[SOLVED] New HP Laptop Does Not Have WiFi During Win 11 Setup

[Appletax]

Solution 1: Shift + F10 > taskmgr > end Network Connection Flow

Solution 2: slipstream the Wi-Fi drivers into Windows 11 using NTLite.

Can't just use the Wi-Fi's .exe - gotta extract the files into a folder.

Solution 3: use USB Ethernet network adapter.


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HP Pavilion 15.6 inch Laptop PC 15-eh1000 (2H5A6AV)

Bought new today from Walmart.

Installed a clean copy of Win 11 from Microsoft. There's no WiFi available. No physical switches or BIOS settings to change. There's no Ethernet.

I gave my only USB WiFi adapter to my mom so I don't have any other means of connecting to WiFi or Ethernet right this moment.

What's up with this weird issue?

Opened command prompt, typed "ncpa.cpl" and it shows that just a Bluetooth adapter is present.

It's like there's no WiFi installed at all.

 

[Porthos]

Installed a clean copy of Win 11 from Microsoft. There's no WiFi available. No physical switches or BIOS settings to change. There's no Ethernet.

The first thing I will grab on a hp before clean installing is the SWsetup folder as that contains the drivers. OR I will boot the thing and go thru setup and run the DISM to get drivers.
Backup
DISM /online /export-driver /destination:C:\MyDrivers

Restore
DISM /online /Add-Driver /Driver:C:\MyDrivers /Recurse

 

[Porthos]

I usually do an image backup of the factory condition anyway just in case there are issues and I or the client needs to return it.
Especially if you are unsure if the computer shipped with S mode or not.

 

[Appletax]

Got the Linksys USB Wi-Fi adapter and I can't use it until the software for it is installed.

The one I had before is of the same speed from Linksys and it always just worked without needing to install anything.

Can't use this one during Windows 11 setup.

Maybe I can slipstream the HP Wi-Fi drivers into Windows 11?

Maybe I should just get a USB to Ethernet adapter.

 

[britechguy]

I sincerely suspect a "straight out of the box" hardware issue. Windows generic drivers should have no problem with basic WiFi functionality.

Back to what someone suggested on another topic, boot live Linux and see if you have WiFi. If not . . .

 

[Appletax]

I sincerely suspect a "straight out of the box" hardware issue. Windows generic drivers should have no problem with basic WiFi functionality.

Back to what someone suggested on another topic, boot live Linux and see if you have WiFi. If not . . .

Slipstreamed the HP's Wi-Fi drivers into Windows 11 using NTLite and it worked.

Holy balls, yay! LOL

Damn you, HP!

 

[britechguy]

Damn you, HP!

Definitely an exception, not the rule. Clean installing on HP hardware has never posed this particular issue for me. And with any luck, will not ever be an issue for you with an HP again.

Just plain weird . . .

 

[Diggs]

I have an old USB>Ethernet adapter around here. I'm assuming that would work also.

 

[Appletax]

I have an old USB>Ethernet adapter around here. I'm assuming that would work also.

Yea, I just bought one on Amazon. Made by Anker so it should be very nice.

The best part about these devices is that they do not need any drivers installed by the user. They just work.

 

[fincoder]

For all Windows 11 installs, I bypass the internet connection requirement so I can create a local account (can be switched to MS account after if the customer wants that).

On initial startup, at the WiFi connection screen, just hit Shift-F10 to get command prompt, type taskmgr and enter, end the task called Network Connection Flow. Close taskmgr and command prompt, then you get a local account prompt.

Here's How To Install Windows 11 Without An Internet Connection

Microsoft may eventually shut down this method as well, but at least you're still not currently forced into using an internet-connected device for the setup of Windows 11.

hothardware.com

 

[Appletax]

For all Windows 11 installs, I bypass the internet connection requirement so I can create a local account (can be switched to MS account after if the customer wants that).

On initial startup, at the WiFi connection screen, just hit Shift-F10 to get command prompt, type taskmgr and enter, end the task called Network Connection Flow. Close taskmgr and command prompt, then you get a local account prompt.

Here's How To Install Windows 11 Without An Internet Connection

Microsoft may eventually shut down this method as well, but at least you're still not currently forced into using an internet-connected device for the setup of Windows 11.

hothardware.com

Wow, didn't know we could completely forgo connecting to the network.

