USB Wi-Fi Adapter and GPU issues

Long story short, I've got:

i3 4160
ASRock H81M-DGS motherboard
Kingston 2x4GB 1600MHz DDR3 12800 CL11

No dedicated GPU, just running on the integrated graphics from the CPU at 1GB.

1.) Picked up a Ralink USB Wi-Fi Adapter on eBay for about $27.
Trying to install it using the CD that came in the box, but it's a bust. Windows 8.1 sees the device, but it keeps throwing an error like the one in this pic.



I've tried downloading a few different drivers, but it's the same old story. Either it says it can't run the installer, or the Wi-Fi icon in the system tray won't even open.
What's the deal?

2.) I can't bump the shared video memory past 1GB in the BIOS, even though both the board and the CPU specs say it should handle up to 1.8GB.

Try pulling the Hardware ID through Device Manager—that might help us track down some alternative drivers. But honestly, based on those symptoms you mentioned, I think the USB Wi-Fi Adapter might just be toast.

http://dellwindowsreinstallationguid...evice-manager/

this?

USB\VID_148F&PID_7601&REV_0000
USB\VID_148F&PID_7601

According to Google, it's a TP-Link chip. I'm just not sure which specific TP-Link model would be the right match—they have quite a few different ones out there. If you plug in the USB\VID_148F&PID_7601&REV_0000, it might pull up some drivers, but honestly, the websites I found didn't seem very reliable.

Have you tried anything else yet? I noticed you mentioned you already attempted to use some drivers.

Grab the drivers right here:
http://devid.info/hi/63489/TP-LINK+Wireless+USB+Adapter

Just extract the files and run the setup.

George Sanders37 said:According to Google, it's a TP-Link chip. I'm just not sure which specific TP-Link model would be the right match—they have quite a few different ones out there. If you plug in the USB\VID_148F&PID_7601&REV_0000, it might pull up some drivers, but honestly, the websites I found didn't seem very reliable.

Have you tried anything else yet? I noticed you mentioned you already attempted to use some drivers.

Already downloaded a few versions. Same result every time. Maybe if I paste that exact string into Google again, something will finally stick.

Noah Miller6 said:Grab the drivers right here:
http://devid.info/hi/63489/TP-LINK+Wireless+USB+Adapter

Just extract the files and run the setup.

Yeah, tried it. Nothing. Same problem.

With this one, I can't even tell where the program installs to. Device Manager is still throwing the same error.

So, the adapter is basically just a paperweight now.
I'd suggest picking up your next one from a place where getting a refund, an exchange, or a repair won't be such a headache—eBay can be pretty hit-or-miss when it comes to electronics.

I know, some guy promised he'd pay me back.

Gonna try setting it up on my laptop again. It's running Windows XP, but whatever, we'll see.

Anyone got an answer for my other question? Why am I stuck capping out at 1 GB of VRAM?

Regarding the GPU memory addressing issue—I guess the only real way to tackle that would be to grab a BIOS update directly from the manufacturer's website.
http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/H81M-...wnload&os=BIOS

I'll give it a shot. Thanks.

I've got the r2.0 version of the motherboard, which still supports 1.4 GB of RAM... plus I'm running BIOS 1.4, which is the latest one available online, so I honestly have no clue why this isn't working.

First off, stay away from ASrock; they are nothing but trouble. Who even thinks a dance with a CD-ROM is a solution?

The USB Wi-Fi Adapter should work. Did you previously have a different USB stick with Wi-Fi? Maybe one using Ralink? If so, you better uninstall those old drivers first.
ond reboot the machine and install the new driver/software. If it prompts you to plug in the USB Wi-Fi Adapter, then you do it—not before.
The software needs to be installed first.

It could be dead, though I doubt it.

That isn't the case with graphics cards. You can install those earlier because Windows will always default to a standard driver until the proper one is found. The standard driver always works; it's just incredibly slow.

USB Wi-Fi Adapter is dead. Tried it on a few different PCs, nothing.

Updated the BIOS to version 1.40, but it didn't change a thing... whatever, I'm just buying a new GPU anyway so it’s not a huge deal, but still—I’d love to solve this 😁

I saw some chart online talking about how much RAM gets allocated to the graphics versus what stays with the system.
Maybe the ratio is capped because I'm only running 8 GB of RAM.

So, I checked Windows 8.1 under display > advanced settings, and it shows the max amount that can be assigned to the graphics card... says 1824 MB.

The system stays at 1024 constantly, but it pulls up to that 1824 MB mark whenever it actually needs to.

I also read somewhere that some games won't grab more memory unless you manually tweak things in certain game files.