Not always, but it’s safer. Right‑click the adapter in Device Manager → → check “Delete driver software” if available. Then install the new driver fresh.
If the download is a .zip file, extract it to a folder on your desktop. 2. Open Device Manager Right-click the button and select Device Manager . Expand the Network adapters section.
If your connection stopped working after an update, the software might simply be corrupted. You can force Windows to completely wipe out the broken driver and reinstall a clean default version automatically.
If the adapter still doesn’t work, check System Information → Hardware → USB to see if the device is recognized at all.
Check if the adapter appears with ip a or iwconfig .
: Once the installation completes, restart your PC to ensure the changes take effect. Microsoft Support Method 2: Installing Without Internet Access
Expand , right-click your device, and select Uninstall device .
Are you currently able to on that device? Share public link