How to Reset Network Adapter Manually on Windows PC

by Jeniffer Leio Excutive

Resetting is also considered as a part of troubleshooting. Many minor issues related to software or devices can be quickly resolved by resetting them. Attempting a reset is easy, it also doesn’t leave any negative impact. And, in return, you’ll get a refreshed device or software with improved performance. If you’re meeting any wireless network issues on your system, then you can try disabling and re-enabling the network adapter(s) to fix it. There are different ways to performing network adapter reset on Windows PC. You can use Network Connection settings as well as Command Prompt to do so. Here is how to reset network adapter manually on Windows PC.

Resetting a Wireless Adapter on your PC

If your PC’s internet connection is not working well, then you should try resetting your Wi-Fi adapter manually. You can go to the Network Connection settings on your system to disable and re-enable a wireless adapter. Here is how.

1. Right-click on the ‘Start’ icon to open the quick access menu.

2. Then select ‘Network Connections’ from the top of the menu. If you don’t find this option in your Windows version, search for ‘Network and Internet’ or ‘Network and Sharing Center’ under control panel.

3. Click on ‘Change adapter options/settings.’

4. Look for the Wi-Fi connection you’re facing the trouble with or want to reset.

5. Right-click on the wireless connection and then click ‘Disable’ in the context menu. Doing so turns off that network adapter.

6. Wait and again right-click on the same wireless connection.

7. Click ‘Enable’ to restart the wireless adapter.

As soon as the connection restarts, it will try to communicate with your Wi-Fi network.

Resetting entire network adapters on your PC

In most cases, a simple disabling and re-enabling the wireless adapter resolves the issue if the error is not critical. But, if it still remains, you can try performing network reset. This will remove and reinstall your entire network adapters. Here is how to do Network reset.

Note: Since, doing network reset requires restarting the PC, save any open document or work before proceeding. Users other than Windows 10, may find difficulty in performing network reset with given instructions. If you’ve any different version of Windows, consider using Command Prompt instead.

1. Right-click on the ‘Start’ icon to open the quick access menu.

2. Then select ‘Network Connections’ from the top of the menu.

3. Click on ‘Network reset’ option at the bottom.

4. On the network reset screen, read the information and click on ‘Reset now’ button.

As you hit the button, Windows will remove all the network adapters from your device and shut down. After a moment, Windows will restart and automatically re-install the network adapters.

Resetting entire network adapters on your PC with Command Prompt

This will also do the same thing that the above method has done, but if you aren’t able to reset network with that method, try Command Prompt.

1. Open ‘Command Prompt’.

2. Enter and run this command, “netsh winshck reset.”

3. After that, enter and run “netsh int ip reset” command.

4. Run “ipconfig /release” command.

5. Then type “ipconfig /renew” and press ‘Enter.’

6. Lastly, run “ipconfig/flushdns” command.

Once you have run all these five commands, your enter network adapters will reset and your PC restarts.

Margret is a technical writer and her background is in engineering. She has been covering IT-related subjects like AI, Operating Systems, Latest Trends, Software, Cybersecurity, and Printer Support for a long time. She writes blogs, guides, white papers, and essays on several platforms. Her appreciated work mainly comes on canon printer support, lexmark printer support etc.

Source: Reset Network Adapter Manually on Windows PC