installed the drivers.
I assume that you are going from Vista 64 bit to Windows 7 64 bit
jmd
Grafter
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Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Lost wifi card when trying to upgrade to W7!

so if I remove the ATI software [it wont do anything to those drivers that I need?], W7 should install?
and then I would be able to find and install the wireless card again?
HPsauce
Pro
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Re: Lost wifi card when trying to upgrade to W7!

I too try and avoid unnecessary bloatware like the Catalyst stuff.
Sometimes it's difficult though as the only drivers available can be in an installer package that gives you little or no option other than to install it all.
I'd install without any Catalyst stuff, only generic video drivers (you might be lucky and get the proper ones from Windows Update anyway), then try and sort out the wireless card.
Finally, once everything else is working, bring the video drivers up to date - if they aren't already.
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
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Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Lost wifi card when trying to upgrade to W7!

The W7 software includes the basic graphics drivers and it should automatically update them from ATI
ReedRichards
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Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Lost wifi card when trying to upgrade to W7!

I did a Windows 7 upgrade today.  I had to uninstall the wireless software first but the wireless facility was 'magically' resurrected when Windows 7 launched, even though I had done the whole thing without an internet connection.
jmd
Grafter
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Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Lost wifi card when trying to upgrade to W7!

thanks for advice
will take the catalyst stuff off and then hopefully e able to do upgrade to W7 and perhaps my wireless facility will be restored?
jmd
Grafter
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Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Lost wifi card when trying to upgrade to W7!

well have done the upgrade but still no wireless facility - so not sure what to do next!  tried again to download it from dell site but does not seem to want to play but will keep trying!!
HPsauce
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Re: Lost wifi card when trying to upgrade to W7!

What exactly goes wrong?
Have you tried connecting with a cable then running Windows Update and checking the hardware updates offered?
jmd
Grafter
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Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Lost wifi card when trying to upgrade to W7!

I suddenly remembered an old magazine that I had upstair that had something about W7 in it - so found it and it said to go tho Device Manager and check for upgrades via that - so have done and now ireless again!! hurrah!  so glad - thanks to thos of you who gave me some help with this!
HPsauce
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Registered: ‎02-02-2008

Re: Lost wifi card when trying to upgrade to W7!

Same thing. Device Manager will use Windows Update.  Wink