If you’ve recently gotten a new notebook or you’ve upgraded your system and found yourself dealing with Wi-Fi issues, you’re not alone. One important step to ensure smooth wireless connectivity is to install the correct Wi-Fi driver. Here’s a quick guide on how to identify and install the right driver for your notebook.
First, you need to determine the model of the Wi-Fi adapter that came with your notebook. Most notebooks are equipped with either an Intel or a Mediatek Wi-Fi adapter. Take a look at your parts list, which typically indicates the model of the Wi-Fi adapter your notebook is using. This is essential because downloading the correct driver hinges on knowing which adapter is installed.
Once you’ve identified your Wi-Fi adapter, it’s time to download the appropriate driver. Visit your notebook’s support page to find the driver software. For example, if you have an HP ENVY 17.3-inch laptop, go to the HP Support page to find the drivers specifically designed for your model.
After downloading the driver, you’ll likely receive it in a compressed file format. To extract the files, you can use a free utility like 7-Zip. Simply install the program, then open the downloaded file with 7-Zip and extract the executable (exe) file into its designated folder.
It’s a good idea to save this folder to a USB flash drive for easy access later. Having the driver files on a USB allows you to quickly set things up without searching through your computer.
Now, to install the Wi-Fi driver, you can follow the detailed instructions found in this step-by-step guide for manually installing a Wi-Fi driver during Windows 11 installation.
But what if you want to skip connecting to the internet during the Windows installation? Fortunately, there is a simple way to bypass this step. This allows you to set up Windows using a local account first, and you can install the Wi-Fi driver later from the exe file you downloaded. To learn more about this process, check out this guide on how to bypass internet connection while installing Windows 11.
By following these steps, you should be able to get your Wi-Fi up and running without much hassle. Enjoy your internet browsing!
