[SOLVED] Wireless Adapter Missing in Windows 11/10

If your Wi-Fi suddenly stopped working and the wireless network adapter is missing from Device Manager, Windows has lost communication with your wireless network interface card. This issue affects both Windows 11 and Windows 10 across laptops and desktop PCs, leaving you with no Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar and no available wireless networks.

But don’t worry. In this post, we’ll show you how to troubleshoot the issue quickly.

Try these fixes

Here’s a list of proven fixes for the wireless adapter missing issue. Common symptoms may include no Wi-Fi toggle, or the Device Manager showing no “wireless” or “Wi-Fi” entry.

You don’t have to try them all. Just work your way through the list until you find the one that does the trick for you.

1. Reveal the hidden devices in Device Manager
2. Perform a hard power reset
3. Update the wireless network adapter driver
4. Check the WLAN AutoConfig service
5. Reset the Winsock settings
6. Ensure the Wi-Fi adapter is enabled in BIOS/UEFI
7. Check for a hardware issue

Fix 1: Reveal the hidden devices in Device Manager

When Windows runs into a driver crash or temporary communication breakdown with your Wi-Fi card, it often disables the device and hides it from the standard view in Device Manager. In this case, you can re-scan the system and see if it can rediscover your connected hardware.

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and X at the same time. Then select Device Manager.
   

   

2. In Device Manager, click View and select Show hidden devices.
   

   

3. Click Network adapters to select it. Click Action and click Scan for hardware changes.
   

   

4. Double-click Network adapters to expand the list. See if your wireless network adapter (usually the adapter whose name contains the word “wireless”) appears in the list.
   

   

Check if your wireless adapter shows up now. If not, or it continues to report an error, proceed to the next fix below.

Fix 2: Perform a hard power reset

Even after you turn off your computer, a small amount of leftover electricity stays trapped in the motherboard and internal components. If your Wi-Fi card glitches or gets stuck in a deep “sleep” mode, a standard Windows restart does not cut power to the card—leaving it unresponsive and invisible to the system.

Performing a power flush forces the Wi-Fi card to fully reset, allowing Windows to detect it again.

For Laptops:

1. Disconnect the AC power adapter, USB hubs, and all peripheral cables.
2. Shut down your laptop completely (do not select Sleep or Hibernate).
3. Press and hold down the Power button for 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Release the button, plug the AC power adapter back in, and turn on the laptop normally.

For Desktop PCs:

1. Shut down the computer completely.
2. Switch off the power supply unit (PSU) toggle at the back and unplug the power cord from the wall.
3. Press and hold the computer’s front Power button for 30 seconds to drain the residual power stored in the capacitors.
4. Plug the power cable back in, toggle the PSU switch on, and boot into Windows.

Open Device Manager, expand Network adapters, and check if your wireless adapter reappears.

Fix 3: Update the wireless network adapter driver

A corrupted or missing network driver is one of the most frequent software triggers behind a disappearing adapter. Windows may fail to recognize the hardware if the driver file was broken during a system update. Reinstalling or updating the driver rebuilds this connection and may get your Wi-Fi back online.

You can do this manually or automatically:

To update your wireless driver, you can visit your PC manufacturer’s website, search for your computer model, download the latest network driver for the latest driver for your wireless network adapter. Here’s the step-by-step manual instruction: WiFi adapter driver download and install for Windows 11/10.

If you don’t have the time, patience or computer skills to update your network driver manually, you can, instead, do it automatically with Driver Easy. 

Driver Easy automatically detects your hardware and finds the appropriate drivers for your system, so you can update them without having to search, download, and install each driver manually. You can also update the drivers for your graphics card, audio devices, and other hardware in one place, with tools to back up drivers, roll back to a previous version, or uninstall drivers when needed.

1. Download and install Driver Easy.
2. Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
   
3. Click the Activate & Update button next to the network adapter to automatically download and install the correct version of this driver. Or click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system.
   
   (You’ll be prompted to start a free trial or upgrade to the Pro version. Both options unlock the full set of premium features and include technical support. Ready to upgrade? Go Pro now and save 50%! If you’d prefer to try the features first, start the 7-day free trial to explore all the benefits.)
4. After updating, restart your computer to apply the changes.

