Have you ever gone through a situation where you want to download something crucial from the Internet or watch a tutorial video on Youtube, but won’t my HP laptop connect to Wifi networks around you no matter how many times you restart your laptop or call your designated Internet service provider.
Thankfully we are here to help you get rid of your worries through our comprehensive and detailed guide on “Why won’t my HP laptop connect to Wifi ?” Head over to the subsequent sections to learn more.
How to connect WiFi to HP laptop
A hardware issue on your computer’s network adapter, installing faulty adapter driver files, incorrect wireless router configuration, or network maintenance by your Internet service provider (ISP) are some of the root causes for “HP laptop won’t connect to WiFi” issues.
There might be numerous reasons leading to such a grave situation, but we have tried to cover every aspect of the problem’s solution through this user guide. Carefully follow the steps and check every solution one after the other until your issues are fixed.
- Perform automatic troubleshooting using the HP Support Assistant network diagnostics
- Troubleshoot Internet using Windows Network and Internet Troubleshooter
- Enable the Wireless Button or Key on your laptop
- Reinstall the Wi-Fi driver files using HP Recovery Manager (preferred)
- Use Device Manager to reinstall the wireless network adapter driver
- Update Wireless network drivers from the official HP page
- Using the HP Support Assistant to find driver updates automatically in Windows
- Download driver updates for your network adapter driver model from external websites
- Install updated Wireless LAN Driver using Device Manager (Requires internet connection)
- Switch your wireless router on and off to reset the WiFi network
- Use Microsoft System Restore to revert root causes
- Modify your wireless router environment
- Restore the BIOS settings of your HP computer to its default settings
- Reset the Wireless Router settings (advanced)
- Switch the channel band selected on your router (improves performance)
- Update the router firmware to a newer version
- Configure your laptop’s wireless power options (cannot connect after returning from sleep mode)
- Perform an HP System Recovery
- Reset or Reinstall Windows 10 on your HP laptop
- Hire a professional technician as a hardware troubleshooter for your HP laptop
1. Perform automatic troubleshooting using the HP Support Assistant network diagnostics
HP Support Assistant is a popular diagnosis and troubleshooting tool designed by HP to resolve multiple networking and internet connection issues. Follow the step below to fix the wireless problems in your HP laptop.
Download the HP Support Assistant from its official website, and install it on your computer.
If the Assistant is already present on your HP laptop, Open it by clicking its Blue question-mark icon from the notification area. 
Login to your HP account inside the assistant.
Select your HP laptop from the My devices display screen.
Under the Fixes & Diagnostics tab, select the upper option to Fix your Network.
It will run the automatic troubleshooter on your computer. Accept any prompts that pop up requiring permission.
If the troubleshooter finds a problem with your wireless network, they will be mentioned underneath Possible Root Causes. Click on one of the suggested options and follow the steps.
Click on re-check to check for more network problems using the tool.
2. Troubleshoot Internet using Windows Network and Internet Troubleshooter
The Windows Network and Internet Troubleshooter is helpful when your hp laptop won’t connect to Wifi on Windows 10, and you cannot download any third-party software.
- Turn on your Wireless network by pressing the Wifi key through the keyboard (even though it is not working).
- Right-click the icon for wireless connection on the taskbar and select, Troubleshoot problems.
- The Windows Network Diagnostic tool window will open up and search for errors in the wireless network connectivity.
- Perform the suggested reforms as mentioned by the automatic troubleshooter, or Windows can solve that through the related settings.
- Try reconnecting to the Internet after this step.
Head over to the next section if wi-fi networking issues persist despite using official troubleshooters.
3. Enable the Wireless Button or Key on your laptop
Signals to the wireless network can be turned on and off by pressing a button or key on most computers. You may check the status of your wireless signal to make sure it’s working.
- Check to see if the wireless icon changes or the LED light on the wireless button, or key lights up after pressing it once.
- Hover your mouse over the wireless connection symbol in the taskbar if you don’t see any light to verify connectivity.
- Reconnect to the Internet if you can see a signal.
- Connect again if it doesn’t work the first time after pressing the button or key.
- Finally, recheck if your laptop is in airplane mode by disabling it through Windows Quick toggle settings on the desktop
4. Reinstall the Wi-Fi driver files using HP Recovery Manager (preferred)
Faulty or incompatible network adapter driver files can be a reason why your HP laptop won’t connect to the Wifi. To rectify it, we will use the HP Recovery Manager to restore the original driver system settings and restore the Internet connection:
- Open the Start Menu and type recovery manager inside the search bar.
