Windows 7: Wireless internet won't reconnect when laptop lid opened

This topic was posted in Dec without a fix. I have 2 Toshiba Satellite laptops with a Realtek wireless adapter running Windows 7 64 bit. Just started having the problem about a month ago with both laptops. The adapter is disable when lid is closed. I want the computer to go to Sleep when not in use, but the adapter will not reconnect when the lid is raised and I log back in. I must manually disable and then enable the adapter (in Admin mode) to re-connect to the wireless network or reboot the computer. The computer is plugged into the power adapter. Power options are set to maximum performance. I checked all the power settings, adapter properties to automatically connect, and WLAN is the service running in automatic mode. Microsoft Answers has no answer to the problem either. Thanks for any help or advice.

Did you go to the device manager, find your wifi card, and make sure to deselect the option to turn off to conserve power? Also, if it just started happening to both computers a month ago, I'd look for a common install/removal/update that was done to both of them.

Hi Kegobeer

Yes, checked the boxes to not conserve power. I dont remember doing any installs with the laptops. My son's started first with the problem and the other laptop we just use more as a spare. So only once we couldn't really fix his, I started testing the other laptop and got the same problem. The only install I can think is possible is a possible update from Microsoft. We have not put any software on either computer for months. A friend thought it might be caused by the router. We have Verizon FIOS, but everything works fine when you first boot up. The adapter is enable as the only option is Disable. When you log in after raising the lid, the blue circle rotates on the 5 bars in the System Tray like the adapter is searching. Once you cycle Disable/Enable sequence connects just fine. Also, once the adapter enables, the MS Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter appears. This is missing when you first check the adaptera available.

I found just the opposite. Telling Windows that it should manage the device enables it to re-initialize the interface on a power-on event, resulting in it connecting. I could not get my card to automatically connect until I enabled this. At the same time, in power options -> advanced -> USB settings -> USB selective suspend DISABLED and advanced -> Wireless Adapter Settings -> Power Savings Mode set to maximum performance. The adapter is now connected by the time I am back from sleep.

Mine is a desktop. I don't know whether the latter two might drain the battery quicker on a laptop.

EDIT: But maybr we are talking about two different things. What I have enabled and found necessary to enable is the "allow this Computer to turn off this device to save power" in the wireless adaptor -> configure -> power management tab.

Hi GeneO

Thanks for the tips, but no success. Wireless Adapter was already set to max performance. Changed the USB selective suspend to Disabled, but still have the problem. Each time I log into an account on the laptop the system appears to search for the connection. The little blue circle goes round and round over the 5 bars in the system tray, but just wont connect. If I click CONNECT on my network, the network is detected, but it seems all the settings (SSID and password) are gone. Everything needs to be reentered.

Go into the All Control Panel, go to Power Options and amongst the links Windows Explorer should automatically provide for you click the "Choose when to turn off the display" link and it will take you to the control panel that will allow you to choose how the system responds when you: a)close the lid "on and off battery", & b) push the power button "on and off battery". Change the settings to whichever you want, you have options of: Do Nothing, Sleep, Hibernate, Shut Down. Do nothing would be your ticket I believe.

For those who, like me, have been scouring these forums for a solution to this problem, see this forum, which suggests disabling the Homegroup.