Win10 1903 update causes loss of network...

[Tim Barker]

IS it really worth the risk when 1809 works?

 

[Wolfie]

Do you not have a copy of both versions available to you?, burn an ISO to disk or use a USB stick and do a clean install, it might be worth it to save more hassle.

Another alternative is to try a version of Linux and see if that connects to the internet no problem, if it does you can rule out a router problem!.

There are plenty of versions to choose from here:

DistroWatch.com: Put the fun back into computing. Use Linux, BSD.

News and feature lists of Linux and BSD distributions.

distrowatch.com

I would choose an Ubuntu based version myself!.

 

[Tim Barker]

Last time I used Linux on it with a Ubuntu USB stick there was no problem (used to fix some disk issues in the past) and the fact that I can roll-back to 1809 and have it work perfectly surely means the problem exists with the update to 190x. The problem is surely most likely to be an inconsistency in the networking area of the software that needs a fix from off-site before it can work. Having no working network of course makes it impossible to self-repair, the usual chicken and egg problem.

I'm a pretty heavy user of Adobe products which might make it difficult to make a complete break towards a linux PC but I have long term experience of linux through 2 housefuls of Raspberry Pis running Debian. I'm getting closer to making a change to a new portable so staying with 1809 is perhaps the line of least resistance, not ideal but workable. But still the issue is not yet solved and I had hoped the solution would be easier than it has proven to be.

 

[BigFeet]

Unfortunately 1809 will be "end of life" in May. I wish I could think of what could be blocking it. As far as I know, there's nothing different in 1909 that would cause that behavior, but obviously there is. I haven't seen that specific issue before.

 

[davehc]

Not much help - sorry, but when this update first came out, I read somewhere on the web, of a service which had to be changed if a user experienced internet problems.. I'll try and track it down.

 

[Wolfie]

Version 2003 should be rolling out soon, maybe just wait for that using version 1809 for now?.

 

[ClippyBeer]

IS it really worth the risk when 1809 works?

I can completely empathize. I have been stung badly on countless occasions by the update bug on practically every OS/platform I've used. It's gotten to the point where I have become a devoted evangelist of the "If it ain't broke don't fix it" cult. I have several Windows 7 machines, one XP and my HTPC which is Windows 10 1903. Updates are disabled. I have offline images of all my OSes so I can restore in case of hard drive failure or malware (I make incremental updates periodically).

Maybe some of you here like to spend hours and hours trying to figure out what went wrong during an update and subsequently trying to fix something that was working perfectly.

What I can safely recommend is for you to make an image of your 1809 setup with Macrium Reflect (free for personal use) then you can try a clean install of 1909 and see if all your hardware works. My HTPC had Windows 7 Pro on it and was working perfectly. I imaged it, deleted all partitions and installed Windows 10 1903 knowing that if it didn't work right restoring Windows 7 would quick and painless.

 

[Tim Barker]

That sounds like an option that I will look into... A 1Tb disc might be fun restoring over a network though is it possible to keep a data partition in place doing a clean install? Might speed it up.

 

[Tim Barker]

Thanks all of you for the help.

 

[ClippyBeer]

That sounds like an option that I will look into... A 1Tb disc might be fun restoring over a network though is it possible to keep a data partition in place doing a clean install? Might speed it up.

Yes a restore of that size will take some time. Once you start the restore process however there isn't any kind of interaction required on your part - You can walk away and leave it till it's done.

Yes you can leave the data partition in place, I've done this several times when installing XP, 7, 10 and even Linux (Lubuntu). That's a very good policy and makes testing new OSes or restoring old ones a breeze. I keep the OS and apps in one partition and data in a separate partition. When I want to test drive a new OS I image the parition with the OS and apps then delete it. Upon installing your new OS you will be asked for the destination drive/partition. The deleted partition will show up as empty space and will then be formatted and made bootable as part of the installation process.

Before you try to reinvent the wheel, what kind of router do you have? Is it provided by your cable company or is it yours? I ask because many years ago I used my cable company's router and had all kinds of connection problems. Turns out their router also makes me into a hotspot for other customers from my cable company. You read right, my bandwidth which I pay for is made available to anyone in range who is a customer. The router was also a very basic model with limited range and 802.11g 2.4GHz. Everytime I used the microwave we would lose WIFI. Oh and here's the punchline: They were charging me $15/month for their router.

I returned their router and purchased my own AC1900 router. All of my WIFI problems disappeared and it paid for itself in less than a year factoring in the rental fees. I am now in control of my WIFI, not my cable company and no more leechers.

I still recommend you purchase the USB Realtek WIFI adapter I mentioned before. It absolutely works with 1903 and is very cheap. It supposedly also works with Linux which you mentioned you use. I would like to try for myself but I have so many pet projects to get to, so little time.

 

[Tim Barker]

Well further looking around suggested that the issue may have been resolved with KB4554364. No such luck. Did as was suggested installing 2 KB updates to SSU (1809 and 1903/9) these were KB4539571 and KB4541338 respectively then the KB update for the known network issues within 1903/9 upgrades (this being KB4554364). The software downloaded for all three directly from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Still no internet with version 1909.

 

[Wolfie]

Hi Tim,

there are a shed load of drivers for your device at the following link. I have no idea whether or not the site is trustworthy so use at your own risk!. I also don't know if they will work with Win 10 at all????, that said, it is worth a try!.

https://www.laptopsdrivers.com/down...lifebook-sh772-notebook-drivers-download.html

You are going to have to have a good look down the list as it isn't very well sorted!.

 

[Tim Barker]

As far as I am aware all of the drivers on the PC are up-to-date. I did a run through of all of the network drivers when I first had the problem. Honestly don't believe I can trust these types of sites either.

 

[ClippyBeer]

Under no circumstances should you trust those driver download sites. Either get them from manufacturer's website or Microsoft. There sure are a lot of those driver sites when you do a Google search. I wonder why..

 

[davehc]

Agreed but with reservation.
MS are pretty good with updating of drivers, but they will, naturally, only forward tested drivers which are supplied from the manufacturers.
As I have recently said, on another thread, from time to time I go through the device manager and check the drivers and let it search on line. Several times I have been successful, particularly with Intel products. I guess it is up to the user whether or not these "Updates" should be trusted, but, to date, I have not had any problems with my method. It is always the users prerogative to roll back, anyway.
Where they come from, assuming they are later versions, I have no idea.