How to Uninstall and Reinstall Wi-Fi Drivers on Windows 11

This practical guide explains how to uninstall and reinstall wi-fi drivers on windows 11 with clear steps and useful context. It also covers common requirements, potential problems, and the details that can help you get better results.

How to Uninstall Wi-Fi Driver in Windows 11

An easy way to remove the WiFi driver is through Device Manager. You can use Device Manager to troubleshoot Windows drivers, view driver information, etc.

To uninstall the wireless driver:

Step 1. Press Win + R to open Run.

Step 2. Enter devmgmt.msc and click OK to open Device Manager.

Step 3. In Device Manager , expand Network adapters section.

Step 4. Right-click the wireless driver and select Properties. Depending on your computer manufacturer, you may have an Intel or other wireless driver.

Step 5. In the Properties window, note the WiFi adapter name and driver version. This is an optional step, but this information is useful if you want to download the driver to reinstall it manually.

Step 6. Click OK to close the Properties window.

Step 7. In Device Manager , click View > Devices by driver . This will show all the devices under the driver.

Step 8. Right click on the driver package oem20.inf (netwtw08.inf) for the WiFi device and select Remove Driver.

Step 9. Here, select the option Uninstall this driver on any devices that currently use it and Attempt to force removal of this driver while it is still in use by devices .

Step 10. Click Remove to uninstall the driver. This process may take a few seconds to complete.

That will successfully uninstall the WiFi driver without removing the WiFi adapter. Windows will temporarily revert to using generic Microsoft wireless drivers.

The next step is to reinstall the WiFi driver. There are many ways to install WiFi drivers in Windows. Although you can use the Update Driver feature of Device Manager, it is not very reliable.

Here are two ways to download and install the latest wireless driver version in Windows.

How to Reinstall Wi-Fi Driver in Windows 11 Using Windows Updates

Microsoft provides important system updates from third-party vendors along with Windows updates. You can download and install them from the Settings app. Here's how to do it.

Step 1. Press Win + I to open Settings.

Step 2. Open the Windows updates tab in the left pane.

Step 3. Click Check for updates . Windows will then scan for missing system updates and download the wireless driver update for your WiFi adapter. This is an automatic process, so wait for the installation to complete.

How to Manually Reinstall the Wi-Fi Driver from the Manufacturer's Website

You can also download and install the latest version of the WiFi driver from the manufacturer's website. For example, if you use an Intel WiFi adapter, you can download a newer driver from Intel's Download Center.

The steps below are for the Intel WiFi adapter driver, but are generally applicable to all WiFi adapter vendors.

To download the WiFi driver package:

Step 1. Go to the Intel Download Center page.

Step 2. Enter your WiFi adapter model number in the search bar to find all the drivers.

Step 3. Click Windows 10 and Windows 11 Wi-Fi Drivers for Intel Wi-Fi Adapters from the search results.

Step 4. Click the Download button to download the WiFi driver package.

Step 5. Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

You should now have the latest WiFi driver version on your PC.

To verify the driver version, open Device Manager, right-click the WiFi adapter and select Properties. Next, open the Drivers tab to verify the driver version.

Alternatively, you can also use your computer manufacturer's companion application to download new drivers. For example, Lenovo's Vantage and HP's Support Assistant let you scan for new drivers and install them directly from the app.

Windows does an excellent job of managing system driver requests automatically. However, often you will need to uninstall and reinstall the WiFi driver for troubleshooting purposes. You can use Device Manager to uninstall the driver and then reinstall it using Windows Updates.

However, if the network problem persists, try using the built-in troubleshooter or perform a network reset to resolve the issue.

Conclusion

Understanding Windows 11 makes it easier to compare options, avoid common mistakes, and apply the information in this guide more effectively. Review the relevant requirements before making changes or choosing a solution.