"Connect Automatically" box is checked for all the networks in range

Anonymous
2013-08-23T03:59:16+00:00

Original Title: Why can't I prevent Windows 8 from automatically trying to connect to ALL networks in range?

I just purchased a new HP laptop with Windows 8, and this is my 1st experience with Win 8.

I have noticed that when I view the Network List of all networks within range, all of them have the "Connect Automatically" box ticked. I only wish to attempt to connect automatically to my own network. If I un-tick this box for all other networks it makes no difference -- when I look at it again, the box is ticked.

After researching this on the internet I found some advice which suggested right-clicking on the name of the network and selecting "Forget this network" from the menu that pops up. However, right-clicking on the name of any network other than my own does nothing -- no menu appears. If I right-click on the name of my own network this menu DOES appear ("Show estimated usage, Set as metered connection, Forget this network," etc.)

I have read a similar question posted here, as well as the answers given. It did not help. Stopping and starting the WLAN Autoconfig Services makes no difference:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows\_8-networking/networks-pane-the-connect-automatically-checkbox/ae5c77fb-1234-4d5b-bf77-628f8b902a7d

It does not appear to me that this person got his/her question resolved adequately, and it seems I have the same concern.

Why is Win 8 configured to connect automatically to ALL networks on the list of available networks, and why am I unable to un-check the "Connect Automatically" box for networks I do not wish to automatically try to connect to? To clarify, I can un-check the box, but the change does not persist; if I move my mouse away from that network name, and then click on it again, "Connect Automatically" is checked again, regardless of the fact that I have just un-checked it.

And why can't I right-click on networks other than my own to access the menu choices which include "forget this network?"

I am a VERY frustrated Windows 8 user. I am about to wipe this stupid hard drive clean and install Linux instead. :(

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Internet and connectivity

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments No comments

61 answers

Sort by: Newest
  1. Anonymous
    2017-10-11T21:16:16+00:00

    Thanks Omar, I  tried this first, and hopefully it will help my problem of my wireless ntwork not connecting when I open the lid again.

    Most importantly, thnkas for the step by step guide,a but also how to undo do it if need be.

    I have also seen your later post automating creating a white list, but have not dared try it yet,  but again tanks for some top volunteer notch support. If only the real support could be that good!

    Thanks again for all your time and effort.

    Was this answer helpful?

    3 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2016-10-06T20:15:56+00:00

    Hi Anne, 

    I also forgot to add that Windows updates can knock-out non-Microsoft Drivers and replace them with Microsoft Drivers as well as new updates re-installing old non-Microsoft Drivers (your manufacturers).  

    Its always best to have the very latest BLUETOOTH Driver (which is more important than the very latest WIFI Driver). The stting that works for me is the very latest 2016 Intel BLUETOOTH adaptor while my Intel WIFI Driver is 1 year and 5 months older than my BLUETOOTH Driver.

    BLUETOOTH is a huge problem for WIFI as their signal roaming and strengths interfere with each other. Always DISABLE BLUETOOTH when you are not using it (right click your WIFI adaptor and click 'Properties' at bottom and then find 'Bluetooth' and click on 'Disable' on right-hand side option). While your their click on 'Configure' and look at 'Power Management' tab and clear the tick for 'Turn off this device when not in use' or something like that. 

    Regards.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2016-10-06T20:06:09+00:00

    Hi Anne,

    Thanks for your contact. September update of Windows 10 did the same thing to me (so annoying). I’ll help you so you NEVER have to re-boot again by creating a simple BATCH file containing code to re-connect your wi-fi without having to re-boot your machine and we will place this batch file program on your desktop and all you have to do is ‘double-click’ it to re-connect instead of re-booting.

    I assume that you have no other wi-fi problem such as wi-fi disconnection after your machine comes out of ‘sleep’ mode. This wi-fi ‘sleep’ problem has been the biggest complaint of Windows users since it came out with a zillion solutions that only work depending on your manufacturer (Dell, Lenovo, Surface Pro, Toshiba etc etc). So lets not go down that road unless your wi-fi problem is actually losing connection after your machine goes comes out of sleep mode. However, I’ll also give you a couple of these zillion solutions to help keep you connected. There are 30 simple steps so its best to print this out and follow a hard-copy.

