How to Forget a Wi-Fi Network in Windows 11 When It Stops Working
Forgetting a Wi-Fi network in Windows 11 removes the saved password and connection details for that network from your PC. Once you forget it, your computer stops connecting to it automatically, and you’ll need to enter the password again if you want to reconnect later.
The easiest way to forget a network is through Settings. Open Settings , go to Network & internet, select Wi-Fi , then choose Manage known networks. Find the network you want to forget and click the Forget button. That’s all it takes.
This is useful when a network isn’t working properly, you’ve moved to a new location, or you want to clear out old networks you no longer use. Forgetting a network doesn’t affect your PC’s overall Wi-Fi settings or any other saved networks. It can’t be undone, but you can always rejoin the network later by entering its password again.
To forget a Wi-Fi network in Windows 11, open Settings , select Network & internet, then Wi-Fi, and choose Manage known networks. Select the network, then click Forget. Windows deletes the saved password and connection details at once, with no confirmation prompt. You’ll need to re-enter the password to reconnect later.
Why Forgetting a Network Fixes Connection Problems
When a Wi-Fi network “stops working,” the network itself is often fine. The usual cause is a corrupted or outdated saved profile on your PC. The password and security settings Windows stored no longer match what the router is using now.
This tends to happen in three situations:
- You changed your Wi-Fi password.
- You reset your router.
- You replaced an old router with a new one that uses the same network name (SSID).
In each case Windows keeps trying to connect with the old, broken profile and fails every time. You may see “Can’t connect to this network” or a password prompt that never accepts the correct password.
Forgetting the network removes that broken profile completely. The next time you connect, Windows builds a fresh profile from scratch, which clears out whatever was causing the mismatch.
Forget a Wi-Fi Network from Settings
This is the most common method. It works whether or not you’re currently in range of the network, because Windows lists every saved network, not just the ones it can see.
- Press Win+I to open Settings. The Settings window opens to the home page.
- Select Network & internet in the left sidebar. You’ll see your current connection status at the top, including Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
- Select Wi-Fi from the list of network types. The Wi-Fi settings page opens, showing whether Wi-Fi is on and which network you’re connected to.
- Select Manage known networks. This opens a list of every Wi-Fi network your PC has connected to before, whether or not it’s currently in range.
- Find the network you want to remove and select it to expand it. A Forget button appears below the network name.
- Select Forget. The network disappears from the list immediately, and Windows deletes its saved password and settings. There’s no confirmation prompt, so check that you picked the right network before you click.
If you only want to stop your PC from joining a network on its own, you don’t have to forget it. In the same Manage known networks list, select the network and turn off Connect automatically when in range. The saved password stays on the PC, so you can still connect by hand whenever you like. This works well for a neighbor’s network or a café hotspot you use only now and then. To undo it, turn the option back on.
If you don’t see the network listed at all under Manage known networks, your PC never saved a profile for it, so there’s nothing to forget. Any connection trouble is coming from somewhere else, such as the router or your Wi-Fi adapter driver.
Forget a Wi-Fi Network from the Taskbar
This route is quicker if the network is currently in range and you’d rather not dig through Settings.
- Select the network icon in the taskbar , on the right side near the clock. The quick settings flyout opens, showing Wi-Fi , Bluetooth , and volume controls.
- Select the arrow next to the Wi-Fi tile. The flyout expands to show a list of nearby Wi-Fi networks, including ones you’re not connected to.
- Select Manage known networks at the bottom of this list. This opens the same Settings page described in the method above.
- Follow steps 5 and 6 of the Settings method above to select the network and click Forget.
Windows 11 doesn’t let you forget a network by right-clicking it in this flyout. Unlike some older Windows versions, there’s no shortcut menu here. You always end up in Manage known networks to finish the job.
Forget a Wi-Fi Network with Command Prompt
Use this method if the Settings app isn’t responding, if you need to script the removal across several PCs, or if you want to see every saved Wi-Fi profile on the machine at once, including ones that are easy to miss in the Settings list.
This method requires administrator access. Deleting a profile this way is immediate and permanent. There’s no undo button, so confirm the profile name before you run the delete command.
In Windows 11, Command Prompt is no longer the default shell, so you have two ways to get an elevated window. Both run the netsh commands below in the same way.
- Open an administrator window using either option:
- Terminal (Admin): Right-click the Start button and select Terminal (Admin). Windows Terminal opens, usually with a PowerShell tab.
- Command Prompt: Open the Start menu and type cmd. Right-click Command Prompt in the results and select Run as administrator.
- Select Yes if User Account Control asks for permission. The window opens with “Administrator” in the title bar. If you don’t see “Administrator,” close it and start again, because the commands won’t work without elevation.
