How to disable WiFi startup during Windows loading?

Hi there,

I have an issue with my wireless connection.
My problem is that the WiFi adapter starts working (WiFi enabled - indicator lights up) even before logon screen shows up. And I don't know how to disable it. I've already checked all windows startups, services...
I have Atheros AR5B93 adapter, tried installing Atheros Client Utility, but the installation failed (don't know why; tried several times). So the adapter is managed by windows and I suppose it may be also affected somehow by Acer Power Smart tech and Launch Manager (by Dritek; it controls Fn key combos - also WiFi) - I have Acer Aspire 4820TG TimeLineX.

Help appreciated :)

Doesn't your laptop have a wireless switch? I have never seen one that didn't. If not, go into the wireless adapter properties and disable it before you shut down.

Of course it has, it can be managed through Fn key, but still... Even if I turn it off before shutdown, it has no effect - the indicator starts glowing even before I'm able to log on again and wifi is enabled. The only exception is when I restart the computer (no power off in fact), than it's ok, no wifi till I set it.

Petey7 said:

By switch, he means a physical switch on the notebook, as in something you slide back and forth. I see you are using an Acer Aspire. The only one I have worked with had a switch on the front of the computer. The switch can be cut on and off at anytime. Do you mind if I ask why you don't want the wifi to be on automatically? Depending on the reason their may be another option you can try.

It does not have any hardware switch, unfortunately. I've experienced it on another Acer (it was Aspire 1410, I think), so I looked for it at the very beginning...

CarlTR6 said:

Andre, it I understand your post correctly, you are concerned because your wi-fi powers up when you turn your computer on? My wife's Acer does the same thing; The adapter is a chip on the motherboard. But it cannot connect to anything until the OS loads and the adapter's drivers load. Only then can it start connecting to the router or modem.

The data for the connection to the router or modem is stored in Windows. Remember how you set up your LAN the first time? That information is stored so that you do not have to manually connect each time you power up. Even though the wi-fi is powered, it does not connect until Windows connects it. You can watch this happening during the boot process.

What I am trying to say is that I don't think you have anything to be concerned about based on the information you presented.

Well, I quite understand your opinion, but I just want to control my system. When I found that out, I just wanted to disable it - even if it's actually not that important.
Moreover, it just wastes battery when I want to work offline a forget about turning it off.

FerchogtX said:

Have you tried installing the client in vista compatibility?... that may help...
I know is unusual to ask this... but may help me a bit... can you execute regedit with admin privileges and export this key?:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E972-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
somewhere in that key is located your wifi device settings (try to search in the subkeys), find something that has "Atheros AR5B93 Wieless Network Adapter" as DevName or device name and post here all the keys and values it have, specially any gpioLedcustom, or gpiofuncXXXX or anything related to the button that controls the wifi... if your settings are like mine, may be a chance to disable wifi at startup...

See ya!!!

I found out, that that app was for XP and couldn't be installed even in compatibility mode. Atheros hasn't released till now any win7 compatible client!

However, here it is - registry screens + txt file.

Firstly I just wanted to prove powered wifi mentioning lighted indicator, but now I realise, that it should have blue color when connected to network, but it has still orange (as it's when only enabled). Strange, but I hope it can be solved with those gpio entries. (?)

I found here radioEnable entry, but here's the thing - the value is managed by mobility center, but that Fn key shortcut manages something else - and with higher priority. Because when WiFi On in Launch Manager, I can turn on/off wifi in mobility center, but when's WiFi Off, the button in mobility center is grayed out and cannot be clicked. Thought WiFi Off disables network adapter itself, but it's still alowed (according to devmgmt).

I've checked that LaunchManager program (to see what it actually does when changing wifi status) using RegFromApp (info here)
but no success, unfortunately. So I tried to backup registry before and after. Compared it and the only changes in HKLM-SYSTEM-CurrentControlSet are those in [see pics]. Don't know what they are.

Then I used ProcessActivityView (info here)
- see pics. Captured that written file using batch copy command in loop (because it dissapears), but it's just raw code... I suppose it's connected with its own service.

But back to my very first problem. When I'm WiFi On, the indicator lights according to radioEnable reg entry, but when I'm WiFi Off, radioEnable can be even set to 1, but no indicator light, no wifi. But fortunately, when WiFi On and radioEnable 0, there's no wifi during loading windows but I'd be rather glad to be able to control it through Fn key (that means Launch Manager - WiFi On/Off) together with no wifi startup during loading win. The problem is actually, that in this program it's during each windows startup set WiFi to On (even when it was Off before shutdown).

Thanks for reading