missing wireless adapter

Question

says i dint have a wireless adapter no more i use to have one don't know what happened to it

Answer 1

Hello,

Can you share with me two screenshots please?

1. Go to Device Manager > Network Adapters, I would like to see what's listed.
2. Please type msinfo32.exe in the search on the taskbar and hit enter, then share a screenshot of the pop up.

Thanks!

Answer 2

Try these steps in order on the Windows PC that’s missing the wireless adapter:

1. Check if Windows still detects the adapter
   1. Select Start, type device manager, and select Device Manager.
   2. Expand Network adapters.
   3. Look for any adapter with wireless, Wi‑Fi, or WLAN in the name.
2. If the adapter is listed but has a warning or is disabled
   • If there’s a down‑arrow icon: right‑click the adapter and select Enable device.
   • If there’s a warning icon and a Problem number in its properties, use that number to look up the matching Device Manager error code and follow the suggested fix.
3. If the adapter is not listed at all
   • Windows is not detecting the wireless hardware.
   • On another device, go to the PC or motherboard manufacturer’s website and download the latest wireless network adapter driver for the exact PC model and Windows version.
   • Copy it to a USB drive, plug it into the affected PC, and install the driver.
4. If Wi‑Fi stopped working after an update
   • With a backup driver ready (downloaded as above), uninstall the current driver so Windows can reinstall it:
     1. Open Device Manager.
     2. Expand Network adapters and right‑click the wireless adapter (if present).
     3. Select Uninstall device.
     4. Check Attempt to remove the driver for this device, then select Uninstall.
     5. Restart the PC. Windows will try to reinstall the driver automatically. If it doesn’t, install the backup driver manually.

If none of these steps make the wireless adapter appear in Device Manager, the Wi‑Fi hardware may be physically faulty or disconnected and might need hardware service or a replacement USB/PCIe Wi‑Fi adapter.

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References:

• Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows
• Setting up a wireless network in Windows