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Question

Does Windows 7 have a 'repair network' function that works?

Sep 2, 2012 11:30PM PDT

When my new laptop goes 'to sleep' it occassionally wakes up with a hang up on the wireless connection. It is easily regained by a simple re-boot, but in XP the 'repair network' function was very handy, and actually worked.

However, on Windows 7, the 'troubleshooter' is useless - it never repairs anything, indeed, when the connection is lost, it doesn't even highlight that the laptop has a wireless capability. Going into 'network adapter' also is useless as it doesn't show the 'wireless' connection either, so I can't even disable/enable it.

Is there a small utility program out there that actually works to regain an occassional wireless hang up??

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Not that I've seen.
Sep 3, 2012 1:03AM PDT

I've lost count of the times it doesn't work and I have to go to the wireless network panel and do something else.

-> Example. I can't connect to some router the normal way and I have to go to the other panels to enter in the pass phrase or set the connection up.

This and other issues make me begin to think that the days of Windows are numbered.
Bob

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Answer
Really - no one have a utility that solves this??
Sep 25, 2012 4:52AM PDT

Can't believe that no one has developed/discovered a working utility that will solve this very irritating issue! It seems such a relatively simple software issue, and I'm certainly now alone judging by the number of people who post the same issue, but also get no valid response...

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I think I can explain why.
Sep 25, 2012 10:40AM PDT

While is a nice helper app I knew of it doesn't deal with this one area.

Also, the causes can't be addressed by any app because there is no standard call to enable the WiFi card. Each maker can change this. Dell is not the same as HP.

The industry didn't agree on a standard so no software can tackle this.
Bob

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If the connection is never refreshed
Sep 25, 2012 11:06AM PDT

If the connection is never refreshed this can cause problems concerning the IP address refresh in the modem/router causing a crash. Sleep might keep it going all the time. We had this problem on SL. You might also change your system clock provider. If the clock is not in sync it can crash the connection as well. Any change might awaken your computer from sleep, a crash for instance. Happy

Hello Bob.

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Typo there.
Sep 25, 2012 11:20AM PDT

I was noting an old network app called Network Magic. It was pretty good and Cisco bought it. Haven't seen it since.

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I've Done This....
Sep 25, 2012 11:01AM PDT

There's a discussion about it in the link below.. (Read the "comments" discussion at the bottom of the page NOT the traditional fix at the top of the page.)

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-repair-a-network-connection-in-windows-7.html

So I've created a .bat file on the desktop with the commands listed in the link below. (You can also type them one at a time at a command line, but that would take longer. Although listed for XP, it's the same in Win7.:

http://www.windowsitpro.com/article/windows-xp2/what-actions-occur-when-i-click-repair-on-a-network-connection-in-windows-xp-and-later-

And some find this to work. It may be easier for you.:

Open the Control Panel-Network and Sharing Center, then select "Change Adapter Settings. Once there, RIGHT click on the "Wireless Network Connection", choose "Disable". Once done, RIGHT click again, choose "Enable".

Hope this helps.

Grif

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Will try the 'shortcut' suggestion...
Sep 26, 2012 4:06AM PDT

I've now placed a 'shortcut' to my wireless connection on my desktop and will see if this works next time my connection takes a hissy fit. Previously, when my connection has disappeared, I couldn't even access this at all as the icon also disappeared from 'view network connections'!

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Didn't work!!
Sep 29, 2012 3:14AM PDT

Connection disappeared this morning - clicked on the "wireless network connection" I had created on the desktop and i got the message that the connection 'could not be found'!

Bummer... really miss the old XP 'Repair Network' function, it did exactly what it said it did. Windows 7 is rapidly running out of favour with me. New versions of stuff are meant to work better than the previous version, not worse!!

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Then Run The Commands Mentioned, But...
Oct 1, 2012 3:04AM PDT

...as suggested by others, even though the commands will re-create the basic XP "repair" function, it doesn't mean it will fix your issue. There may be other glitches in the system causing the interruption.

Hope this helps.

Grif

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XP had the same issue from my experience.
Sep 30, 2012 3:41AM PDT

Given how there is no standard failures I continue to fix such issues as they come up. The very fact you are doing this a lot points to other problems.
Bob

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PS. Example.
Sep 30, 2012 3:42AM PDT

I see this a lot with HIDDEN SSID networks. Lesson?

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All that does
Sep 30, 2012 12:17AM PDT

All that does in XP is just run the ipconfig /renew command in the background, which still works in Win 7. Open a command prompt type in ipconfig /renew hit enter, wait until you see a message with the IP address, subnet mask, and gateway, then you're done.

That is all XP ever did, so if it doesn't work with Windows 7, then the issue is more complex than what you had with XP, or you're suffering from a pretty common trait among Windows users, in that you have a very selective memory, and the previous version of Windows was always so much better than the current one... Until the current one becomes the past one, then suddenly it was the greatest Windows release ever.