D-Link DWL-AG530 and Windows 7

[WH4K]

Microsoft says that, according to D-link, the DWL-AG530 wireless network card is "not compatible" with either 32- or 64-bit Windows 7.

Is there a way to make it work anyway, with 64-bit Windows 7?

I expect D-link says the DWL-AG530 is "not compatible" simply because it's old, and they don't feel like writing drivers for it. The newest drivers only cover Vista 32-bit.

The card isn't here yet, so I can't experiment with it. I suspect there will be a way to make it work, as it is not really that old.

 

[WH4K]

For anyone researching this topic in the future: The answer is YES, the D-Link DWL-AG530 will work in Windows 7, despite Microsoft calling it "incompatible."

All I had to do was physically install the card. When I next booted Windows 7, it automagically detected the DWL-AG530 and installed a Microsoft driver (dated June 2009) that made the card work. I had no trouble connecting to my home wireless network.

 

[Lordbob75]

In general, you can use Vista drivers with Windows 7 (based off the same kernel).
You could have also tried installed the driver in Windows Vista compatibility mode.

Good job figuring it out on your own though

~Lordbob

 

[WH4K]

The only Vista drivers for the DWL-AG530 are 32-bit. Pretty sure you can't use 32-bit drivers on a 64-bit OS. But MS provided a driver for 64-bit Windows 7 anyway.

That is often the case with Windows 7. Plug in old, supposedly "obsolete" hardware and 7 finds a driver. I can't stand forced obsolescence.