Can I try hitting your network card with a hammer?
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I was this close to marking that as the Solution 
Now that I know I can always tether with my backup phone (not ideal but perfectly functional), should I just go ahead and install ZL, and hope that an installed OS will sooner or later be able to use the wireless card?
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You could afterwards trying to install kernel 6.x to see if it supports your card or 5.18 for that matter. I think there's some threads regarding how to.
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For some, the final solution is to grab a cheap Linux compatible Wifi Adapter and use that, instead.
I am sorry, I am stumped as to why your card is so stubborn. It is possible that the card itself has a hardware flaw. It's not my first guess, though.
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Re kernel upgrade, that'd be great if it would fix the wireless, but can it cause difficulties elsewhere?
True - it's up to you if you want to use some time to test it.
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Well, I've been trying Elive with kernel 6.1.0-0 and it also told me no network device detected 
(It also has kernel 5.10.178 but that didn't see the wireless card either.)
Presumably that means that, currently, updating the kernel in Zorin Lite won't fix this issue?
Not likely.
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I see.
I think I might just go ahead and wipe Windows and rely on tethering in Zorin until someone eventually (fingers crossed) comes up with a driver that I can get working.
Thanks to everyone who has tried helping out in this thread.
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@4box
Is "Secure Boot" turned off in your BIOS?
These drivers (that you download from GitHub or any other external source) will work only if Secure Boot is OFF. It is mandatory.
Just mentioning because I didn't see any comment related to that or I missed it.
Did you try this: 1. Installing Realtek RTL8821CE Driver to use the Wireless Network Interface in Ubuntu - GeeksforGeeks
2. GitHub - lwfinger/rtw88 (note: not rtw89)
3. GitHub - RangeeGmbH/rtl8821ce: Realtek 8821CE PCI WiFi driver
Try all but first turn off Secure Boot!
See link for more info: Realtek Semiconductor RTL8821CE 802.11ac PCIe Wireless Network Adapter
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Thanks for the tips and other options.
Secure Boot is disabled. Also disabled "Intel Platform Trust Technology" (re this post).
I've also turned off (now, not when I tried the other things) Fast Start in Windows and the "when closing lid" issue in Power Options.
I've decided to bite the bullet and install Zorin Lite no matter what (once I get another USB drive to set up Windows Recovery media just in case there's yet another Linux-crippling Windows setting I've missed). Once it's installed, I'll try those other options you've suggested.
If nothing works, I'll just tether to a phone until either a new software/driver solution comes along or I buy a USB wifi dongle.
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ROUND 2!!!
OK, I installed Zorin Lite 16.3 onto the computer (although I went with dual boot for now; once I've worked out how to get everything working, I'll go for single boot).
First thing I've tried now: upgraded kernel to 6.2 and rebooted.
Unfortunately it still doesn't see the wifi card. I'll reread this thread to see what to try next.
Second thing I've tried:
However that results in an error which think may be related to the 1st thing I did, upgrading the kernel. Specifically:
Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 6.2.16-060216-generic (x86_64)
More terminal output
Setting up build-essential (12.8ubuntu1.1) ...
Setting up rtl8821ce-dkms (5.5.2.1-0ubuntu4~20.04.5) ...
Loading new rtl8821ce-5.5.2.1 DKMS files...
Building for 6.2.16-060216-generic
Building initial module for 6.2.16-060216-generic
Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 6.2.16-060216-generic (x86_
64)
Consult /var/lib/dkms/rtl8821ce/5.5.2.1/build/make.log for more information.
dpkg: error processing package rtl8821ce-dkms (--configure):
installed rtl8821ce-dkms package post-installation script subprocess returned e
rror exit status 10
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.31-0ubuntu9.9) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.9.1-1) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
rtl8821ce-dkms
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
I don't know how to roll back to previous kernel.
Reboot and tap esc or tab to access the Grub Menu if the grub menu does not appear at boot.
