Lion - WiFi no hardware installed

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.

I've fixed the problem on my iMac. Just make sure when you turn it on, the keyboard and mouse are OFF.

The iMac will boot normally every time. After you see the desktop, then turn on your keyboard and mouse / trackpad.

It is a bluetooth issue causing our iMacs to boot into safe mode, that is why we see the progress bar and nothing works right. I already addressed Apple Care about my problem and my temporary fix. They assured me that a later update will fix the bluetooth negotiation problem at startup, but some people said they had it before with Snow Leopard, but I only see it with Lion. Only time will tell.

But for me, start with all bluetooth devices off and it will always boot quickly every time! Even if I reopen many windows! Try it out! 🙂

Like I said above. Don't turn on your keyboard and mouse until after the machine boots. If you turn on the Bluetooth keyboard or mouse then press the power button, the computer will boot into safe mode and your wifi won't work.

Every time you start your iMac, make sure the keyboard and mouse are switched off until after you see the logo and spinning progress wheel. Even the 10.7.1 update does not fix this issue. Some people had this issue with Snow Leopard too, but my iMacs only did it since Lion.

There are hundreds of the same posts going around now. I hope Apple consolidates this to a single thread eventually. Some of the same people are posting multiple times in multiple threads and it is further confusing the issue. I suggest all users with this problem immediately try turning on your Mac with all bluetooth devices off. This only works on iMacs and some other desktops. If you are using a Macbook, this is not the solution and you should try a different thread.

Also everyone from this issue should take the time to call Apple Care or email the feedback department. There won't be any fixes issued until enough people get the ball rolling. There will likely be a firmware update to correct this issue in the future, but right now I have 3 iMacs and if I boot any of them with the keyboard and mouse switched on, they will boot into safe mode with no wifi. I have a pair of 21.5 in 2011 base models and a 2010 base model. They all do this.

I don't want to answer this post in 200 threads. Just make sure all bluetooth devices are off before hitting the power button before you think you have catasrophic hardware or software failures.

That is the problem with this issue. Some people have a genuine hardware problem. But 90% of the no wi-fi posts are because the machine is booting into Safe Mode.

Did you do a fresh install or an upgrade? Also, did you hook up the LAN cable and download the latest firmware, 10.7.1 update and the wi-fi fix they just issued last week? If you have done a fresh install, have all the latest updates and firmware, your bluetooth devices are off during boot, then you have a genuine hardware problem or the Mac is still booting into safe mode.

Look at the above post from Alexander Leong, and check the picture of the bootup screen.

If you see that progress bar during bootup then your Mac is booting into safemode (and it will say no wi-fi hardware installed). If you do not see that progress bar and your Mac boots up quickly and normally, yet your wi-fi is still not working, then you have a hardware issue. Try resetting your SMC and PRAM, and give Apple Care a call. If you upgraded I would also suggest backing up everything, and doing a fresh install by reformatting the HD. You can boot into the recovery parition and do this, but I will tell you I still have this issue when the BT devices are on when booting. But the fresh install cleared up a lot of GUI glitches I was having.

I run an English language training school in China and use Macs with Rosetta Stone every day. This issue only occurs on my 2010-2011 models after installing Lion and booting with the bluetooth devices on. I have never had any issues with my Mac Minis or Macbooks, only the iMacs and one Mac Pro.

However, I will suggest everyone to reset the SMC and PRAM after upgrading to Lion. Most of my iMacs had a noisy fan or the fan didn't run at all after installing Lion, and resetting the SMC and PRAM took care of the issues.

If you are having the problem like the picture in alexander leong's post, that means the system is booting into safe mode.

When you turn on your iMac, if you see that grey progress bar, you system is booting into safe mode, PERIOD. If booting with the keyboard and mouse off didn't fix your problem, then you have a different problem.

alexander leong's post is caused by the system going into safe mode. If you don't see that bar, then you have a different problem. And if you do see that bar with bluetooth devices off, then your system's firmware is updating or you have a unrelated problem.

Macbooks have this problem too, but it is not because of safe mode, the wife hardware is actually messed up after upgrading. To all the people ignoring my post or just answering saying it still does this after BT devices are off, check your bootup screen for that grey bar.

I have 2010 and 2011 model iMacs and using wired keyboards and mice or not turning on the BT devices until after I see the desktop solved my problem. I have 4 iMacs and a few Mac Minis... and ALL of them boot into safe mode with the BT devices on.

After it asks you to log in, just hit restart and your wifi will work again anyways. But Macbook users, there is no fix because the wifi hardware really has a problem.

BTW: If you check out the other 10 or so posts I've answered all the people booted fine when BT devices are off. And this little tidbit of information came from Apple Care after I called them 4 times. Just to let you know, they are aware of the problem and don't think it is a problem.

