6 Fixes When Windows 11 Wi-Fi Not Showing Up
1. Turn on Wi-Fi connection
Your Wi-Fi connection might be disabled in Windows 11 itself for some reason. Here’s how to check and fix the issue:
- Open the Start menu with the Windows key.
- Type Control Panel and press Enter.
- Go to Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center.
- Select Change adapter settings.
Here you will see all your network connections and connected modems.
Find the Wi-Fi connection for the correct network adapter in the list. Most systems will only have one. If it is greyed out and marked as Disabled, just right-click on it and select Enable.
2. Check if your Wi-Fi adapter is connected.
If you’re using a USB Wi-Fi adapter that probably works on a desktop system, make sure it’s connected properly.
You can also try it on another computer to see if it still works. Also try using a different USB port. Just in case something is wrong with the port itself.
3. Check the network adapter in device manager.
The Device Manager application shows you a list of all the hardware on your computer and whether they are working properly or not.
- Open the start menu.
- Enter Device Manager.
- Open Device Manager from search results.
You may need to double-click the Computers category to expand it.
Locate the network adapters section and expand it to see all your network adapters.
Find your Wi-Fi adapter in the list of network adapters and check if it has a warning icon, such as a yellow exclamation mark. Right-click the adapter and check its properties for specific error messages.
If the adapter is completely missing from Device Manager, this indicates a hardware-level problem or the reason why the adapter is not being detected. If the adapter only works in safe mode, this may be due to software or drivers.
If the adapter icon has a red cross, right-click it and select Enable. If this is not possible, you can remove the devices by right-clicking on them and selecting Remove. Then restart your computer to detect the hardware again.
4. Update, rollback or reinstall Wi-Fi drivers.
More often than not, your Wi-Fi stops working because a hardware driver has failed. You will either have to download and install the latest driver from the manufacturer’s website, use driver rollback in the adapter properties in device manager, or completely uninstall the driver and reinstall the latest version or last working version.
5. Use Network Reset
While resetting or reinstalling Windows is an effective way to fix most problems, it’s a bit overkill for something minor like shaky Wi-Fi. Luckily, you can reset Network settings only :
- Open the start menu.
- Select the settings gear to open the Settings app.
- Select Network and Internet.
- Now select Advanced network settings.
- Finally, choose Reset Network and then Reset Now.
This will reset all network and adapter settings. Restart your computer to make sure the reset has taken effect. If you have any special network configurations such as Uninstall and Reinstall Windows Updates. Then uninstall this update and check for updates that resolve the issue.
6. Enable the Wi-Fi icon in the Group Policy Editor.
If you’re using Windows 11 Pro and your Wi-Fi icon isn’t there at all, the setting in the editor may have changed. If your computer is managed by someone from the company you work for, you will need to ask them to check it. Again, if you have access to the IT department, you should ask them to fix your Wi-Fi problem in the first place!
- Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
- Type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
- In the Group Policy Editor, go to the User Configuration section.
- Now select Administrative Templates -> Start Menu and Taskbar.
- Find the “Remove Network Icon” icon and open it.
- Select “Disabled” in the upper left corner of the window if it’s not already disabled.
- Select OK and restart your computer.
If this policy is already disabled, do not change or save anything in the Group Policy Editor, just close it and try another solution.
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