Many have reported seeing a ‘can’t connect to this network’ message in Windows 11. Usually, you see this message whenever you’re trying to connect to a WiFi network.
It can be irritating especially if you’re trying to reconnect to a WiFi for important office or home work. Fortunately, there are a few ways that you can fix the issue.
In this article, we’ll explain how to fix the ‘can’t connect to this network’ error on Windows 11 so that you can get back to finishing your project in a jiffy.
Can’t connect to this network in Windows 11: Possible causes
Here are the possible causes of the ‘can’t connect to this network’ error on Windows 11. Some of the most common ones are as follows:
- You or somebody else has accidentally turned off the WiFi.
- Misconfigured network settings.
- Problems with the network.
- Outdated network drivers.
- Hardware issues.
- Malware infection on your device.
Also read: How to change the time zone on Windows 11?
How to fix ‘Can’t connect to this network’ in Windows 11?
In this section, we’ll take a look at some of the fixes that you can try to fix the ‘can’t connect to this network’ error in Windows. Before moving on with the fixes, it is important to know whether this problem is a network problem or an issue with your device.
For this, connect your other devices to the same WiFi and if they connect normally, the problem lies with your Windows 11 computer. Furthermore, try opening more than one website on your affected device. Sometimes, it may happen that the current website that you are trying to open is down. After eliminating all the possibilities, follow these steps:
Restart your computer
It is one of the most common troubleshooting methods and it works most of the time. When you restart a device, the RAM gets cleared and the corrupt settings or files may flush out.
When your computer or other electronic device reboots, it starts afresh without the corrupt settings or bugs.
Check your WiFi and internet
If your computer is still showing the ‘can’t connect to this network’ error, then you should check the internet and WiFi connection.
Here’s an article on what to do if the internet isn’t working.
If you have problems with the WiFi, head to this article to find troubleshooting advice.
Forget and then reconnect the WiFi
Have you recently changed the WiFi password or security settings? If so, you will see a ‘can’t connect to this network’ error on Windows 11. To rectify this, you will need to forget and then reconnect the WiFi again.
This will delete the already saved network information and when you will reconnect, you can enter the new information. Here’s how to do that:
Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open Settings. Alternatively, head to the Start menu and then click on Settings.

Step 2: Next, head to Network and internet and then select WiFi.

Step 3: After that, click on Manage known networks.

Step 4: Click on Forget in front of the network that you want to reconnect.

Update Network drivers
Outdated network drives can also be one of the main reasons behind the ‘can’t connect to this network’ error in Windows 11. A network driver allows your device to communicate with the ‘internet hardware’ like the router.
Any discrepancies in the driver may result in problems in connecting your device to the network.
To fix this, update or reinstall the network drivers:
Step 1: Search Device Manager in the taskbar search box and then click on the result. Alternatively, you can press the Windows key + X and then click on Device Manager as shown in the screenshot below.

Step 2: Expand the Network adapters panel by double-clicking on it to see all the network adapters on your computer. Now, right-click on the wireless network adapter and then select Update driver.

Step 3: Most probably you will download the driver from the internet. For this to happen, click on the Search automatically for drivers option. Otherwise, click on the Browser my computer for drivers option.

Follow the on-screen instructions to update the driver. If you want to reinstall the driver, click on Uninstall driver in step 2. After that, reboot your computer and in the process, Windows will automatically install the drivers.
Scan for malware

As we have explained earlier, malware infection on your computer can also be the reason for the ‘can’t connect to this network’ error in Windows 11.
Windows has an in-built security solution called Windows Security for this purpose. This tool has all the necessary features to safeguard your Windows operating system. You can access Windows Security from the taskbar search box by searching for the app.
If you want to use third-party antivirus tools like Malwarebytes, McAfee, or Kaspersky, you can download them from their respective websites and buy a subscription as the free version may not be that effective.
In conclusion, the ‘can’t connect to this network’ error is not a serious error in Windows 11 and can be fixed easily. Do read and follow the instructions given in the article to fix the error.