If your PC fails to connect to a Wi-Fi network or intermittently disconnects from the connected Wi-Fi hotspot, it’s most likely due to the corrupt or faulty wireless adapter driver.
In most cases, all Wi-Fi related issues can be resolved by reinstalling the Wi-Fi driver. That said, before reinstalling the Wi-Fi driver, we recommend running the built-in Network adapter troubleshooter as it might help you troubleshoot and fix the issue with a few clicks.
The Network adapter troubleshooter can be accessed by navigating to Windows 11 Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters page. After running the Network adapter, please select Wi-Fi from the list and follow the on-screen instructions. If that does not fix the issue, you can go ahead and reinstall the Wi-Fi driver.
Here is how to reinstall the Wi-Fi driver in Windows 11 by uninstalling the currently installed driver and installing a fresh copy of the driver.
NOTE: When you reinstall the Wi-Fi driver, all saved Wi-Fi profiles will be deleted automatically. This means that the next time you try connecting to a Wi-Fi network, you will have to enter the Wi-Fi password all over again.
Method 1 of 2
Reinstall Windows 11 Wi-Fi driver via Device Manager
Step 1: Visit your PC manufacturer’s website and download the latest version of the Wi-Fi driver using your PC’s model number.
If your PC’s internet/Wi-Fi is not working, please use a PC with working internet to download the correct Wi-Fi driver for your computer.
IMPORTANT: Uninstalling the Wi-Fi driver might disconnect your computer from the internet. So, please download the Wi-Fi driver before proceeding further.
Step 2: Perform a right-click on the Start button on the taskbar and then click the Device Manager option to open the Device Manager window.
Step 3: In the Device Manager, look for the Network adapters tree and expand the same by clicking on the arrow icon to see the Wi-Fi adapter’s entry.
The Wi-Fi adapter’s model name and manufacturer mentioned here can be used to download the correct Wi-Fi driver. It’s recommended to download a fresh copy of the Wi-Fi driver before uninstalling the driver.
Step 4: Now, right-click on the Wi-Fi adapter’s entry and then click the Uninstall device option.
WARNING: Please ensure that you have a fresh copy of the Wi-Fi driver, as uninstalling the Wi-Fi driver might disconnect your PC from the internet, and you might not be able to download the driver.
Step 5: When you get the following confirmation dialog, select the Attempt to remove the driver for this device option before clicking the Uninstall button.
Step 6: Once the Wi-Fi driver is uninstalled, save your work, and then please reboot your PC once.
Step 7: Run the Wi-Fi driver setup and follow the easy on-screen directions (which requires clicking the Next button a few times) to complete the driver installation. If asked, restart your computer.
That’s it! You have successfully reinstalled the Windows 11 Wi-Fi driver.
Method 2 of 2
Another way to reinstall wireless adapter driver in Windows 11
This method is the same as the previous method except that we let the Windows Update service download and install the Wi-Fi driver. We recommend using this method only if you are unsure about the Wi-Fi driver model.
Step 1: Open the Device Manager by right-clicking on the Start button and then clicking the Device Manager entry.
Step 2: In the Device Manager window, expand the Network adapters tree to see your Wi-Fi adapter.
Step 3: Right-click on the Wi-Fi adapter entry and then click the Uninstall device option. Upon seeing the confirmation dialog, select the Attempt to remove the driver for this device and then click the Uninstall button.
Step 4: Once the driver is uninstalled and removed, restart your computer. When you reinstall your computer, Windows 11 will install a generic Wi-Fi driver so that you can connect to the internet again.
Step 5: Click on the network/volume/battery icon on the taskbar to open the Quick Settings, click on the arrow icon next to the Wi-Fi icon, click on the Wi-Fi network that you want to connect your PC to, click on the Connect button, enter the Wi-Fi password or use WPS option on the router to automatically connect and click the Next button to connect to the internet.
Step 6: Now, it’s time to let Windows download the actual Wi-Fi driver for your Wi-Fi adapter. To do that, open the Settings app. Next, go to the Windows Update page and then click the Check for updates button. After that, windows 11 should automatically download and install the correct Wi-Fi driver on its own.
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