If you don’t have Ethernet, you will need a second computer with internet access and a USB thumb drive.
Your screen may flicker briefly. Expand the section to see if your wireless card reappears. Method 2: Use Windows Basic Driver Rollback
. If you see your Wi-Fi adapter with a yellow exclamation mark or a down arrow, right-click it and select Enable device Update driver Browse my computer Let me pick from a list to select a previously installed version. Microsoft Learn 2. Perform a Network Reset accidentally deleted wifi driver exclusive
In most cases, Windows keeps a generic backup of essential drivers. You can trigger a reinstall by forcing the system to re-examine its hardware.
By default, if a network adapter is uninstalled but the physical hardware is still there, Windows will often detect the "new" hardware during the reboot and automatically reinstall a generic driver to get you back online. 2. Force a Hardware Scan If you don’t have Ethernet, you will need
Connect your iPhone to your PC using a Lightning or USB-C cable. Open your iPhone's and tap Personal Hotspot . Toggle on Allow Others to Join . If prompted on your phone screen, tap Trust This Computer .
If Windows cannot find the driver locally, you must provide it with a temporary internet connection: USB Tethering Method 2: Use Windows Basic Driver Rollback
Run Windows Update or download the drivers from the manufacturer. Phase 3: Advanced Fixes to Reinstall Driver
If you have a Windows installation USB drive (or can create one using another computer), you can use it to retrieve generic WiFi drivers that often work well enough to get you online.
Windows is actually pretty smart. If you delete a driver but the physical card is still there, Windows will often realize it’s missing during a reboot and reinstall a generic version automatically. Restart your computer.