The reasons why there may be problems connecting to the Internet are very varied. Sometimes they are related to a software problem, at other times a physical problem with the equipment, the operator, the cabling … In this article we will explain how to solve the problem when Windows does not detect the network card . This is something that can happen in certain circumstances and we are going to see some tips to avoid it.
Fix the problem when Windows does not detect the network card
The network card is a fundamental piece for our connections. It is something basic that will allow us to connect to the Internet and we can navigate normally. The card can be integrated into the board or added later. There are wireless and wired. But sometimes, due to a software update for example, there is some kind of conflict and Windows does not detect it.
Update network card drivers
One of the first steps we must take is to update the network card drivers . It may happen that we have updated the operating system and this has caused some kind of conflict. It could also happen when we first install a system and it has outdated drivers.
To do this we have to go to Start, type Device Manager , click on Network Adapters, look for the specific card and click the second mouse button. Once this is done, the option to update will appear.
Disable and re-enable the card
Following a bit the thread of what we mentioned earlier, this time we are going to disable the card to re-enable it. What this basically does is to recognize the network card again.
We have to go back to Device Manager and follow the steps we mentioned, but this time we are not going to update, but to Disable device and later re-enable it.
Update Windows
Another step that we must take or make sure that we have done it is to update Windows . Having the latest version of the operating system will be very important so that everything works correctly and of course so that it recognizes the network card and other devices.
Updating Windows is very easy. We have to go to Start, Settings, Update and security and there make sure that the equipment is up to date and otherwise click to check for updates and update. This way we can avoid conflicts when it comes to recognizing our hardware.
Restore your computer to a previous state
Maybe we have misconfigured, installed a plugin, or made a mistake. This could lead to failures when it comes to recognizing some devices and that everything works properly. What we can do is restore the equipment to an earlier point.
We have to go to Start, we enter the Control Panel, we go to Recovery and System Restore . There we click Next and return to a previous point where the equipment was working correctly before having made any changes.
Scan for Viruses
Security threats can always affect the operation of any computer. They could cause failures when browsing, using some tools and, also, when recognizing connected devices, such as the network card.
To perform an analysis for threats we can use an antivirus . There are many options that we have at our disposal. There are both free and paid. We must use a complete one, which performs an in-depth scan and is able to eliminate the problems it finds.
Check if it is deactivated in the Bios
Another action that we can carry out if Windows does not detect the network card is to check if it is disabled in the Bios . This could be due to some misconfiguration or some problem that has arisen. In case we see that the card is not activated, we simply have to activate it and it should already be recognized by the operating system.
Try another operating system to rule out problems
Is it a Windows problem or does it affect the whole team? An easy way to check is to try another operating system . For example, we can try a Linux distribution even without installing it. In this way we will see whether or not it recognizes the network card.
In short, by following these steps we can correct the problem when Windows does not recognize the network card. A series of simple tips to carry out and that will surely solve our problem.