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Check How to Fix ‘Windows 10 Network Adapter Missing’ Issue
If you don’t see Wireless Adapters in Network Connections, nor do you see a Network Adapters tab in Device Manager, then your network adapter seems to be missing or unrecognized in Windows 10, which is a serious problem as you won’t be able to access the internet. until the problem is resolved. In short, when you click the wireless connection icon in the systray, it doesn’t show a device to connect to the Internet, and when you open Device Manager, you don’t see the Network Adapters tab.
A network adapter is a very important device in the network connection; It can help you send and receive data on both a wired and wireless network. It can be seen as the interface between a computer and a network. Recently, I found out that the Windows 10 network adapter missing issue was bothering a lot of people, so I want to talk about it.
Reboot and check connections
Try some quick solutions like restarting your PC or laptop and see if you can find the network adapter now. Also, if you have connected an Ethernet cable, you must unplug it and plug it back in.
Show hidden drivers in Windows 10
The network adapter may be missing simply because Device Manager does not show it. This is how you can make the network adapter visible:
- Right-click Start> Device Manager.
- Open the View menu and click Show hidden devices.
- Expand the list of network adapters and check if the adapter is now visible.
- If the adapter is still missing, click Action> Check for hardware changes.
Remove the battery from your laptop
If you’re using a PC or your laptop doesn’t have a removable battery, skip this solution. When you remove the battery, you force the motherboard to reset its settings, which may be enough to fix your problem. If your laptop comes with a removable battery, turn it off and take the battery out for a few seconds. Then put it back in and turn on your laptop.
Disable 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. Also, turn off your antivirus or check for available updates.
Run the network adapter troubleshooter
Windows 10 provides a useful list of troubleshooters, so it’s no wonder you can troubleshoot various network adapter problems using one of these tools. Follow these steps to run the network adapter troubleshooter:
- Right-click on Start and select Settings, or use the Win + I keyboard shortcut.
- Head to Update & Security> Troubleshoot> Additional troubleshooters.
- Under Find and fix other problems, select Network adapter> Run the troubleshooter.
- Follow the instructions displayed.
Use the network reset tool
If the troubleshooter did not solve the problem, you can try Reset the network. This will return all network settings to their default settings without interfering with your data. Follow these steps to reset your network:
- Open Settings, then head to Network and Internet.
- Select Status and scroll down to Network Reset.
- Select Reset Now.
Check your power management settings
If you are using a laptop, Windows 10 will disable some of its features when battery is low or when battery saver mode is enabled. Follow these steps to verify the power management settings:
- Right-click Start> Device Manager.
- Expand the list of network adapters.
- Right click on your network adapter and select Properties.
- Open the Power Management tab.
- Uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
- Click Apply> OK to save the changes.
Reset Winsock Settings
Winsock is a programming interface and support program that determines how Windows networking software uses its network services. If something goes wrong with Winsocks files, your network adapter may disappear from Windows 10. Here’s how to reset Winsock data:
- In the search bar of the Start menu, find the command prompt and select Run as administrator.
- Inside the command prompt window, type netsh winsock reset. Then press Enter.
- Restart your PC or laptop to save the changes.
Clean network devices
If the above method didn’t work, you can follow these steps to clean up network devices using command prompt:
- Press Win + R to open the Run window.
- In the Run window, type cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run the command prompt as administrator.
- At the command prompt, type netcfg -d.
- Restart your device and check if you can discover the network adapter.
Check Windows 10 Background Services
The network driver might be missing because a background service stopped working properly. Follow these steps to manage it manually:
- In the search bar of the Start menu, search for services and select the best match.
- In the Services menu, find and open WWAN AutoConfig.
- Check if the status of the service is running. Otherwise, click Start to begin.
- Set the Startup Type to Automatic.
- Click Apply> OK to save the changes.
- Restart your device and check if the missing driver is now available.
Final remarks: How to Fix ‘Windows 10 Network Adapter Missing’ Issue
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