Rolling Back Your Laptop's Wi-Fi Driver: 5 Ways to Restore a Working Version

• Right-click on the adapter → «Properties».
• Go to the "Driver» → click «Roll back».
• Please provide a reason (e.g., "The previous version worked better.») → «Yes».
• Restart your laptop — the changes will come into force.

If the "Roll back" button is inactive (gray), it means:

• 🔹 Windows did not save previous driver versions (the setting is disabled in Group Policy).
• 🔹 You've never updated the driver manually—the out-of-the-box version is installed.
• 🔹 The latest driver was installed via Windows Update, and not manually.

Method 2: Uninstall the driver and reinstall it automatically

If rollback is not available, you can force reset driver to the version stored in Windows' backup. This method works even without internet access, but requires a reboot.

1. Uninstall the current driver:
   • Open device Manager → Find your Wi-Fi adapter.
   • Right click → «Remove device».
   • Tick ​​the box "Delete the driver software for this device" (if available).

• If the Internet appears, the driver has been successfully rolled back.
• If not, proceed to method 3 (manual installation).

Important: After uninstalling the driver, your laptop may lose Wi-Fi access until you reboot. Don't worry—this is normal. If after rebooting the adapter still does not appear in Device Manager, check:

• 🔌 Physical Wi-Fi button on the laptop case (sometimes it accidentally turns off).
• ⚡ BIOS settings — It’s rare, but it happens that the Wi-Fi adapter is disabled at the hardware level (you need to go into the BIOS and enable it) Wireless LAN).

Method 3: Manually install the old driver

If automatic methods don't work, you'll have to Manually download and install the previous version of the driverTo do this you will need:

• 💻 Another computer/phone with internet access (to download the driver).
• 🔌 USB flash drive (if the laptop does not have a wired connection).
• 📝 The exact model of the adapter (see how to find out below).

Step 1: Find out your Wi-Fi adapter model

1. Open device Manager → «Network adapters».
2. Find the device with the words Wireless, Wi-Fi or 802.11.
3. Right click → «Properties» → tab «Intelligence».
4. From the drop-down menu, select "Equipment ID» - copy the first line (for example, PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2723).

Step 2: Download the older driver version

Use official sources:

Step 3: Install the driver manually

1. Connect the downloaded driver to your laptop (via flash drive or cable).
2. Open device Manager → right-click on the adapter → «Update driver».
3. Select "Search for drivers on this computer» → specify the folder with the driver.
4. Follow the installation wizard instructions → restart your laptop.

Method 4: Rollback via the command line (for advanced users)

This method will be useful if Wi-Fi disappears immediately after Windows boots and you cannot open device ManagerWe will use utility pnputil, which manages drivers via the command line.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator:

• Click Win + X → select "Terminal (administrator)" or "Command Prompt (Administrator)».
• Or enter in the search cmd → right click → «Run as administrator».

Step 2: View the list of installed drivers:

pnputil /enum-drivers

Find the line with the name of your Wi-Fi adapter in the list and write it down Publisher And Date (it is given in the format YYYY/MM/DD).

Step 3: Uninstall the current driver:

pnputil /delete-driver oem{NUMBER}.inf /uninstall /force

Replace oem{NUMBER}.inf to the actual file name from the list (for example, oem12.inf).

Step 4: Restart your laptop — Windows will install a backup version of the driver.

⚠️ Attention: This method can remove all driver versions, including backups. If Wi-Fi doesn't work after rebooting, you'll need the driver installation file on a flash drive.

Method 5: System Restore (if nothing helps)

If rolling back the driver doesn't solve the problem, it's possible that not only the software is to blame, but also Windows settingsIn this case it will help system restore to the point created before the Wi-Fi problems appeared.

How to start recovery:

1. Open Control Panel → «Recovery» → «Launching System Restore».
2. Select a restore point with a date when Wi-Fi was still working (for example, "Windows update from 05/15/2026»).
3. Confirm the process start and the laptop will reboot.

What to do if there are no restore points:

• 🔄 Turn on system protection:
  • Open "System properties» (Win + Pause/Break → «System protection»).
  • Select a disk C: → «Tune» → «Enable system protection».
• 💾 Create a restore point manually after a successful driver rollback.

⚠️ Attention: System Restore will undo all changes in Windows, created after the selected date (installed programs, updates, etc.). Documents and files are not affected.

