[Fix] Lost Internet Access in Windows 10 After Feature Update Installation
Many times we are unable to connect to Internet such as after installing some software, tweaking some settings, modifying Windows registry or upgrading hardware drivers. We get error messages with random error codes and many times we see an exclamation mark ‘!’ inside a yellow triangle on the Network icon in Taskbar notification area (system tray).
Long time back we posted a guide to fix no Internet access after installing a feature update in Windows 10 operating system. You can read the guide at following link:
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[Fix] No Internet Access After Installing Feature Update in Windows 10
In the above mentioned guide, we set static IP address and DNS server settings manually in Network connection settings which worked for many users.
Recently an AskVG reader “Bob Brook” faced similar problem. He lost Internet access after upgrading to Windows 10 November 2019 Update (version 1909). He was only able to connect to Internet after restarting his device each time.
He tried several methods and solutions to fix the issue but he was unable to solve this strange issue.
Finally he came across a simple solution which fixed his problem. He shared the solution with us. Thanks to him for sharing the solution. We are sure many other people will take benefit from it.
For readers convenience, we are sharing the solution in this article.
If you also face networking related issue and you lose Internet access after installing a feature update in Windows 10, following method should help you in fixing the issue.
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The solution to fix no Internet access was to turn off “Fast Startup” feature in Windows 10. Fast Startup feature is also known as Hybrid Shutdown. This feature was introduced in Windows 8 operating system and still exists in Windows 10. It decreases the total startup time by hibernating the kernel session instead of closing it which reduces the overall Windows loading time because resuming from hibernated system session is very less work compared to a full system initialization.
This feature has caused lots of problems to Windows 8 and Windows 10 users, that’s why we posted a guide in year 2012 to disable fast startup or hybrid shutdown feature to fix various restart and shutdown related problems in Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 operating systems.
Surprisingly, disabling fast startup feature also fixed no Internet access problem in Windows 10 operating system.
So if you face Internet related problem in Windows 10, first try to disable fast startup feature. Following guide will help you in turning off fast startup or hybrid shutdown feature in Windows 10:
PS: We have shared lots of other guides to troubleshoot and fix networking and Internet related issues. You can go through these guides if you face any similar issue:
[Windows 10 Tip] Use “Network Reset” Feature to Fix Common Internet Connection Issues
[Fix] “Local Area Connection doesn’t have a Valid IP Configuration” Error Message in Windows
[Fix] “One or More Network Protocols are Missing on This Computer” Error in Windows
[Fix] Network Connections Folder is Empty in Windows, Not Showing Network Adapters List
[Windows Fix] Yellow Triangle with Exclamation Mark on Network Connections Icon in Taskbar
Guide to Fix All Kind of Network and Internet Connections Problems in Windows
I was unable to find any of the settings shown in the article in my 1909 system. Then I recalled I turned off Hibernation a year ago in favor of using Sleep when my systems are plugged in. If you have Hibernation disabled, or off, you also have turned off Fast Startup.
After the v2004 feature update (build 19041.207) my internet connects fine but the Network icon in the system tray shows ‘No internet access’ and as a result even though everything else is working fine from browsers to other applications that require internet some of the core Windows apps like Mail, Calendar, Weather, Xbox Companion app keep reporting that there is no internet connection. I’ve tried everything from network reset to installing the latest Realtek driver from their website to disabling fast startup and enabling/disabling active probing. Heck I even removed some of the Microsoft ads server I added to system hosts etc file to disable ads in the Solitaire app but still this issue persists. Any ideas?
Mr. Gupta—I know this may be an older issue for some people, but I have delayed Windows 10 version 2004 as long as possible. Every time I install it, I lose my internet connection within 2 hours. I then have to re-start the PC to reconnect. Each time I uninstall 2004, the internet goes back to working perfectly. I have done this several times—install and I lose internet; uninstall and I get it back. I have tried disabling the fast startup, I have flushed my dns, I have reset my network adapter (which of course restarts the PC anyway), I have disabled/enabled the adapter, etc.. I have updated all drivers. Nothing seems to work. Interestingly, my toolbar icon shows that the internet IS working, but it is not. Might you have any other solutions to try? My computer person cannot even figure it out. I’m willing to pay if someone has a resolution that fixes this once and for all. I would permanently avoid this update, but as you know, Windows 10 only lets you delay it, not permanent avoid it. Thank you so much. Bob Please email me if possible.
^^ Did you check following?
https://www.askvg.com/tip-force-windows-10-to-stay-on-existing-installed-feature-update-version/