WIFI button not clickable - win 8.1

[cruelty]

thinkpad edge
model: 0197-98g
wifi adapter: ThinkPad 11b/g/n Wireless LAN Mini-PCI Express Adapter II for Windows 7


the device's wifi did not work for a long time in w7. then suddenly it did work for a couple of days before not working again. when clicking the connection icon in system tray no wifi network was available.

suspect defect WIFI-card but wanted to try to hear here before buying USB-wifi-card. read bios changelog, that fnkey for wifi did not turn off WIFI when WIFI was turned on, but shouldn't be related to this problem, right?


steps (besides clean install w8.1)

on w7 64 bit:
uninstalled and reinstallaed the wireless adapter in device manager
installed latest drivers
changed channel from 11 to 8 on router

w8.1 64bit:
upon new installation, the button for sliding WIFI on-off could not be clicked, greyed out. To the left of the slider is "OFF". The menu appears when clicing the network icon in system tray.
tried holding in FN + F9, which has the icon for WIFI. No message appears in windows if it has now been disalbed/activated (which it did on w7. volume-fn keys doesnt make notification in OS either, nothing happens when trying the brightness fn como either)
ran lenovo system update utility, found no drivers, despite this installed the driver that is listed for said adapter, could not install at first, then worked with compatabitlity optoins. confirmed that realteks driver was installed in device manager, as to the previous one form microsoft.
uninstalled then discovered adapter in device manager. currently this made it so that there is no button at all.


edit: entered bios, it asked for password, I don't have it so just clicked enter. in network Wireless land and wimax radio is OFF! but cant change it due to user mode "if any items require changes, please consult your system Supervisor". how to reset bios pw?

edit2: okay, resetting supervisor pw is out of the question. can FN keys disable/enable WIFI in bIOS? its weird that it says off, when WIFI worked for a couple of days.

edit3: bios v is 1.17

[ilakast]

This

then suddenly it did work for a couple of days before not working again.

and this

in network Wireless land and wimax radio is OFF! its weird that it says off, when WIFI worked for a couple of days.

is not only weird but practically impossible.

can FN keys disable/enable WIFI in bIOS?

No.

USB wifi dongles are dirt cheap, so it's not a big deal. The real issue is that some day the CMOS battery will die and you will not be able to boot at all. Read this for the only hope to keep it going forever http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 63#p702263

[Cigarguy]

If wifi is turned off in BIOS, that would explain why the device is not showing up in Windows or any other OS.