Need Troubleshooting Support - Wireless Card Problem Persists

[R-109]

Well, I'm back. With the same problem as previously in the year (see my previous two threads 12-01-15 https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/foru...-sys-BSOD-Desktop-and-Browsers-malfunctioning and 05-06-15 https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/foru...g-Wireless-Card-suspected&p=327488#post327488)

I'm going to try to keep this as readable/accessible as possible, since there's a lot to say. Please bear with me. :sweatdrop:

- The problem that started in 01/15 was sudden and seemingly random.
- My PC had been working fine since I got it 08/14, and then one night I started getting problems and couldn't connect to the internet properly.
- I couldn't figure out what it was, went back to Uni where it worked fine with a Wired Connection, came back home 06/15 and the problem returned when I started using Wireless again.
- It seemed that all I needed to do was to return the card (ASUS PCE-AC68) to PCS and they would replace, and that would be the end of it. They weren't able to replace it, so they refunded it. I had already switched to a
Wired Connection by then and had other things happening, so this got put on the backburner.
- I recently bought a replacement card from Amazon (same card, ASUS PCE-AC68) and everything seemed fine. Unfortunately the problem returned after we had two strange power cuts (off and back on instantly). My PC
is plugged into a power strip with Surge Protection, and everything else is fine. I see this as a coincidence, and rather that it was just a matter of time before the problem returned.

Unfortunately I can't just stick to a Wired Connection. I share my accommodation with my Landlord, and they don't want a wire trailing downstairs to the router, albeit tucked out of the way. Either way, the card should be working without problems, which is what I want to fix. I've done some troubleshooting of my own and think I might have the answer, but I'd be a fool not to ask for other opinions and share the problem in more detail.

So what exactly is the problem?

- When using a Wireless connection (seriously, Wired has no problems whatsoever) my computer can freeze (temporarily), it can BlueScreen, programs can become unresponsive (temporarily), and the Browser tabs load
slowly (though eventually they load). My Download speed is fine, and the Wireless signal is good. My CPU is not getting overloaded, nor is my PC using too much Memory.

E.g. If using Chrome, I may have Tweetdeck open, with Twitch also open, maybe I'm also checking various other Social Media. The pages load slowly, and if they need to load more (scrolling) that is also slow. The
browser is likely to become unresponsive, too. If Twitch is open because I'm watching a Twitch stream, it'll likely start buffering and the connection will be lost.
E.g. If using Windows Media Player whilst using Chrome, the music can stop (though the progress bar continues, though it stops to wait for the music to catch up once it resumes) and WMP can become unresponsive.
Usually Chrome's tabs are loading slowly and it is likely that Chrome, along with everything else (Desktop, Windows Explorer (file browsing), is also unresponsive or becoming unresponsive.
E.g. If playing a game, it can freeze for a short period before resuming, though this is frequent and frustrating. If watching a Twitch stream at the same time, it is likely buffering or the connection is being lost
completely, with Chrome becoming unresponsive for that short period, before becoming responsive again.

As soon as the Wireless adapter is disabled, and Wired adapter re-enabled, everything works great (well, not after the most recent re-installation of Windows 7, but I'll detail that shortly).

- So what have I done/tested?

- Tested different Browsers > It happens regardless of whether it is Chrome or IE, and only happens with a Wireless connection
- Removed Avast in case of a conflict > This did nothing; the problem persisted. (So for now I reinstalled Avast)
- Tried a different Wireless card? > I had an old WLAN PCI 54Mbps wireless card lying around. My PC couldn't detect it, and since there's no brand to it, I doubt I could find a driver. So this remains untested.
- Tried a different Wireless card of the same kind? > Yes, the original was sent back to PCS, they refunded it. I eventually bought a new one but it too is causing problems (the same as before). I doubt it too is faulty.
- Reinstalled Windows 7 > Multiple times. Only once since getting this new card. As soon as I installed Chrome to test the Wireless, the problem was there (barebones, just Drivers, maybe f.lux and Avast too).
- System Restore? > Probably did earlier in the year. Seems pointless now since reinstalling Windows doesn't really fix the problem, so why would a System Restore? The problem came back immediately.
- Disabled a Wireless Setting "Turbo QAM" > This didn't do anything to help. After researching, it really just boosts speed and signal or something, so not surprised.
- Changed slots on the MB > This didn't help either. The problem occurs when using the Wireless card, regardless of which PCI-E slot it is in.
- Checked for Viruses > So many times, mostly earlier in the year. There's nothing found by either Avast or Malwarebytes.
- CHKDSK > Quite a few times, mostly earlier in the year, but once since reinstalling Windows recently. It found no problems on either my SSD (has the OS and generic programs) or my HDD (storage, game
installations).
- Checked the RAM? > Yes, mostly earlier in the year, though. 7 Advanced passes (or whatever) quite a few times. None recently, but they found no problems, which is why.
- Checked Event Viewer > Yes, and there are some results there that seem to point to the/a problem, but I don't quite know what I'm reading. Will share shortly.
- Examined the Wireless Card settings > I had a look, and found nothing that seemed out of order, but there is one thing maybe, so I'll share that shortly.
- Googling it? > Yes, which came up with some results that I think point to the problem, but not a fix outside of getting a refund and buying a different Wireless card.

