Laptop Wireless Adapter Periodically Vanishes from Computer Manager

Question

I have a HP dv9000 laptop that has begun exhibiting some strange behavior. Every few hard boots, the wireless network adapter disappears from the configuration - it doesn't show up in Computer Manager or anywhere else. This is not just a Control Panel glitch - the machine actually thinks it doesn't have a network adapter and won't connect to any available networks. After rebooting several times, it eventually shows up again.

Is this a physical failure in the network adapter? A driver problem? A configuration issue?

Ideas on how to fix this would be wonderful, the laptop is 2 years old on out of support.

Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

It could be a few things, but a device disappearing then reappearing is common behavior when it is not properly seated. Try opening the laptop and reseating the adapter. Remove some dust and dirt while you're in there for good measure.