When experiencing internet connection problems, most users run the built-in troubleshooter to fix the problem. However, you might come across another problem when instead of fixing the problem, the troubleshooter throws up an error message saying, “The Windows Wireless Service is not running on this computer”. After displaying this error message, the troubleshooter would exit.
Usually, this kind of error indicates that Windows has failed to initialize the wireless service so it can start searching for broadcast signals and try to connect to them. So in this post, we have prepared some workarounds that might help you resolve the issue.
Option 1 – Try to check the WLAN Status
You have to make sure that the wireless service is enabled in your computer before you proceed to the other troubleshooting options below as this error could occur for a simple reason as the wireless capability is turned off from your PC either on some built-in settings or physically. This is why you need to make sure that Wireless is enabled. And if it turns out that it is disabled, you need to turn it back on and then reconnect to the wireless network again. You should now be able to connect to the internet without any issue.
Option 2 – Try to check the WLAN AutoConfig Service
The WLAN AutoConfig service is the one that provides the logic and functionality required to discover, connect and configure wireless networks with your PC. Aside from that, it also contains the module that allows your PC to be discoverable to other systems on a network. Thus, you need to verify if the WLAN AutoConfig service is on or not.
- Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
- And in the field, type in “services.msc” and hit Enter to open Services.
- After opening the Services window, look for the entry named “WLAN AutoConfig” and then right-click on it and select Properties from the context menu.
- Next, click on the Start button to turn on the service and then set the startup type as “Automatic”.
- Then try to connect to your Wireless network again and check if the issue has been resolved.
Option 3 – Try to reset the Network Configurations
Resetting the Network Configurations can also help you in fixing the Windows Wireless service as the network settings often get disrupted or corrupted in a variety of different cases every now and then. Note that this module will reset all the network settings stored on your computer.
- Tap the Win + S keys to open Search and then type in “command prompt” in the field.
- From the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option.
- After opening Command Prompt, copy and paste the following command and hit Enter to execute it:
netsh winsock reset
- The command given will reset the Winsock data. Once it is executed, restart your PC for the changes to take effect and then check if the internet connection is now fine.
Note: Do make sure that the WiFi drivers are up to date. To do that, follow these steps:
- Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
- Type in devmgmt.msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
- After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. If you see a red or yellow sign that shows up against the driver, right-click on the driver’s name and select “Update Driver Software” or “Uninstall”. And if you find any “Unknown device”, you need to update it as well.
- Select the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option and then follow the instructions to complete the process.
- Restart your PC.
Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturer and check if there’s a new update – if there is, download it.
Option 4 – Perform System Restore
Recently, a lot of issues have resurfaced after users installed the latest Windows update. So the wireless service issue might also be related to it. To fix the problem, you can perform System Restore to roll back your Windows to the last time when it was working just fine. It automatically creates backups in time whenever you install a new update or periodically. Follow the steps below to perform System Restore.
- Tap the Win + S keys to open Search and then type in “restore” in the field and select the topmost result.
- Once you’ve opened the restore settings, click on System Restore located at the beginning of the window under the System Protection tab.
- After that, a wizard will appear that will guide you through all the steps needed to restore the system. You can choose either the recommended restore point or a different one.
- After you select the restore point, click Next to proceed to the next on-screen instructions.
- Then select the restore point where the Windows Update was installed on your computer. If you have more than one restore point, you can just select the latest restore point and check the functionality from there. If it doesn’t work, you can just try another restore point.
- Another prompt will appear and will ask you to confirm your actions. Click OK and wait for the system to be restored. Once it’s done, check if the problem’s now fixed.