How To Turn On Wireless Capability Windows 10

Oct 29, 2018 The basic process to switch your Wi-Fi on and off in Windows 10 is nice and simple. Use the Wi-Fi icon located in the system tray - the section to the far right of the Taskbar. Windows 10 wireless capability is turn off I upgraded my windows 7 to windows 10. But the problem is my wifi wont work. This thread is locked. You can follow the. And if you want to connect windows system 10 for wireless display then select the second option and third option for connecting other devices such as game consoles, wireless adapter and DLNA etc. Step 5: After selecting the type of device that you want to connect to the Windows 10 system via Bluetooth.

If you are a Windows 10 user and having issues connecting to the WiFi network, you may see an error message stating, “Wireless capability is turned off on Windows“. This error occurs when the wireless adapter is turned off externally and it’s unable to turn it on automatically. This is a common error and is usually seen when you run the Windows troubleshooter when the internet is not getting connected.

The error arises due to many reasons that include outdated drivers, incorrect BIOS settings, WiFi button turned off and more. However, the error is majorly seen after a recent Windows update, a BIOS update, or after you have installed a Windows update recently. Whatever may be the reason, such errors can be frustrating. Fortunately, this issue can be resolved. Let’s see how.

*Note – Before you proceed with any of the fixes below, you can try a couple of quick workarounds like:

Pressing the WiFi key on your keyboard or the WiFi switch if any, to turn on the WiFi connection.
Alternatively, you can use the shortcut key “Fn + 2” to turn on WiFi.
Try power cycling your laptop by shutting it down, removing the battery properly and then wait for a couple of minutes before you attach the battery back in and boot your system.
Reboot your computer and while on the login screen, click on the wireless adapter icon to turn the WiFi on.

If none of these help, proceed with the fix.

Method 1: Through Network Connections

Step 1: Press the Win + R keys together on your keyboard to open the Run command.

Step 2: Write ncpa.cpl in the Run command search field and hit Enter. This will open the Network Connections window.

Step 6: It will open the Network Connections window. Here, right-click on the active WiFi connection and select Properties from the menu.

Step 7: In the WiFi Properties dialogue box, under the Network tab, press the Configure button above.

Step 8: It opens the Intel(R) Dual Band Wireless Properties dialogue box.

Here, go to the Power Management tab and uncheck the box next to Allow the computer to turn-off this device to save power.

Press OK to save the changes and exit.

Now, reboot your computer and check if the error is gone. If the problem still persists, try the next method.

Method 2: By Diagnosing the Network Connection

Step 1: Right-click on Start menu and click on Run to open the Run command.

Step 2: In the Run command, type ncpa.cpl and hit Enter to open the Network Connections window.

Step : In the Network Connections window, select the WiFi connection and then you will see some options next to Organize, in the strip below the address bar.

Click on the Diagnose this connection option in the strip to troubleshoot the connection.

Step 7: Now, Windows will begin troubleshooting and if any issue detected, it will fix it automatically.

Restart your PC and try checking the WiFi connection. It should be fixed now, but if you still see the error, follow the below method.

Method 3: By Updating the Network Adapter

If your network drivers are not updated, you may face this issue and see the error. So, you must update the drivers to check if the issue is resolved.

Step 1: Right-click on Start and select Device Manager from the menu.

Step 2: In the Device Manager window, go to Network adapters and expand it.

Right-click on the wireless adapter and click on Update driver.

Step 3: In the next window, select Browse my computer to for drivers.

Step 4: Next, select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.

Step 5: Next, check the box next to Show compatible hardware and select from the list below. Then click Next and let the update complete.

Once the update is complete, restart your computer and your WiFi should now work properly. However, if the problem persists, try the next method.

Method 4: By Updating the BIOS

If none of the above method works, the only option left would be to try and update BIOS and this should fix the error. Before you update BIOS, make sure you create a backup of your system data.

Step 1: You would firstly need to check the BIOS version.

Right-click on Start menu and select Run to open the Run command.

Step 2: In the Run command search box, type msinfo32 and press OK to open the System Information window.

Step 3: In the System Information window, you can navigate to the BIOS Version/Date section to check the BIOS Version of your system.

Step 4: Now, go to your system’s manufacturer website for the latest BIOS version. Get it and transfer it to a pen drive.

Step 5: Reboot your system with the pen drive plugged into your system. Now, as the system restarts, enter BIOS using the UEFI settings as shown in this article.

Alternatively, you can also update your BIOS using a bootable USB flash disk. You can create a installation media of Windows 10 using this process.

Step 6: Now, copy the updated BIOS version from the manufacturer’s website to the bootable disk and reboot your system with the bootable disk plugged in.

You can now run the setup script with the help of DOS.

Step 7: To proceed with the BIOS update, check the manual that came along with the motherboard (process is brand specific) and follow the instructions.

That’s all. Once done, the Wireless Capability error should be gone.

I find passion in writing Tech articles around Windows PC and softwares

Recommended for You:

Laptops today all have Wi-Fi (wireless Internet) built-in, allowing people to connect to the Internet from almost anywhere. For security reasons, compatibility, or other reasons, you may want to enable and disable the Wi-Fi on your laptop.

Note

If your Wi-Fi is not working or the suggested buttons do not work, for troubleshooting steps, see: Why is my Wi-Fi not working?

How to enable Wi-Fi on a laptop

Wi-Fi can be enabled by performing any of the steps below.

