Wifi keeps disconnecting and "some information has changed since the last time you connected" message keeps appearing

Question

I work for a school district, and we have multiple Windows 11 laptops (at least 5) that are unable to stay connected to our school wifi network. The wifi will disconnect, there will be an X next to the wifi network's name, and when we click the wifi network, it says "Some information has changed since the last time you connected. We need additional information to complete the connection." We put in the password for the wifi network, it connects, but then a few minutes later, it will disconnect again, and the same message as above will appear.

We have tried several troubleshooting steps, including:

Checking for windows updates

Forgetting the wifi network and reconnecting to it

Disabling and re-enabling wifi

Rolling back the wifi driver

Resetting the laptop

Answer 1

Hi John Counihan,

In reviewing our previous troubleshooting, we successfully narrowed the problem to the WPA2/WPA3-Personal handshake mechanism and correctly identified that updating the Intel AX211 driver alongside disabling MAC randomization are the foundational prerequisites. However, reevaluating the persistence of the "Some information has changed" error indicates we must address how Windows 11 natively handles WPA3 transition mode. While adjusting your Access Point's 802.11r and PMF settings is the optimal infrastructure-side fix, we must acknowledge a known Windows 11 behavior where the WLAN AutoConfig service caches invalid Master Session Keys when a network dynamically downgrades from WPA3-SAE to WPA2-PSK during AP roaming. When this key rotation fails, the OS security subsystem assumes the network Pre-Shared Key has been altered by an administrator, triggering the credential prompt loop.

To permanently resolve this client-side without altering your school's Wireless LAN Controller, you must bypass the mixed-mode negotiation entirely by hardcoding the connection protocol. First, scrub the corrupt credential cache by opening an elevated command prompt and executing rundll32.exe keymgr.dll, KRShowKeyMgr to delete any saved network passwords. Next, navigate to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WlanSvc\Interfaces in the Registry Editor, locate the subkey corresponding to your Intel AX211 GUID, and clear the underlying profile cache to purge the corrupted state. Finally, create a standardized WLAN XML profile where the <authentication> tag is explicitly defined as WPA2PSK rather than a mixed variant, and the <encryption> tag is set to AES. Deploy this forced-WPA2 configuration to your affected laptops using netsh wlan add profile filename="your_wpa2_profile.xml" user=all. This definitively prevents the Intel NIC from attempting the unstable WPA3 handshake on your mixed network, stabilizing the connection according to Microsoft's documented deployment practices for transition-mode network compatibility.

Hope this answer brought you some useful information. If it has, please consider accepting the answer so that other people sharing the same issue would benefit too. Thank you :)

VP

Answer 2

John Counihan, updating the Intel AX211 driver to the latest production branch (specifically version 23.30.0 or higher) is the imperative first step, as early firmware revisions for this chipset have documented instability with Windows 11's WPA3-SAE handshake execution. However, the specific error "Some information has changed since the last time you connected" on a WPA2/WPA3-Personal mixed network almost invariably indicates a failure in the 4-way handshake during Group Key Rotation or 802.11r Fast Transition, where the client attempts to negotiate WPA3 security parameters but the Access Point enforces a WPA2 fallback or mismatched Protected Management Frames (PMF) policy.

If the driver update does not immediately stabilize the connection, the root cause is infrastructure-side configuration rather than the client; you must access your Wireless LAN Controller and explicitly disable 802.11r (Fast Roaming) and set PMF to "Optional" (never "Required") for that SSID. Should the issue persist after these adjustments, please provide the specific manufacturer and firmware version of your school's Access Points, as proprietary features like "Band Steering" or "High Performance Devices" on vendors such as Ubiquiti or Aruba often aggressively de-authenticate Windows 11 clients to force band migration, triggering this exact credential loop.

VP

Answer 3

Hello again John Counihan,

Just following up. Your current description lacks the specific authentication protocol (WPA2-PSK vs. WPA2/3-Enterprise 802.1X), which is critical because the "information has changed" error typically triggers when the Windows security subsystem fails to validate cached credentials during a re-keying or roaming event. While the registry cleanup is a valid step for corrupted profiles, the most immediate culprit on Windows 11 devices in educational environments is often the Random Hardware Addresses feature violating DHCP lease persistence or MAC-based filtering rules. Navigate to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi and strictly set "Random hardware addresses" to Off, then forget the network one last time to clear the cached association data.