[I hit the character limit >.< so see the second post below for the rest]
[Formatted to a 1080p resolution, sorry if this looks janky on other resolutions]

 

[R-109]

[Part Two]

- So... any results from the checks/tests?

- BlueScreen > When re-installing Avast after checking if that was the problem, I had accidentally left the Wireless connection on. My PC BlueScreened, but no minidump was made since I had forgotten to re-enable that
after re-installing Windows 7. So I did that, and tried to force another BlueScreen. Typically Avast installed fine, it didn't BlueScreen on a restart, or when spam-opening tabs in Chrome. However, it did BlueScreen when
downloading an update for a game on Steam. I don't quite know how to share all the details, so I'll include what I think are the important details:

BUG CHECK STRING: CRITICAL_OBJECT_TERMINATION
Bug Check Code: 0x000000f4
Caused by Driver: nvlddmkm.sys (NVIDIA)
Addresses (highlighted): ntoskrnl.exe+409cb2 (Microsoft Windows Operating System) [and] nvlddmkm.sys+4286f50 (NVIDIA Windows Kernel Mode Driver, Version 358.50)

So... this is odd. I'm not quite sure why an NVIDIA driver has caused a BlueScreen, but all I can say is that this hasn't happened (ever) whilst using a Wired connection. I have had no problems since using a Wired
Connection. I'm using one now (temporarily) to create this thread, and there are no problems whatsoever. This is something I need explaining to me, since I don't understand why an NVIDIA driver would crash like this,
just because of a Wireless connection?

- Event Viewer > Again, I'm not completely sure how to read this. But I've had 508 events logged under "Error" over the last 7 days, and 42 under "Warning". Under "Error", the only thing in the past 24 hours (which
includes the problems happening because I've been testing a troubleshooting, as well as getting a few BlueScreens) is the "Service Control Manager" which reads under General:
"The BCM42RLY service failed to start due to the following error:
The system cannot find the file specified."

As will be explained when I get to the "Googling it?" part, this seems to be linked to what I think is the problem.

Under "Warning", there are a handful of things that have been logged over the past 24 hours, all with similar numbers to them (below 10). The top two (at 8) are:
- WLAN-AutoConfig, General: "WLAN Extensibility Module has stopped. Module Path: C:\Windows\System32\bcmihvsrv64.dll" [another "bcm" file, could it be releated to the above Error?]
- iaStorA, General: "Reset to device, \Device\RaidPort0, was issued." [Note that iaStorA.sys is what I originally thought was the problem in 01/15. I'm concerned by whatever this is, so if you can help it would be
appreciated. I know iaStorA is to do with Harddrives (Intel?), but I don't use RAID, and I'm not sure why a Reset would be issued. I have my HDD set to always be running (via power settings, so, not to go to sleep to
save power, to prevent having to wait for it to spool up every now and then) but I don't think that is related, somehow.]

There could be more, but I don't know what's important, or at least important enough to share. I'm willing to share whatever if asked.

- Wireless Card Settings > Perhaps a red herring. I found a setting under the following... "addresss". You go to Network Adapter > Properties (on the Wireless Adapter) > Configure > The Advanced Tab > And then you
see a scroll table, titled "Property:" and a small variable box next to it titled "Value:". When the Property selected is "AP Compatibility" the two options in the Value selection are "Higher Performance" (which it is set to)
and "Broader Compatibility". I'm wondering if trying to switch it to "Broader Compatibility" would be worth trying, or if it could cause further problems, or what? It sounds like it could help, but I have my doubts the
problem(s) will be fixed after changing a simple setting.

- Googling it? > Well, here's where it gets interesting. I need to share some links (they're safe):

https://vip.asus.com/forum/view.asp...86&board_id=11&model=PCE-AC66&page=2&count=13
https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?59752-PCE-AC68-Wireless-Adapter-Errors
http://www.ukgamingcomputers.co.uk/asus-pceac66-haswell-z87-b85-freeze-lockup-hang-problem-a-37.html
https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/1jx30n/psa_for_those_with_haswell_platforms_do_not_buy/

So it seems that the ASUS wireless cards aren't compatible with Haswell chipsets (or do I have that wrong from these links?) You'll note the first and second links regard the AC66 not the AC68 (mine) but the problem
sounds very similar. This was a really quick google, but this seems like a promising conclusion as it would explain why a new ASUS PCE-AC68 would have the same problems as the one I sent back to PCS.
For reference, my MB is: ASUS® Z97-AR: ATX, USB3.0, SATA 6GB/S, SLi, XFIRE and my CPU is: Intel® CoreTMi7 Quad Core Processor i7-4790k (4.0GHz) 8MB Cache .
Am I right to conclude that I am using a Haswell chipset? And what about this apparently known problem where the ASUS card doesn't work with Haswell? Does it seem to make sense? Should I just refund the wireless
card and get a different one (which, after research, DOES work with Haswell)?

- Alright. So what else is wrong since the most recent re-installation of Windows 7?

