How to restore Ethernet connection after windows update

Question

How to restore Ethernet connection after windows update

Tony Charlton 20

Following a Windows update, the Ethernet connection claimed to be working, but no browser or email client could access the internet. I depend on the internet for work. I have tried all the trouble shooting routes. The option to roll back the update is no longer available.

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Answer accepted by question author

John DeV 170.5K Independent Advisor

Hi, good day!

When was the last time it worked properly?

What specific update did you install recently?

What is the exact make and model of your computer?

Press Windows key+R to open Run then type: msinfo32

Press Enter

Please take a screenshot of the System Information window and post it in your next response. Note: Don't include any personal information or sensitive data as Microsoft Q&A is a public forum.

Please let me know if you have tried the methods below.

Press Start then search ""Internet Options"

Select the "Advanced" Tab

Scroll down the list until you see "Use SSL/TLS"

Unselect SSL 3.0 and TLS 1.0 and 1.1

Select TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3 (if available)

Click Apply then OK

Restart your computer

Turn off Proxy

Open Internet options > Connections > Lan settings

Turn off "Automatically detect settings"

Restart your computer

If it is already Turned off, please put a checkmark in "Automatically detect settings"

Restart your computer

Change your network DNS

Open Control Panel

Select Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center

Click Change adapter settings

a. To change the settings for an Ethernet connection, right-click the Ethernet interface and select Properties

b. To change the settings for a wireless connection, right-click the Wi-Fi interface and select Properties

Under Networking tab, double click TCP/IPv4

Select Use the following DNS server addresses. If there are any IP addresses listed in the Preferred DNS server or Alternate DNS server, write them down for future reference.

Replace those addresses with the IP address below

Preferred DNS server: 1.1.1.1

Click Ok

Restart your computer

Reset Network Settings

Press Windows key+ I to open Settings

Select Network & Internet > Advanced network settings

Under the "More settings", click Network reset

Click Reset now then Yes

Restart your computer

I look forward to your update and am happy to continue working with you until the issue is resolved. If you find the answer helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and consider upvoting it. Otherwise, please keep me posted by clicking "Add comments" below instead of selecting Yes or No.

Tony Charlton 20 Reputation points

2026-04-05T17:16:34.75+00:00

Thank you John DeV for all this information. I was working through the steps, including msinfo32, and by chance looked at Windows Update again. The update Uninstall option, which had been greyed out and unavailable, was live again. I uninstalled the update - and everything worked again as it should. That included the wifi connection to the router, which the Windows troubleshooter said might be a hardware fault. I have backed everything up, including the OS. So, if it happens again, I can restore the whole OS. I also set a new Restore Point, although this feature has let me down before (hence taking a backup). When this is a known fault with Windows updates, although it has not affected me before, I do not understand why Microsoft have not addressed it,

Thank you for all your help. It persuaded me to persevere instead of ditching the PC for a Mac.
John DeV 170.5K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-04-05T17:25:53.0066667+00:00

Glad it’s all working again, that’s a big relief. Good call uninstalling the update, and backing up your system gives you a solid safety net.

I totally understand the frustration with updates, and hopefully it improves. I’m glad it all worked out

2 additional answers

Your answer

Tony Charlton 20 Reputation points

2026-04-05T17:16:34.75+00:00

Thank you John DeV for all this information. I was working through the steps, including msinfo32, and by chance looked at Windows Update again. The update Uninstall option, which had been greyed out and unavailable, was live again. I uninstalled the update - and everything worked again as it should. That included the wifi connection to the router, which the Windows troubleshooter said might be a hardware fault. I have backed everything up, including the OS. So, if it happens again, I can restore the whole OS. I also set a new Restore Point, although this feature has let me down before (hence taking a backup). When this is a known fault with Windows updates, although it has not affected me before, I do not understand why Microsoft have not addressed it,

Thank you for all your help. It persuaded me to persevere instead of ditching the PC for a Mac.
John DeV 170.5K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-04-05T17:25:53.0066667+00:00

Glad it’s all working again, that’s a big relief. Good call uninstalling the update, and backing up your system gives you a solid safety net.

I totally understand the frustration with updates, and hopefully it improves. I’m glad it all worked out

Answer 1

John DeV 170.5K Independent Advisor

Please try the suggested methods in my first reply and let me know how it goes. Please answer the questions as well. Thank you.

0 comments

Answer 2

Try these steps in order on the Windows 11 PC to restore Ethernet after the update:

Run the built-in Network troubleshooter
1. Select Start > Settings > Network & internet.
2. Select Status (or the equivalent status view) and run Network troubleshooter.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions and test the connection.
Check cable and router side
1. Make sure the Ethernet cable is firmly plugged into both the router and the PC.
2. Confirm the cable is in a LAN/Ethernet port on the router, not the router’s Internet/WAN port.
3. If possible, try a different Ethernet cable and a different LAN port on the router.
Run network repair commands
1. Select Search on the taskbar, type Command Prompt.
2. On Command Prompt, select Run as administrator > Yes.
3. Run these commands in order, pressing Enter after each, then test the connection:
  - netsh winsock reset
  - netsh int ip reset
  - ipconfig /release
  - ipconfig /renew
  - ipconfig /flushdns
Uninstall and reinstall the Ethernet adapter driver
1. On another device, go to the PC manufacturer’s site and download the latest Ethernet/network adapter driver. Save it to a USB drive as backup.
2. On the affected PC, select Search on the taskbar, type Device Manager, then open Device Manager.
3. Expand Network adapters and locate the Ethernet adapter.
4. Right-click it and select Uninstall device.
5. Check Attempt to remove the driver for this device (if available), then select Uninstall.
6. Select Start > Power > Restart.
7. After restart, Windows should automatically reinstall the driver. If it does not, install the driver from the USB backup.
Use Network reset (last resort) Network reset removes and reinstalls all network adapters and resets network settings to defaults. VPN clients and virtual switches may need to be reinstalled afterward.
1. Select Start, type settings, then open Settings > Network & internet.
2. On Windows 11, select Advanced network settings > Network reset.
3. Select Reset now > Yes to confirm.
4. Wait for the PC to restart and then test the Ethernet connection again.
Test with another PC if possible If available, connect another Windows PC to the same router port using the same Ethernet cable (or a USB–Ethernet adapter). If that second PC also cannot reach the internet, the issue is likely with the router or ISP rather than Windows.

If the router is Wi‑Fi capable, connecting temporarily via Wi‑Fi can keep work going while Ethernet is being diagnosed.

References:

Fix Ethernet connection problems in Windows