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How to Forget Network on Windows 11: 4 Best Ways

Windows 11 allows you to manage the networks you are connected to, including the ability to forget a network. If you often work from different places, you’d have an extensive list of Wi-Fi networks saved in your system, most of which you may not use again. Here’re 4 ways to forget those networks on Windows 11.

How To Forget Network on Windows 11

Forgetting a network on Windows 11 also comes in handy if you have changed your Wi-Fi password and want to reconnect using the new password or have a connectivity issue and want to start fresh.

Regardless, we have listed 4 different ways to help you do so along with steps to forget LAN or ethernet connection and how to reconnect. Let’s start!

How to Remove Saved Wi-Fi Networks on Windows 11

As mentioned earlier, there are multiple ways you can forget the saved Wi-Fi network in Windows 11. We will cover all of them; you can choose the preferred method. Let’s begin with the most common way.

1. Forget Old Wi-Fi Networks on Windows 11 Using Settings

Almost all the tweaks you do on Windows go through the Settings app. Well, there’s no change to that in terms of altering Wi-Fi connection settings. Follow the below steps.

Step 1: Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type Settings, and click Open.

Note: Alternatively, you can press the ‘Windows key + I’ on the keyboard to open the Settings app.

type Settings

type Settings

Step 2: Go to ‘Network & internet’ from the left pane.

Go to 'Network & internet'

Go to 'Network & internet'

Step 3: Under the ‘Network & internet,’ click on the Wi-Fi option.

click on the Wi-Fi option

click on the Wi-Fi option

Step 4: Click on the ‘Manage known networks’ option.

Click on the 'Manage known networks' option

Click on the 'Manage known networks' option

Step 5: From the list of Wi-Fi networks, choose the one you want to forget and click the Forget button next to it.

Note: You’ll have to manually click on Forget for the networks you wish to delete.

choose the Wi-Fi network you want to forget

choose the Wi-Fi network you want to forget

That’s it. You have successfully removed the selected Wi-Fi network from your Windows 11 PC. If you are wondering if the steps can be any simpler, yes, they can be. Move to the next method. 

2. Forget Wireless Network on Windows 11 Using Quick Settings

Quick Settings provides an easy-to-use interface for accessing and controlling various computer settings and features, including managing Wi-Fi settings.

Follow the below-mentioned steps to see how you can delete an old Wi-Fi network using Quick Settings.

Step 1: From the taskbar, tap on the Wi-Fi icon at the bottom right corner. 

tap on the Wi-Fi icon

tap on the Wi-Fi icon

Step 2: In the Quick Settings menu, click the arrow next to the Wi-Fi icon.

Click the arrow on the Wi-Fi button

Click the arrow on the Wi-Fi button

You will be presented with a list of Wi-Fi networks, some of which you are already connected to and others to which you can connect.

Step 3: Select the Wi-Fi network you want to forget and right-click on it.

Select the Wi-Fi network you want to forget

Select the Wi-Fi network you want to forget

Step 4: From the context menu, select Forget. 

select Forget

select Forget

With this, the Wi-Fi network is removed from your Windows PC. Continue reading if you want to forget the Wi-Fi network on Windows using a command-line interface.

3. Use Command Prompt or PowerShell to Delete Wi-Fi Networks

Command-line interfaces provide access to the underlying operating system and network settings. Meaning, it is easy to remove or forget a Wi-Fi network using Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell without going through the graphical user interface.

Note: For the purposes of demonstration, we will use Command Prompt. But you can follow the same steps on PowerShell too. 

Step 1: Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type Command Prompt, and click ‘Run as administrator.’

type Command Prompt

type Command Prompt

In the prompt, click Yes.

Step 2: Type the below command and hit Enter.

netsh wlan show profiles

Type the below command

Type the below command

A list of all the saved networks on your Windows 11 PC will be displayed.

Step 3: Type or copy the below command and press Enter to remove a network from the Wi-Fi list.

Note: Replace the network name with the one you would like to forget.

netsh wlan delete profile name = network name

copy the below command and press Enter

copy the below command and press Enter

However, if you want to delete all the saved Wi-Fi networks from your Windows PC, type the below command and hit enter.

netsh wlan delete profile name=* i=*

delete all the saved Wi-Fi networks

delete all the saved Wi-Fi networks

This will remove all the saved Wi-Fi networks from your PC. Furthermore, you can also use Registry Editor instead of the command line editor to forget the network on Windows 11.

