I'm having a major issue with my desktop where the option to connect to Wi-Fi has completely disappeared. I don't have much experience with computers, so I really hope someone can help me figure this out.
Not too long ago, I was experiencing connection problems, and following some advice, I uninstalled the WLAN drivers via the device manager. It was suggested that they would reinstall automatically after a restart, but that hasn't happened. Now, both the Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar and the Wi-Fi settings are gone.
I've tried several troubleshooting steps including a network reset, updating Windows, scanning for hardware changes in device manager, and even a full PC reset, but nothing has worked. I'm running Windows 11 on an HP Victus gaming desktop, and my attempts to reinstall drivers from the HP support site have also failed. The error shows the drivers were added but installed on 0 devices.
Can anyone help me understand if there's a hidden setting or if my Wi-Fi card might be defective? I'd appreciate any tips, and I can post pictures if needed!
5 Answers
It sounds like your Wi-Fi hardware isn’t being recognized by Windows. Check your BIOS settings to see if wireless is disabled there. Some HP desktops have an option that might survive OS resets which could explain why it's missing. If you can’t find it in the BIOS either, there's a possibility that your Wi-Fi card has failed or come loose. The fact that the driver installers show that they were added to 0 devices is a sign that Windows can’t find any hardware to link them to.
If your network adapter isn't showing up at all, it could be a hardware issue. Double-check device manager for any hidden devices. Look for devices without drivers, shown as "unknown device". If you do find one, you can search for its hardware ID online to see if it's the Wi-Fi card you're looking for.
Sometimes the restart function doesn’t fully reboot your system due to the way caching works. Try fully shutting down your computer instead of just restarting. After that, if you still don’t see the Wi-Fi adapter, you might want to download the network drivers again from HP's website for your specific model.
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