[SOLVED] Network driver installation problems on a fresh windows 7, on an old laptop - Sager NP9150 (Clevo P150EM)

Avinoam73

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May 1, 2012
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Hi all,
I have an old Sager NP9150 (Clevo P150EM), and for the last few weeks I've been trying on and off to get it working again after a windows 10 update made the GPU obsolete (7970M).
Anyway, I've tried my best making the 7970M work on windows 10, and installed a fresh windows 7 instead (which was a saga in itself).

Now however, I'm in a different pickle, since the W7 OS doesn't install network drivers by default, and now the machine can't connect at all to the internet - Ethernet cables aren't recognized and wifi doesn't even appear as an option.

I've found the correct drivers (I think*) after a lot of digging online (I'll link the website for anyone needing it), transferred the packages to my laptop, and now I get installation errors.

Basically, the installer claims everything's alright, and in the device manager, there's a yellow triangle on "Realtek PCIe GBE family controller" - which is under the "network controller" tab (there are two bluetooth related ones that seem to work).

Plus, there's a bunch of stuff under "other devices", all with yellow triangles and a generic icon, including 3 that are called "network controller", PCI Device, and PCI family controller, and a bunch of others. They all have a "no driver found error".

When I troubleshoot the connection icon in the desktop, the official message I get is:

"The Realtek PCIe GBE family controller is experiencing driver - or hardware - related problems."

BTW the only drivers I've installed so far are a few different network drivers (which I uninstalled, but maybe they have some left-overs, is there a DDU equivalent for network drivers?), and the chipset drivers, which installed with some errors.

Network worked on prior to windows 7 install.

Windows 7 pro 64bit

Sager NP9150/Clevo P150EM


Link to where I got the drivers:
https://drivers.eu/Notebooks/Sager/NP9150(SKU P150EM)/Windows 7


Thanks!!
 
Solution
those driver sites are mainly all bogus and usually deliver only viruses and malware!! i avoid them like the plague.

an easy start i find is a usb wifi adapter to be the best option to get net access and allow windows update to see what it can find. they are cheap and easy to use for this type of thing. i always have one in my troubleshooting bag for when i am working on clients devices.


i actually found the manufacturer site with drivers on it for that laptop

https://www.sagernotebook.com/drivers.php?cat=557

probably a good place to start if you don't have a wifif adapter to use.


you can also go to realtek for the driver as they make the chip if all else fails.

you do need to figure out what actual network chip you have...

Math Geek

Titan
Ambassador
those driver sites are mainly all bogus and usually deliver only viruses and malware!! i avoid them like the plague.

an easy start i find is a usb wifi adapter to be the best option to get net access and allow windows update to see what it can find. they are cheap and easy to use for this type of thing. i always have one in my troubleshooting bag for when i am working on clients devices.


i actually found the manufacturer site with drivers on it for that laptop

https://www.sagernotebook.com/drivers.php?cat=557

probably a good place to start if you don't have a wifif adapter to use.


you can also go to realtek for the driver as they make the chip if all else fails.

you do need to figure out what actual network chip you have in it though so you can get the right driver pack.

https://www.realtek.com/en/component/zoo/advanced-search/616?Itemid=276
 
Last edited:
Solution

Avinoam73

Distinguished
May 1, 2012
589
1
19,015
those driver sites are mainly all bogus and usually deliver only viruses and malware!! i avoid them like the plague.

an easy start i find is a usb wifi adapter to be the best option to get net access and allow windows update to see what it can find. they are cheap and easy to use for this type of thing. i always have one in my troubleshooting bag for when i am working on clients devices.


i actually found the manufacturer site with drivers on it for that laptop

https://www.sagernotebook.com/drivers.php?cat=557

probably a good place to start if you don't have a wifif adapter to use.


you can also go to realtek for the driver as they make the chip if all else fails.

you do need to figure out what actual network chip you have in it though so you can get the right driver pack.

https://www.realtek.com/en/component/zoo/advanced-search/616?Itemid=276

The website I've linked was legit as far as my experience showed, although I haven't scanned it with an AV. Anyway, doesn't really bother me since I run the .exe on a fresh windows machine. Can easily be formatted again.
As for the manufacturer's website, I don't know if you haven't tried it or if it's like that just for me, but it's dead for years now, I don't think Sager even exists anymore.
However, the adapter thing makes a lot of sense, and I'm surprised I haven't thought about it myself as I already have a USB wifi antenna. I'll give it a try when I get home.

Thanks M8, I'll keep you posted
 

Avinoam73

Distinguished
May 1, 2012
589
1
19,015
those driver sites are mainly all bogus and usually deliver only viruses and malware!! i avoid them like the plague.

an easy start i find is a usb wifi adapter to be the best option to get net access and allow windows update to see what it can find. they are cheap and easy to use for this type of thing. i always have one in my troubleshooting bag for when i am working on clients devices.


i actually found the manufacturer site with drivers on it for that laptop

https://www.sagernotebook.com/drivers.php?cat=557

probably a good place to start if you don't have a wifif adapter to use.


you can also go to realtek for the driver as they make the chip if all else fails.

you do need to figure out what actual network chip you have in it though so you can get the right driver pack.

https://www.realtek.com/en/component/zoo/advanced-search/616?Itemid=276

So here's the thing,
I've connected my network adapter, got it's drivers from a different computer, and now my laptop can connect online.

But windows update still doesn't work, it encounters an "unknown error" and I also can't install any of the chipset drivers yet (naturally).
but it's even worse, Because I've tried to at least activate windows and it also errors out, in whatever way I tried.
Did Microsoft straight up removed any service for windows 7?
 

Math Geek

Titan
Ambassador
The website I've linked was legit as far as my experience showed, although I haven't scanned it with an AV. Anyway, doesn't really bother me since I run the .exe on a fresh windows machine. Can easily be formatted again.
As for the manufacturer's website, I don't know if you haven't tried it or if it's like that just for me, but it's dead for years now, I don't think Sager even exists anymore.
However, the adapter thing makes a lot of sense, and I'm surprised I haven't thought about it myself as I already have a USB wifi antenna. I'll give it a try when I get home.

Thanks M8, I'll keep you posted

I am able to download the various drivers from the site. Not sure why you can't.

But the adapter will prob get it all from windows update so that should be good enough.