I think these issues are completely separate from the Wireless Card issue, since they weren't happening before the re-installation of Windows. The problems are relatively mild, too. My keyboard is immediately usable
once I hit the Windows Log-In screen (I have to wait a handful of seconds, usually no more than 10). On top of that, whenever I turn off my speakers at the wall (such as when plugging in my headset and switching to
that) the keyboard flashes, but is immediately usable afterwards, and the mouse becomes unresponsive, and I have to wait a short while (no more than 30s) for it to become responsive again. If I immediately put my
headset on, I can hear the "duh-dun" sound Windows makes when a device is remove and added. This sound happens quite a few times before the mouse becomes responsive again. I have no idea what's going on here,
except, that when I was installing the drivers after installing Windows (but before any other programs, and before Windows Updates) the Realtek Audio driver wouldn't install. So I downloaded and installed the Windows
Updates (after installing the rest of the drivers) and tried again, and it worked. But now I have this problem... so a bit of a tangent, and I think it's a separate issue that will probably just be fixed with another re-
installation of Windows. Let me know what you think, 'cause I think even if I re-installed Windows, that Realtek driver is likely to not install again and I don't understand why that would be.

I suppose this is the conclusion. I don't know what to do. This is a ****load of information. If you could have a read and help me out, I'd greatly appreciate it. For the record, I haven't contacted PCS again (since my parts warrenty is now up) and I haven't yet contacted either Amazon (where I bought the card) or ASUS (the manufacturer). Sorry for the large [double] post, but it's a complicated problem.

[Formatted to a 1080p resolution, sorry if this looks janky on other resolutions]

 

[Fear]

Hi, I have not read all your posts and I know you said that you only need the wireless at home, I can not stand wireless nothing but trouble so what I would suggest is buy a set of homeplugs they are very simple and reliable and won't have wires all over the house.

 

[ubuysa]

Wow, you sure have had a plate-full of problems!

Let's try and keep it simple, this could be a hardware issue or it could be a software issue. It's going to be very helpful to try and establish which it is. The only reliable way to do that is to install the most stable and reliable operating system platform that you can. If it still fails then it's probably hardware. If it doesn't then it was software.

So my advice is to do a completely clean reinstall of Windows. Use a custom install and delete all partitions on your system disk (or at least the Windows partition and the System Reserved partition if you have one). Then create a new partition for Windows (the System Reserved partition may also be created automatically, that's fine). Now install Windows normally.

Now install all the PCS supplied drivers. I'm suggesting these because I'm assuming that it was working ok when you first got it? These might not be the latest drivers but the are (or should be) known to work ok. Clearly you have a different wireless card so install the latest driver for that and not the PCS supplied driver. Be sure to install the chipset driver first, after that the order isn't that important. Be sure to reboot if you are asked to after each driver install. This is important.

Now connect to the Internet, a wired connection would be the best option for this. Run Windows update and install all Important updates. Do not install any Recommended updates and do not install any Driver updates (at this time). Keep running Windows update until there are no more Important updates found.

Install no other software nor make any configuration changes to Windows. You now have the most stable and reliable operating system platform you can get.

Now disconnect the wired connection and try your wireless connection. Access the Internet using IE, give it a good test, try downloading files, etc. You'll need to be patient here, you really want to thoroughly test the PC in this basic state to see whether wireless works and whether you get any other problems (like your BSOD). I would recommend you run like this for several hours. You want to try as hard as you can to make it fail, but without installing any other software or making any changes, so do keep at it.

If it does fail in this state then it's likely to be a hardware problem. Others can assist with the ASUS/Haswell issue but I can't imagine PCS would get that wrong. I would call PCS if it fails in this state, you'll probably have to ship it back to them.

If it doesn't fail in this state then it's likely to have been a software problem. This could be with a driver (your BSOD indicated a graphics driver problem and they are very common) so avoid updating any drivers unless you really need the new functionality or bug fixes provided by the update. Running old drivers is fine if they work for you. Take manual System Restore points before you update each driver and only do one at a time and then test.

When it comes to installing third party software you need to proceed in the same slow and sure manner. One program at a time with a manual System Restore before it. Test the system thoroughly after each program install. Keep adding third party programs slowly in this manner.

The same is true of configuration changes to Windows. Take a System Restore point first and change only one thing at a time, testing carefully after each one.

Do note that you won't be able to hold all these restore points at once, unless you have lots of space on your disk. So be sure each step is working perfectly before going on because the earlier restore points will get overwritten.

I realise this will take a lot of effort and a very long time, but when troubleshooting problems of this type there are no shortcuts.

 

[R-109]

Fear:

Hi, I have not read all your posts and I know you said that you only need the wireless at home, I can not stand wireless nothing but trouble so what I would suggest is buy a set of homeplugs they are very simple and reliable and won't have wires all over the house.

@Fear A potential solution, but I'd rather figure out how to get my wireless to work. The option will always remain open to me though.

ubuysa:

So my advice is to do a completely clean reinstall of Windows. Use a custom install and delete all partitions on your system disk (or at least the Windows partition and the System Reserved partition if you have one). Then create a new partition for Windows (the System Reserved partition may also be created automatically, that's fine). Now install Windows normally.

