Airport Card not recognized anymore

[JBot]

I currently have a macbook that doesnt have an airport card installed.
Apparently it was working fine up until a week ago, then just "disappeared from the top bar." Its a friends computer, so im trying to figure out what exactly he did. He had a verizon wireless manager app installed that was configuring the network connections itself, so i have since gotten rid of that.
I updated the airport firmware, but that didnt do anything, it is still not being recognized.
I tried getting rid of the AppleAirport.kext and AppleAirport2.kext in System/Library/Extensions, but it never replaced those missing files.
I tried resetting the PRAM, didnt do anything.
I tried a PMU reset. again with no luck of getting the comp to recognize the card.

I dont have an install disc for v10.4, which is what this is running. I am wondering if anybody at all has any ideas as to what i could do. Ive read on the apple support forums that people just ended up bringing it in to the apple repair shops, and they fixed it. But i dont believe it is a hardware issue this time, since my buddy said he started deleting random files in hopes to resolve the issue himself. I know, that doesnt help much, but hopefully someone has had the same issue and resolved it?
Is there somewhere where i can download the airport firmware and try reinstalling that? That may help, since when i try to do a software update now it asys everythings up to date already...

 

[iLog.Genius]

You weren't suppose to remove the .kext files, if you delete them you're going to have to find them another way or do a reinstall. For troubleshooting, you're best off only playing .plist files, maybe you were trying to do that instead? If so...

Macintosh HD/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration and delete com.apple.airport.preferences.plist and preferences.plist. By correctly moving them to trash, it should prompt you to enter in your login password. Do a restart and see what happens.

Also, you might want to check to see if System Profiler detects it. If it does, might be software and deleting those two .plists files above should remedy the situation.

Check those out and post back with an update.

(Also, are you sure the box Show AirPort status in menu bar isn't unchecked in System Preferences>Network? That will remove it from the title bar if it is.)

 

[JBot]

I deleted those 2 files, and nothing seems to have happened. I rebooted the comp after removing them and the system didnt replace them. Is there something i can do to recreate those files?
Or is there an installer for the airport card i could try using. Make the comp find the card that way?

 

[iLog.Genius]

I deleted those 2 files, and nothing seems to have happened. I rebooted the comp after removing them and the system didnt replace them. Is there something i can do to recreate those files?
Or is there an installer for the airport card i could try using. Make the comp find the card that way?

.plist files should always recreate themselves after a restart if the said software and or hardware is present. .kext will not recreate themselves. Go into System Profiler to see if it's detected.

 

[Pixellated]

Time machine backup and OSX reinstall should fix it.

 

[JBot]

.plist files should always recreate themselves after a restart if the said software and or hardware is present. .kext will not recreate themselves. Go into System Profiler to see if it's detected.

Yea sorry i forgot to specify that.
Under System profiler for the airport card it just says no information found. and the plist files didnt recreate themselves. the kext files i replaced.

 

[JBot]

Time machine backup and OSX reinstall should fix it.

dont want to have to reinstall the os if i dont have to.
i dont have the install disc and dont want to have to torrent it.

 

[iLog.Genius]

Yea sorry i forgot to specify that.
Under System profiler for the airport card it just says no information found. and the plist files didnt recreate themselves. the kext files i replaced.

Then there is something wrong with the AirPort card in your friends MacBook. Just to verify, create a new user account and in that new account, go back into System Profiler and confirm that the AirPort card isn't listed there.

 

[JBot]

Then there is something wrong with the AirPort card in your friends MacBook. Just to verify, create a new user account and in that new account, go back into System Profiler and confirm that the AirPort card isn't listed there.

Its listed there, but says no information found for it. same deal

 

[iLog.Genius]

Its listed there, but says no information found for it. same deal

Ok so that confirms that the AirPort card is there but the MacBook can't detect it. You or your friend is going to need to bring it to a Apple Store or 3rd party service provider to maybe reseat the card or get a new one.