Adapter

On Windows 10, network connectivity is among the most common problems. You always will find comments and forums posts across the web complaining about slow Wi-Fi speeds, error messages like “Limited access”, “Unidentified Network”, and no internet access.

Although Microsoft is constantly releasing updates to improve the overall experience, it’s like a story that never ends. And this isn’t just a problem for Microsoft, companies like Intel and others, also have to deal with similar networking issues.

The good news is that if you’re having any networking issues, Windows 10 includes a feature that allows you to reset any network adapter to fix the most common connectivity problems — even slow Wi-Fi speeds on Surface and other devices. (You just need to know where to find it.)

Adapter

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to reset the network adapters on your Windows 10 device.

How to reset a network adapter on Windows 10

How To Install A Network Adapter

How to Remove or Forget a Wireless Network Profile in Windows 10. STEP 1: Open the Settings app, then tap or click on the Network & Internet icon. STEP 2: On the left side, tap or click on Wi-Fi, then tap or click on the Manage known networks button on the right side. STEP 3: Under Choose a network to forget.

Windows

To reset the network adapter settings to fix any connection problems, close all your running applications, and use these steps:

Warning: These steps will reset your wireless credentials, as such you must know your Wi-Fi password before proceeding, so you can reconnect later.

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Click on Network & internet.

  3. Click on Status.

  4. Under the “Change your network settings” section, click the Network Reset link.

  5. Click the Reset now button.

    Note: You can’t pick a specific Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter to reset, this feature will automatically remove and reinstall all your network adapters. After you complete the process, you may need to reinstall or reconfigure other networking software, such as a VPN client software.

  6. Click Yes to confirm.

  7. Click Close on the dialog box letting you know that your computer will shut down.

  8. Restart your computer.

How To Enable Wifi Adapter Windows 10

After completing the steps, if you’re using a Wi-Fi adapter, make sure to reconnect to your wireless network, and then you should once again be able to access the internet. (Assuming there’s not a problem with your internet provider, router, or cabling.)

Remember that there could be a million other reasons, why you’re experiencing networking problems. For example, it could be that the current driver got corrupted, settings are incorrectly configured, problems with your wireless router, or signal congestions — just to name a few.

You will also find a lot of different ways to troubleshoot and fix specific network problems, such as reinstalling the network adapters, or using the Winsock Reset feature in the netsh command line utility. However, these solutions require a set of technical skills that most regular users may find very complicated, and the Network Reset feature in Windows 10 aims to simplify the process.

Accidentally Uninstalled Wifi Driver Windows 10

Update February 25, 2019: This guide was originally published on May 2016, and it’s been updated with the current changes for the latest version of Windows 10.