- Type
netsh wlan show profilesand press Enter. This lists every Wi-Fi network profile saved on the PC under “User profiles.” - Type
netsh wlan delete profile name="NetworkName", replacingNetworkNamewith the exact network name from the list, and press Enter. The window confirms with a message like “Profile NetworkName is deleted from interface Wi-Fi .”
If you get an error saying the profile isn’t found, check the exact spelling and capitalization from the show profiles output. Network names are case-sensitive in this command, and hidden characters or trailing spaces in the SSID can cause a mismatch. If a name contains spaces, copy it exactly as listed and make sure it’s entered the way the command expects.
Why the Forget Option Might Be Missing or Greyed Out
A few situations stop you from forgetting a network the normal way:
- The network was pushed by your workplace or school. On a PC managed by an organization through Intune or Group Policy (enterprise management systems), the Wi-Fi profile may be deployed centrally. In that case the Forget option can be missing entirely, because only an administrator can remove it. This is far more common on work PCs than on a Windows 11 Home laptop you set up yourself. If this is a work or school-issued laptop, contact your IT department instead of trying to force it through the command line.
- You’re forgetting the network you’re currently connected to. This usually still works fine in Windows 11, but your Wi-Fi drops as soon as you click Forget, because the profile you’re using disappears while it’s active. That’s expected. Reconnect using the steps below.
- The network uses Wi-Fi Direct or a mobile hotspot rather than a standard router. These sometimes show up differently in Manage known networks, or not at all, depending on how they were set up.
Reconnecting After You Forget a Network
Forgetting a network doesn’t affect the network itself. It only removes your PC’s saved profile for it. To reconnect:
- Select the network icon in the taskbar , then select the arrow next to Wi-Fi to see nearby networks.
- Select the network name from the list, then select Connect.
- Enter the Wi-Fi password when prompted and select Next. Windows creates a brand-new profile and, if the password and settings are correct, connects right away.
You don't need to restart your PC after forgetting or reconnecting to a network. The change takes effect right away. (A full network reset, covered below, is different and does need a restart.)
If Forgetting the Network Didn't Fix the Problem
If you reconnect with the correct password and the connection still drops, times out, or won't complete, the problem usually isn't the saved profile anymore. From here, check:
- Whether other devices can connect to the same network normally. If they can't either, the issue is the router, not your PC.
- Whether your Wi-Fi adapter driver is outdated or corrupted, which can cause the same symptoms as a bad saved profile.
- Whether a full network reset is worth trying. It removes and reinstalls all your network adapters, so it clears out far more than one Wi-Fi profile.
Select Reset now and confirm when Windows asks. Think of it as a last resort, because it has side effects:
- It removes all saved Wi-Fi profiles, not just the one that's failing. You'll need the password for every wireless network you use.
- It removes your VPN settings, so you'll have to set up any VPN connections again.
- It requires a restart. Windows restarts the PC to finish the reset, so save your work first.
What to Do Next
If the network keeps failing right after you reconnect with the correct password, the problem likely isn't the saved profile anymore. Check your Wi-Fi adapter driver, or try a full network reset in Windows 11 (Settings Network & internet Advanced network settings Network reset). Both fix issues that a simple forget-and-reconnect won't solve. If you only want a network to stop connecting on its own, turn off Connect automatically when in range instead of forgetting it. And if you manage multiple PCs on the same network, the netsh method, run from Terminal (Admin) or an elevated Command Prompt, is worth keeping handy for clearing stale profiles without opening Settings on each machine.
Frequently asked questions
I can't forget a Wi-Fi network on 🪟 Windows 11. How do I remove it?
Open Settings, go to Network & internet Wi-Fi Manage known networks. Find the network and click Forget. If the button is greyed out, you may not have permission. Check whether the PC is managed by a work or school organization, and contact your IT administrator; if it is your own PC, use the netsh command from an elevated Command Prompt instead.
How to force forget a Wi-Fi network?
There's no force forget option in Windows 11. Open Settings Network & internet Wi-Fi Manage known networks, find the network, and click Forget. If that doesn't work, restart your PC and try again. This removes the saved profile completely.
Why won't my computer let me forget a network?
The Forget button may be greyed out if you don't have admin rights on your PC. Make sure you are signed in with an administrator account, or use the netsh command from an elevated Command Prompt. If the network is still protected, you may need to disconnect from it first before forgetting it.
How to fully forget a Wi-Fi network on Windows?
Open Settings and navigate to Network & internet Wi-Fi Manage known networks. Click the network you want to remove, then click the Forget button. This deletes the saved password and connection profile. You'll need the password to reconnect later.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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