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How to make Wifi settings appear?

Inkanyiso Seventh Day 0 Reputation points
2026-02-08T10:30:30.6066667+00:00

My Windows update says that my device is missing important security updates. It's also showing a download error.

Windows for home | Other | Internet and connectivity
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  1. Sin-D 10,015 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-02-11T04:45:54.3466667+00:00

    Hi Inkanyiso Seventh Day,

    Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand that your Wi‑Fi settings are not appearing and Windows Update is reporting missing security updates along with a download error.

    Please make sure you already tried the Q&A Assist steps. In addition, I would like to narrow this down a bit:

    • Are you currently using Windows 10 or Windows 11?
    • Does the Wi‑Fi option disappear completely, or does it show but cannot be turned on?

    In the meantime, you can try these steps:

    1, Restart the WLAN AutoConfig service

    • Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, and press Enter
    • Locate WLAN AutoConfig
    • Right‑click it, choose Restart, and make sure Startup type is set to Automatic

    2, Reset Windows Update components

    • Press Windows key + X and choose Windows Terminal (Admin)
    • Run the following commands one by one:
      • net stop wuauserv
      • net stop bits
      • net start wuauserv
      • net start bits
    • Restart the device after completing the commands

    3, Check for hidden network devices

    • Open Device Manager
    • Click View, then select Show hidden devices
    • Expand Network adapters and check if any wireless adapter appears disabled

    4, Temporarily disable third‑party security software

    • If a third‑party antivirus or firewall is installed, temporarily disable it
    • Restart the device and check if Wi‑Fi settings appear

    5, Run System File Checker

    • Open Windows Terminal (Admin)
    • Run: sfc /scannow
    • Restart the device once the scan completes

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

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  2. DaveM121 878.9K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-02-08T12:52:35.3733333+00:00

    Right-click the Start button and open Device Manager.

    Expand the Network adapters section and provide a screenshot of the entire Device Manager window.

    2.

    Click the Start button, type msinfo, and press Enter, please provide a screenshot of the resulting System Information window.

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  3. AI answer

    2026-02-08T10:30:42.7333333+00:00

    To make Wi-Fi settings appear on your Windows device, you can try the following steps:

    1. Check Network Adapter: Ensure that your Wi-Fi adapter is enabled. You can do this by going to Device Manager. Right-click on the Start button, select Device Manager, and then expand the Network adapters section. Right-click on your Wi-Fi adapter and select Enable if it is disabled.
    2. Re-register Settings App: If the settings app is crashing or taking a long time to load, you can re-register it using PowerShell. Press Windows key + X and select Windows PowerShell (Admin). Then, run the following commands one at a time: 
         Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name windows.immersivecontrolpanel | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" -Verbose}
   Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
      After running these commands, restart your computer.
    3. Network Troubleshooter: You can also run the network troubleshooter. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Network Adapter and run the troubleshooter.
    4. Check for Updates: Since you mentioned that your device is missing important security updates, ensure that your Windows Update service is working correctly. If you are facing a download error, check your internet connection and firewall settings to ensure they are not blocking the update service.
    5. Reset Network Settings: If the above steps do not resolve the issue, you may consider resetting your network settings. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network reset. This will remove and reinstall all your network adapters and set other networking components back to their original settings.

    By following these steps, you should be able to make your Wi-Fi settings appear and resolve any issues related to Windows updates.

    References:

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