I figured I might have to do something like this, though I will admit I've not been deleting the System Reserved partition (which I thought should be left alone or else I'd cause major problems).

Now install all the PCS supplied drivers. I'm suggesting these because I'm assuming that it was working ok when you first got it? These might not be the latest drivers but the are (or should be) known to work ok. Clearly you have a different wireless card so install the latest driver for that and not the PCS supplied driver. Be sure to install the chipset driver first, after that the order isn't that important. Be sure to reboot if you are asked to after each driver install. This is important.

I didn't think about trying the original (supplied) drivers, so that's definitely worth a try for troubleshooting. However, the Wireless card *is* the same, or at least, the same kind and not the same exact card that came with the PC (it's the same make). Since it came with its own installation disk, I'll use that instead of what PCS supplied. Thanks to someone else who helped in my previous threads, I've been installing the drivers correctly (chipset first, though I have a select order after that, it doesn't make much difference as you say). But the drivers I've been installing *are* the latest version, so yeah, this is definitely worth a shot, even though I've got a strong feeling it is that the AC68 is incompatible with Haswell chipsets.

Now disconnect the wired connection and try your wireless connection. Access the Internet using IE, give it a good test, try downloading files, etc. You'll need to be patient here, you really want to thoroughly test the PC in this basic state to see whether wireless works and whether you get any other problems (like your BSOD). I would recommend you run like this for several hours. You want to try as hard as you can to make it fail, but without installing any other software or making any changes, so do keep at it.

I'm not sure I would need several hours to test with IE whether the problem is persisting. However, downloading some third-party programs might help with the test (that is, to try and make it fail) since although I know IE can do it, it's not 100% of the time. For example, downloading games through Steam has definitely caused the problem to show itself since it seems like the more internet you use, the more likely it is to appear. Would that be something I should avoid nevertheless? Or would it be okay to test with *some* third-party programs? (whilst waiting for a reply, I'll assume the answer is "no third-party programs").

If it does fail in this state then it's likely to be a hardware problem. Others can assist with the ASUS/Haswell issue but I can't imagine PCS would get that wrong. I would call PCS if it fails in this state, you'll probably have to ship it back to them.

Well... you say you can't imagine PCS would get a Haswell issue wrong, but when I sent the card back to them to be replaced, they were unable to and just refunded it. And funnily enough they don't have the AC68 as a wireless option any more, so... my guess is that it was such an odd, little known issue that even they missed it, hence why it is no longer available via PCS. But that's all speculation, so who knows, really? If it was just an incompatibility issue, that would be pretty good for me since it'd be a simple case of get a refund for the card from Amazon, and get a different wireless card (or as Fear said, get some homeplugs and use a Wired connection through them).

If it doesn't fail in this state then it's likely to have been a software problem. This could be with a driver (your BSOD indicated a graphics driver problem and they are very common) so avoid updating any drivers unless you really need the new functionality or bug fixes provided by the update. Running old drivers is fine if they work for you. Take manual System Restore points before you update each driver and only do one at a time and then test.

Well, the thing with this is that if I wasn't using a wireless connection at the time, it wouldn't have happened (the BlueScreen where the NVIDIA driver was the cause). My PC literally runs flawlessly when using a wired connection, and has done for many months since this problem started back in January. So that doesn't sound to me like it *is* the graphics driver, but I don't know how the wireless card could cause the graphics driver to crash, either.


Either way, I'll be re-installing Windows now as you have suggested. It's a little bit different, so maybe I'll get better results this time. I'll keep an eye out for other replies via my laptop which I'll be using in the meantime. Thanks for your reply.

 

[Fear]

Yeah sorry for not reading all your post last night was a bit too tired (but good to see you provide all the info about what you have already tried) I do hope your reinstall goes well and sorts the problem out if not then I would try it again with the wireless card removed completely and see what happens seen as you suspect this to be the problem anyway and you can fully eliminate if it is the card or not.

 

[ubuysa]

I'm not sure I would need several hours to test with IE whether the problem is persisting. However, downloading some third-party programs might help with the test (that is, to try and make it fail) since although I know IE can do it, it's not 100% of the time. For example, downloading games through Steam has definitely caused the problem to show itself since it seems like the more internet you use, the more likely it is to appear. Would that be something I should avoid nevertheless? Or would it be okay to test with *some* third-party programs? (whilst waiting for a reply, I'll assume the answer is "no third-party programs").

I'm not going to say no third party programs, but you clearly realise that every third party program you install dilutes the stable and reliable software platform that you should be trying to keep. The problem is, that if it's a third party program that's causing this, or if it's a conflict between third party programs and drivers, and you install many third party programs and it fails, you'll not know for sure what the problem was. KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid, is a great rule to live by when troubleshooting. So install third party programs if you must but install the absolute bare minimum, and remember that if it fails with a third party program installed you cannot be sure it's a hardware issue - you may have just reinstalled the problem. Less is certainly better.

Well... you say you can't imagine PCS would get a Haswell issue wrong, but when I sent the card back to them to be replaced, they were unable to and just refunded it. And funnily enough they don't have the AC68 as a wireless option any more, so... my guess is that it was such an odd, little known issue that even they missed it, hence why it is no longer available via PCS. But that's all speculation, so who knows, really? If it was just an incompatibility issue, that would be pretty good for me since it'd be a simple case of get a refund for the card from Amazon, and get a different wireless card (or as Fear said, get some homeplugs and use a Wired connection through them).

