For this symptom set on an HP EliteBook x360 830 G7—Wi‑Fi not reconnecting at startup, missing Wi‑Fi icon, and missing Network & Internet options—use this order:
- Run the built-in network troubleshooter.
- Go to Start > Settings > Network & Internet > Status.
- Select Network troubleshooter.
- Follow the prompts.
- Check that Wi‑Fi is enabled and Airplane mode is off.
- Open Settings > Network & internet.
- Make sure Wi‑Fi is turned on.
- Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Airplane mode and make sure it is Off.
- If the laptop has a physical Wi‑Fi switch, make sure it is turned on.
- If the Wi‑Fi icon or settings are missing, remove and reinstall the wireless adapter driver.
- This is the most relevant next step when the Wi‑Fi controls are missing.
- Before uninstalling, download the latest network driver from the PC manufacturer as a backup. If the laptop has no internet access, download it on another PC and copy it by USB.
- Open Device Manager.
- Expand Network adapters.
- Right-click the wireless adapter.
- Select Uninstall device.
- Check Attempt to remove the driver for this device.
- Select Uninstall.
- Restart the PC.
- After restart, Windows should automatically reinstall the adapter driver. If it does not, install the backup driver manually.
- If Wi‑Fi is recognized but no networks appear, verify the adapter band setting.
- In Device Manager, open Network adapters.
- Right-click the wireless adapter and select Properties.
- Open the Advanced tab.
- Look for Wireless Mode or Band.
- Make sure it allows the same frequency as the network, such as 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz.
- Reset the network stack from an elevated Command Prompt.
- Open Command Prompt as administrator.
- Run these commands in order:
-
netsh winsock reset -
netsh int ip reset -
ipconfig /release -
ipconfig /renew -
ipconfig /flushdns
-
- Restart the PC after running them.
- If the laptop connects to Wi‑Fi but shows no internet, also check:
- Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy and turn off any manual proxy settings.
- Confirm the IP address is not 169.254.x.x, which indicates Windows did not get an IP address from the router.
- For this HP model specifically, check HP connection management behavior.
- On affected HP EliteBook systems, HP Connection Optimizer can interfere with Wi‑Fi staying enabled across boot or power transitions.
- Open services.msc.
- Find HP Connection Optimizer Service (HpcSvc).
- Set Startup type to Disabled, then restart.
- If Wi‑Fi behavior improves, uninstalling that component from Apps & Features can also help.
- Also check BIOS for LAN/WLAN Auto Switching and disable it if enabled, because it can force Wi‑Fi off when Ethernet is detected.
- If the issue started after an update, collect the current state before more resets.
- Microsoft’s advanced guidance notes that removing drivers or resetting the network stack can remove evidence or temporarily change behavior.
- If troubleshooting needs to continue after the steps above, note when the issue occurs and whether it happens after restart, sleep, resume, or docking.
Most likely fix for this case: uninstall and reinstall the Wi‑Fi adapter driver, then check HP Connection Optimizer and LAN/WLAN Auto Switching.
- Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows
- Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows
- Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows
- Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows
- Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows
- Advanced troubleshooting wireless network connectivity
- Network and Internet Settings Missing - Microsoft Q&A
- Wifi not enabling automatically upon windows boot - HP - Microsoft Q&A