From the Grub Menu, select Advanced Options for Zorin and then select to boot Zorin On (Previous kernel. It should be Zorin On 5.15.0-7something)
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OK, I booted into old kernel and tried installing rtl8821ce-dkms again.
Again an error, but maybe just for kernel 6.2 even though I'm in kernel 5.15. Will reboot and see what happens.
Last half of terminal output
Reading state information... Done
rtl8821ce-dkms is already the newest version (5.5.2.1-0ubuntu4~20.04.5).
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Setting up rtl8821ce-dkms (5.5.2.1-0ubuntu4~20.04.5) ...
Removing old rtl8821ce-5.5.2.1 DKMS files...
------------------------------
Deleting module version: 5.5.2.1
completely from the DKMS tree.
------------------------------
Done.
Loading new rtl8821ce-5.5.2.1 DKMS files...
Building for 5.15.0-78-generic 6.2.16-060216-generic
Building initial module for 5.15.0-78-generic
Can't load /var/lib/shim-signed/mok/.rnd into RNG
139905098659136:error:2406F079:random number generator:RAND_load_file:Cannot ope
n file:../crypto/rand/randfile.c:98:Filename=/var/lib/shim-signed/mok/.rnd
Generating a RSA private key
................................................................................
........................................................................+++++
....................+++++
writing new private key to '/var/lib/shim-signed/mok/MOK.priv'
-----
Secure Boot not enabled on this system.
Done.
rtl8821ce.ko:
Running module version sanity check.
- Original module
- No original module exists within this kernel
- Installation
- Installing to /lib/modules/5.15.0-78-generic/updates/
/etc/modprobe.d/dkms.conf: added 'blacklist rtw88_8821ce'
depmod....
DKMS: install completed.
Building initial module for 6.2.16-060216-generic
Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 6.2.16-060216-generic (x86_
64)
Consult /var/lib/dkms/rtl8821ce/5.5.2.1/build/make.log for more information.
dpkg: error processing package rtl8821ce-dkms (--configure):
installed rtl8821ce-dkms package post-installation script subprocess returned e
rror exit status 10
Errors were encountered while processing:
rtl8821ce-dkms
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
After rebooting (kernel 5.15), it still doesn't see wifi.
lshw -C network output
sudo lshw -C network
*-network UNCLAIMED
description: Network controller
product: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:03:00.0
version: 00
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi pciexpress cap_list
configuration: latency=0
resources: ioport:1000(size=256) memory:a1100000-a11fffff
*-network
description: Ethernet interface
physical id: 3
bus info: usb@1:8
logical name: usb0
serial: 46:1a:ed:90:e5:0d
capabilities: ethernet physical
configuration: autonegotiation=off broadcast=yes driver=rndis_host driverversion=5.15.0-78-generic duplex=half firmware=RNDIS device ip=192.168.0.11 link=yes multicast=yes port=twisted pair
Is Secure Boot enabled in BIOS EFI settings?
it's turned off, and that was confirmed both by a message on startup and by terminal output somewhere today (I think the first time I tried installing rtl8821ce-dkms)
EDIT: Found it in output above:
Secure Boot not enabled on this system.
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After working out how to do a fresh, clean reinstall of Zorin, I will now attempt the suggestions in this post:
First step:
sudo apt clean && sudo apt autoremove && sudo apt update
OK. Next:
sudo apt install -y git build-essential
OK. Next:
git clone https://github.com/lwfinger/rtw89.git
OK. This is already better than the first time I tried (which gave an error at this step).
Next:
cd rtw89
OK. Next:
make
OK. Next:
sudo make install
Install rtw89 SUCCESS
That sounds good!
Next:
sudo mkdir /usr/lib/firmware/rtw89
mkdir: cannot create directory 'usr/lib/firmware/rtw89': File exists
This happened before, but I'm not sure what to do (back then the situation complicated by the fact I was using a Live USB, this time it's installed on the SSD).
Just go ahead with the remaining steps? Something else?
Yes. That step seeks to ensure that the directory is present to receive files.
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