Enable with laptop Wi-Fi button

Some laptops have an On/Off button or switch for the Wi-Fi connection, like the button shown in the picture. It is usually found on the front edge of the laptop or above the keyboard. Find the button or switch and make sure it is enabled. When enabled, the button should be illuminated as blue, or the switch should be in the On position.

How To Turn On Wireless Capability Windows 10 Update

Enable with laptop Fn and function key

Some laptops enable and disable Wi-Fi using the Fn key and one of the function keys (F1-F12). As seen in the picture, some laptops use Fn and F12 key to enable and disable Wi-Fi and shows an orange LED when disabled and blue when enabled.

Enable Wi-Fi in Windows

Look in the Windows notification area to find the icon for Wi-Fi or wireless Internet. Right-click with your mouse on the icon and select the option for enabling (or turning off) the Wi-Fi device in the pop-up menu. If no Enable option is available in the pop-up menu, there may be an option called Open Network and Sharing Center. If so, select this option and then select Change adapter settings. Once the icon for the wireless network card is seen, right-click it and select Enable.

Note

In Windows 8, when you right-click the Wi-Fi icon, check to see if Airplane Mode is turned on. If it's, turn it off to enable the wireless network card.

The Wi-Fi adapter can also be enabled in the Control Panel, click the Network and Sharing Center option, then click the Change adapter settings link in the left navigation pane. Right-click the Wi-Fi adapter and select Enable.

Enable Wi-Fi in Windows Device Manager

Access the Device Manager by right-clicking with your mouse on the My Computer icon on your desktop or in the Windows Start menu. Select Properties from the pop-up menu, click the Hardware tab in the window that opens up, and click the Device Manager button.

Note

In Windows Vista and later, there is no Hardware tab. Click the Device Manager link in the System window.

How To Turn On Wireless Capability Windows 8

Find the Wi-Fi adapter in the list of hardware devices. Right-click the adapter name and select Enable from the pop-up menu. If no Wi-Fi adapter is found in Device Manager, the Wi-Fi adapter drivers are not installed.

Enable Wi-Fi in BIOS setup

How To Turn On Wireless Capability Windows 10 Laptop

Finally, there is also the option of enabling the Wi-Fi device in the computer's BIOS setup. However, it is very unlikely that the Wi-Fi device would be disabled in BIOS.

How to disable Wi-Fi on a laptop

Wi-Fi can be disabled by performing any of the steps below.

Disable with laptop Wi-Fi button

Some laptops have an On/Off button or switch for the Wi-Fi device, like the button shown in the picture. It is usually found on the front of the laptop or above the keyboard. Find the button or switch and make sure it is disabled. When disabled, the button should not be illuminated or illuminated as orange or red, or the switch should be in the Off position.

Disable with laptop Fn and function key

Disable in Windows

Right-click the Wi-Fi icon in the Windows notification area and select Disable (or Turn off) from the pop-up menu. If no Disable option is available in the pop-up menu, there may be an option called Open Network and Sharing Center. If so, select this option and then select Change adapter settings. Once the wireless network card icon is seen right-click and select Disable.

Note

In Windows 8, when you right-click the Wi-Fi icon, you can turn off Wi-Fi by turning on Airplane Mode.

The Wi-Fi adapter may also be disabled from the Control Panel. Click the Network and Sharing Center option, then click Change adapter settings in the left navigation pane. Right-click the Wi-Fi adapter, and select Disable.

How To Turn On Wireless Capability Windows 10 Free

Disable in Windows Device Manager

Note

In Windows Vista and later, there is no Hardware tab. Click the Device Manager link in the System window.

Find the Wi-Fi adapter in the list of hardware devices. Right-click the adapter name and select Disable from the pop-up menu. If no Wi-Fi adapter is found in Device Manager, the Wi-Fi adapter drivers are not installed.

Disable in BIOS setup

As is the case with enabling the Wi-Fi device, it can also be disabled in the computer's BIOS setup.

Wi-Fi on desktop computers

Wi-Fi adapters are also available for desktop computers. The Wi-Fi button mentioned above is not available with most desktop computers. However, there is the possibility that the Wi-Fi adapter itself (e.g., an external version, like a USB Wi-Fi adapter) has an On/Off button or switch. If there is no button or witch, disconnecting the adapter from the computer disables the device.

If the Wi-Fi adapter is not an external device, it is either an internal PCIexpansion card or built onto the motherboard. When you install the software for the Wi-Fi adapter, an icon will then show in the Windows notification area, giving you access to enable and disable the device. Alternatively, you can disable and enable the Wi-Fi adapter through the Device Manager or the BIOS.

Wi-Fi on Android smartphones and tablets

There are many variants when it comes to Android-based smartphones and tablets. These steps are for a device with the stock Android operating system. You may have to adjust the instructions based on the brand of phone or tablet you have.

On the home screen, place your finger near the top of the screen and swipe downward.
Once a menu similar to the one below is seen look for the Wi-Fi symbol.

Tap the Wi-Fi symbol to toggle wireless access on and off.

Wi-Fi on Apple iPhone and iPad

Follow the steps below to enable or disable Wi-Fi on an iPhone or iPad.

Open the Settings utility on the iPhone or iPad.
On the Settings screen, tap the Wi-Fi option.
On the Wi-Fi screen, for the Wi-Fi entry, slide the toggle switch to the right. Wi-Fi is enabled when the toggle switch is green and disabled when the toggle switch is white, as shown below.

Additional information

How To Fix Wireless Capability

See our Wi-Fi definition for further information and related links.