- Select Recovery Manager from the start menu search results.
- Click on Hardware Driver Reinstallation and click Next.
- Scroll down on the list of devices installed on your computer, and click on your Wifi driver. Press Next to proceed.
- Wait until the tool reinstalls driver files and restores the Windows system. Try reconnecting to Internet once your desktop restarts.
- Proceed to the next step if your HP laptop wont connect to wifi.
5. Use Device Manager to reinstall the wireless network adapter driver
If your HP laptop didn’t have the Recovery Manager preinstalled with the Windows OS, you can use the Device Manager tool to reinstall the Wifi driver software and restore original settings.
- Open Device Manager through Windows Run (Win + R) and type devmgmt.msc
- Expand the Network adapters category
- Find your wireless Network adapter listed there
- Right-click on it, and click on Uninstall device
- Select the option to Delete driver files
- Reboot your computer
- After Windows boots up, open Device Manager again.
- Click on the Action menu option, and press Scan for hardware changes.
- Windows will automatically find the correct Wifi driver from Windows Update and install it correctly.
- Try to connect with any Wifi network around you to see if the issue is fixed
6. Update Wireless network drivers from the official HP page
If you think that the latest Wi-Fi Networking drivers from Windows Update are buggy and not working properly, you can download the official driver from your HP laptop’s Drivers and Manuals section website, and install them manually.
- If your HP laptop wont connect to wifi networks around you, visit this website on any other computer with internet connectivity: HP Customer Support – Software and Driver Downloads
- Select your device category, and click on Let HP detect your product.
- After detection, Hp will show all drivers for your HP laptop
- Click on All Drivers, and select Driver – Network
- Press on Download beside the appropriate Network adapter model listed there.
- Transfer the downloaded driver to your laptop, extract it via WinZip, and install it to fix your broadband modem adapter driver.
7. Using the HP Support Assistant to find driver updates automatically in Windows
We will use the HP Support Assistant tool (used for Automatic Troubleshooting before) to find driver updates and install them automatically
- Open the HPSA app from the desktop, and click on Check for updates and messages under the My devices section
- Click on the Updates Tab
- To install a driver update, press the Install now icon
- After the drivers complete their updates, the Wifi connection will resume with increased signal strength.
- Proceed to the next section if this isn’t working for you.
8. Download driver updates for your network adapter driver model from external websites
External driver provider websites might help you with the proper driver installation, provided you have a correct Wireless Network Hardware ID. Follow the steps below to find it:
- Open the Device Manager
- Right-click on the appropriate WLAN Driver under Network Adapters, and click on Properties
- Move to the Driver tab, and note down the Driver Provider
- Head over to the Details tab, select Hardware Ids from the Property list, right-click the alphanumeric string, and press Copy.
- Using the noted info, search for an updated Network driver for your wireless broadband modem. Proceed to the subsequent sections if the issues aren’t fixed.
9. Install updated Wireless LAN Driver using Device Manager (Requires internet connection)
Updating your Wireless LAN driver can not only fix networking problems but also boost signal strength between your laptop and wireless router.
- Connect your laptop to the Internet via USB connection (tethering via mobile device)
- Open the Device Manager
- Right-click on the appropriate Wireless Network Driver under Network Adapters, and click on Update driver.
- Click on Search automatically for drivers.
- If an updated driver is found, it will be installed automatically and engaged in the wireless networking activity.
- If updating drivers didn’t fix your problem, follow the subsequent sections.
10. Switch your wireless router on and off to reset the WiFi network
If you are connected to your home WiFi network, and you have access to the wireless router, then you can try switching the router off and on if your HP laptop won’t connect to wifi.
- Shut Down your laptop from the password screen power options
- Go to your wireless router location, switch off its power connection, and unplug the power cord from the router.
- Wait for 5 seconds, reinsert the power cord, and switch on the electric connection to the router.
- Open your laptop again, and boot into the Windows OS. Try connecting to the wireless network again, and enter the router password if necessary.
- If you still cannot connect to the Wi-Fi, proceed to the next step.
11. Use Microsoft System Restore to revert root causes
You can use Microsoft System Restore to revert back to a previous state where the Wifi connection was working fine
- Press the Start button, press Control Panel in the search bar, and open it.
