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How to Roll Back a Wireless Adapter Driver in Windows 10 or 11

Use Device Manager to restore a previous wireless adapter driver in Windows 10 or 11, and learn what to try if rollback is unavailable or Wi-Fi still fails.
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If a recent Windows or driver update has disrupted Wi-Fi, use Device Manager to try restoring the wireless adapter’s previous driver. Open the adapter’s Properties > Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver, if that option is available. You’ll need administrator permissions; this is a possible fix, not a guarantee.

Roll back the wireless adapter driver

  1. Search for Device Manager from the taskbar, then open it.

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  2. Expand Network adapters. Look for the wireless adapter; Microsoft notes that its name may include “wireless.”

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  3. Right-click the wireless adapter and select Properties.

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  4. Open the Driver tab, select Roll Back Driver, and follow the prompts. Administrator permissions are required.

  5. Restart the PC if Windows prompts you to, then check whether Wi-Fi works.

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Microsoft’s guidance applies to Windows 10 and Windows 11. Its general driver instructions say that if a problem began after a Windows Update, reinstalling the previous driver often resolves it. Microsoft’s Device Manager driver guidance describes this as a likely remedy, not a guaranteed one.

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If “Roll Back Driver” is unavailable

Windows may not have an earlier driver available through the rollback control. If the option is missing or disabled, you cannot use that control to restore a previous version.

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If rolling back does not fix Wi-Fi

Microsoft lists uninstalling the network adapter driver and restarting the PC as a later troubleshooting step, including for problems that began after a recent update. This is different from rolling back. Before uninstalling, have the PC manufacturer’s network driver available as a backup. Follow Microsoft’s Wi-Fi troubleshooting guidance for the uninstall-and-restart procedure.

If the PC cannot get online

Use another computer to download the network driver from the affected PC’s manufacturer, then save it to a USB flash drive and transfer it to the affected PC. Microsoft describes this as an option for obtaining the driver when the PC has no Internet connection.

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If the wireless adapter is missing from Device Manager

Microsoft says that if the adapter does not appear in Device Manager, Windows does not detect it. The missing listing alone does not establish that the hardware has failed. Microsoft’s wireless network setup guidance suggests manually installing a driver compatible with Windows from the device manufacturer.

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