Troubleshooting Guide A network cable is unplugged in Windows

It is frustrating when the computer cannot access the Internet. When your computer cannot connect to the network, you will see the message A network cable is unplugged and see a red "X" on the taskbar or in Windows Explorer.

This message may appear every few days or even every few minutes depending on the case and may even occur when using Wi-Fi.

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The cause of the error A network cable is unplugged

Network cable errors have many potential causes. In general, this message appears on the computer when the Ethernet network adapter is not connected to the local network.

The reason may be that the adapter is broken, poor Ethernet cables or network device drivers are faulty. Some users who upgraded from the old Windows version to Windows 10 also reported this problem.

Error handling solutions A network cable is unplugged

Try the following procedures, to prevent these error messages from appearing and reconnecting to the network:

1. Restart the computer by turning off the power completely, wait a few seconds, and then turn on the computer again. If you are using a laptop, perform additional steps to remove the battery and wait for 10 minutes. Only unplug the power of the laptop and remove the battery, wait 10 minutes, then reinstall the battery, plug the laptop into the charger and restart Windows.

2. Turn off Ethernet network adapter if not in use. This works, for example, when running a Wi-Fi network with computers with integrated Ethernet adapters. To disable the adapter, double-click " A network cable is unplugged " in the error window and select Disable .

3. Check both ends of the Ethernet cable to make sure they are not loose. One end will be connected to your computer and the other end is connected to the main network device, probably the router.

If this doesn't work, try checking to see if the cable is faulty. Think about buying a new cable or wired network cable. First, just plug the cable you are using into another computer or get an available Ethernet cable that is normally used to replace the test.

4. Update the network driver to a newer version if available. If you are using the latest version, consider removing and reinstalling the driver or bringing the driver back to the previous version.

Note: Old network drivers cannot be checked when Internet connection is not possible! However, there are some free driver update tools like Driver Talent for Network Card or DriverIdentifier that can do this.

5. Use Device Manager or Network and Sharing Center (via Control Panel ) to change the settings of the Ethernet adapter. Select ' Half Duplex ' or " Full Duplex " instead of choosing Auto-default.

This change can have an effect on the technical limitations of the adapter through changing speed and uptime. Many users are more successful with the Half Duplex option, but note that this setting reduces the maximum data rate that the device can support.

Note: To access this setting for the network adapter, go to the device properties and find the Speed ​​& Duplex settings in the Advanced tab.

6. On some older computers, the Ethernet adapter is removable USB, PCMCIA or PCI Ethernet. Remove and reinstall the adapter hardware to verify that it is properly connected. If that doesn't work, try replacing the adapter if possible.

If the error is still not resolved, it is possible that the device at the other end of the Ethernet connection, such as a broadband router, fails. Troubleshoot problems with these devices if needed.

See more:

1. Fix Wifi error disconnected on Windows 10, 8, 7 and Vista
2. Quick fix tip when Internet connection is 'broken'
3. Some troubleshooting tips for internet connection