Having severe wireless driver issues on my PC

Maurasho Walker 0 Reputation points
2026-08-31T05:42:55.7066667+00:00 
  For a little context I was given this computer by a family member where it was used strictly with ethernet. When I received it, I tried to set up a wireless wi-fi connection to my home internet but no matter how many times I tried (resets and restarts and various troubleshooting methods), I could not get it to stop saying "No internet, Secured" every single time even though the actual network was perfectly fine. I went on the internet to begin doing some research and get it working correctly where I was instructed to delete the wireless driver in device manager, reset my computer, and let windows automatically donwload it back, which i trusted and did.

  Now, nothing works. I can see any networks, I cant connect to any, I cant do USB tethering, and I'm yet to test ethernet since my router is too far. None of my wi-fi and internet related features are working at all now. And even after installing and uninstalling drivers, resetting things, and deep researching, I'm yet to see any sign of life in my computers internet. So now I need help because at this point my desktop is a vegetable.
Windows for home | Windows 10 | Devices and drivers
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  1. DaveM121 928.6K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-31T06:15:53.77+00:00

    1

    Click your Start Button, type cmd and choose Command Prompt

    Run this command and hit Enter:

    ipconfig /flushdns

    Run this command and hit Enter:

    ipconfig /registerdns

    Run this command and hit Enter:

    netsh winsock reset

    Run this command and hit Enter:

    netsh int ip reset

    Close Command Prompt

    Open the Settings App

    Go to Network and Internet

    Click the Network Reset button

    Wait for your PC to automatically restart after 5 minutes, do not manually restart your PC.

    2

    If that does not resolve the problem.

    Right click your Start Button and open Device Manager.

    Expand the 'Network Adapters' section.

    Please provide a screenshot of that full Device Manager window.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-31T05:43:15.9633333+00:00

    Since the wireless driver was removed and Wi-Fi networks no longer appear, the most direct recovery path is to reinstall the network adapter driver and then verify the Wi-Fi service and adapter state.

    1. In Device Manager, expand Network adapters and check whether a wireless adapter is listed.
      • If it is listed, note whether it has a warning icon.
      • If it is missing entirely, the driver likely is not installed or the adapter is not being recognized.
    2. Reinstall the wireless adapter driver.
      • On another device with internet access, download the correct Wi-Fi driver from the PC manufacturer’s support site.
      • Copy it to a USB drive.
      • Install it on the affected PC.
      • Restart the PC after installation.
    3. If the adapter is present but still not working, uninstall and reinstall it again carefully.
      • In Device Manager > Network adapters, right-click the wireless adapter.
      • Select Uninstall device.
      • If prompted, select Attempt to remove the driver for this device.
      • Restart the PC.
      • Windows should try to reinstall the adapter driver automatically. If it does not, install the backup driver downloaded from the manufacturer.
    4. If Wi-Fi appears connected but still shows “No internet, secured”, reset the network stack from an elevated Command Prompt.
      • Open Search, type Command prompt, then select Run as administrator.
      • Run these commands in order:
    netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns
    1. If Wi-Fi controls or networks still do not appear, check whether the Wi-Fi adapter is present and enabled, and whether the WLAN AutoConfig service is running. When that service is stopped, the Wi-Fi control can be hidden and netsh wlan commands report that the service is not running.
    2. Collect a quick baseline before making more changes, especially since multiple resets and reinstalls were already tried. From an elevated Command Prompt, run:
    netsh wlan show drivers
netsh wlan show interfaces
netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid
netsh wlan show profiles
netsh wlan show wlanreport

    These commands help confirm whether Windows still detects the wireless hardware, whether nearby networks are visible, and whether the adapter/driver is functioning.

    1. If the issue started after driver removal and the adapter still does not return after reinstalling the correct manufacturer driver, compare the installed driver and firmware with the versions recommended by the device manufacturer before making further changes.

    Important: before more resets, driver removals, or network stack changes, record the current state first. Those actions can remove evidence and make the issue harder to diagnose.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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