Hardware is not my thing, I'll leave this area for comment by others.

Well, the thing with this is that if I wasn't using a wireless connection at the time, it wouldn't have happened (the BlueScreen where the NVIDIA driver was the cause). My PC literally runs flawlessly when using a wired connection, and has done for many months since this problem started back in January. So that doesn't sound to me like it *is* the graphics driver, but I don't know how the wireless card could cause the graphics driver to crash, either.

Things are not quite as separate and compartmentalised as you might imagine. It is well known for a driver issue in one area to cause problems in another. You can't assume that because the NVIDIA card doesn't seem to be related to the WIFi card that there is no linkage at all, there could well be. In any case, you should never assume anything.

Either way, I'll be re-installing Windows now as you have suggested. It's a little bit different, so maybe I'll get better results this time. I'll keep an eye out for other replies via my laptop which I'll be using in the meantime. Thanks for your reply.

Wise move. Take it steady, I completely understand you want to get it fixed as soon as possible, but this kind of troubleshooting needs a cool head and slow, steady, methodical approach. If you try to rush it you'll not be certain where the problem lies and you'll be back to square one. Softly softly catchee monkey.

 

[R-109]

Alright, I'm back from re-installing Windows and giving it a good test. Here's what's new (bear with me, it's a lot, but the end result is me scratching my head):

- All of the "minor" problems I listed previously have been resolved from the re-installation of Windows 7. So that's good news.

- The "Wireless problem" remains elusive

I re-installed Windows as you (ubuysa) advised. I installed the drivers from the disks PCS provided, except that I used the disk that came with my new Wireless card instead of the disk that came with the rest (note
again, the Wireless Card (AC68) that I recently got is the same make as my previous card, but new). The disks are probably the same, but it was just to be sure. I installed only the Important Windows Updates, and then
began testing thoroughly with Internet Explorer. Now, the problem with this... problem, is that there's no guaranteed way of making it happen for the first time. After installing this new AC68 card, it only happened after
two power cuts forced restarts, and with the previous card it was seemingly random (and not like, right after installing something). So the only way I know for sure of getting it to occur is to use the internet whilst
connected Wirelessly. So I googled with IE, randomly, opening lots of new tabs and then going to new pages, just seeing what would happen. I spent maybe an hour on this and nothing happened. Nothing happened when
it was left on idle. I restarted multiple times. Nothing.

At this point I decided to update my drivers. I made a System Restore point before each one, and started with the Chipset driver. I finished updating the SATA driver (the next one to update after the Chipset as far as I'm
concerned) when I remembered what you said about not needing to update drivers if there's no need for a bug fix or something, and if everything's working fine. So I just created another System Restore point and
updated my Graphics driver (since I play a lot of games and the bug fixes and whatnot in there do tend to be good). And yes, I tested with IE after installing each one, and still, no problems. (For reference, I'm
connected to the Wireless right now and there are no problems, well, one minor but I'll get to that).

So, I then moved on to Third Party programs, with the same method: Create a System Restore point, install the program, test afterwards before moving onto the next one. I installed things like Chrome, Avast, Skype,
Steam, f.lux, things that are kinda basic for everyday stuff for me (and once Chrome was installed, I tested on their instead of IE since that's a lot easier). I couldn't trigger the "Wireless problem" to occur. I still remains
elusive. I spent yesterday testing (which means, using it normally since that uses the internet anyway) and the problem just isn't there.

But that doesn't mean that everything is perfect; there's more to it.

- Yesterday after logging in, the Desktop was missing

I didn't watch it load after I typed in the password. But when I came back to it moments later, all I could see was the Desktop Background/Wallpaper. No taskbar. No icons. So I watched for a bit, since in the past my
PC did this and then proceeded to crash (though that might've been because I uninstalled a driver when trying to figure out the problem - this was after the installation of the card, but before the first re-installation of
Windows since installing the card. For reference, the re-installation of Windows I did this weekend is the second since installing the "new" wireless card). Anyway, the PC didn't crash. So I loaded up Task Manager, went
to New Task, entered explorer.exe, and boom, everything comes back. I load up Chrome, continue testing, do my usual thing for a while, when I think of checking the Event Viewer. It's at this point that I realise I can't
interact with my desktop - I can't double click icons and have things open, either on the actual desktop or the taskbar, and the start menu was glitched out (visually). So I restarted, and everything was fine (and has
been fine) after that, but I don't know why it happened. When trying to figure it out, I wonder if dwm.exe (Desktop Window Manager) was also not running, and I needed to manually run that as I did explorer.exe,
though that's not the point since neither should have crashed and required me to run them manually, or neither should have not started in the first place (I don't know which it is).

- Event Viewer has a lot of error messages

In the past hour, there have been 1182 error events. In the past 24 hours, 15,552, and in the last 7 days, 26,284. Almost all of these error events are from one source:

"Service Control Manager. General: The BCM42RLY service failed to start due to the following error: The system cannot find the file specified."