4. Forget Wi-Fi Network Using Registry Editor

You can get rid of Wi-Fi networks saved on your Windows PC by editing the relevant registry keys. This method is suitable for advanced users familiar with the registry editor, as making changes to the registry can lead to unintended consequences.

We recommend you take a backup of your registry before proceeding with the steps.

Step 1: Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type Registry Editor, and click ‘Run as administrator.’ 

Note: You can also press ‘Windows key + R’ to open the Run command box, type regedit.exe, and click OK to open Registry Editor.

type Registry Editor

type Registry Editor

In the prompt, select Yes.

Step 2: In the top address bar, enter the mentioned address.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsNTCurrentVersionNetworkListProfiles

Note: You can manually navigate to the section too. 

enter the mentioned address

enter the mentioned address

Step 3: Under Profiles, select the wireless network profiles you want to forget by selecting the associate subkey.

Note: Under the specific subkey on the right pane, you can check the ProfileName to confirm that it’s the network you want to delete.

select the network you want to delete

select the network you want to delete

Step 4: Under the Profiles folder in the left pane, right-click the subkey folder, and select Delete.

right-click the subkey folder, and select Delete

right-click the subkey folder, and select Delete

Step 5: In the Confirm Key Delete window, select Yes.

select Yes

select Yes

That’s it. You have successfully deleted the saved Wi-Fi network from Windows. However, if you have a wired network connection, move on to the next section to understand how you can remove or forget it from your Windows PC.

How to Forget a LAN or Ethernet Connection Using Device Manager

Ethernet gives you much better speed than Wi-Fi, and if you use Ethernet but still want to forget or remove the connection, you can. Follow the instructions below.

Step 1: Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type Device Manager, and click Open.

type Device Manager

type Device Manager

Step 2: Under Device Manager, click on Network adapters to expand.

click on Network adapters to expand

click on Network adapters to expand

Step 3: Select the LAN or Ethernet connection you want to remove, right-click on it and choose Uninstall device.

right-click on it and choose Uninstall device

right-click on it and choose Uninstall device

Step 4: In the Uninstall Device window, select Uninstall.

select Uninstall

select Uninstall

The selected LAN or Ethernet adapter will be removed from your Windows PC. To completely disable the Ethernet connection, disable the adapter.

How to Reconnect to a Forgotten Network on Windows 11

If you have removed or forgotten the network on Windows 11, it is not that it becomes undiscoverable. You have only removed it from your PC, and it won’t connect with a click of a button. If you want to reconnect a forgotten network, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Navigate to the taskbar and click on the Wi-Fi icon.

tap on the Wi-Fi icon

tap on the Wi-Fi icon

Step 2: Click on the arrow next to the Wi-Fi button.

Click on the arrow next

Click on the arrow next

Step 3: Select the Wi-Fi network you want to connect or reconnect to and click the Connect button. 

Note: You may want to check the Connect automatically box if you wish to connect to this network whenever available.

click the Connect button

click the Connect button

Step 4: Now, enter the password and click Next.

Enter the password and click Next

Enter the password and click Next

There you go. You have successfully connected to the Wi-Fi network without any hassle. If you have any queries regarding connecting or forgetting networks in Windows 11, check out the FAQ section below.

FAQs on Forgetting Saved Networks in Windows 11

1. Will resetting network settings delete anything in Windows 11?

No, resetting network settings on Windows 11 will not delete any personal files or installed applications. However, it will erase all network settings on your computer, including Wi-Fi networks, Ethernet connections, and VPN profiles. So, we suggest keeping those passwords handy before resetting the network settings.

2. How long does a network reset take in Windows 11 system?

Generally, resetting the network settings on Windows 11 should take five to ten minutes. However, in some cases, it may take longer depending on the size of your network and the complexity of your settings. So, be patient and allow the process to complete.

Get Away from the Network

By following the steps outlined in this article, you’ll be able to forget a network quickly and easily. It will enable you to move on to connecting to your new network or troubleshooting any existing issues with greater ease. You may also want to read these top ways to view Wi-Fi signal strength in Windows 11.

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