Windows can’t connect to this network is one of the problems you could face while connecting your Windows system to a network. As you can locate, except for telling you, you can’t join the network, the error doesn’t say much about why the problem has occurred and what you can do about it.
If you’ve located yourself in the situation for the first time, you’re apparently clueless and have no idea what to do. Fortunately, a few ways to get around the issue and successfully connect to your chosen network on your computer.
7+ fIXES: Repair Windows Can’t Connect To This Network Error
1. Forget the Network & Reconnect to It
When there’s an issue on your computer, you’re usually asked to reboot your machine, and that’ll hopefully fix it for you. The same can be performed for your network connection as well. You can attempt forgetting the network and then reconnecting to it to see if it connects without any issues.
Although it’s one of the necessary things to do, it may just work out for you, and there’s no wrong in doing it.
- Look at the network icon in your PC tray, right-click on it, and choose Open Network & Internet settings.
- Press on the option that says Wi-Fi in the left sidebar to see your wireless adapters.
- On the next screen, press Manage known networks on the right-hand side pane to see your networks.
- You’ll see a list of all the networks you’ve ever connected to from your PC. Press on the one you’re having trouble connecting to and choose the Forget button for it.
- The network will be withdrawn from the list.
- To reconnect to it, scan for it as you would usually and click on it.
2. Toggle the Airplane Mode On & Off
On smartphones like Android and iPhone, when you see the “windows 10 can’t connect to this network” issue, one of the things you’re asked to do is toggle the airplane mode and notice if that fixes the issue for you. It works in several cases as it helps your machine fully disconnect from any network, and you can then turn it off and manually connect to your selected network.
You can use the same process on your Windows computer as well.
- Hit on the notification-like symbol at the bottom-right corner to reach the Windows Action Center.
- You’ll see many tiles you can enable and disable for your machine. Press on the one that states Airplane mode to turn it on.
- The tile will turn full blue, meaning the airplane mode has been enabled on your PC.
- Wait for about a minute, and then press on the same tile again. At this point, it’ll disable airplane mode.
- Rejoin your network, and you should be able to do it without an error.
3. Uninstall the Drivers for Your Network Adapter TO CONNECT
Your Windows machine recognizes your network adapter because you have its drivers installed on your system. If there’s a problem with the drivers, it can cause problems like “Windows can’t connect to this network.”
One of the steps to resolve driver-related problems is to uninstall the device and the drivers. Your PC will then automatically install the proper and required drivers for your device.
- Look for Device Manager using Cortana search and start it.
- Expand the Network adapters list by pressing on it. Then, choose your wireless adapter from the menu, right-click on it, and select Uninstall device.
- Check-mark the box that indicates Delete the driver software for this device and click on Uninstall. It’ll delete the device as well as the drivers for it from your PC.
- Reboot your PC.
- Your PC will automatically find and install the needed drivers for your adapter.
4. Run Commands in CMD to Resolve the Error
Can’t connect to the network problem you’re facing on your Windows 10 could be due to an IP-related error as well. In that state, Microsoft suggests you use a command to release your IP and flush the DNS cache.
These commands can be served from the Command Prompt utility on your PC. You don’t require to configure them or anything like that; all you require to do is copy and paste them into your CMD window.
- Prompt the Command Prompt using the Cortana search and press on the Run as administrator option.
- Enter the following commands into the Command Prompt window one by one, punching Enter after each line.
- netshwinsock reset
- netshint IP reset
- ipconfig /release
- ipconfig /renew
- ipconfig /flushdns
- Reboot your PC, and your error should likely be fixed.
5. Reset Your Network Settings
Sometimes an incorrect configuration in your network settings can point to errors like “Windows 10 can’t connect to this network”. The best way to resolve the issue without getting into much detail is to reset your network settings.
It brings your settings back to the factory defaults, and you can constantly reconfigure them when needed.
- Start the Settings application using Cortana search on your computer.
- Click on the option that says Network & Internet.
- Choose Status from the left sidebar on your page.
- Scroll down in the right-hand sidebar and press on the option that says Network reset. It should be at the very bottom of the page.
- Press on the Reset now button to reset the settings.
6. Disable IPv6 on Your PC TO cONNECT WITH nETWORK
You can try to deactivate IP version 6 on your PC and see if it helps fix the connection issue on your PC. Most computers can work just fine with IPv4, and you shouldn’t have any issues at all unless you work on something that explicitly requires IPv6.
- Right-click on the network symbol in your PC tray and choose Open Network & Internet settings.
- Press on the Change adapter options on the following page.
- Find your wireless adapter, right-click on it, and choose Properties.
- You’ll find numerous options you can enable and disable for your adapter. Uncheck the box that states Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) to disable IPv6. Then press on OK at the bottom.
7. Use the Network Troubleshooter
If you have still not been able to solve the issue yet, you might need to take the help of the built-in network troubleshooter to find and fix the underlying problem on your computer.
- Launch the Settings app on your PC.
- Click on Update & Security.
- Select Troubleshoot from the left sidebar.
- Locate Network Adapter in the menu, click on it, and select Run the troubleshooter.
- The troubleshooter program will locate and help fix the issue on your PC.
The Windows system can’t join to this network issue paralyzes you as it won’t let you connect to the Internet, and that implies you can’t access your websites, emails, and anything else that needs an active Internet connection.