It's this thing again, which I thought was linked to what caused the problem. Yet, there've been thousands of these error events and the problem has yet to show itself. Either way, it's concerning that this is still a thing,
even if there are no "symptoms" as of yet.

- Download Speeds seem to... vary dramatically

I know this isn't really a problem with the make of card, since when I first got the PC it was able to get constant and stable speeds. I have fibre optic broadband, getting around 30Mbps down and 7Mbps up via a wired
connection. The wireless in the past before this problem was able to get similar speeds, though at least it was like 20-4 Down-Up. At the moment, it really varies. One minute it can be struggling to get above 1 down,
the other it's over 30, other times it's hovering between 15-20, and if I switch to the wired connection, is a steady 30 down as usual. For the record, my signal strength is almost always excellent. I know it's a problem
when I know I should be able to watch a Twitch stream and play a game online without buffering, and then it buffers. Now obviously this can depend on what's happening with Twitch too, but it was fairly rare with the
wired connection and seems more often with the wireless connection. I tested this further with downloading a game on Steam. The speeds were fluctuating terribly. At peak it was almost 4MB/s (note this is megabytes
not megabits) but it kept dropping to very low speeds, struggling to get above 100KB/s some times, and other times struggling to get above 500KB/s. I checked my Steam settings, and there was nothing that should
throttle the speeds, and I wasn't using/doing anything to hinder the download. I even switched to the wired connection to test and it was at a steady high speed of almost 4MB/s (I left it like this for 5 mins to see if it
would remain steady). As soon as I switched back, I got the same problems as before - that is, slow speeds, not THE problem.

This might be unrelated to the main problem at hand though, at might be just an indicator that I should just get some homeplugs, or that it's just that my PC isn't in an ideal place to pick up WiFi. I really don't know, but it leads onto the next point well.

- My next test was downloading a game on Steam

When the wireless problem was active, one sure-fire way to trigger the problem was to download a game from Steam, since that really puts the wireless to task. So naturally, I wanted to test this. Apart from the
download speed problems, it was fine and the problem remains elusive. There's not much more to say on this.

- Otherwise, the System Reserved Partition is still unallocated

So, when advising on the re-installation of Windows, you said I should deleted the System Reserved Partition and that it would probably automatically be recreated. It hasn't been, and is still unallocated. I don't know if
this is fine or if I did something wrong, but that's the case at the moment. After deleting it, I did have the choice to create a new partition, but it would've been another "Primary" partition, which I figured was like how
you usually use storage devices and not what I wanted for what was supposed to be System Reserved. So I left it, thinking Windows would handle it. It didn't, and it's still unallocated. I can allocate it now, but I'm pretty
sure it would still just be another "Primary" partition. So... I don't really know what to think about this. Could be nothing. Could be something.

- The Conclusion!

Uhh... is there one? I really don't know what to think. It seems like the problem is gone (maybe because this time around I deleted the System Reserved Partition before re-installing Windows?) but who's to say it won't
come back in time? And that one time yesterday when things were messed up (probably from explorer.exe and dwm.exe not running, or crashing, or whatever) is definitely greatly concerning. Who's to say that won't
happen again? What caused it and why? Maybe the poor and fluctuating download speeds are also representative of a problem with the wireless card, it's just not the same problem as before? Either way, I'm holding off
installing anything else until more progress is made on this. And if I need to install a new program, it'll be with creating a System Restore Point first, then the installation, then testing afterwards, though there's no
"professional" or technical test other than using the browser, playing games online, streaming videos, and downloading games.

I eagerly await your (or anyone's) response to this. I really am stumped.

 

[Fear]

Are you able to use the system on a wired Ethernet connection at the moment if so please try and do that with the wireless card removed and see if you are still getting lot's of error reports.

 

[R-109]

Done. The error reports stop (for BCM42RLY) once I'm using a wired connection instead.

There's a weird difference in time stamps when I did it though. When using the PC with the wireless card in, and using the wireless connection, these error events happen every... 10-20 seconds? In Event Viewer it stopped at around 21:06, then two more were logged at 21:11, and then nothing. I wonder if maybe those errors were generated when I logged in and the PC automatically tried to connect wirelessly but couldn't because I'd taken the card out. Don't know.

Either way, the error reports have stopped for BCM42RLY now I'm back using the Ethernet.

 

[Fear]

Looks like it's just down to the wireless card drivers or the model itself, easiest thing is what I have said about the homeplugs but if you want to keep the wireless card then it will be a case of either trying to find a stable driver or changing to a different one altogether but you never know what issues you might have with another.

 

[ubuysa]

That's some good troubleshooting you've been doing there and a very good and detailed report too. I wish more people were as thorough as you.

As I'm sure you've discovered the BCM42RLY service is related to a Broadcom network adapter which is clearly the chipset used in your ASUS network adapter. So this is an indication of an unhappy wireless card. I think here the time has come to talk to PCS and find out for certain whether this card is compatible with your rig. You need to resolve that uncertainty.

Regarding the System Reserved partition, it's not something you should worry about. Normally when you install Windows the installation routines create a small System Reserved partition, it's used to hold the boot manager code and boot configuration information. Many people don't like having this small partition (though it causes no issues at all) so there are techniques that let you do away with it and have the boot manager code and boot configuration data inside the normal Windows partition.

