An out-of-date or corrupted wireless driver could prevent you from connecting your PC to the Internet. If the wireless driver is the culprit, reinstalling it will get you back online in minutes. First, download the latest version of the driver using a wired Internet connection. At that point you can safely remove the current driver in the Device Manager, allowing you to do a clean installation.
1-Downloading the Driver
1
Hook the computer up to a wired Internet connection. If you don’t have access to the Internet through Wi-Fi, get online by running an Ethernet cable from your computer’s LAN port to the LAN port on your router.
- Macs don’t use wireless drivers. If you’re having trouble with your Mac, see How to Fix Common Computer Network Issues for Mac.
2
Press ⊞ Win+S to launch the search box. To determine the best driver for your wireless card, you will need to know what the wireless card is called. You can find that information in the Device Manager.
3
Type devmgmt.msc into the search box and press ↵ Enter. The Device Manager will now appear on the screen.
4
Click "Network Adapters" in the list of devices. This will expand a list of all network adapters on the computer, including one that has the word "wireless" in its name.[1]
- If you can't find one labeled "Wireless," right-click each driver and select "Properties." The wireless card should say "Wireless Card" under "type."
5
Navigate to the "Driver" tab.
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Write down the name and version of the wireless adapter. The wireless adapter name is at the very top of the Driver tab.[2]
- An example of a wireless card name is "Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235."
7
Navigate to the Support section of the manufacturer of your wireless card. This is where you’ll find links to download drivers for your device.
- For example, if your wireless card was made by Intel, visit www.intel.com and click "Suppor
8
Search for the name of your wireless card. This is the name that you wrote down earlier. Once you find the wireless card, click the link to visit its product page.
9
Download the drivers for your version of Windows. You may have to click a link that says "Download," "Software," or "Drivers" to find the download links.
- Most companies provide drivers in a ".exe" file, which makes them extra easy to download and install.
- Save the download in a location you will remember, like the Downloads folder or the Desktop.
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