How to Fix Windows Wi-Fi Not Working

Step by step

1. 30 sec

   Toggle Airplane Mode

   Press Win + A to open the Quick Settings panel. Click the Airplane Mode icon to enable it, wait five seconds, and click it again to disable it. This forces the wireless radio to reinitialize and scan for available networks.

   Note: Ensure your physical Wi-Fi switch is toggled to the On position if your laptop features one.
2. 1 min

   Reset Network Stack

   Right-click the Start button and select Terminal (Admin). Type netsh int ip reset and press Enter, followed by ipconfig /flushdns. These commands reset the TCP/IP stack and clear the DNS resolver cache to eliminate corrupted configuration data.

   Note: Restart your computer immediately after running these commands for changes to take effect.
3. 1 min

   Restart the WLAN AutoConfig Service

   Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter. Locate WLAN AutoConfig in the list, right-click it, and select Restart. Double-click the service to ensure the Startup type is set to Automatic.

   Note: If the service is stopped, click Start to initialize the wireless network management functionality.
4. 2 min

   Reinstall the Network Adapter Driver

   Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager. Expand Network adapters, right-click your wireless adapter, and select Uninstall device. Check the box to attempt to remove the driver, then restart your PC to trigger a clean driver reinstallation.

   Note: Windows will automatically reinstall the driver upon rebooting.
5. 1 min

   Perform a Network Reset

   Open Settings, navigate to Network & internet, and select Advanced network settings. Click Network reset, then select Reset now. This action removes and reinstalls all network adapters and returns other networking components to their factory defaults.

   Note: This process will require a system restart and may require you to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords for saved networks.