I had been getting online and then getting to the Microsoft Account login page and hitting Shift + F10, then typing NCPA.cpl to disable the network,

 

[Porthos]

Another thought about drivers, @fabs can also backup and restore drivers as well.

 

[britechguy]

Wow, didn't know we could completely forgo connecting to the network.

Well, you can't unless you use this little exception process. If you are connected to the network, no option is ever presented for a local account. And if you're not connected to the network, unless you kill Network Connection Flow, you will be stopped dead until you are.

Essentially, you're killing off the sentinel and moving on past.

It's interesting to know that the SHIFT + F10 to break out of setup and get a command prompt works almost anywhere during the initial stages of the setup. I use it all the time when clean reinstalling to use diskpart to clean the drive on to which Windows is about to be installed.

 

[Appletax]

Well, you can't unless you use this little exception process. If you are connected to the network, no option is ever presented for a local account. And if you're not connected to the network, unless you kill Network Connection Flow, you will be stopped dead until you are.

Essentially, you're killing off the sentinel and moving on past.

It's interesting to know that the SHIFT + F10 to break out of setup and get a command prompt works almost anywhere during the initial stages of the setup. I use it all the time when clean reinstalling to use diskpart to clean the drive on to which Windows is about to be installed.

Wow, I can use Diskpart Clean within the USB setup process before Windows even installs?

Nice.

 

[britechguy]

Wow, I can use Diskpart Clean within the USB setup process before Windows even installs?

Yes.

I know I've posted these tutorials (and they were written with non-tech users in mind) before:
Doing a Completely Clean (Re)install of Windows 10 Using Media Creation Tool to Fetch the Win10 ISO File

Doing a Completely Clean (Re)install of Windows 10 Using Media Creation Tool to Create Bootable Win10 Install Media on a USB Thumb Drive

If you already have an ISO file it makes sense to use the first one and start at the step after the fetching steps.

 

[Appletax]

I ended the Network Connection Flow on another PC and it worked beautifully lol. LOVE IT.

 

[Appletax]

Yes.

I know I've posted these tutorials (and they were written with non-tech users in mind) before:
Doing a Completely Clean (Re)install of Windows 10 Using Media Creation Tool to Fetch the Win10 ISO File

Doing a Completely Clean (Re)install of Windows 10 Using Media Creation Tool to Create Bootable Win10 Install Media on a USB Thumb Drive

If you already have an ISO file it makes sense to use the first one and start at the step after the fetching steps.

Wow, thanks for the new knowledge

I will be using clean all on a system I've got to wipe out the customer's data so they can give it away.

 

[britechguy]

I will be using clean all on a system I've got to wipe out the customer's data so they can give it away.

Works like a charm and does exactly what it states. And I presume it does "the equivalent," which would be a secure erase, if issued for an SSD, as there's no reason to overwrite them.

 

[fincoder]

the SHIFT + F10 to break out of setup and get a command prompt works almost anywhere during the initial stages of the setup. I use it all the time when clean reinstalling to use diskpart to clean the drive on to which Windows is about to be installed.

Only needed if you have to 'clean all', change GPT to MBR or some other unusual task. Otherwise I just remove all partitions in the setup screen itself, much quicker and just as effective.

 

[britechguy]

Otherwise I just remove all partitions in the setup screen itself, much quicker and just as effective.

No, it's not if the intention is to pass a machine on from its original owner to someone else. There are many disk recovery utilities that can dig through a drive that was simply "clean"ed and reconstruct almost every blessed thing that was ever there. If you doubt that, try doing what you propose, which is just a "clean" rather than a "clean all" on a former system drive connected as a slave to some system, then run Test Disk on it.

If you want assurance of "unrecoverability" on a HDD you absolutely must overwrite after having simply reformatted using "clean." That's precisely what "clean all" does and seems to me to be the very reason for its existence. [Essentially it's somewhat analogous to the difference between running a quick format (which doesn't wipe contents) and a full format (which does).]

If you read the material I posted, I propose using just "clean" if the machine is being kept by its original owner. "Clean all" is only necessary if the machine is to be passed on to someone else and you want to be absolutely sure that nothing can be reconstructed from the drive contents (which do still exist after clean, just not in the "usually organized" way) later.

There are those who seem to believe that "clean all" is not enough. I suppose the NSA might be able to reconstruct something, but no commercial tool I know of or have even heard whispers about can do so. An overwrite is way more than "secure enough" for me.