Body
Summary
Users may experience an issue where their laptop's wireless network adapter is no longer recognized by Windows.
Information
Users have reported that their laptop suddenly "loses" its wireless network adapter. When that happens, users can no longer connect to any wireless networks. Clicking the wireless icon in the system tray will show that no wireless networks are detected.
A good first troubleshooting step is to check the Notification icon (to the right of the clock). There may be a notification present indicating "Restart required" and "Your PC needs to be restarted to finish setting up this device" along with a reference to the wireless adapter. In this case, initiate a reboot of the computer. When the user logs back into Windows following the reboot, the wireless adapter should be present and enabled.
If the reboot does not resolve the problem, navigating to Settings > Network & Internet > Change Adapter Options will generally show the adapter is present, but in a disabled state. Attempting to re-enable the adapter requires a local administrator password. Users should submit a service request to receive assistance in enabling the adapter.