10 Ways to Overcome Network Adapters That Are Not Detected

 Without a network adapter, you will not be able to connect to the internet. Learn how to deal with undetected or missing network adapters, so you can get back online again.

The network adapter is an important part of the computer, because it sends and receives data to and from other devices on the wireless or wired network. Sometimes, the network adapter disappears from the Device Manager or the Windows operating system tells you that it is missing.

When this happens, you can no longer connect to the internet. To help you fix it, we've put together a few solutions you can try to fix undetected or missing network adapters.

How to Overcome Network Adapters That Are Not Detected

1. Restart And Check Connection

Try some quick fixes like restarting your PC or laptop and check if you can now find the missing network adapter. If you already connected the Ethernet cable, you will also need to unplug it and plug it back in.

2. Show Hidden Drivers In Windows

The network adapter might be missing simply because Device Manager doesn't show it. Here's how to make the network adapter visible:

Show Hidden Drivers In Windows

1. Right-click Start > Device Manager.

2. Open the View menu and click Show hidden devices.

3. Expand the Network adapters list and check if the adapter is now visible.

4. If the adapter is still missing, click Action > Scan for hardware changes.

3. Remove the Battery From the Laptop

If you are using a PC, or your laptop doesn't have a removable battery, skip this solution. When removing the battery you are forcing the motherboard to reset its settings which may be enough to fix this problem.

If your laptop is equipped with a removable battery, turn it off and remove the battery for a few seconds. Then, plug it back in and turn on the laptop again.

4. Turn off Antivirus and VPN

If you are using a VPN on your device, try turning it off or even uninstalling it. Then, restart your laptop or PC and check if there is any difference. Don't forget, also turn off the antivirus or check for available updates.

5. Run the Network Adapter Troubleshooter

Windows 10 provides a list of useful troubleshooters so it's no surprise that you can fix some network adapter problems using one of these tools. Follow these steps to run the Network Adapter troubleshooter:

Network Adapter Troubleshooter

1. Right-click Start and select Settings, or use the keyboard shortcut Win + I.

2. Go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters.

3. Under Find and fix other problems, select Network Adapter > Run the troubleshooter.

4. Follow the instructions that appear.

6. Use Network Reset Tool

If the troubleshooter doesn't solve the problem, you can try using the Network Reset Tool. This will make all network settings return to their default settings without disturbing your data. Follow these steps to reset your network:

Network Reset Tool

1. Open Settings, then open Network & internet.

2. Select Status and scroll down to Network reset.

3. Select Reset now.

7. Check Power Management Settings

If you are using a laptop, Windows 10 will turn off some of its features when the battery is low or when battery saver mode is activated. Follow these steps to check Power Management settings:

1. Right-click Start > Device manager.

2. Expand the Network adapters list

3. Right click your network adapter and select Properties.

4. Open the Power Management tab.

5. Uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.

6. Click Apply > OK to save changes.

8. Reset Winsock Settings

Winsock is a programming interface and support program that determines how Windows network software uses its network services. If something goes wrong with the Winsocks file, it can cause the network adapter to disappear from Windows 10. Here's how to reset Winsock data:

Reset Winsock Settings

1. In the Start menu search bar, search for command prompt and select Run as administrator.

2. Inside the Command Prompt window, type netsh winsock reset. Then, press Enter.

3. Restart your PC or laptop to save changes.

9. Clean Network Devices

If the previous method doesn't work, you can follow these steps to clean network devices using command prompt:

Clean Network Devices

1. Press Win + R to open the Run window.

2. Inside the Run window, type cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run Command Prompt as administrator.

3. In Command Prompt, type netcfg -d.

4. Restart the device and check if you can now find the network adapter.

10. Check Windows Background Services

Your network driver might be missing because the background service stopped working properly. Follow these steps to manage it manually:

Check Windows Background Services

1. In the Start menu search bar, search for services and select the most suitable.

2. In the Services menu, find and open WWAN AutoConfig.

3. Check if the Service status is Running. Otherwise, click Start to run it.

4. Set the Startup type to Automatic.

5. Click Apply > OK to save changes.

6. Restart your device and check if the missing driver is now available.

Conclusion

So that's how to deal with network adapters that are not detected or missing. There are many solutions available. As we have discussed, you can try turning off the VPN or antivirus and Windows 10 also has some troubleshooting tools you can use.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________

That's all for the article 10 Ways to Overcome an Undetected Network Adapter. Look forward to other interesting articles and don't forget to share this article with your friends. Thank you…

Resa Risyan

Just an ordinary person who wants to share a little knowledge, hopefully the knowledge I provide can be useful for all of us. Keep in mind! Useful knowledge is an investment in the afterlife.