BB Link thinks it has a WiFi connection so backup won't run

Question

Summary: BB Link thinks that it has a WiFi connection when WiFi is switched off and phone is connected by USB.
Computer: Dell E5550 OS Win 7, SP1, 64 bit.
Link 1.2.3.56
Phone: BB Q10, OS 10.2.1
Problem:
The phone is plugged in to a USB port and the computer responds by making a sound and installing two BB devices in Device Manager neither of which has a yellow question mark.  The phone pops up to say that it is now connected to the computer.  The WiFi in both computer and phone is still switched off by default.  The phone has been shown to work normally with Link in three other computers (32 & 64 bit)
Link should start automatically but does not do so.  After Link is started manually, the phone then connects and disconnects in Link twice before finally establishing a connection.  Any new photos are then synchronised and are listed in Recent Activity in Link.  The phone is meanwhile charging, and the phone SD card and flash memory are mapped in Windows Explorer as drives Y: and Z:  Link displays in colour code the disposition of files in the phone memory on the device home screen.
The next Link screen is Backup & Restore which displays in bold yellow "Device cannot be backed up or restored when connection is through WiFi"  WiFi on both phone and computer is still OFF!
The Contacts / Calenders screen gives a similar message to the Backup & Restore screen and asks me to connect using USB as WiFi cannot be used for this function.  As far as I can see, USB is the only connection present.
The Synced Media screen is OK as this will work with WiFi even though it is not switched on.
Switching on the WiFi at this stage unsurprisingly changes nothing, but when it is then switched off, the phone disconnects from Link.
I have uninstalled and re-installed Link countless times and also deleted and re-installed the device drivers in Device Manger about 3 times, but with no positive effect on the situation.  I still cannot backup to Link and have to pull out an old computer (which I would like to dump) for this purpose only.
Hopefully, someone might have experienced this situation before?  I know that OS 10.3.1 might solve this problem as might a newer version of Link but right now these are not available to me.

Answer 1

Yes, you are correct about the Intel wireless system used by Dell.  If you connect using the taskbar wireless symbol then you do have the opportunity to uncheck the Connect Automatically box.
However, if you connect from Manage Wireless Networks, then you are also offered the opportunity to create a profile (or not).  To create a pofile appears to be the default.
What Link has picked up on however is not clear at all so it appears that this problem may very well be computer specific.  The other strange aspect being that phone connection cannot happen unless I am logged onto BB ID.
Many thanks for your suggestions.  I'll just have to wait to see if an upgrade can sort this out.  At least I can presently copy files using Explorer.