A wide range of users have reported trying to create a Wi-Fi Hotspot on their Windows 10 PC without success. This is extremely frustrating for users, as the situation seems to be created by the new Windows 10 update.
Here is what one user had to say about this issue on Microsoft Answers:
I couldn’t find Microsoft Hosted Network Virtual Adapter under Network Adapters in Device Manager which is essential for creating a Wi-Fi Hotspot. From where could I download Microsoft Hosted Network Virtual Adapter Driver?
Even though there isn’t an official way to download the missing driver as of now, in this article we will explore some of the best methods to deal with this issue.
So, once again, there is actually no way to download Microsoft Hosted Network Virtual Adapter drivers.
However, in this article, we’ll tell you what alternative methods you can use to fix the issue where you can’t create a Wi-Fi hotspot on your computer.
Missing Network Virtual Adapter on Windows 10 [FIXED]
1. Un-hide the device from your PC
- Press Win+R keys -> type in devmgmt.msc -> press Enter.
- Select the View tab -> click on Show Hidden Devices.
- Check to see if the driver is in the list.
2. Update your drivers using Windows Update
- Click on Cortana search box -> type Windows Update.
- Select the first option at the top of the results.
- Click Check for updates and wait for the process to complete.
- Check to see if the issue persists.
3. Use WLAN auto config
- Press Win+R keys -> type services.msc -> press Enter.
- Scroll through the list -> right-click WLAN AutoConfig -> click Start.
- Check to see if the issue is solved.
4. Change value is Registry Editor
- Press Win+R -> type regedit -> hit Enter.
- Navigate to this location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> System -> CurrentControlSet -> Services -> Wlansvc -> Parameters -> Hostednetworksettings.
- Right click the EverUsed parameter -> Modify -> change value to 1 and select hexadecimal.
- Close the Registry Editor and check to see if the issue is resolved.
5. Use the Windows Store app to bypass missing Hosted Network Support
- Press Win+X keys -> select PowerShell (Admin).
- Inside the PowerShell window -> run command netsh wlan show drivers -> press Enter.
- Wait for the process to end and check the results. (your results should show: Hosted Network Supported : No.)
- Open Microsoft Store -> search for NoWifi application.
- Click Get and wait for the process to complete.
- Open the NoWifi app -> set a name in the SSID box, and a password -> toggle the button Access Point to On.
- The Wi-fi Hotspot is now set and ready to use.
In this article, we explored the best troubleshooting methods to try and fix the missing Network Virtual Adapter driver on Windows 10, and at the end, we explored an easy workaround for this issue.
Make sure to follow the steps presented in this article in the order that they were written, in order to avoid causing any other issues with your Windows 10 PC.
Please feel free to let us know if this article helped you solve your issue, by using the comment section found below.