WiFi connect before Windows logon

This sometimes happens if you use the wireless NIC manufacturer's wireless utility instead of the Windows builtin wireless configuration utility. Try change that and it will probably work, or check if the utility has any option available to change it's behavior.

when you connect to a wireless wifi it will need to know the password of the wireless net work, I believe this information is user based. In other words that when a user logs into the computer and connects wirelessly it remembers the password the user typed in to reconnect to that wireless connection. When you are only at the log in screen no one is actually logged onto the machine so the computer does not know which wireless network to connect to or what the password is for the particular wireless network.  I am not sure why you would need the system to be connected via wifi before someone logs in, unless you were trying to remotely log into the laptop. Then it probably be better if the laptop was hard wired.

I have other wireless laptops/pcs that allow rdp before its locally logged on

but are they hardwire or connected via wireless?

Wireless

okay I admit I was wrong..... well at least I learned something that is why I volunteer my time answering questions on this site so I can learn from fellow techs such as yourself.

As I mentioned earlier, this usually happens with 3rd party wireless utilities. With the builtin Windows tool it should connect (as long as you aren't using radius for authentication, then as mentioned above you'd first have to logon...).

Ok, I've just checked the laptop. There does not appear to be any 3rd party wireless utilities installed.

The WiFi adapater is a Realtek rtl8187se.

Then it is possible that there are multiple wireless profiles, and the system doesn't know which one to use.

Now there's an idea! Great shout, I'll remove all the profiles and setup just the 1. See how I get on.

Thanks!

Ok, i've found something interesting..

When I click on "manage wireless networks" in the control panel there is a "profile types" button.

If I click this it has 2 options.. enable profiles for all users  or per user.
The laptop was set to per user, however if I change it and click save. When I re-open the changes do not seem to be saving.

Can you post a screenshot of the manage wireless networks tool?

Sure

sure
screenshot.png

Logging in as the administrator I was able to change the Profile types to All users.

As I was working remotely with no local control over the laptop I had to re-create the wireless profile for it's local wifi network without disconnecting it.

So I renamed the profile it was currently using. Re-created a copy of it then restarted the laptop.

I can now connect to it via RDP and ping it before it is locally logged on.

There you go, you learn something new everyday!