No AirPort card installed!??

Thanks tfcamp:

In my case it IS and has always been the AirPort Card CABLE!

It runs along the screen hinge, and when I had a BAD connection because of that cable, I could restore that connection by physically pressing the dark plastic that covers the hinge and rebooting.

The easiest and cheapest thing to do is to go and buy that 20€ cable and have it replaced if you are ex-warranty.

If not: just go to the Genius Bar of your closest Apple Store and tell them to change it free of charge.

I believe this has been now documented enough to be dealt with professonnally. (meaning gracefully free of charge!)

Cheerio

One last thing😁

This Airport Card disappearing is due to physical pressure exerted on the Airport Card and Antenna cable connections LOCATED in the hinge (or Clutch) see iFixit.com for pics.

Unfortunately I had decided to transport my MBP in a neoprene bag inside my Flightcase BUT turning it HINGE-DOWNwards. This results in physical pressure (when you put your Flightcase or any container for that sake on the ground) on the "weakest" part of the beautiful unibody MBP.

This pressure after a while may displace the connectors or the antenna cable of the Airport card and thus have the message "no airport card installed" after boot.

The cure to this is to always TRANSPORT THE MBP THE LIDSIDE DOWN! Easy!!!

Ever after I have done this: and after reconnecting the map and the cable properly, no more disapperaring card problems.

Cheerio

One last thing😁

This Airport Card disappearing is due to physical pressure exerted on the Airport Card and Antenna cable connections LOCATED in the hinge (or Clutch) see iFixit.com for pics.

Unfortunately I had decided to transport my MBP in a neoprene bag inside my Flightcase BUT turning it HINGE-DOWNwards. This results in physical pressure (when you put your Flightcase or any container for that sake on the ground) on the "weakest" part of the beautiful unibody MBP.

This pressure after a while may displace the connectors or the antenna cable of the Airport card and thus have the message "no airport card installed" after boot.

The cure to this is to always TRANSPORT THE MBP THE LIDSIDE DOWN! Easy!!!

Ever after I have done this: and after reconnecting the map and the cable properly, no more disapperaring card problems.

RE: “no airport card installed”

Hardware Vs Software

Before mucking about with the terminal and resetting procedures, boot up with an external drive or other disk. This will let you know if it is hardware or software related. It is most likely hardware if the problem occurs with a different startup disk.

I was told I would need a new Airport card.

I’m considering a Wireless-N USB 2.0 Adapter at $17.98 Vs. 107 for a new card. I may try reseating my old card too…

MacBookPro3,1 17 inch

Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz

I have found a list from a blog that fixed my 2008 macbook from the "no airportcard installed" error, this is after I tried the PRAM reset that didn't work for me. The list can be accessed here: noairportcard.blogspot.com I hope it helps! 🙂

I'm very late to this party, but was having the same sudden "no airport card installed" problem on my Mini. I tried a variety of fixes -- running Disk Ultility, Command P-R reboot, deleting the SystemConfiguration folder in the library ... and nothing worked. Then I saw one person's post above about following instructions for resetting the SMC.

Resetting the SMC for Mac Pro, Intel-based iMac, Intel-based Mac mini, or Intel-based Xserve

1. Shut down the computer.
2. Unplug the computer's power cord.
3. Wait fifteen seconds.
4. Attach the computer's power cord.
5. Wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.

A very simple solution, but I tried it and it worked the first time!

@Greyzone99 Many thanks for this info. It's unbelievable, my wireless is working perfect once again and I don't have to spent Euro 750,- for a new logic board. 😁

I got the "no Airport card installed " message 10 days ago. So after playing around with massaging the black plastic hinge/cover, rebooting 50+ times, resetting SMC/PRAM ( all of which restored it intermittently), looking at the You Tube video about how to fix your bad aiport card, and a visit to the "genius" bar (why do they all wear those head trauma helmets?) , my local Apple store said "oh yeah, you need a new airport card and antenna for for $130" .

Then 24 hours later they called to say that didn't work, so now you really need a $280 plus tax and 1 week delay Apple replacement of all of your bad parts: screen, cable, Airport card, antenna wire, maybe the hard drive and mother board. I said no thanks, and suggested that they own up to the fact that my lost Airport card was one of hundreds if not thousands of malfunctions due to a bad design on their part. Apple Care doesn't and the store manager was of no assistance.

Bottom line : I am now connected to the 'net using an Edimax wireless 802.11b/g/n wireless nano USB adapter which cost $10 from New Egg, free shipping and NO Apple attitude. Took 5 minutes to configure and connect.

It does stick out around 1/8" from the beautifully designed pristine virgin aluminum case, but since I really didn't feel like giving Apple another ******* dime, I feel the aesthetic sacrifice was worth saving $300 on my 4 year old $ 1800 laptop.

Well I too am having this problem MBP SNOW LEOPARD 10.6.8. Tried the pram and other reboot options. Fixed it once by deleting the airport and re adding and that fixed once. But as soon as I shut the lid and then opened it it was again undetected and haven't been able to fix it since then. I have tried massaging the black bar that connects the monitor till my fingers were sore to no avail ran disk utility etc. nearest apple store is QUIte A drive and so I am just not sure what go try next? Driving me crazy. Is there a way to for sure to tell it is a hardware issue and not software before I drive and use a ton of gas to get to an apple store?????

It's probably hardware. Sounds just like my issue, which was hardware. Before you go to an Apple store, you should call Apple and see if you can send it to them for repair. I did it some years ago and it was fast and easy. No gas or time required.

May I ask how much apple charged you to fix this??

Sorry to say, I was still under warranty so it was free.

Hello Again,

I would like say here that: yes it is a Hardware problem.

The Airport Card/Antenna connexion goes under the hinge (the dark plastic on the outer edge when folded)

Whenever I transported the MBP in my flightcase, I would slide it in the compartment

-Hinge Down- thinking that it's the strongest part of the computer on which

It sits in my case. Every time I'd put my case down (gently of course) a force, a pressure, repeated

Pressure would be exerted upon the dark plastic part of the hinge.

Had I understood that earlier, I would have always slid the MBP lidside downwards

In the compartment, and would never had to worry again.

And no, I do not know the cost of the repair, I opened mine and managed to

Reconnect properly. And now only lidside down transport!

Cheerio!

I would never presume to speak definitively on these things - there are too many possibilities. Plus, I never transported my mbp, so my issue probably did not have to do with stress on the hinge, unless it happened travelliing to me from the factory and didn't show up for several months.

Thanks so much for your input. Mine randomly started working for a moment this evening but then stopped. After i installed a wifi usb dongle to use temporarily it randomly recognized the airport, weird. but then now it has stopped working after an unrelated reboot. Seems to recognize card but can't turn it on. anyway so having a bad/disconnected cable or something makes sense i guess idk

teppdude2 are there instructions anywhere on how to replace this? i'm not sure i am capable, but my boyfriend probably could with instructions. You just ordered a new airport card right ? And then reinstalled it? And it goes behind the monitor i think i read?

Thanks so much for everyones suggestions.