Fix “Windows Can’t Connect To This Network” Error
One of these methods should help
“Windows 10 can’t connect to this network” is one of the issues you could face while trying to connect your Windows machine to a network. As you can see, except for telling you you can’t connect to the network, the error doesn’t say much about why the issue has occurred and what you can do about it.
If you’ve found yourself in the situation for the first time, you’re probably clueless and have no idea what to do. Luckily, there are a few ways to get around the issue and successfully connect to your chosen network on your PC.
Also, be sure to check out ourshort video on our YouTube channelwhere we cover some of the fixes mentioned in this article.
Forget The Network & Reconnect To It
When there’s an issue on your computer, you’re usually asked to reboot your machine and that’ll hopefully fix it for you. The same can be done for your network connection as well. You can try forgetting the network and then re-connecting to it to see if it then connects without any issues.
Although it’s one of the most basic things to do, it may just work out for you, and there’s no harm in doing it.
Toggle The Airplane Mode On & Off
On smartphones like iPhone and Android, when you face the “windows 10 can’t connect to this network” issue, one of the things you’re asked to do is toggle theairplane modeand see if that fixes the problem for you. It works in many cases as it helps your device fully disconnect from any networks, and you can then turn it off and manually connect to your chosen network.
You can use the same method on your Windows PC as well.
Uninstall The Drivers For Your Network Adapter
Your Windows computer recognizes your network adapter because you have its drivers installed on your machine. If there’s an issue with the drivers, it can cause issues like “Windows can’t connect to this network”.
One of the ways to resolve the driver-related issues is touninstall the deviceand the drivers. Your machine will then automatically install the proper and required drivers for your device.
Run Commands In CMD To Fix The Issue
The “Can’t connect to network” issue you’re facing on your Windows 10 could be due to an IP related issue as well. In that case, Microsoft recommends you use a command torelease your IPand flush the DNS cache.
These commands can be run from the Command Prompt utility on your computer. You don’t need to configure them or anything like that; all you need to do is copy and paste them into your CMD window.
Reset Your Network Settings
Sometimes an improper configuration in your network settings can lead to errors like “Windows 10 can’t connect to this network”. The best way to resolve the issue, without getting into much details, is to reset your network settings.
It brings your settings back to the factory defaults, and you can always reconfigure them when needed.
Disable IPv6 On Your PC
You can try disabling IP version 6 on your computer and see if it helps fix the connection issue on your machine. Most computers can work just fine with IPv4 and you shouldn’t have any issues at all, unless you work on something that specifically requires IPv6.
Use The Network Troubleshooter
If you have still not been able to figure out the issue yet, you might want to take help of the built-innetwork troubleshooterto find and fix the underlying problem on your computer.
The “Windows can’t connect to this network” issue basically paralyzes you as it won’t let you connect to the Internet, and that means you can’t access your sites, emails, and anything else that requires an active Internet connection.
If you were able to fix the issue using any of the above methods, please let us know your experience in the comments below.
Mahesh has been obsessed with technology since he got his first gadget a decade or so ago. Over the last few years, he’s written a number of tech articles on various online publications including but not limited to MakeTechEasier and Android AppStorm.Read Mahesh’s Full Bio
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