Wireless drops off Toshiba laptop

Toshiba A300 Vista, Trend micro AVG
Running brilliantly for 2 years. Returned from vacation, wouldn't connect wirelessly to my modem/router. Firstly checked the Wireless button on laptop (turned on).

While on vacation I used a mobile modem successfully and also connected to many other wireless networks.

I went through trouble shooting with ISP (Power cycle, Reset, etc). Modem/router working fine; they suggest it is laptop problem and that I seem to have deleted the wireless info (I didn't). The entire Wirless network information is now missing from the Network and Sharing Centre. Tried Toshiba download site for wireless drivers (too confusing).

I am currently connected with blue cable but would like to restore wireless, as that is not very mobile, is it? .

Have a desktop with wireless card, able to connect wirelessly to same router/modem (no change).

Do you have any ideas about how I can restore this?

 

in the Device Manager, is there a yellow ! or red X on any of the devices? Do you see the wireless under network adapters?

 

No, I can't see wireless under device manager, at all.

 

sounds like your laptop thinks that your wireless card is gone. In device manager, did you expand the entry for Network adapters? Try going to the top to View and choose Show Hidden devices. Is there anything with a yellow or red mark now? If you see the wireless adapter now you can try right clicking it and choosing Update Driver. If that doesn't bring it back, right click it and choose uninstall. Reboot. Windows should find the wireless and try to reinstall it.

(you have trend micro AND AVG anti-virus program installed? Generally it is recommended to only have one anti-virus at a time)

Edited to add: sorry for the delay, I was having forum issues this morning, as many were.

 

HI there, thanks for the reply and you are definitely forgiven for the delay!

All I can see in Device Manager is the modem/router, but no wireless network. I don't want to uninstall the modem, as i am connected with the blue cable. Attached is a screenshot of my Device Mgr showing all hidden devices. Nothing about wireless (see what I mean about seeming to have deleted it?).

I have only Trend Micro installed. I was trying to say Trend Micro AV (the G just slipped off the tip of my fingers! :-o )

Thanks
Jenny

 

I've tried to look through your manual to see if it has instructions for removing and reseating the wireless adapter. I ran out of time. If you find it, you want to remove the adapter, boot the computer, shut down, reinstall the wireless adapter and boot again. The computer should find the wireless itself and attempt to install itself. It's possible that the adapter wasn't seated well and came just loose enough during travel to not connect.

 

I just want to add my two cents here. I didn't see anything in the thread indicating the brand of the wifi adapter. If, by chance, it's an Intel branded adapter, I would offer an opinion that they are rather flakey adapters. I see more intermittent problems with Intel Wireless NIC's then all others combined. I usually replace them with Atheros adapters.