Fix 4: Check the WLAN AutoConfig service

The WLAN AutoConfig service (wlansvc) is the native Windows service responsible for configuring, discovering, and maintaining wireless connections. If this service is stopped, disabled, or blocked, Windows will not display any Wi-Fi settings or adapters. Follow the steps below to make sure this service is enabled.

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R together to invoke the Run dialog. Then type services.msc and click OK.
   
2. Find WLAN AutoConfig in the list of services, right-click it and select Properties.
   
3. Make sure Startup type is set to Automatic and Service status is Running. Then click OK to save changes.
   

Restart your PC and see if your Wi-Fi shows up. If the problem persists, check out the next fix.

Fix 5: Reset the Winsock settings

Winsock is a programming interface and supporting program in the Windows operating system. It defines how Windows network software should access network services. If its data is wrong, this issue may occur.

In this case, resetting Winsock data may resolve this issue, because resetting Winsock data is helpful for dealing with some network connection issues. Here is how to do it:

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows Logo Key and R at the same time to open the Run dialog.
2. Type cmd and press Ctrl, Shift, and Enter at the same time to run Command Prompt as administrator. You will be prompted for permission. Click Yes to run Command Prompt.
   
3. Run the following commands one by one. Type each command and press Enter.
   netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns
4. Once completed, close the Command Prompt window and restart your computer.

See if your wireless network adapter appears in Device Manager.

Fix 6: Ensure the Wi-Fi adapter is enabled in BIOS/UEFI

Sometimes, a sudden firmware glitch, a motherboard battery drain (CMOS reset), or a recent BIOS update can turn off your motherboard’s onboard wireless controller at the firmware level. When this happens, Windows cannot communicate with the chip at all, making it completely invisible to Device Manager.

You’ll need to turn it back on in the BIOS. Here’s how:

1. Turn off your PC completely.
2. Turn it back on and immediately press the specific hotkey to enter BIOS – usually F2, Del, or F12 (refer to your motherboard or laptop brand’s splash screen).
3. Once in the BIOS/UEFI utility, look for sections named Advanced, Integrated Peripherals, Onboard Devices Configuration, or Wireless.
4. Locate the setting for Onboard WLAN, Wireless LAN, or Wi-Fi Controller. Make sure its status is set to Enabled. (If it is already enabled, try toggling it to Disabled, saving, and then re-enabling it on the next boot to force a refresh.)
5. Press F10 (or select Save & Exit) to save your changes and boot into Windows.

Once Windows loads, check your taskbar tray and Device Manager to see if the Wi-Fi icon has returned.

Fix 7: Check for a hardware issue

If your wireless adapter is still missing after all software and firmware checks, the issue is likely physical. Over time, drops, bumps, or thermal expansion can cause the internal M.2 Wi-Fi card to slip loose from its slot. You can try reseating the card to build a clean physical connection.

Option 1: Reseat the Internal M.2 Wi-Fi Card

1. Turn off your computer completely and disconnect all power cords and external cables.
2. Open the PC side panel or remove the laptop bottom cover to locate the Wi-Fi card (a small rectangular chip with two thin antenna wires attached).
3. Carefully remove the single retaining screw holding the card in place.
4. Gently pull the card out of its M.2 slot, blow away any loose dust, and firmly slide it back into the slot at a slight angle until seated.
5. Fasten the retaining screw back down, make sure the tiny black and white antenna leads are clipped firmly onto their terminals, and reassemble your device.

Option 2: Use an external USB Wi-Fi dongle

If you don’t feel comfortable opening your computer, or if your internal card has died completely:

1. Purchase an inexpensive USB Wi-Fi adapter (Wi-Fi 6 or dual-band models are widely available online for under $15–$20).
2. Plug it directly into an available USB 3.0 port on your computer.
3. Windows 10 and 11 will automatically detect the adapter and install a plug-and-play driver within seconds, getting your PC back online immediately.

Hopefully one of the fixes above resolved this issue for you. If you are still encountering errors with a specific hardware model, leave a comment detailing your device specifications and Windows build so we can help troubleshoot further.

• Network Issue
• WiFi Adapter
• Windows 10
• Windows 11