When I explain to people how to do a clean install I always mention the System Reserved partition in case Windows creates it. If it does then that's fine and everything will work normally so you don't need to worry about it. If Windows does not create the System Reserved partition then that's also fine and you don't need to worry about it. So don't worry about it, if there was a problem in this area your PC wouldn't boot at all and it does, so it's fine.

What you have highlighted is that your wireless card is very unhappy. That could be a bad driver, so you might try searching for an updated driver, or even a back-level driver, to see whether you can stabilise it. PCS might have a more recent driver for example. It could also be a conflict between the Broadcom driver and some other driver or software. Your problem now is that you have installed so much software you can't know for sure whether a conflict is the problem.

What to do then?

I'd call PCS and sort out whether your wireless card is compatible with your rig. You should also ask them if they have come across the problems you're experiencing with that card and whether they have updated drivers available. If they suggest sending your rig back I would do so, this could easily be a hardware issue.

The other possibility is a software and/or driver conflict somewhere. They can be hard to isolate so lets worry about that after you've spoken to PCS.

 

[R-109]

As I'm sure you've discovered the BCM42RLY service is related to a Broadcom network adapter which is clearly the chipset used in your ASUS network adapter. So this is an indication of an unhappy wireless card. I think here the time has come to talk to PCS and find out for certain whether this card is compatible with your rig. You need to resolve that uncertainty.

How exactly should I go about this? Should I send a message to tech support, briefly explaining the situation and then asking whether the card is compatible with my rig? Would I need to include my system specs in that message?

On this note, I've just looked back over my previous messages with PCS Tech Support, and I feel I should share the particular wording of the last message sent to me:

"ASUS are no longer able to provide a replacement as the card is end of life and therefore had to be refunded."

Those words, "end of life". I'm not quite sure what that means, and honestly I now realise that I just assumed they were no longer stocking the card and therefore couldn't replace it, when in fact "end of life" could mean something more, like ASUS are no longer manufacturing the card, or something. Could be nothing, just wondering what you think.

What you have highlighted is that your wireless card is very unhappy. That could be a bad driver, so you might try searching for an updated driver, or even a back-level driver, to see whether you can stabilise it. PCS might have a more recent driver for example. It could also be a conflict between the Broadcom driver and some other driver or software. Your problem now is that you have installed so much software you can't know for sure whether a conflict is the problem.

1) Regarding updated drivers, I can download the latest drivers for the card here: http://www.asus.com/uk/Networking/PCEAC68/HelpDesk_Download/ the problem is that I have been using the latest driver in
the past (and I used the latest driver when I installed the "new" AC68 I bought) and yet the Wireless Problem returned. And before, when it first came about... well, obviously it wasn't on the latest driver since the latest
was released 18/09/2015. So... I'm not too sure if it'll help. Should I at least try updating the wireless driver, and see if anything changes (with appropriate system restore points, of course)?

2) "a back-level driver" - Quite simply, I don't know what this means. Could you explain?

3) As for whether it's a conflict with the Broadcom driver or some other driver/software, well, the Error Events for this driver in the Event Viewer began before I installed any third-party software. That is, that it was
occurring even during "the most stable build" that I had made, as you suggested, using IE to test for the Wireless Problem and no third-party programs (to begin with).


Otherwise, I'm hesitant to send my rig back, but I'll cross that bridge if/when they suggest sending the rig back to them. I'm going to hold off contacting them until you reply to this to make sure that any new info I have provided here doesn't change what you suggest I do.

 

[ubuysa]

How exactly should I go about this? Should I send a message to tech support, briefly explaining the situation and then asking whether the card is compatible with my rig? Would I need to include my system specs in that message?

On this note, I've just looked back over my previous messages with PCS Tech Support, and I feel I should share the particular wording of the last message sent to me:

"ASUS are no longer able to provide a replacement as the card is end of life and therefore had to be refunded."

Those words, "end of life". I'm not quite sure what that means, and honestly I now realise that I just assumed they were no longer stocking the card and therefore couldn't replace it, when in fact "end of life" could mean something more, like ASUS are no longer manufacturing the card, or something. Could be nothing, just wondering what you think.

That means it's no longer supported. So the latest driver you have will probably be the last, ASUS probably won't create any more drivers for that card.

Perhaps you should look at buying a newer wireless card? Go for something that will be Windows 10 compatible in case you decide to go that route.

1) Regarding updated drivers, I can download the latest drivers for the card here: http://www.asus.com/uk/Networking/PCEAC68/HelpDesk_Download/ the problem is that I have been using the latest driver in the past (and I used the latest driver when I installed the
"new" AC68 I bought) and yet the Wireless Problem returned. And before, when it first came about... well, obviously it wasn't on the latest driver since the latest was released 18/09/2015. So... I'm not too sure if it'll help. Should I at least try updating the wireless driver, and see
if anything changes (with appropriate system restore points, of course)?

It's always worth a try updating the driver. See my comment above about "end of life" though. The latest driver might not solve the conflict or whatever problem there is and there's not likely to be a fix for that now the card is "end of life".

