If you’re having trouble with your network adapter not showing up in the Device Manager of your Windows PC, there are a few methods you can try to fix the issue. In this post, we’ll go over these methods, so you can get back online as quickly as possible.
The first and most basic method is to check if your network adapter is hidden. To do this, go to View and click on Show Hidden Folder. If it’s hidden, it should appear in the list. If not, the next option is to add legacy hardware. Go to Action, then click on Add Legacy Hardware, and select Install the driver that I manually selected from a list. Then, scroll down to find the network adapter and select it. Choose the manufacturer and install the driver to your PC or laptop.
If the first two methods don’t work, try resetting the network. Go to Start and type “network reset” and open the Network Reset window. Click on Reset Now, but be aware that this will remove and reinstall all your network adapters and reset other networking settings. You’ll need to configure your network adapter again after the reset. After the reset, the PC will ask you to reboot.
If resetting the network doesn’t work, try opening the Services window. Go to Start and type “services,” and open the Services app. Look for “WLAN AutoConfig” and make sure it’s set to automatic and running.
If none of these methods work, you can try downloading the network adapter driver from the manufacturer’s website. Open any browser in your PC and type “internal network adapter for Windows 10” in Google. Click on the official link of Intel, select the appropriate download for your system, and double-click on the self-file to run the setup. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
If none of these methods work, there may be a hardware issue with your laptop or Wi-Fi. In that case, it’s best to seek help from a professional.
In conclusion, we’ve outlined five methods to fix the issue of a missing network adapter in Device Manager. Hopefully, one of these methods helps you get back online. Let us know in the comments which method worked for you.