Tips to fix the error that the computer cannot find WiFi

In this article, we will learn how to fix the error that the computer does not show the Wifi network.

1. Restart the Wi-Fi adapter

Network adapter caching sometimes becomes the cause of common errors. They need to be deleted and reset to work properly.

Step 1: Right-click on the Wi-Fi icon in the lower right corner, select Open Network & Internet settings.

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Step 2: In Advanced network settings, select Change adapter options.

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Step 3: The Network Connections window appears, right-click the Wi-Fi and Disabled settings.

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Step 4: Wait for about 5 seconds, you right click on Wi-Fi settings again and now click Enable.

The network adapter was restarted without restarting the computer. Have you checked to see if the problem has been resolved?

2. Reset computer network

Reset means reverting all settings to their original state.

Step 1: Press Windows + I to open Settings, navigate to Network & Internet.

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Step 2: Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Network reset.

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Step 3: At the confirmation screen, click Reset now.

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After resetting the network and restarting the computer, did you check if the Wi-Fi tab found the network you were looking for?

3. Update the network adapter driver

Corrupt or outdated drivers are also a direct cause of problems around network connectivity. Specifically, we will need to update the driver of the Wi-Fi adapter.

Step 1: Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box, then type devmgmt.msc.

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Step 2: Open the Network adapters folder, find the Wi-Fi connected device mounted on your computer. This device is usually named with the Wireless Network Adapter. Right click on it and select Update driver.

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Step 3: Select Search automatically for drivers to let the computer automatically search and update new drivers.

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4. Run related services

The visibility of nearby Wi-Fi networks also depends on some services that the Operating System is running.

Step 1: Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box, enter services.msc.

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Step 2: Find Network Location Awareness, right-click it and select Properties.

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Step 3: Select Startup Type as Automatic. Then click Apply and click OK to return.

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Step 4: Now, you do the same for the following services:

1. Network List Service Manual
2. Network Event Log Automatic
3. Windows Update Manual

Once done, have you checked to see if the problem has been fixed?

5. Remove obsolete VPN

If you used to use a VPN and it became obsolete, this could be the reason why Wi-Fi cannot show available networks.

First, you need to check if any of your VPN configurations are out of date.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt by typing cmd in Run.

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Step 2: Type the command netcfg –sn and press Enter.

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This command will list all network adapters, network protocols, and services currently running on your computer.

Step 3: Check if the list appears dni_dne entry or not. If so, it means you have an outdated VPN on your computer that needs to be removed.

Step 4: Now run the following command to remove its existence from the System Registry.

reg delete HKCR/CLSID{988248f3-a1ad-49bf-9170-676cbbc36ba3} /va /f

Step 5: Enter the command netcfg –v –u dni_dne.

Step 6: Restart the computer.

Conclude

Sometimes simple things can also lead to system crashes. Which of the above methods has helped you fix the error that the computer cannot find Wi-Fi. Hope this information is useful to you.

Good luck.

Micah Soto

Update 26 November 2021