2) "a back-level driver" - Quite simply, I don't know what this means. Could you explain?

It means an earlier version of the driver. A web search might reveal earlier versions than the latest one you have. It might be worth a try uninstalling the latest driver and installing an earlier one. The problem might not exist with that driver. It's worth a try anyway.

3) As for whether it's a conflict with the Broadcom driver or some other driver/software, well, the Error Events for this driver in the Event Viewer began before I installed any third-party software. That is, that it was occurring even during "the most stable build" that I had made, as
you suggested, using IE to test for the Wireless Problem and no third-party programs (to begin with).

Then it's most likely that the wireless card and/or driver is the culprit. That's the beauty of a "stable system".

Otherwise, I'm hesitant to send my rig back, but I'll cross that bridge if/when they suggest sending the rig back to them. I'm going to hold off contacting them until you reply to this to make sure that any new info I have provided here doesn't change what you suggest I do.

If it were me I'd replace the wireless card with a more recent one (i.e. one that's not "end of life"). I'd probably do another clean install of Windows and drivers when I installed this card too, just to be sure you're staring from a clean beginning. If it is the wireless card you don't want to go to the trouble of sending the whole rig back, and wireless cards are not that expensive anyway.

 

[R-109]

Okay, this is kinda how I expected (and I guessed hoped, as it's a simple fix, assuming a new wireless card doesn't also cause the "Wireless Problem") it would end up being.

At current, I thought I had the oldest driver, but in actual fact I have close to the latest. I think I'll try the oldest driver, but I reckon it won't fix it. As you say, it's worth a try.

So what I'll do now, is uninstall the current driver and re-install the oldest driver, give that a try, if the Wireless Problem is still evasive, check Event Viewer, if the same Error Event starts occurring again, then there's nothing more I can do but get a refund for the card and get a new card which, as you suggest, isn't "end of life" and is Windows 10 compatible.

As such, when I've done the above I'll reply again to update the thread, otherwise it seems like the issue will be closed with me getting a new card (I really am expecting the older driver to not work : P )

Two questions right now though:

1) Am I right in thinking that there's no point in messaging PCS now? (I don't think there is, but I'm always open to advice)

2) Perhaps a bit cheeky, are there any wireless cards you'd recommend? (Not asking you to do any leg work, mind you)

 

[ubuysa]

Okay, this is kinda how I expected (and I guessed hoped, as it's a simple fix, assuming a new wireless card doesn't also cause the "Wireless Problem") it would end up being.

At current, I thought I had the oldest driver, but in actual fact I have close to the latest. I think I'll try the oldest driver, but I reckon it won't fix it. As you say, it's worth a try.

So what I'll do now, is uninstall the current driver and re-install the oldest driver, give that a try, if the Wireless Problem is still evasive, check Event Viewer, if the same Error Event starts occurring again, then there's nothing more I can do but get a refund for the card and get a new card which, as you suggest, isn't "end of life" and is Windows 10 compatible.

As such, when I've done the above I'll reply again to update the thread, otherwise it seems like the issue will be closed with me getting a new card (I really am expecting the older driver to not work : P )

Two questions right now though:

1) Am I right in thinking that there's no point in messaging PCS now? (I don't think there is, but I'm always open to advice)

2) Perhaps a bit cheeky, are there any wireless cards you'd recommend? (Not asking you to do any leg work, mind you)

Good plan.

I would phone PCS rather than message or email them, you'll get a faster response that way.

I don't really do hardware and it's been a long time since I've had to source a wireless card for a desktop, so I'm going to leave wireless card recommendations to others on here.

 

[R-109]

Alright, well, trying the oldest driver didn't work - it gave me the same Error Event immediately. Not a surprise, but at least I know.

I'll be going ahead with trying to get a refund for the card now, and researching to find a replacement.

Thank you very much for your help with this issue, it is greatly appreciated and has allowed me to make progress in dealing with this Wireless Problem which has plagued me all year. I can only hope that it does not return with a new (but different) wireless card.

Again, thank you for everything, and I wish you all the best.

 

[ubuysa]

Alright, well, trying the oldest driver didn't work - it gave me the same Error Event immediately. Not a surprise, but at least I know.

I'll be going ahead with trying to get a refund for the card now, and researching to find a replacement.

Thank you very much for your help with this issue, it is greatly appreciated and has allowed me to make progress in dealing with this Wireless Problem which has plagued me all year. I can only hope that it does not return with a new (but different) wireless card.

Again, thank you for everything, and I wish you all the best.

Thanks for that. Do come back and let us know how you get on.

 

[R-109]

Hey, I've been meaning to update this thread but kept forgetting : P

It's good news, anyway. I sent the ASUS AC68 back to Amazon for a refund, and in its place I got a T-Link Archer T9E. Things aren't perfect, but the problem I was having with the AC68 has gone and I'm not having any other significant problems to cause any concern. So, I guess we can consider this problem solved, case closed.

I really don't think I would've solved this without your help, so as I said about a month ago: thanks for everything

Here's hoping for no problems in 2016.

 

[ubuysa]

Glad it seems to be sorted. +rep for reporting back, it does help us all to learn!