Since upgrading my iMac to Lion, the WiFi shows up as "no hardware installed" on the desktop. This is after showing a grey progress bar on the white boot screen. It only happens on first boot but works fine after a restart. I have tried deleting the Preferences folder as has been suggested for some MGP users. Does anyone have any thoughts?
iMac 2011, Core i7, 12GB RAM, OS X Lion
iMac, Mac OS X (10.7), 12GB RAM
I also think it is the flex connection cable.
I have a 2011 MB pro. I had intermittent connectivity losses after closing my MB when leaving the train and reopening it at the office. No networks could be found. A reboot would solve the problem.
Then after a while, I started to see 'No hardware installed' when I clicked on the (empty) wifi icon.
After replacing the wifi card, it worked for a while (so I suspected it was the wifi card). Then the problem came back. Now here is what I found.
The flex cable between logic board and wifi card has a connector on the logic board that sticks out a bit and which touches the case. I suspect that over the course of one or two years, depending on how much the MB is tossed around and used on laps, the connector suffers from pressure exerted through the case and the soldering points start to loose.
Once one soldering point gets loose I guess you will start to see unpredictable behavior - but all related to physical pressure on the back of your MB. One day it works all day (where you are actually sitting at your desk and not moving the MB around!), another day your wifi is gone. After carrying it around the connector will surely have disconnected a few times so wifi is gone, a reboot may bring it back once steady at a table top.
So the issue comes in disguise: we think it is sleep related - but it is actually related to what you do after you put it to sleep, which is of course put it in your bag and carry it around.
I came to this conclusion after carefully resoldering the tiny connection points of the flex cable (logic board side). (which is extremely hard, you need an smd soldering device plus a good magnifying glass and steady hands)
I also ordered a new cable which has not yet arrived. Mine had part number 821-1311-02 and I found one for $19 at PBParts.
Problem gone and has been gone since (one and a halve week ago).
I suspect that anyone who had the cable replaced, either as part of a card replacement or as part of a logic board replacement no longer suffers from this issue.
Also, it would explain why most suggested fixes seem to work for a while, with the problem jumping back in your face after a short while.
My suggestion to anyone who has these kind of issues is to order a new cable (not a used one!) and see if that works. It can be very easily replaced. Be careful when you take the old one off the logic board - mine was apparantly so bad that the second time I did that the connector came off the flex cable. So make sure you have your new cable at hand before getting the old one off.
Good luck to you all.
Same problem here - occasionally I get the progress bar, and a login screen (which I shouldn't see because the system is set for auto login) and I have also noticed that every time this happens the Wifi logo in the menu bar is not connected, and clicking it says "no hardware installed" or something like that.
Reboot and everything is fine.
I'm not sure about this, but I have a suspicion that this is somehow linked to the "restart programs" checkbox in the shutdown dialog. I usually uncheck it (I wish I could find a way of getting rid of it actually) but I have a suspicion that the login screen / wifi hardware issues are linked to me forgetting to uncheck this option during the previous shutdown?
Wife's 13" Macbook unibody (late 2008) now says no wifi hardware installed. Tried everything Applecare said to try before the call...reinstalled 10.7, no luck, then 10.7.1....took it to the Genius Bar...hardware test showed no power to the Airport...in that model, it's part of the display, which now must be replaced. The display is $400, but they have a flat rate "out of warranty" charge of $280 to fix any problem found....really no choice...should have it back in a few days...strikes me as odd that after Lion so many have failing wifi cards...will continue to monitor this after I get it back to see if I can get reimbursed (doubtful)....
I've had this simmilar problem, i've went to the apple store twice. First they replaced my wifi card. After a week, same problem. Now they replaced my whole screen and i've been up and running for over 2 weeks. No problem.
The thing i'm curious about is how many of you use an external monitor ( non apple ) ( i used samsung syncmaster ) and use a converter for the thunderbolt port? Because after the lion upgrade not only did my wi-fi card started to act strangely but also my monitor didn't work for half the time. At around the same time they started to act strangely.
My feeling says that there might be a connection between the 2. Maybe i'm completely wrong but solving this problem will help alot of people hence i share my thoughts.
FIXED!