- Search for Recovery inside the Control Panel
- Select Recovery > Open System Restore > Next
- Select the appropriate restore point (having a date before the problem started occurring)
- Click on Next > Finish
- After restoration and restarting Windows, you will be able to connect to the Wifi
12. Modify your wireless router environment
The position of your router might be the answer to “why won’t my HP laptop connect to Wifi”. The environment can play a great role in affecting your Wifi Networking. Follow these tips to prevent such issues:
- Keep the wireless router as close to your laptop as possible
- Remove any barrier between the router and laptop
- Limit the number of devices connect to your wifi network
13. Restore the BIOS settings of your HP computer to its default settings
If your laptop cannot connect to the Wifi network, a BIOS setting might be interfering with it. Follow the steps to reset the BIOS settings on an HP laptop:
- Power down your laptop
- Power it on, and keep on pressing F10 repeatedly, until the BIOS menu appears.
- Press F9 to Restore Factory Defaults in the BIOS menu
- Press Yes to confirm
- Select F10 to Save & Exit, and press Yes to confirm.
14. Reset the Wireless Router settings (advanced)
If your wireless connection is missing from the Available connections list of your HP laptop, then you may reset the wireless router to its default setting.
- Keep your router connected to the power
- There will be a RESET button at the back of the device. Hold it until the router lights turn off, and start blinking again
- Once all the lights turn green, access the laptop and connect to the Wifi network (you need to configure the router network again, since all the settings were changed)
15. Switch the channel band selected on your router (improves performance)
A router uses a special channel band to transmit signals to prevent interference. Changing the channel band will improve signal strength and fix the laptop not connecting to the Wifi issue
- Connect your laptop to the router via a LAN cable, and navigate to the router page through an internet browser.
- Log in with the router admin username and password.
- Navigate to the Wireless category, and click on Basic Settings.
- Change the Channel Value to a different one from the list
- Click on Save to confirm, and the router will restart with a new channel band.
16. Update the router firmware to a newer version
Your router’s firmware can be updated to provide improved wireless connectivity, and bug fixes for incompatible devices.
- Open the official company support sites of your router, and download the latest firmware belonging specifically to your router model
- Head over to the router admin page as discussed in the section above
- After getting across the password screen, select the Firmware Upgrade option under Basic Tools.
- Click on Choose File, and select the updated firmware file previously downloaded.
- Click Upgrade to begin the update.
- You will get back your Wifi connection after your router reboots a few times.
17. Configure your laptop’s wireless power options (cannot connect after returning from sleep mode)
The Windows OS automatically disables your network adapter to save power on HP laptops. You can disable this through your laptop’s wireless power options:
- Open the Device Manager on your computer.
- Right-click on the appropriate Wireless Network Driver in-use, and click on Properties.
- Go to the Power Management category
- Untick the check box next to Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power
- Click on OK to confirm
- Restart the computer and attempt to reconnect to the wireless network
18. Perform an HP System Recovery
Note: Before attempting this procedure, make sure to take a backup of whatever important files you have on the HP laptop
- Your HP laptop must come with a set of recovery DVDs provided by HP
- Insert them in the DVD slot of the laptop
- Restart your laptop after the DVD is spinning and has been detected
- After restarting, it will boot up to the Recovery Manager instead of Windows OS
- You will be presented with 2 options: Factory Reset – Reset the computer by erasing the entire drive and restoring to the factory setup; Restore your computer to a previous state
- Follow the on-screen instructions after making your choice to reset your HP laptop.
- Restart your laptop and attempt connection with your wireless network.
19. Reset or Reinstall Windows 10 on your HP laptop
If all the above sections fail to fix your HP laptop Wifi connectivity issues, you have to refresh or reset your Windows 10 operating system. You can perform the action either through a bootable Windows 10 installation media or soft reset your computer through the Windows settings. We will provide a solution for the latter here:
- Open Settings by pressing the gear icon at the Start Menu
- Go to the Update & Security category
- Select Recovery from the left panel
- Click on Get Started under Reset this PC
- Your laptop will restart into a blue screen asking if you want to keep Windows files or remove everything. Choose the 2nd option.
- After the fresh installation of Windows 10 is complete, try connecting to the Wifi to see is you can connect to a wireless network.
20. Hire a professional technician as a hardware troubleshooter for your HP laptop
If all the different steps included in our user guide did not work for you, it is safe to assume that there is no problem with software or driver files. Now you can proceed in these 2 directions only:
- You have to hire a professional technician to disassemble your laptop and find hardware issues beneath the cover. Your Network adapter card might be faulty, or there might be issues with the motherboard.
- Contact the Internet Service Provider for your wireless network, and ask them if there is an issue at the server-side or underground cable wiring.
