Fix: Windows did not detect any networking hardware

Many users come across the problem where they get an error message stating that Windows did not detect any networking hardware. This error primarily occurs due to the driver for your network adapter not being installed correctly.

People come across this issue after they upgrade their version of Windows or install a fresh copy. Windows is designed to automatically install the default drivers for all your hardware, but in some cases, it fails to do so. The workaround is really simple; we just have to install the driver for your network adapter manually. Do note that this solution works for all versions of Windows and for both adapters (WiFi and Ethernet).

Solution: Installing Drivers Manually

We will first try updating the driver for your adapter automatically where Windows searches for the most effective driver on the internet and installs it accordingly. If this doesn’t do, we can try updating it manually.

1. Press Windows + R to launch the Run Type “devmgmt.msc” in the dialogue box and hit Enter. This will launch your computer’s device manager.
2. Navigate through all the hardware and click on the Network Adapters Right click on your Wireless hardware it and select “Update driver”.

3. Now Windows will pop a dialogue box asking you which way do you want to update your driver. Select the first option (Search automatically for updated driver software) and proceed.

4. After the installation, restart your computer and check if the problem gets resolved.

If it doesn’t work as expected, we can try installing the default drivers for hardware after uninstalling it.

1. Head back to your network hardware in the device manager, right click on it and select “Uninstall device”.

2. After uninstalling, restart your computer again.

If you are unable to update the drivers using both the above methods, you can head over to your manufacturer’s site and download the drivers to an accessible location. Then follow the same steps listed above but select the second method (Browse my computer for driver software). Navigate to the location where you downloaded the driver and install it.

Note: If you are unable to find the network hardware under the category of “Network adapters”, look in the device manager for “Other devices”. Here you will most probably see your network adapter labeled as “Unknown device”. You can apply all the above methods to update it accordingly. Try using the automatic method before moving on to the other ones.