Ethernet just randomly stopped working idk how to fix it

Here is the general tab error

It won’t even show the Ethernet icon absolutely no option to use the Ethernet connection. When I choose adapters the Ethernet does not show as an option.

Hello! My name is David N. and I am a Microsoft Community Independent Advisor and Windows fan. I will be happy to assist you with your issue.

When you say that it does not even pull up the connection, exactly what are you seeing?

Try this to find the adapter's IP settings and where they can be changed:

1. Press Win+I to bring up Settings.
2. Choose Network & Internet.
3. Choose Change adapter options.
4. Double-click on the Ethernet adapter.
5. Double-click on "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
6. If the IP address is not set to "Obtain an IP address automatically", set it to that and click OK. Test.
7. If it is set to that, change it to "Use the following IP address".
8. On another device, press the Win button and type "CMD" without quotes.
9. Type in "ipconfig" without quotes and press enter.
10. Find the Ethernet or wireless adapter connecting it to the network.
11. Note the IP address, subnet mask, and gateway.
12. Enter a different IP address and the same subnet mask and gateway in the settings on the machine having problems.
13. Choose OK and test.

If this does not work, please follow the instructions above to run ipconfig on the problem machine and save it here for me to take a look at.

I hope this helps! Please let me know if this resolves your issue or if you require additional assistance.

Regards,

David N.

Independent Advisor

In case we are working at cross purposes, I am going to tell you what I understand the problem to be. If I am wrong, please let me know.

1. The Ethernet adapter is in Device Manager. It appears to have the latest drivers installed and to be functioning.
2. If you hold the Windows key and press "i", you get Settings. In Settings, you go to Network & Internet. On the left menu, you chose Ethernet. The Ethernet adapter does not appear.
3. From the Ethernet window you entered in Step 2, you can click on "Change adapter options". In this window, the Ethernet adapter also does not appear.

Please let me know if any of this is wrong.

If this is correct, then since the device appears to be set up properly but isn't seen by networking, we may have a ghost device. Here is how you find out and what to do about it.

1. Go to Device Manager and click the View menu.
2. Check "Show hidden devices".
3. Look for any additional Ethernet adapters under Network Adapters.
4. If you find them, enable them.
5. Reboot.
6. Go to Settings and open Network & Internet.
7. Choose "Ethernet".
8. Look for the Ethernet adapter. If it is there, test.
9. If the Ethernet adapter is still missing, uninstall the ghost adapters, reboot, and check again.

If the Ethernet adapter does not even show in the Settings > Network & Internet > Change adapter options then this implies either a hardware issue, a driver issue, or serious corruption in the network stack.

You stated that you checked the Device Manager and disabled and re-enabled the Ethernet adapter, which at least shows that it can be identified by Windows as an Ethernet adapter. This suggests that the issue is not hardware.

Go to the Device Manager and uninstall the Ethernet adapter entirely. Restart. WIndows will reinstall it automatically. (if it does not then there is a good chance that it actually is hardware.) Test.

If this does not work, then we should get the drivers from the manufacturer. If the Ethernet is built into the motherboard then this would be the motherboard manufacturer, if not it would be the Ethernet device manufacturer. Locate the drivers and follow the manufacturer's instructions to install them.

If they have "raw" drivers (.inf files) and no instructions, right-click the Ethernet adapter in Device Manager and click Update Driver. Browse to the driver to install. Reboot.

Hopefully, that will resolve your issue. Please let me know if you require further assistance.