Hi tuklaw,

Apple also advise on a solution similar to what atgrazi wrote:

1. Just boot with your bluetooth keyboard and mouse off! Only turn on the bluetooth mouse and keyboard after the apple logo finished loading.

2. Alternatively you can let your bluetooth devices to go to sleep(without switching off) after a shutdown. Upon booting again, only click your mouse to wake it after the apple logo finished loading. This is a not so energy saving method.

Gray progress bar under apple logo--> "wireless hardware not installed" + time machine not able to load --> is a indication that it cannot detect your blue tooth devices normally and thus boot the iMac in safe mode.

😉Alexander Leong

I can confirm the problem with Lion 10.7.1, on an iMac purchased this week.

The workaround (turning off the bluetooth devices) worked, and updating to the current Lion 10.7.2 seems to have solved the problem permanently.

So as I had run into this problem in good timing (the semester just began) WIFI: No hardware installed decided to bless me with its unwanted troubles. Now I tried every solution that everyone has posted. Reset this and that, flick on/off this and that. Even tried for giggles changing the firmware to SL. NOTHING WORKED!!

Then I for fun decided to tear apart and hunt for the problem in the hardware.

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing-MacBook-Pro-13-Inch-Unibody-Mid-2010-AirP ort-Card/6024/1

I followed those instructions and took apart the display to get the airport chip. I got to it with no problems at all. the black clutch was a bit tricky. But I digress. I took the airport chip out. blasted it some compressed air, cleaned the connectors( i used one of those rubbing alcohol pad and LET DRY). Put the everything back together. I left everything torn apart for a good 20 minutes.

Boot it up.

Saw the WIFI symbol up top and Bada Bing it asked me to install the "new airport card" to get it functioning. So far its working like a charm no problems. NO MORE WIFI No Hardware installed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just to add to the discussion on this problem, I have been experiencing the isue exactly as described by OP and atgrazi (amongst others). This is on a mid 2011 iMac with Lion 10.7.2, so it does not appear to have been resolved with this upgrade to Lion as indicated by dogweather.

I've spent an hour x2 on the phone to Apple Care today and finally got transferred to one of their senior technical staff who confirmed that this was a known problem, that the recommended "workaround" is exactly as described by atgrazi, and that they hope their technical team will be able to address the issue with (what I suspect will be) a firmware fix within a future update.

Just to repeat the official Apple advice - keep your wireless mouse/keyboard off (or don't wake from sleep mode if you leave them on when you switch off you computer) until you see the grey apple logo and the rotating 'dial', then switch them on/wake them and you should have a fully operational system.

Jon

Hope my reply helps and feel your exasperation. Same problems here and convinced myself it was a software issue as sometimes it would connect and then suddenly the no hardware installed message.

Finally brought it to an apple repair centre who said it was a hardware issue. They replaced the wifi/bluetooth card but did not fix the issue (would have cost aroun 160 dollars to fix). Then they replaced the cable which has finally fixed the problem and back to normal (cost around 80 dollars - otherwise it was the logic board and cost over 700 to replace)

I posted many times. The iMac problem is not really a serious issue! Just boot with your bluetooth keyboard and mouse off!

It will boot normal every time! Try that before posting again! I have 4 iMacs in my business and this fixed them all!

I have a MacBook Pro and like many here just upgraded to Lion 10.7.1. Prior to the upgrade, my WIFI was working. Upon reboot, I lost my WIFI. The WIFI icon in the menu bar was greyed out and displayed a message "WIFI - no hardware found." After reading through this discussion group, my solution was to turn off my Bluetooth mouse before booting up. With my Bluetooth mouse off and booting up, WIFI came back and everything works fine. I couldn't believe the upgrade would affect my WIFI. I thought my wireless card failed.

I think I found the solution to the problem

Those upgraded memory to 16c

replace original memories and do a clean install.

Once you notice that your computer is working properly to load, turn off the computer and reload the memory upgrades startingfrom top left to right, then what is the same or less.

Also I would suggest after clean install that I outlined above do not install any cleaning program

SChat,

Here is the solution:

http://macnerd-presents.blogspot.com/2011/08/os-x-lion-wifi-no-hardware-installe d.html

uncheck the "reopen windows when logging back in" button

I was having the problem all day Sunday and once I did the above I have had zero problems.

I had the problem "no hardware installed" as well for quite a while on my MacBookPro, but could never figure out why it sometimes disappeared again and why or when it comes back again. I was just curious about the fact it could have to do with the sleep function. Recently I could not get rid of the problem any more by trying kind of everything mentioned in various threads. However I could fix the problem by removing the sleepimage (sudo rm -f /var/vm/sleepimage), shutting off the machine (hold power button for a couple seconds) and rebooting the MBP. Wifi was back installed and working!

The error messages about the not found wifi card in system.log disappeared as well.