My girlfriend just got a new Windows PC last month, and she hasn't used it in a week since she's on holiday. Now, it won't connect to WiFi at all! The option to choose a network just isn't there. I've tried a bunch of things—shut it down, restarted it, unplugged and replugged the WiFi and the extender, and even did a network reset. When I diagnose the network issues, it says the Ethernet cable isn't plugged in, but the setup doesn't even use one! I can't update anything due to this lack of connection, and I double-checked that all the cables are plugged in correctly. Any ideas on how I can fix this?
1 Answer
First, check "Device Manager". Open it up and expand "Network adapters" to see if there's a Wi-Fi or Wireless option. Right-click on it and choose "Uninstall" (just don't check the box that saves the driver). Then restart the computer and see if it detects any wireless networks afterward.
I checked, and it shows a Bluetooth device (could be the USB Bluetooth stick), a Realtek gaming family controller, and some WAN miniports. I disconnected the Realtek one, but it still doesn’t work.