Hi, John,
Both laptops are HPs running the Windows 10 operating system version 1909 (OS Build 18363.126), and are using Windows Defender and Windows Firewall for real-time protection. The one that has the most trouble with the issue, an ENVY 17m-bw0xxx, also has a McAfee security scan that runs periodically. The other laptop is a Pavillion x360 Convertible 15-dq0xxx.
Thank you so much for your offer to help. I know this is a very unusual problem. It really sounds kind of like one or more Windows data variables is getting corrupted somehow causing a least a portion of the operating system to think there is no longer any hardware available.