Won't connect to internet upon start up

When the failure occurs, check whether the network adapter is present in Device Manager before rebooting; that result determines whether to repair the adapter driver or reset the Windows network stack.

1. Check the adapter during the failure

1. Right-click Start → Device Manager.
2. Expand Network adapters.
3. Find the physical Wi‑Fi or Ethernet adapter, usually identified as Intel, Realtek, MediaTek, or Qualcomm.

Then follow the matching case:

• Adapter is missing: Windows is not detecting it. Download the current Windows 11 network driver from the laptop manufacturer while the connection is working, then install it. If necessary, download it on another computer and transfer it by USB.
• Adapter has a warning symbol: Open Properties and note the error shown under Device status, then reinstall the driver as described below.
• Adapter is listed normally: Right-click it, select Disable device, wait 10 seconds, and select Enable device. If connectivity immediately returns, the issue is isolated to the laptop’s adapter or driver rather than the router.

Microsoft’s guidance states that a missing adapter means Windows is not detecting it and may require manual installation of the manufacturer’s driver.^1^

2. Reinstall the network adapter driver

First download the appropriate driver from the laptop manufacturer and keep it as a backup. Removing the driver without a backup could leave the laptop offline.

1. Open Device Manager → Network adapters.
2. Right-click the affected Wi‑Fi or Ethernet adapter.
3. Select Uninstall device.
4. Select Attempt to remove the driver for this device, then Uninstall.
5. Restart the laptop.

Windows should detect and reinstall the adapter during startup. If it does not, install the manufacturer’s driver you downloaded.^2^

3. If the adapter remains present, reset the network stack

Open Command Prompt as administrator and run these commands in order:

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns

Restart once and test several normal startups. These commands reset Winsock and TCP/IP, renew the IP address, and clear the DNS resolver cache.^2^

4. Use Network reset only if the preceding steps fail

Go to:

Settings → Network & internet → Advanced network settings → Network reset → Reset now → Yes

Wait for Windows to restart. Network reset removes and reinstalls network adapters and restores their settings to defaults. You might subsequently need to reinstall VPN software or virtual network switches, and known networks can be changed to the Public profile.^2^

If the adapter repeatedly disappears from Device Manager specifically after a cold startup even with the manufacturer’s current driver installed, record the laptop model, adapter name, and any Device Manager error code and contact the laptop manufacturer; that pattern requires device-specific driver, firmware, or hardware diagnosis.

References

1. [Windows 10](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/experience/connectivity-networking/fix-wi-fi-connection-issues-in-windows#general-troubleshooting)
2. [Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/experience/connectivity-networking/fix-ethernet-connection-problems-in-windows#on-your-pc)