    BATCH PROGRAM

    Open ‘Notepad’ to create a batch file and place wi-fi re connection code inside it and then we will save it on the DESKTOP so you can ‘double-click’ anytime you want (we will also get Windows to run it when your not logged-on to make sure your always connected).

    1. Open ‘Notepad’ (click on Start and type Notepad).
    2. Click on the Notepad app that appears to open it (when open you’ll see programs name on its Window at top-left).
    3. Type the following code:

    @ECHO OFF

    netsh wlan set autoconfig

    netsh wlan connect name="TALKTALK-D24433"

    Obviously my Internet Service Provider is TALKTALK (I have changed the ISP’s number for security reasons obviously for this post). Other’s ISP may be VERIZON or BT or SPRINT etc BUT MAKE SURE YOU PLACE THE EXACT NAME OF YOUR WI-FI ADAPTOR IN-BETWEEN THE SPEECH MARKS (click on START and type wifi and then cick on CHANGE WIFI SETTINGS and look at the name of your ISP on your wi-fi adaptor which should be in CAPITALS).

    1. Thats the code done. Now we are gonna give this little code a name and then save it on your DESKTOP for quick ‘Double-click’ connection.
    2. Click on ‘File’ and choose ‘Save As’.
    3. Click on ‘Desktop’ in the Directory Window that appears.
    4. Then at the bottom of this Window at the ‘Filename’ section give your code file the following name:

    this code as:

    Wifi.Bat


    or


    ReconnectMy FriggingMachineWindows.Bat [ ...only joking but you can if you want to]


    1. Make sure the file extension is ’.Bat’ at the end of the filename.
    2. Now have a quick peek at your Desktop to see if this batch file is there (click on the very right end of your Taskbar at the bottom of the screen and you’ll see a very thin upright rectangle - this saves you minimizing programs/web pages you have open when you want to re-connect).

    Now we will get Windows to set up an automatic Tasks to run this re-connection code whenever you ‘Double-click’ it or get it to run it automatically whether your are logged on or not.

    1. Click on start and type ‘Sched’ (you’ll see Microsoft’s ‘Task Scheduler’ program listed).
    2. Click on the Task Scheduler app that appears.

    Under the ‘Actions’ window on the right, we need to choose ‘CREATE TASK and NOT ‘CREATE BASIC TASK’.

    1. Click on ‘CREATE TASK’ and the task creation Window appears.

    12A. Next to ‘Name’ bar type in a name for your task (call it anything like ‘Wifi-Reconnect’).

    12B. Click on ‘RUN WHETHER USER IS LOGGED ON OR NOT’.

    12C. Click on ‘RUN WITH HIGHEST PRIVILEGES’.

    12D. Under the bottom ‘Configure for’ section click on Down-Arrow and Choose ‘WINDOWS 10’.

    1. Now look at the other ‘Tabs’ at the top of this Task Scheduler program and you’ll see TRIGGER and others (we will be using all of them).
    2. Click on ‘TRIGGER’ tab.
    3. Click on ‘NEW’ at the bottom to create a new task (MAY TAKE A COUPLE OF SECONDS TO WINDOWS TO OPEN THE TRIGGER WINDOW).
    4. At the top of the TRIGGER Window you’ll see ‘Begin the task’ and a Drop-Down menu next to it called ’On a Schedule’. This is the section to choose WHEN AND HOW you want the re-connect code to run. Click on the Drop-Down Arrow and you will see several OPTIONS that you can choose. Each of these OPTIONS must be chosen individually so you will have to repeat this section. I recommend the following:

    16A. Click on the Drop-Down option ‘At Logon’ and then click tick ‘Enabled’ at the bottom and then OK to create this task.

    16B. Click on ‘NEW’ again and then repeat above and choose ‘On Start-up’ and tick the ‘Enable’ at the bottom.

