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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:
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. :(
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.
I have had this same problem forever. I had it with Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and I still have it with Windows 10. It has also lasted through three different computer manufacturers. No one has ever been able to help me resolve this issue. If a resolution is out there please share it with me. ******@msn.com
So is this where we left off....No Solution? I have Windows 7 with same issue. I thinks the whole world does.
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Hi,
You can check the troubleshooting procedure provided by BurrWalnut on this thread:
**How to disable auto wireless connect in windows 7**
Regards.
This is not a solution. Three years later, and I still get the feeling nobody offering answers here has fully read my posts here or understands the problem.
BurrWalnut's suggestion is to manually select the connection properties for each network, one-by-one.
If you had read my original question, and my follow-up response on August 23rd, 2013 you would know that this is not satisfactory.
If you even understood the problem you would know this is not satisfactory.
Let's ignore the fact that this is a Win 8 problem, not Win 7, and BurrWalnut's instructions don't exactly work the same way in Win8. You can (allegedly) change the connection properties for each network in Win 8, but you can't get there the way he describes.
Quoting myself from August 23rd 2013:
" Further, I would like to point out that manually identifying and opting out of "connect automatically" for each network that does not belong to me (if indeed that is even possible, which it seems that it is not), is both tedious and ignorant of the underlying security risk posed by Windows 8 having the default setting of "connect automatically" chosen by default for all networks within range.
Why do I say this is a security risk?
Because even if am able to opt-out of "connect automatically" to all undesired networks which currently appear within range on the network list in the sidebar, that list is constantly changing. I live in a densely populated area and new networks appear and disappear on that list frequently. Even if I am able to opt-out of "connect automatically" from networks I can currently identify, it does not address the issue of trying to connect automatically to new networks which I have not seen or yet identified."
Your response was marked by someone as an answer. I unmarked it because it is not an answer to my original problem.
The best solution I have found is called GET RID OF WINDOWS COMPLETELY. To that end I have two suggestions:
React is another free operating system which looks and feels very much like Windows, and is designed to be compatible with Windows software. It is NOT a Linux distro which is designed to be superficially similar to Windows, it's actually a scratch-built OS which is meant to be binary compatible with Windows. Which means you should be able to install and run most, if not all of you favorite Windows software on it. It is also designed to not be as privacy invasive as the latest versions of Windows.
The developers do not claim it is 100% Windows compatible, you may find some applications and drivers that are not supported, and if you do you are encouraged to report them to the development community so they can get to work fixing it. That said, so far everything I have tried works just fine. It's also relatively lightweight, it only takes about 500mb of disk space. Plus if you just want to try it out you can boot it from a live CD without installing anything on your PC or altering your current OS.
So that's my preferred solution -- GET RID of Microsoft Windows and replace it with something that works properly (AND most importantly) is actually supported by a development community which is knowledgeable and responsive to questions from users.
