-
×InformationNeed Windows 11 help?Check documents on compatibility, FAQs, upgrade information and available fixes.
Windows 11 Support Center. -
-
×InformationNeed Windows 11 help?Check documents on compatibility, FAQs, upgrade information and available fixes.
Windows 11 Support Center. -
- HP Community
- Notebooks
- Notebook Wireless and Networking
- Re: HP laptop unable to find Wi-Fi

Create an account on the HP Community to personalize your profile and ask a question
07-20-2022 05:21 AM
I am usually really good at solving issues myself, but I have a HP Pavilion DV7 laptop running Windows 7 home premium (64 bit) that has ran fine for years. This morning it is showing that it cannot find any wireless networks, and it’s not showing the Ethernet port as well. I tried everything thing I could think of. Disabling / enabling the adapter, trying to update any drivers, removing and adding the device as well. Any ideas would be awesome. I would rather not backup the drive again and do a factory restore ( the fingerprint reader stopped working as well ).
07-23-2022 12:26 PM
Hi @retnaosan
Welcome to the HP Support Community. Thanks for bringing this to our notice.
I see that you are facing network and fingerprint-related issues on your system. Do not worry, we are here to fix it.
I would appreciate if you can provide us the following information to help us understand the issue better.
- What happens when you try to connect? Do you get any error message?
- Have you checked running Windows network troubleshooter?
- Was the driver for your new network adaptor installed successfully?
Let’s try these methods below and check if that solves the problem.
Method 1:
There can be a number of reasons why a computer is not able to detect a wireless adaptor signal. The wireless networks will only appear if your PC has a wireless network adapter installed, the adapter is turned on, and the wireless access point is in range. Many network connection problems are caused by hardware that isn't set up or the drivers are not installed properly. Follow the steps in article below to check on every aspect and troubleshoot accordingly.
Wired and wireless network connection problems in Windows
Along with that I would suggest you reinstall the network driver and check if the issue persists:
- Type "Device Manager" into the search field to open the device manager console.
- Expand the "Network Adapters" field. This will list all network adapters that the machine has installed. Right click on the adapter you want to uninstall and select "Uninstall". This will remove the adapter from the list and uninstall the device. If troubleshooting a wireless issue make sure to select the correct device - the word "Wireless" will likely be in the title.
- Click "Ok" when prompted to uninstall the device. This will remove the adapter from the list and uninstall the driver.
- Once the adapter has been uninstalled click on the "Scan for hardware changes" button to search for and reinstall the correct adapter. The icon can be hard to see - you can hover your mouse over the button to confirm you are choosing the correct one.
If the device is successfully reinstalled it will show back up under the "Network Adapters" drop-down. Reboot the computer and see if the connectivity issue has been resolved.
Hope this helps! Keep me posted.
Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
Click the “Yes" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping.
I am an HP Employee
08-12-2022 03:34 PM
I am usually really good at solving issues myself, but I have a HP Pavilion DV7 laptop running Windows 7 home premium (64 bit) that has ran fine for years. This morning it is showing thomegle at it cannot find any wireless networks, and it’s not showing the Ethernet port as well. I tried everything thing I could think of. Disabling / enabling the adapter, trying to update any drivers, removing and adding the device as well. Any ideas would be awesome. I would rather not backup the drive again and do a factory restore ( the fingerprint reader stopped working as well ).