What steps can be taken to fix a laptop's ability to connect to Wi-Fi networks?

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Consider tips to optimize wireless signal

Walls, floors, and other large, solid objects, as well as the distance between the computer and the Router/Access Point can affect the wireless performance.  In cases where the wireless performance is questionable, test the connection from locations closer and less obstructed.

Wireless connectivity has been one of the fastest changing PC technologies in recent years.  When connecting a PC to an Access Point, the performance will be limited to the specifications of the lowest revision device within the connection.  The wireless connection for a newer PC will generally be faster and more stable when connected to a newer Access Point.  If the poor wireless performance is noticed when connected to a specific, older, Access Point, you may want to consider, updating the Access Point firmware, or replacing the Router/Access Point with a later revision device. 

Enable Wi-Fi (or wireless), also called turning on the Wi-Fi switch

To begin, we'll start with the simplest and quickest solution - ensuring that it's enabled.

On most laptops that come with Windows 8, you can toggle the Wi-Fi by pressing F8 or holding FN and pressing F8. This varies by model, so you might want to try both.

On older laptops, you might need to use F12 or FN+F12.

Some older laptops have a physical switch or toggle on the side or front that must be enabled to use Wi-Fi. Look for this on your laptop. If you see one, make sure it's toggled to the "on" position. If you don't have a physical switch, continue to the next step.

Instead of a physical toggle, older laptops might have a touch-sensitive button on a strip above the keyboard that shows a picture of an antenna. If you have this, you'll want to ensure it's on by looking for the lit up picture. If it isn't lit, touch it to enable Wi-Fi. Not every laptop will have this strip.

If that doesn't work, reinstalling Toshiba Value Added Package (TVAP) could help. Click  TVAP for information about loading TVAP.

Wi-Fi can also be toggled manually if you continue to have trouble. Type "TBSwireless.exe" into the Start Menu's search field and press ENTER.

If turning on the wireless doesn't fix the problem, move on to the next section.

Check the Router

Next we'll check the router to ensure the computer can connect correctly. If you don't have access to the router (for example, you might be using a public Wi-Fi network), you can skip this section.

Locate your physical Wi-Fi router.

Unplug the router's power cord.

Wait 5 minutes.

Reconnect the router's power cord.

Wait 5 minutes for the router to establish its connection to the Internet.

Test your Wi-Fi again.

If you still can't connect, try removing any security on the Wi-Fi network. If this is your home network but you don't know how to do this, try contacting your Internet service provider.

If this fixes it, try using a different type of security if you wish to use a secured network.

Previously we ensured the Wi-Fi was enabled. In this section, we checked the router. If the computer still won't connect, we'll continue to check the software on the computer.

Computer Software (Driver)

In this section, we will see if the software on the computer that controls the Wi-Fi, called the Wi-Fi driver, might have a problem.

System Restore

Try using System Restore to restore your computer to an earlier point in time when you could connect to Wi-Fi networks.

In the Start Menu's search field, type "System Restore" and press ENTER.

In the System Restore window, click the "Next" button.

In the list of restore points, locate one with a date and time from when you could connect to your Wi-Fi correctly.

If one is available, select the most recent that was created before the issue arose and perform the system restore by clicking the "Next" button. (If one isn't available, skip to number 7)

Once the System Restore is completed, test the Wi-Fi again. If it still doesn't work, continue to the next step.

Check System Information

We'll now check which version of Windows the computer is using.

In the Start Menu's search field, type "System Information" and press ENTER.

Note the version next to "OS Name."

Now, note whether "System Type" contains "x64" or "x32."

We'll now check which Wi-Fi card your system contains.

In the Start Menu's search field, type "Device Manager" and press ENTER.

Expand "Network adapters."

Make note of the name of the wireless adapter. It's most likely the one with "Wireless" in the name and will likely contain either the word "Intel," "Realtek," "Broadcom," or "Atheros."

Check Power Management

Now we'll ensure that the computer doesn't turn off the wireless adapter to save power.

1. Right-click the wireless adapter you identified previously.
2. Select "Properties."
3. Select the "Power Management" tab.
4. Uncheck the box next to "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."
5. Press "OK."

Download New Driver

Now, download the latest driver for that Wi-Fi card from the support site.

View Details of Finding Drivers on the Toshiba Website

Remember to select the version corresponding to the information you previously obtained from "System Information" and that contains the name of the network adapter obtained from "Device Manager."

Install the downloaded driver.

If this doesn't fix the Wi-Fi, we can assume it isn't a software (or driver) problem. Because we already checked that Wi-Fi is turned on and the router is okay, we'll move on to checking the system.

System Settings

In this section, we're going to perform a power cycle first to discharge any power in the computer. Don't worry; this will not cause you to lose any data on the computer. Then we'll reset the BIOS, or setup settings. This is are basic settings that contribute to how the computer functions. Both of these tasks are very easy to do.

Turn off the computer.

Remove all accessories such as USB sticks, DVDs, or SD cards

Disconnect all cables such as USB cables, printers, external monitors, and even power.

If the battery is removeable, remove the battery.

Hold down the battery for 30 seconds.

Reattach the battery and AC power.

Start the computer.

When prompted, press the button listed to enter the BIOS setup (which might just be called "setup"). On most laptops, this is F2. If you don't press it in time, simply restart the computer and try again.

Press the key listed in the BIOS to reset the BIOS to default settings. This is usually F9.

Save the changes and exit. This is usually done by pressing F10.

Test the Wi-Fi again.

Contact a professional or perform a system reset

Finally, you might want to return your computer to factory default conditions. This is sometimes called a system reset or a system recovery. Note that this will remove all of your software and data that you added including applications, documents, photos, etc.

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