Additional settings after rollback

Even after successfully rolling back the driver, Wi-Fi may still be unstable. Check these settings:

• ⚡ Disable adapter power saving:
  1. Open device Manager → Wi-Fi adapter properties → tab "Power management».
  2. Uncheck the box "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power».

1. In the adapter properties, go to the "Additionally».
2. Find the parameter "Beamforming», «Roaming Aggressiveness" or "802.11n/ac Wireless Mode" → set the value to "Disabled" or "Auto».
3. 🔄 Reset network settings:

   netsh winsock reset
   netsh int ip reset
   ipconfig /flushdns

   Enter these commands one by one in command line (administrator) → Restart your laptop.

If your Wi-Fi speed is still slow:

• 📶 Check it out channel and channel width in the router settings (optimally: channel 6 or 11, width 20/40 MHz).
• 🔗 Make sure the standard is enabled on your router 802.11ac (or 802.11ax for modern adapters).
• 🛡️ Turn it off VPN or firewall - They can limit the speed.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

When rolling back a driver, users often encounter common problems. Here's how to prevent them:

Error	Cause	Solution
The "Rollback" button is inactive	Windows does not save old versions of drivers.	Use Method 2 (remove and reinstall) or Method 3 (manual installation).
After the rollback, Wi-Fi does not turn on.	All driver versions, including backup ones, have been removed.	Download the driver on another device and install it manually (see Method 3).
Error: "The device cannot start (code 10)"	Conflict with other software or corrupted driver files	Launch sfc /scannow in the command line (administrator), then try the rollback again.
Wi-Fi works, but the speed is very slow.	Suboptimal adapter or router settings	Check the parameters in Device Manager (Advanced tab) and router settings.
After rebooting, the driver is updated again.	Windows automatically installs the new version via Windows Update	Disable automatic driver updates (see section below).

How to prevent Windows from updating your Wi-Fi driver:

1. Open device Manager → Wi-Fi adapter properties → tab "Intelligence».
2. Select "Equipment ID» → copy the first line (for example, PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2723).
3. Open Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) → follow the path:

   Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → System → Device Installation → Device Installation Restrictions

4. Turn on the "Prevent installation of devices with the specified device codes» → add the copied ID.

⚠️ AttentionDisabling automatic driver updates can lead to security issues. Regularly check for updates manually on the adapter manufacturer's website.

FAQ: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to roll back a Wi-Fi driver without internet access?

Yes, if you have a backup copy of the driver or the installation file on a flash drive. Use Method 3 (manual installation) or Method 4 (command line). You can also copy the driver from another computer with the same adapter model.

How can I find out which driver version was installed previously?

Open device Manager → adapter properties → tab "Driver» → «Driver Information" If the button "Roll back" is active, the previous version will be listed here. You can also view the update history in Control Panel → Programs → Programs and Features → View installed updates.

What should I do if Wi-Fi still doesn't work after rolling back?

Try the following steps:

1. Uninstall the driver completely (including the "Delete driver software" checkbox) and restart the laptop.
2. Check if the adapter is enabled in the BIOS (go into the BIOS and find the option Wireless LAN or WLAN).
3. Reset network settings with the command netsh int ip reset.
4. Try connecting to a different Wi-Fi network (there may be a problem with the router).

If nothing helps, the adapter itself may be faulty - contact the service center.

How to roll back a driver on a MacBook?
On MacBook Rolling back the Wi-Fi driver is done differently:
1. Open Terminal and enter:

   sudo rm -rf /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/NetworkInterfaces.plist
   sudo rm -rf /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/preferences.plist

2. Restart your MacBook and the system will restore the default network settings.
3. If the problem persists, update macOS or reset NVRAM (Command + Option + P + R when loading).
Is it possible to roll back a driver on a Linux laptop?

In Linux, Wi-Fi drivers are managed through the kernel or packages (e.g. firmware-iwlwifi For Intel). To roll back:

1. Find out your current driver version:

   dmesg | grep iwlwifi

   (for adapters Intel) or

   lspci -k | grep -A 3 Network

2. Uninstall the current driver:

   sudo apt remove --purge firmware-iwlwifi

   (replace firmware-iwlwifi on your package).

3. Install an older version from the repository or manually:

   sudo apt install firmware-iwlwifi=VERSION

For manual installation, download the firmware from wireless.wiki.kernel.org and place it in /lib/firmware/.