Hello everyone,
I just bought the Wireless N PCI Adapter (TL-WN851ND) from TP-LINK for my Windows 10 PC. It says that it's compatible for Windows 7/Vista/XP but it doesn't say Windows 10 on there. I thought that since it works on Windows 7, it will probably work on Windows 10 aswell, but since I inserted the card and have it running my computer freezes randomly and gives me a blue screen sometime later. The blue screen also says MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION. Sometimes when I turn the PC on it will freeze and go to the blue screen while loading Windows 10.
Is there any possible way to make this adapter compatible for Windows 10 without it freezing all the time which leads to me having to reboot the computer over and over again?
When I tried to install the driver that came with the hardware it said that it doesn't work on this operating system (Windows 10).
I installed a different random driver that I found in the internet, but it still freezes every now and then.
Uninstall the device in Programs and FeaturesWhen I tried to install the driver that came with the hardware it said that it doesn't work on this operating system (Windows 10).
I installed a different random driver that I found in the internet, but it still freezes every now and then.
Uninstall the device in Device Manager - remove software if prompted (might also be a checkbox on a dialog window)
Right click any device and scan for hardware changes
If the device is again in the list, it found software to reinstall
Uninstall again - remove software if prompted (might also be a checkbox on a dialog window)
scan for hardware changes
Repeat until device is in the Unknown category
Restart your machine
Run Windows Update (WU) manually
The best driver will be installed if WU finds a HW match.
Unfortunately it says after doing all this that it can't find a driver software for the device. What can I do now? (At least my PC doesn't freeze anymore as long as the device is uninstalled, but I'd like to get the wifi card working without any problems)
I don't have such a device, so this is just guesswork.
Can you manually install the Windows 7 drivers? It may be possible to do that by going to the appropriate folder (32 or 64 bit), right clicking the .inf file, and choosing "install". (That could bypass the OS checks in setup.exe.)
I did a quick look at the Microsoft Update archive, but didn't spot any drivers for the adapter there.
As TP-Link hasn't chosen to produce Windows 10 drivers for the adapter, you may need to use a different adapter. An external USB one may be less dependent on the operating system.
Okay I just extracted the driver files from the CD that came with the device and installed them manually, which worked! I rebooted the PC afterwards and the reboot took a little longer but it did not freeze at any point, and even now it did not freeze yet. Thanks for the tip!
I am not entirely sure if this solved the freezing problem (since it just happens randomly), but since my PC didn't freeze yet I am hoping for the best. I will mark this thread as solved.
Thanks again!
Excellent!
