I bought an NVMe SSD to replace my current hard-drive boot drive and used a cloning program to transfer my files. To test the SSD, I disconnected the SATA cables from my ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi motherboard and tried booting from the new drive, but the transfer did not work. After reconnecting the cables and booting from the hard drive again, Windows could no longer connect to Wi‑Fi. I tried reinstalling the Wi‑Fi drivers, checking that the SATA and nearby cables were seated properly, power cycling the computer, and performing a network reset. Other devices connect to the network normally, and Bluetooth on the PC still works. Occasionally, Wi‑Fi works for a few minutes after restarting, then disconnects and shows "Can't connect to this network." I eventually installed a fresh copy of Windows on the SSD, and Wi‑Fi began working normally again. Fortunately, my files were backed up, so I can leave the old hard drive disconnected.
1 Answer
It’s possible the Wi‑Fi antenna leads or the antenna connectors were accidentally disturbed while working inside the case. Make sure the external antennas are screwed in securely and that the small connectors on the wireless card are still attached. Since Bluetooth continued working, though, a Windows driver or installation problem was also more likely than a completely disconnected card.
The wireless hardware appeared to be fine, and installing a clean copy of Windows on the SSD fixed the problem. It was probably something corrupted in the original Windows installation or its drivers.