I'm having some trouble with my new TP-Link AC1200 network adapter that I ordered from Amazon. It doesn't look exactly like the one shown on the website, but I found other listings that match what I received. The problem is that Windows keeps identifying it as an INTEL(R) Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265, and when I attempt to install the correct TP-Link drivers, it says it can't find the device. I've also tried using Device Manager, but it insists that the 'best drivers are already installed on your PC.' Has anyone else experienced this?
4 Answers
Yeah, that 'best driver is already installed' message has haunted Windows users forever! If you open Command Prompt as an admin, you can check for any third-party drivers using `dism /online /get-drivers /format:table`. You can also use `pnputil /enum-devices /disconnected` to see if there are any drivers that aren't currently connected.
Have you looked to see if you can roll back the driver in Device Manager? You could also try uninstalling the current one and then installing the one you downloaded manually.
Have you tried downloading the drivers directly from the TP-Link website and manually installing them? Sometimes that can bypass Windows' automatic installation process.
I gave that a shot, but it still won't let me install them. It seems to be a pretty common issue with this adapter!
It might actually be using the right driver. Can you confirm what exact TP-Link adapter you got? A few of them rely on Intel chipsets, meaning installing the Intel driver could be the correct approach.
I attempted that, but it didn't solve the problem for me.