My WiFi adapter is not showing up in Windows. What should I do?

Question

ScanSolve AI Tutor · Accepted Answer

The image shows that your WiFi adapter, "Realtek 8821CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC", is listed under "Network adapters". This means Windows detects the hardware and its driver is likely installed.

Since it's listed but your WiFi has disappeared, here are the next steps:

Check the status of the Realtek WiFi adapter in Device Manager*.
- Right-click on "Realtek 8821CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC".
- Check if there is an option to "Enable device". If so, click it.
- If it's already enabled, select "Properties". Look under the "General" tab for "Device status". It should say "This device is working properly." If there's an error message, note it down.
Check Network Connections*.
- Go to the Windows search bar and type "Network Status" or "Network and Internet settings".
- Click on "Change adapter options" (or "Change adapter settings").
- In the "Network Connections" window, find your "Wi-Fi" adapter (it should be labeled with the Realtek name or just "Wi-Fi").
- Right-click on it. If it says "Enable", click it. If it says "Disable", it means it's already enabled.
Restart the WLAN AutoConfig service*.
- Press $\text{Windows key} + \text{R}$ to open the Run dialog.
- Type services.msc and press Enter.
- In the Services window, scroll down and find "WLAN AutoConfig".
- Right-click on "WLAN AutoConfig" and select "Restart". If it's not running, select "Start". Ensure its "Startup type" is set to "Automatic".
Check for a physical WiFi switch or function key*.
- Double-check your laptop for a physical switch that turns WiFi on/off.
- Look for a function key combination (e.g., $\text{Fn} + \text{F2}$ , $\text{Fn} + \text{F5}$ , or a key with an antenna icon) that might toggle WiFi or airplane mode.
Update or reinstall the driver*.
- If the above steps don't resolve the issue, go back to Device Manager.
- Right-click on "Realtek 8821CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC".
- Select "Update driver" and choose "Search automatically for updated driver software".
- If that doesn't work, right-click again and select "Uninstall device". Do not check the box to delete the driver software.
- After uninstalling, restart your laptop. Windows should automatically reinstall the driver. If not, go back to Device Manager, click "Action" -> "Scan for hardware changes".

My WiFi adapter is not showing up in Windows. What should I do?

Step-by-step solution

Check the status of the Realtek WiFi adapter in Device Manager*.

Check Network Connections*.

Restart the WLAN AutoConfig service*.

Check for a physical WiFi switch or function key*.

Update or reinstall the driver*.

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