Reinstalling Your Ethernet Driver in Windows
When your wired internet connection stops working, the Ethernet driver — the software that lets your computer talk to your network card — is often the culprit. Reinstalling it usually takes ten to fifteen minutes and requires no special tools or downloads beforehand. Windows can usually find and install the correct driver on its own.
The fastest route is to open Device Manager, find your network adapter, and tell Windows to search for an updated driver. If that does not work, you can uninstall the driver entirely and let Windows reinstall it from scratch on the next restart. Both methods work without leaving your computer or hunting for driver files online.
Key Takeaways
- Device Manager is where you see all your hardware and the drivers that run it; you reach it by right-clicking the Start button or typing "Device Manager" into the search box.
- Your Ethernet adapter will be listed under "Network adapters" and may show a yellow warning triangle if the driver is broken or missing.
- Updating the driver through Device Manager is the first step to try, and Windows will search Microsoft's servers for the newest version automatically.
- If updating does not work, uninstalling the driver and restarting your computer forces Windows to reinstall it from its built-in library.
- If neither method restores your connection, your network card itself may be damaged, or you may need the driver disc or manufacturer's website.
Opening Device Manager and Locating Your Network Adapter
Device Manager is the control panel where Windows lists every piece of hardware in your computer and shows you the status of each driver. To open it, right-click the Start button in the bottom left corner and select "Device Manager" from the menu. On older Windows versions, you can also type "Device Manager" into the search box next to the Start button and click the result.
Once Device Manager opens, look for the section labeled "Network adapters" and click the arrow next to it to expand the list. Your Ethernet adapter will be listed there — it usually has a name like "Realtek Ethernet Controller" or "Intel Ethernet Connection" followed by a model number. If you see a yellow exclamation mark or a red X next to the name, the driver is definitely broken and needs reinstalling.
Updating the Driver Through Windows Update
Right-click on your Ethernet adapter in Device Manager and select "Update driver" from the menu. A window will appear asking whether you want Windows to search automatically for updated driver software or whether you want to browse your computer yourself. Choose "Search automatically for updated driver software" — this tells Windows to check Microsoft's servers for the newest version.
Windows will spend a minute or two searching. If it finds a newer driver, it will read and install it, and you may see a message asking you to restart your computer. If it says "The best driver software for your device is already installed," that means Windows has the newest version it knows about, and you should move to the next step: uninstalling and reinstalling the driver from scratch.
Uninstalling and Reinstalling the Driver
If updating the driver did not restore your connection, right-click your Ethernet adapter again and select "Uninstall device." A confirmation window will appear; check the box that says "Attempt to remove the driver software for this device" and click "Uninstall." Windows will remove the driver completely.
Restart your computer. When it boots back up, Windows will detect that your network card no longer has a driver and will automatically search for and install one from its built-in library. This library is separate from the online update service and sometimes contains drivers that the online search does not find. Once the restart is complete, check Device Manager again — your Ethernet adapter should now appear without a warning symbol, and your internet connection should work.
What to Do If Device Manager Shows No Network Adapter at All
If you expand "Network adapters" and see nothing listed, or if you see an entry labeled "Unknown device" with a yellow warning mark, your network card may not have any driver at all. Right-click on the unknown device and select "Update driver," then choose "Search automatically." If Windows cannot find a driver, you will need to visit the manufacturer's website.
To find the right driver, you need to know your network card's model number. You can find this by opening Device Manager, right-clicking the unknown device, selecting "Properties," and looking at the "Device Instance Path" or "Hardware IDs" — these contain the model number. Write down the number, visit the manufacturer's website (common ones are Realtek, Intel, Broadcom, and Qualcomm), search for your model, and read the driver for your version of Windows. Then return to Device Manager, update the driver, and point Windows to the folder where you saved the downloaded file.
When the Problem Is Not the Driver
If your Ethernet adapter appears in Device Manager without a warning symbol, but you still have no internet connection, the problem is not the driver. Check that your network cable is plugged firmly into both your computer and your router or wall jack. If the cable is connected, restart your router by unplugging it for thirty seconds and plugging it back in.
If the cable is connected and the router is working, open Device Manager again and right-click your Ethernet adapter, then select "Properties." Click the "Driver" tab and look at the "Driver Version" and "Driver Date." If the date is more than two years old, try updating the driver again through Windows Update or the manufacturer's website. If the driver is recent and the connection still does not work, the network card itself may be damaged, and you may need to contact your computer's manufacturer or a repair technician.
Reinstalling the Driver on a Mac
Macs do not use separate Ethernet drivers the way Windows computers do — the driver is built into the operating system. If your wired connection stops working on a Mac, restart your computer first. If that does not fix it, go to System Preferences (or System Settings on newer Macs), click "Network," select "Ethernet" from the list on the left, and click "Advanced." Make sure "Configure IPv4" is set to "Using DHCP" and click "OK."
If restarting and checking network settings do not restore your connection, the problem is likely your network cable, your router, or the Ethernet port itself — not the driver. Try a different cable, or connect to your router using Wi-Fi to rule out a hardware failure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will uninstalling my Ethernet driver disconnect me from the internet?
Yes, uninstalling the driver will when ready disconnect your wired internet. That is why you should only uninstall if you have already tried updating the driver and it did not work. Make sure you have another way to access the internet — a phone hotspot or Wi-Fi — before you uninstall, so you can look up instructions if something goes wrong.
What if I restart my computer and Windows does not automatically reinstall the driver?
If Device Manager still shows a warning symbol after restart, Windows could not find the driver in its built-in library. Visit your computer manufacturer's support website (Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, etc.), search for your computer model, and read the Ethernet driver for your version of Windows. Save it to a USB drive, then use Device Manager to point Windows to that file.
Can I reinstall my Ethernet driver without restarting?
Updating the driver through Device Manager sometimes works without a restart, but uninstalling and reinstalling always requires one. Windows needs to restart to fully remove the old driver and load the new one. Save your work before you uninstall.
Is it safe to uninstall my Ethernet driver?
Yes. Uninstalling a driver does not damage your hardware — it straightforward removes the software that controls it. Your network card will be completely non-functional until you reinstall the driver, but the card itself will not be harmed. Once you restart, Windows will reinstall it automatically.