4 Easiest Ways to Fix Laptop's Lost Wifi Icon

One fine day, you start your computer and find that your laptop has lost the wifi icon and cannot access the internet even though it was working normally before. Let's see with HACOM the reason why and some ways to fix that error!

Reasons why laptop lost wifi icon

Below are the 2 main and common causes when the error of the laptop losing the wifi icon occurs.

Wifi icon is turned off/hidden: Normally, by default, the wifi icon is always displayed on the Windows taskbar, but there may be an operation that causes the wifi icon to be hidden. 

Not installed or wifi driver error: Currently Windows updates the automatic driver update feature, so if you accidentally turn off automatic updates without knowing. 

How to fix laptop icon loss error 

Method 1: Wifi icon is hidden

To fix the error of whether the wifi icon on the laptop is hidden or not on Windows 10 operating system, we perform the following steps: 

Step 1: Click on the Windows icon on the keyboard or the bottom left corner of the screen. Then click on the settings section.

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Step 2: Then click on Personalization

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Step 3: Next, click on the Taskbar in the bottom left corner, Scroll down and click Turn system icon on off as shown below:

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Step 4: Scroll down to the network section to see if it is in ON or OFF mode. If it is in OFF mode , just press ON and you're done.

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Step 5: Go back to the interface on the taskbar, select which icon appear on the taskbar ⇒ then find the Network section and select ON.

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Method 2: Install or update driver for new wifi

Instructions on how to install standard wifi driver from the manufacturer 

Step 1: If you are using one of the following laptop models, you can directly access the link below:

1. Sony: https://www.sony.com/electronics/support
2. Acer: https://www.acer.com.vn/ac/vi/VN/content/drivers
3. Dell: https://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/19
4. Asus: https://www.asus.com/support
5. HP: https://www8.hp.com/vn/en/support.html
6. Lenovo: https://www.lenovo.com/support/wireless 
7. Samsung: https://www.samsung.com/us/support/downloads

You need to enter the laptop serial number printed on the bottom of the laptop to install the driver more accurately. 

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Step 2: Enter the code above to find and download the appropriate driver. 

For example, with Lenovo laptops, when accessing the link above, select the line Driver & software in the support section at the bottom of the page. 

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And enter the machine series

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Step 3: Select Manual Update then select the Windows operating system you are using and proceed to download as shown below :

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For wifi update, select Automatic Driver Update => Start Scan

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Instructions for removing old drivers

In case the driver is faulty, before reinstalling we need to uninstall the old wifi driver. To uninstall the driver, follow the instructions below.

Step 1: Right-click on the This PC icon on the desktop, then select manage as shown below.

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Step 2: Select Device Manager ---> Network adapters

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Find and click on Network adapters => and select your Wireless (wifi network) => then right click here => select Uninstall device to remove the current wifi driver. After removing, you should restart your computer. 

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Driver installation instructions

Step 1: Find and open the downloaded wifi driver by double-clicking on the file.

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B2: Select Yes

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B3: Select I accept the agreement => Click Next .

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B4: Select Install > Click Next .

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B5: Continue to select Install .

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B6: Select OK to install successfully

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B7: Click Finish to complete.

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And finally restart your computer.

Method 3: Fix the error of laptop losing wifi icon by restarting network services 

Step 1: Press the Windows + R key combination to => Enter the command services.msc to open the network services window

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B2: In the Services interface, you find the following services:

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1. Remote procedure call
2. Network Connections
3. Plug and Play
4. Remote Access Connection Manager
5. Telephony

Double click on each service and select Start to make sure they are all running.

Step 3: After completing the above steps, check if the wifi icon on your computer is turned on. 

Method 4: Use Windows' automatic troubleshooter

Another commonly used method is to use Windows 10's automatic error fixer. To use this method, follow these instructions: 

Step 1: Right-click on the wifi icon and select the line Troubleshoot Problems .

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B2: Follow the instructions on the screen

B3: Open Control Panel and select Troubleshooting

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B4: Select Network and Internet

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B5: Click Select Network Adapter

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B6: Follow the on-screen instructions to troubleshoot

Above are 4 ways to fix the error of laptop losing wifi icon that TipsMake guides. Hopefully it will help you solve the problem. 

Micah Soto

Update 16 January 2025