My PC keeps disconnecting from the internet… what’s going on?

Hardware
1

My PC has started randomly disconnecting from the internet, and I’ve already tried a bunch of fixes but nothing is working. I’ve had to re-enter the network password at least 20 times in the last half hour. The connection drops after about two minutes every single time.

Here’s what I’ve tried: my drivers are updated, I reset the router, unchecked the power management on the network adapter, and even forgot and reconnected to the network. I also tried the command prompt trick: “netsh winsock reset” followed by a reboot. None of it worked.

The weird part is, this only started happening in the last two hours. My phone, tablet, and even a new laptop I set up today all connect just fine, so it’s only my desktop that’s having issues. Could it be related to setting up the laptop?

I’m currently backing up everything in case I need to do something drastic like a reset, but I’d rather avoid that. Has anyone else dealt with this? What else can I try to get a stable connection? Thanks in advance for your help.

2

I tried doing a network reset to see if that would help. It didn’t… if anything, it disconnects even faster now.

3

All my other devices are connecting to the network without issues. It’s just my PC acting up. I have no idea what’s causing this.

4

When was the last time you did a clean Windows install?

5

Aubrey said:
When was the last time you did a clean Windows install?

Probably when I built it, so it’s been a few years. I’m worried about losing files or doing something wrong if I try that.

6

Aubrey said:
When was the last time you did a clean Windows install?

I don’t know how to do that without wiping everything off my computer. I’ve backed up my files, but I’m not sure what to do next.

7

@Thunderfall
You’d need an external drive to save backups. Then create a bootable USB with the Windows Media Creation Tool, boot from it, and reinstall Windows. It’s pretty straightforward, but you might need to look up step-by-step instructions.

8

@Aubrey
I’ve backed everything up to a second drive for now. I don’t have an external drive yet, so I guess I’ll have to go buy one before doing anything else.

9

Thunderfall said:
@Aubrey
I’ve backed everything up to a second drive for now. I don’t have an external drive yet, so I guess I’ll have to go buy one before doing anything else.

External drives are super handy. I have five just for backups. You’ll be glad to have one long-term!

10

@Aubrey
That’s helpful, but I still don’t know how to do the other steps you mentioned. Every fix I’ve tried so far has made things worse, and now it disconnects even faster. It’s driving me nuts.

11

Thunderfall said:
@Aubrey
That’s helpful, but I still don’t know how to do the other steps you mentioned. Every fix I’ve tried so far has made things worse, and now it disconnects even faster. It’s driving me nuts.

You’ll need a USB drive (at least 16GB). Use the Media Creation Tool to make it bootable. Restart your PC with the USB plugged in, delete partitions, and reinstall Windows. It’s a bit of a process, but there are guides online to help.

12

@Aubrey
I managed to download the setup for Windows 10, but I can’t create the bootable drive because the internet keeps cutting out. It feels like I’m stuck in a loop. Guess I’ll have to take it to Micro Center tomorrow.

13

@Aubrey
Update: After all that, I adjusted the antennas on my Wi-Fi card to point more directly at the router, and now it’s working perfectly. I can’t believe such a simple fix was the solution. This was a wild ride.