T61 Wireless not working after installing wireless and power management updates

[harishsingh]

Couple of days back I updated my T61 (via ThinkVantage - update my system) and there were 2 updates related to:

1) Wireless

2) Power Management.

Since the update, my wireless is not working. I tried uninstalling and installing the wireless driver. I created a new home network also, but to no avail. Disabled and enabled radio. Ethernet connection is working fine

Wireless adapter is : Intel Wifilink 4965AGN

OS is Win XP with SP3

Was wondering if anyone else encountered similar issue.

Thanks

harish

[TuuS]

Obviously the first thing a person should do with one of these units is make sure the switch on the front palmrest isn't turned off. I've seen this as the cause more then once, so just double check to be sure.

As for the drivers, it's been a while since I've done a fresh winXP install, but I recall the default XP drivers found and enabled the device without any issues, and the updated drivers from Lenovo never caused any problem for me, and I've installed them on at least 20-30 T61 series systems. 

If you're saying it was working fine until you did a rutine system update, and the update wasn't intended to fix something, then there must be a conflict with something else, or a bad piece of hardware involved. I'd recommend uninstalling the driver/s for this card then let windows search and setup the card. If it then works, try the updated lenovo driver again, but make a restore point in windows so you can undo any changes easily. 

If you do find the card is bad, they are fairly cheap, you can probably get a used one delivered to your door for less then $20.

[Mornsgrans]

If the chipset driver not is installed install it: http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloads/detail.page?LegacyDocID=MIGR-73684

After that install Powermanagement driver: http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloads/detail.page?LegacyDocID=MIGR-4GXPEG

Then the Wireless driver: http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloads/detail.page?LegacyDocID=MIGR-77063

[rito]

I had a very similar problem. After taking it to the Lenovo repair depot for this reason it did the same thing. Only the connection was intermittent. After awhile it finally failed to connect even though it said I was "connected" with excellent signal strength. I might add that there was no yellow exclamation point or red X through the small icon in the system tray.

So my friend uninstalled Access Connections, re-enabled "Let Windows manage your wireless" or something like that, removed the existing wireless driver and installed the latest wireless driver and now no more problem.  My friend speculates that there is a conflict between Windows and Access Connections.  Of course that is speculation but he said he had a similar problem with his Thinkpad and he did the exact same thing.

[Mornsgrans]

There is no speculation

Access Connections needs several requirements (to be read on its download page) on the drivers. After every Lenovo driver update you should take a look into the AC-requirements whether your laptop still fulfills them. Sometimes you'll need to remove and re install AC, if you get into troble.

Since i never touch the drivers after a clean install i can work with that configuration AND Access Connections  for five years or longer without any problem.

You also have to be very carefully with Windows Updates. Some MS driver updates come with "Important updates" and some with "Optional updates" (powermanagement-, wireless-, touchpad-, fingerprint-drivers etc.) . If you don't disable them, they will overwrite the Lenovo drivers, sometimes even the Lenovo drivers are newer (i've made this experience last spring with Win7 powermanagement driver).

[harishsingh · Accepted solution]

Thank you all for responses.

After trying various combination, below think fixed my issue

1. On my DLink router, change the security level to WPA2 Only (Earlier it was WPA2-PSK)

2. Then I changed the wireless setting on my T61 such that Windows would manager wireless

It does seems like the issue was a tug-of-war between Lenovo and Windows trying to manage wireless.

Its been 8 hrs now and I don't see the symptons so far.

Thanks Again.

[greentea]

This completely solved the issue for me!  Thank you from me and my T61P!