Solved: Windows 10 Won’t Connect to WiFi

Having trouble with your Windows 10 computer or laptop not connecting to WiFi?

It’s frustrating to not be able to connect to the internet, and unfortunately the Windows Network Troubleshooter doesn’t always identify the problem for you.

Not being able to connect to the WiFi is a common issue with Windows 10 computers, especially after an update is released, but we’ve found that usually you can resolve the problem and get back online with one of following the steps outlined below.

First, make sure the issue is with your computer – and not your router or modem. Are you able to connect to your WiFi with another device, like a phone or a different computer?

If not, you may need to address the problem with your router or internet provider. If you are able to connect with a different device, try these steps to resolve the issue and connect your computer to the WiFi again.

Before You Begin…

• • Make sure your WiFi is turned on.
    • Click the  WiFi icon in the right bottom corner of your computer to ensure it’s not turned off. If you see an airplane icon – you most likely have your settings set to “Airplane Mode” and you will either need to turn that off, or turn WiFi back on.

• • Reset your Router
    • Tip: Use a pen/pencil to reset your Router

• Check to see if your computer connects to different network.
  • If there is another WiFi network available, try connecting to that one. If that works and you are able to connect to other networks, you will want to try restarting your router/modem or forget and reconnect to your WiFi network.
    • • To forget and reconnect to your network is to click the start icon in the left corner and type in “change Wi-Fi settings”

    

    • • Next, click on “Manage Known Networks”

    

    • • From there, click the WiFi network you are trying to connect to and choose the option “Forget”

    

    • You can now try to connect to the network again. If that does not solve your issue, keep trying the options below.

• Restart your computer
  • If you haven’t tried this yet, try it now. Nothing is worse than solving your troubles with a simple restart after spending hours trying to figure out what’s wrong with your device.

• Connect to the internet with an ethernet cable
  • If you are able to connect to the internet with a cable, you might have an issue with your drivers or your WiFi card.

Still Unable To Connect To The WiFi?

Here are all of the potential issues your computer might have, and step-by-step solutions to fix them.

* It is recommended that you connect your computer manually to the internet with an ethernet cable at this point to follow these steps, as internet access will make it easier for you to complete these steps.

Missing drivers or drivers that are out of date are often the culprit for Windows 10 computers not being able to connect to WiFi.
If you were unable connect after trying the above solutions, you can try to manually identify and install the correct drivers for your computer. (Driver Support offers a great tool that automatically scans and installs missing drivers for you, so that you don’t have to spend hours trying to figure it out yourself or accidentally deleting important files that your computer needs to run smoothly. You can Give DriverSupport | ONE a try today!)

Solution: Reset TCP/IP Stack

First, open the Command Prompt (Click your start button, type in “cmd” and open the application)

2. Next, type the following commands into the first line. Hit Enter after each line.

• netsh winsock reset (press Enter)
• netsh int ip reset (press Enter)
• ipconfig /release (press Enter)
• ipconfig /renew (press Enter)
• ipconfig /flushdns (press Enter)

3. Try again to connect to the WiFi. You may need to restart your computer after this as well.

Solution: Update the Network Adapter Driver

1. Open the Device Manager by clicking the start button and typing in “Device Manager”

2. Locate the “Network adapters” in the list and click the arrow to expand that section.

3. Right click on the adapter and select “Update driver.” When the prompt appears, click “Search automatically for updated driver software.”  You may need to restart your computer after installing the new driver.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: if your computer cannot locate the driver to update at this point you will need to download it from the manufacturer. If you are unable to connect to the internet with an ethernet cable, you will need to download the driver onto a usb flash drive so that you can select it and manually update.

Solution: Manually Download and Update The Network Adapter Driver

If your computer is unable to automatically install the driver you are missing, you will need to download it from the manufacturer website.

You can follow these instructions to find out what drivers you need, how to download and install them.

(Driver Support has a tool that can scan your computer for missing drivers and install them automatically for you. Give DriverSupport | ONE a try today!.)

1. Determine which driver you will need for your computer. You can usually search for the driver on the manufacturers website or searching the internet. Make sure to only download the driver from the manufacturers site or a site you trust.

2. The name of the driver is in the list from the dropdown, so in the example below, “Qualcomm QCA9565” is what we would type into to find on Dell’s support site.

3. When you locate the driver on the manufacturer site, check to make sure that it matches the driver you are missing trying to update.

Download the file to the computer you need to update, or save it to a USB flash drive.

Recommendation: Update My USB Driver

4. Once you have downloaded the file, return to the device manager and click “Update Driver” again. This time, choose “Browse my computer for driver software” and then select the folder the driver is located in (usually your downloads or the folder where your USB drive is located).

When your computer detects the driver, it will list it under compatible hardware. Select the driver and click “Next” to finish the installation process.

5. At this point, you may need to restart your computer after installing the correct driver. After you are sure you have updated all the drivers correctly, try connecting again to the wifi.

Solution: Temporarily Turn Off Firewalls and Antivirus Software

Sometimes firewalls or antivirus programs create problems and accidentally block things they shouldn’t.

Check what firewalls or antivirus software you have running, and turn them off one by one, attempting to connect to the internet.

Don’t worry – after you are able to get back online you should be fine to turn your antivirus back on again without experiencing that issue again.

Still Having Trouble?

It’s highly possible you have drivers that are missing or out of date that you are unable to locate manually.

Driver Support has a great scanning tool that finds and updates missing or outdated drivers. Give DriverSupport | ONE a try today! here to save yourself the time and frustration of trying to locate the driver manually.