If disabling MAC randomization does not resolve the disconnects, the behavior strongly points to a driver-level conflict with Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) negotiation or 802.11r Fast Roaming. In Device Manager, right-click your wireless network adapter (typically Intel or Realtek), select Properties > Advanced, and temporarily change the "802.11n/ac/ax Wireless Mode" value to 802.11ac (disabling AX) and set "MIMO Power Save Mode" to No SMPS. This isolates whether the drop is caused by the adapter entering a low-power state or failing a high-efficiency handshake. Please reply with the specific model of the wireless adapters in these laptops and the brand of your school's Access Points (e.g., Aruba, Cisco Meraki, Ubiquiti), as this is likely a firmware incompatibility requiring a vendor-specific driver version rather than a generic Windows update.

Do you find this answer useful? Should you have more questions, feel free to leave a comment. Have a nice day!

VP

Answer 4

Hello John Counihan,

To provide the most accurate resolution, your description requires a critical piece of missing information regarding your network infrastructure. You must specify whether this school network utilizes WPA2/WPA3-Personal with a single Pre-Shared Key, or WPA2/WPA3-Enterprise utilizing 802.1X authentication with a RADIUS server. In educational environments, Enterprise configurations are standard, and this is highly relevant because Windows 11 Education and Enterprise editions running version 22H2 or newer have Windows Defender Credential Guard enabled by default. Credential Guard intentionally blocks NTLMv1 and MSCHAPv2 credential delegation. If your network uses PEAP-MSCHAPv2 without properly deployed machine or user certificates validating the RADIUS server, Windows 11 will repeatedly drop the connection after a few minutes and prompt for credentials because the security subsystem refuses to silently pass the hashed password during access point roaming or session renewal.

While waiting for that network protocol clarification, you must ensure the existing corrupted profile state is entirely eradicated from the affected machines, as the GUI method of forgetting a network often leaves orphaned registry keys. Open an elevated Command Prompt and execute netsh wlan delete profile name="YOUR_SSID_NAME". Following that, open the Registry Editor and navigate to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles. Review the subkeys for any remaining references to your school's network name in the ProfileName string value and delete the parent GUID key. Furthermore, if you are operating an 802.1X environment, you will likely need to extract a known-working wireless profile to an XML file using netsh wlan export profile, ensure the <authMode> and <serverValidation> tags correctly identify your infrastructure's RADIUS certificate thumbprint, and deploy that XML to the failing laptops via Group Policy or Intune. Please reply with the exact authentication protocol your network requires so we can isolate the configuration further.

I hope you've found something useful here. If it helps you get more insight into the issue, it's appreciated to accept the answer. Should you have more questions, feel free to leave a message. Have a nice day!

VP

Answer 5

It sounds like you're experiencing a common issue with Wi-Fi connectivity on Windows devices. Here are some additional troubleshooting steps you can try to resolve the disconnection problem:

1. Restart the WLAN Autoconfig Service: This service manages wireless connections. Restarting it can sometimes resolve connectivity issues. You can do this by typing services.msc in the Run dialog (Win + R), finding "WLAN AutoConfig", right-clicking it, and selecting "Restart".
2. Check for Third-Party Connection Managers: If there are any third-party connection managers installed, consider uninstalling them, as they can interfere with the native Windows Wi-Fi management.
3. Group Policy Settings: If your organization uses Group Policy, ensure that there are no policies that might be affecting the Wi-Fi settings. Temporarily disabling group policies related to networking can help identify if they are causing the issue.
4. Update Network Drivers: Ensure that the Wi-Fi drivers are up to date. You can check the manufacturer's website for the latest drivers or use Device Manager to update them.
5. Check Network Configuration: Ensure that the Wi-Fi network settings are correctly configured, including the SSID and security settings. Sometimes, incorrect settings can lead to connection issues.
6. Signal Strength and Interference: Check if the laptops are within a good range of the Wi-Fi router. Physical obstructions or interference from other electronic devices can cause disconnections.
7. Examine Event Logs: Use the Event Viewer to check for any logs related to the WLAN service. This can provide insights into why the disconnections are occurring.

If the issue persists after trying these steps, you may want to consider capturing network traces to analyze the connection attempts further. This can help identify specific reasons for the disconnections.

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References:

• Advanced troubleshooting wireless network connectivity
• Troubleshooting a WIFI connection that fails to establish