How to Enable Windows Wireless Service

Harrismith said:

Dell XPS16

How do I enable Windows Wireless Service in order to connect to my wireless router.
The connection is fine using a cable.
I have a button like an aerial mast and it shows that the it's not on.
When I tap it to turn it on, it wont stay on!
Troubleshoot tells me that Windows Wireless Service is not running.
Any ideas please.

This button that turns it on - what does the button turn on?

I assume you have a wireless adapter installed in your computer?

The following is from Windows Help and Support:

Set up the router

If your router displays the Windows 7 logo or the phrase "Compatible with Windows 7," you can set it up automatically using the latest version of Windows Connect Now (WCN) on Windows 7 or Windows Vista Service Pack 2. Follow these steps to set up your router automatically:

1. Unpack the router and plug it into a power source. Because you are using WCN, you don't need to physically connect the router to your computer.
2. [IMG]mshelp://help/?id=Microsoft.Windows.Resources.ShellExecuteTopicIcon[/IMG]Click to open Connect to a Network.
3. A list of networks currently available is displayed.
4. Click the default network of your router, which is identified by the manufacturer name.
5. Follow the instructions on your screen.
   Note
   
   
   
   • WCN sets up the network with security turned on by default. You can change the security settings later if desired.
   
   

Even if WCN isn't available, most routers come with a setup CD that will assist you in setting it up. Review the information that came with your router.
If WCN isn't available, you can also follow these steps to set up the router manually:

1. Unpack the router and plug it into a power source.
2. Connect one end of the network cable to the computer’s wired network adapter and connect the other end to the wireless router (in any port that isn't labeled "Internet," "WAN," or "WLAN").
3. Open your web browser and type the address of the router’s configuration webpage. For most routers, the address to the configuration webpage is either http://192.168.0.1 or http://192.168.1.1. The following list provides information about how to access the webpage for some of the most common routers.
   Router
   Address
   User name
   Password
   3Com
   http://192.168.1.1
   admin
   admin
   D-Link
   http://192.168.0.1
   admin
   
   Linksys
   http://192.168.1.1
   admin
   admin
   Microsoft Broadband
   http://192.168.2.1
   admin
   admin
   Netgear
   http://192.168.0.1
   admin
   password
   After you access the configuration page, you'll be asked to log in with a user name and password. To find the user name and password, refer to the table above or review the information that came with your router.
4. Run the router’s setup utility, if there is one. If there is no setup utility, configure the following settings manually by referring to the information that came with your router.
   
   
   • Choose a name for the wireless network by specifying the service set identifier (SSID).
   • Select the kind of encryption (WPA, WPA2, or WEP) you want to use for security and turn it on.
     Note
     
     
     
     • We recommend using WPA2, if possible. We don't recommend using WEP. WPA or WPA2 are more secure. If you try WPA or WPA2 and they don't work, we recommend that you upgrade your network adapter to one that works with WPA or WPA2.
     
     
   • Choose a security key to be used for access to the wireless network.
   • Change the default administrative password of the router to a new password so that other people can't gain access to your network.

I am glad to hear the you got it up and running. Good old restore points!

Did you try this:

I have carried out the following as advised by Bill2:

'Click Start, type services.msc, then press Enter.
Scroll down to "WLAN AutoConfig" and right click on it and select Properties. Set it to Automatic and not Disabled, and press the Start button, then click OK.
That should start the service.'

If so, did you get this message:

"Windows could not start Wired AutoConfig Service on local computer.
Error 1068: The dependency service or group failed to start."