I found this link that helped me fix this problem. After going to the Genius bar twice and having my System Softeare deprecated to 10.7.3, and after a few hours of searching I foudn this link which helped and FIXED my problem.
Basically there is a change that needs to be made to IO80211Family.kext file
The steps are here : http://macmanusnl.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/1074_refuses_to_see_atheros_ar9280/
FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS.
The instructions will tell you to download the following archived file: edited Atheros kext for Lion*3
And a utility called: Kext_Utility.app.v2.5.1-zip
Drag the kext file to the app, it makes the edits, reboot and you're all fixed up until Apple gets a patch out.
Worked for me, and I love Apple and hate going 30 miles to the nearest store 3 times to fix a problem that is easy to fix yourself.
Apple, please be truthful, and fix this problem.
My solution was hardware, but it wasn't easy. I have AppleCare, and had the logic board, Airport Card and RAM replaced. I am enjoying a much more productive life now. To read about the process I endured, here are my blog posts: http://graphicdetailnj.wordpress.com/2012/10/15/blind-faith/
http://graphicdetailnj.wordpress.com/2012/10/16/crapple/
http://graphicdetailnj.wordpress.com/2012/10/18/screen-resolution/
From what I can tell this is a software problem. If it were a hardware problem the wireless wouldn't work no matter what you boot with.
When I boot it up in anything except my normal OS, which is mavericks right now, like windows 7, I can connect just fine. The same thing happens if I were to connect when it gives me the option to choose my boot path, I can connect.
I have tried pretty close to all of the "solutions" I can find and some of them sometimes let me use wifi for maybe 10 min. Deleting the sleep image works the most for me but so does restating my PRAM and restarting my SMC. But like I said only sometimes works.
Apple needs to not only admit there is a problem but also do something about it.
Also if anybody knows another way that could potentially fix this problem if it were a software problem then post something, that would be wondrous.
TEMPORARY SOLUTION:
An apple employee gave me this solution, and it is working so far
SMC RESET
Plug in MacBook
Shutdown
Hold down control,option,shift, and power buttons for 30 seconds or until computer turns back off
Turn on
If wifi is not on go into system preferences>network
Click the plus sign and add wifi
Click apply
If the dot next to wifi is not green, restart
Hope this helps!
Looks like mine was a faulty wireless card.... Replaced and now hoping had one crash total shutoff but it rebooted fine....
I found this solution. I am running tests right now and will reply with results.
That will NOT work. the .kext file needs to be edited. It's in the software completely.
Hi Folk
I joined this forum specifically to say that switching off, closing the lid and pressing all four corners worked for me.
It looks like a hardware/build quality issue.
Same Problem here - it's interesting when booting into lion (showing this grey progress bar on the white boot screen) WiFi show's up "no hardware installed". By clicking on the apple logo in the left corner and "about this mac" the button "more information" (normaly showing the systemprofiler) is deactivated - the tooltip says "deactivated because systemprofiler is not installed". By looking in the application folder you can see the app and even start it - and now, when checking the wifi-hardware in the systemprofilerlist everything is ok ...?
It seems, that the hardwareacceleration of the ati-chip is deactivated too (very slow animation effects ...) but after a restart everything is running fine, without any problem ...
iMac mid 2010, Core i3, 8GB RAM and OS X Lion
I'm having the same problem with my iMac 27" Core i5 4gb RAM w/Lion. Never had this issue at all before upgrading. My 2010 MBA took the upgrade perfectly and I've never had a problem, but the iMac is just being a pain.
Hi all,
I am having the gray progress bar under apple logo and wireless not installed issue as well. During this situation , my time machine is unable to launch as well. Did restart and the problem disappears. I sent my IMAC (Intel Based Mid 2011 i5 version) to the service centre for hardware diagnostics, and it came out to be find. So i conclude that it should be a software issue instead of a hardware one.
I just purchased a new iMac that shipped with Lion on it and I am having the same gray progress bar under apple logo and wireless not installed issue as well. So it is without any doubt a Lion issue. So far it has happed to me two times when booting from a off state when I turn on the Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.
I'm sure Apple is working on a update that fixes this we just have to wait it out.
Lion - WiFi no hardware installed
