Windows 10: Windows 11 “No WIFI networks found” when I try to connect to wifi

When I try connect to wifi it just says No WIFI networks found. It started doing this a few days ago but I just restarted my laptop and it worked again. But now even when I restart it doesn’t fix. I have tried resetting network but nothing seems to be working.

:)

 

How to connect to an existing wifi network?

'Not connected' doesn't necessarily mean the WiFi adapter isn't working, just that you have not yet connected to an available network. If it is working then a list of available WiFi names should appear when you click on the WiFi icon on the taskbar which looks like this

when not connected.


If the list is empty then either the antenna is not connected to the WiFi adapter or the adapter isn't working. This may be a driver problem rather than hardware, so look in Device Manager for any yellow warnings. Also check that the WiFi adapter is not disable in Device Manager.

 

How to connect to an existing wifi network?

As you suggested, I tried disabling the ethernet adapter and that caused wi-fi to connect, so the desktop wifi does work. Also, I accessed the router and changed the wireless network name (to wfCHS). Thanks!

However many problems are still unresolved:

My laptop behaves just as I want it to. Assuming the router has wifi turned on and the laptop has an ethernet connection, connection to the internet is by ethernet (no private network name), and the wi-fi connection is to my private network "wfCHS", but with no connection to the internet. (If I disconnect the ethernet cable, then wfCHS becomes connected to the internet and stays that way even if I reconnect the cable.) A directory listing shows both laptop and desktop under "Network". Great!

Things are rather different with the desktop. With Ethernet disabled, the desktop shows a wi-fi connection to the internet. Under Settings > Status it's called "wfCHS" but under Network Connections it's called wfCHS2. If I then re-enable the ethernet connection, the wifi connection stays enabled for a minute or two, then disconnects. Further, the ethernet connection is given the name wfCHS2 under both Status and Network Connections.

Why does the desktop give an (unwanted) name to the ethernet connection while the laptop doesn't?

Why does the desktop disconnect its wi-fi connection a minute or so after the ethernet connection is enabled, while the laptop doesn't?

Why does the desktop give two different names to the wifi connection, depending on whether it's viewed under Status or Network Connections, while the laptop doesn't?

Why does the laptop show the desktop under Network, while the desktop shows only itself?

Things are so convoluted that I'd be happy to start over. I've had the desktop "forget" the wi-fi connection as you suggested, then re-established it, but this hasn't helped. Can the ethernet connection also be "forgotten"?

Really appreciate the help you've given so far!

 

Laptop connects to wifi-sense TWC Wifi network, despite my settings


I have Windows 10 Home, fully updated.

My next-door neighbor rents his cable modem from Time Warner, so there's an open network called TWC Wifi (and also a Cable Wifi). I have never manually connected to this network, and it doesn't show up in my list of "Known networks"--the only 2 networks listed there are my own network and my mother-in-law's. I've turned off Wifi-sense. Yet, virtually every single time I wake my laptop from sleep, I go to load a website and get the login for Time Warner and then notice that my computer is connected to TWC Wifi or Cable Wifi. Again, these are NOT known networks, wifi-sense is turned off... why does my computer still prefer these open networks over my own home network (the router is less than 10 feet away)?

I'm at my wit's end. Is this a bug? Is there any way to set my computer to avoid these SSIDs?