I'm facing a frustrating issue with two computers in my home—they simply can't find any WiFi options to connect to. They used to connect just fine but about two weeks ago, the WiFi disappeared for them. What's odd is that my other devices, like phones and an Xbox, can connect without any problems. The computers in question are my desktop, which has a B450M DS3H Wifi V2 motherboard, and an HP laptop, both running Windows 11 25H2. I've already tried restarting both computers and my modem, and I verified they're not on airplane mode. I attempted some troubleshooting steps, but there's just no option for WiFi in my network settings. When I pinged 8.8.8.8 in the command prompt, it worked fine, so I know the internet is accessible at least through Ethernet on my PC. However, the laptop doesn't have an Ethernet port and I really need to fix this. Let me know if you need more details to help!
4 Answers
I had a similar issue after a Windows update that seemed to wipe the WiFi adapter entirely. Make sure to check Device Manager on both devices to see if the WiFi card is even listed. If it’s gone or has a warning icon, you’ll need to manually download the WiFi drivers from the manufacturer's site. Just use another device to grab those and get back online!
It sounds like you might need to check the manufacturer's support site for your devices. For the one without WiFi options, find its serial number by opening the command prompt and typing `wmic bios get serialnumber`. Then visit the support site for your manufacturer—like HP, which you can find [here](https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/laptops). You're looking for downloads or drivers, specifically for WiFi. Download the necessary drivers, and if it’s for your laptop, transfer them using a flash drive. Once installed, reboot the device and see if the WiFi option reappears. Good luck!
I believe outdated or corrupted drivers could be contributing to this problem. Try downloading the latest network drivers from the manufacturer’s website. That might resolve the WiFi issue combined with the recent updates.
You might be dealing with a bug that came with the last Windows update. I had to reinstall Windows 11 because nothing else worked. If you're cautious about updates, you could also consider using the Windows installer to reinstall and avoid updates for now until they patch this issue.
Also, double-check your laptop—some models have a hidden Ethernet port that can be revealed by gently pushing or sliding a panel. It might make connecting easier.