    16C. Repeat for ‘On idle’ and ‘On Workstation Unlock’.

    The Task is now created. Now we have to link this Task with your .Bat code by telling Scheduler to run this program saved on the Desktop at the TRIGGER options you created above (i.e. on logon, at start-up etc ect).

    1. Look at the ‘Tabs’ on the top of Window and you’ll see ‘Action’.
    2. Click on ‘Action’.
    3. Click on ‘NEW’.
    4. Under ‘Action’ it should already be set to ‘Start a program’. If it is not click on Drop-Down Arrow and choose ‘Start a program’.

    Now we’ll choose the .Bat file.

    1. Click on ‘Browse’ next to the ‘Program/script’ bar.
    2. Click on ‘Desktop’ on the directory Pane on the left.
    3. Find your ‘Wifi.bat’ file or your ‘ReconnectMyFriggingMachineWindows.Bat’ file.
    4. You’ll be returned to Task Scheduler and you can now see your files path location filled in the ‘Program/script’ bar.
    5. Click OK.

    Nearly finished. Now look again at the top row of ‘Tab’. Click on ‘Conditions’.

    1. Click on ‘Start the task only if computer is idle for’ and set at at '1 minute'.  Choose whether you want it to start on battery or AC power only (I don't bother with these options).
    2. At the bottom where it says ‘Start only if the following connection is available’ , click on the Drop-Down menu and choose your wi-fi network.

    Final step.

    Now we will tell Task Scheduler to run our batch file code on our manual command as well (so when your wi-fi drops out just ‘Double-click’ it and you will be re-connected).

    1. Look at top row of ‘Tabs’ and choose the final tab ‘Settings’.
    2. Click on ‘Allow task to be run on demand’.
    3. Forget everything else on this Window.

    Now Click OK at bottom to create your new wifi reconnect file. Whenever your wifi drops-out then go to your Desktop and ‘Double’Click’. You can ‘Double-Click’ this again and again until you reconnect but give Windows time to reconnect at each ‘Double-Click’.

    This post is simply to save you time and frustration of re-booting and also automates Windows to reconnect every time your machine is IDLE and every time you UNLOCK your machine and also at START-UP.

    However, there are a zillion other things that will block wi-fi connection such as having Hyper-V running on the Surface Pro machine, an out of date BLUETOOTH driver, an out of date WIFI DRIVER, your wifi adapter set to switch ROUTER OFF when your machine goes to sleep etc etc etc.

    CHANGE WIFI CHANNEL

    You are also concerned that your neighbor's wifi signal is interfering with yours. To cure this change your wifi Channel to a different one to your neighbor's. Follow these steps:

    If you have a Desktop as well as laptop and your Desktop is physically connected to your Router (Ethernet cable) then load Google and type your ROUTERS IP address to connect to it.

    1. Load Google and type 192.168.1.0 OR 192.168.1.1
    2. Enter your ROUTER USERNAME and PASSWORD.
    3. Every ISP’s and Router menu screens are different so find ‘CHANNEL’ and change it to a HIGHER number such as 11 (your neighbors will probably be using 1 or whatever).
    4. SAVE this config change and LOG-OUT.
    5. If you do not have a Desktop then your Laptop wifi has to be working first and then follow the above steps.

    Hope this helps and many regards.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  4. Anonymous
    2016-10-06T04:49:28+00:00

    Hi, the major problem is that I am getting disconnected from my wifi often....I can't get reconnected unless I reboot...this has been happening for about the last week and a half...right after I had two major updates....I read through the above answers and understand the list connection problem better....my conclusion is that there is a stronger wifi in the area and I get kicked off of mine...if this is true how do I fix it..it is very frustrating to have to reboot all the time and most times just stay off line...

    Hope this explains this 

    Thanks,

    Anne

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  5. Anonymous
    2016-10-05T21:49:39+00:00

    Hi Anne, 

    Thanks for your contact.  What is the exact problem you are having? Do you want to remove the list of wifi profiles that Windows is asking whether you want to 'Automatically connect to' or is the problem loss of wi-fi?

    Regards.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments