The “Windows can’t connect to this network” error is a frequent networking problem for users of Windows 11. When this happens, it’s annoying because Windows doesn’t tell you what to do. It may be as simple as installing a new driver or launching a network diagnostic tool.
However, the answer may be more involved, but that shouldn’t frighten you. In this article, we’ll show you how to fix the “Windows can’t connect to this network” error once and for all.
How to Fix the Windows Error “Can’t Connect to This Network”?
You may have just upgraded to Windows 11 and want to know how to fix the “Can’t connect to this network” error. You’re in the right spot. Here are seven of the best ways to fix the problem and reconnect to the network.
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- Restart your computer
- Leave the network alone.
- Turn on and off Airplane Mode.
- Use the troubleshooter for the network.
- Remove or update the driver for the network adapter
- Use the Command Prompt to do a network refresh.
- Choose “Automatic” for both IP and DNS settings
- Disable IPv4/IPv6
Now, we’ll say a lot more about each solution. You can try each one in order until you find one that works.
But the solution might be a little more complicated, but don’t worry about it. We’ll take you through a complete troubleshooting process to get rid of the “Windows can’t connect to this network” error.
1. Use Another Device to Connect to The Network
There’s a chance that your Windows 11 computer is fine, but you’re getting the “Windows can’t connect to this network” error because of something wrong with the network. To test it, try to connect a different device to the same network. If you keep getting this error, you’ll need to fix your network problems.
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If you can connect to the same network on a different device, try the troubleshooting tips below.
2. Take Care of The Windows 11 Network Drivers
Update your PC’s network drivers to fix many connection problems, like the “Windows can’t connect to this network” error. But if you just updated the drivers and the error started happening soon after, you should revert to the old drivers until the new ones are fixed. You can also try to fix the problem by reinstalling the drivers.
3. Remove the Drivers for The Network
If you want to do a clean install, first download your network drivers from your manufacturer’s website. Do this first before you uninstall your current network drivers. Once they’re gone, you won’t be able to connect to the internet through that network adapter until you reinstall its drivers.
3. Look for updates to Windows
Microsoft is always putting out updates that fix bugs and other problems you might run into when using your computer. If you are using an older version of Windows, you might not get the updates that keep your computer running well.
To get to the Settings menu and update Windows to the latest version, press Windows key + I. Then, click Windows Update > Check for updates.
Windows will look for updates and automatically install them. Try to connect to the network when the process is done.
4. Disable IPv6
IPv6 is not needed for most connections unless your router or ISP tells you to use it. So, you should turn it off and try again to connect to a wireless network.
5. Turn Off and On the Wireless Network Adapter
Sometimes, a simple reset of the wireless network adapter can fix connection problems on Windows. You can do this by using the Advanced network options in Windows 11.
6. Release the IP and flush the DNS cache in Command Prompt
The “Windows can’t connect to this network” error can be caused by an IP error. To fix this, you need to release the IP and flush the DNS cache.
This may sound hard, but all you need to do is run a few commands in the Windows Command Prompt, and Windows will take care of the rest. Here is how to do that:
7. Reset the Network Settings for Windows
A bad network configuration is one of the most common reasons why Windows can’t connect to a network. You can easily fix this by putting your PC’s network settings back to how they were when it came out of the box.
8. Turn on And Off the Airplane Mode
This quick tip might be all you need to fix your network problems. By turning on “Airplane mode,” you tell Windows to stop communicating with all networks. This lets you get a stable connection back after turning off airplane mode.
Click the “Airplane mode” tile in the Windows Action Center. Just wait a few minutes and then turn it off. Then, try connecting to your network again.
If Airplane Mode isn’t in the Action Center, you can still turn it on and off in other ways.
9. Use the Troubleshooter for Your Network
Windows 11 includes a troubleshooter that can find and fix network problems. It might be worth a try to see if the utility can find and fix the problem that is causing Windows to say “Can’t connect to this network.”
11. Start the Router Over or Reset It.
Sometimes your router gets stuck and needs to be turned off and on again to get back to normal. So, a quick reset of your router is a good way to quickly and easily fix a weak Wi-Fi connection.
Depending on the type of router you have, the way to reset it will be different. But the router usually has a physical power button that you can use to turn it off and on again. If not, you can also access the router’s configuration page and restart it from there.
If that doesn’t work, you can try putting the router back to its factory settings by pressing a button on it or going to its configuration page. But after you reset the router, you’ll need to set it up again.
12. Plug in Network Cable
If nothing on the list worked and you don’t have time to try more time-consuming solutions like installing a big Windows update or loading a restore point, there’s one quick fix. Use an Ethernet cable to link to the network.
