One or More Network Protocols Are Missing on This Computer (11 Possible Fixes)

If you encountered the “One or More Network Protocols Are Missing on This Computer” error after running the Windows Network Diagnostics, you’re at the right place!

Basically, network protocols are the set of rules that defines how your computer communicates over a network. There are several types of protocols (TCP/IP, HTTP, ICMP, SNMP, etc.), each having different purposes for communication, management, and security. Hence, you might face internet instability issues if even one goes missing.

The error is usually accompanied by the message, “Windows sockets registry entries required for network connectivity are missing.” This indicates that the Windows Sockets API is probably corrupted.

Possible Causes of the Network Protocols Error

Most users claim to encounter this error when upgrading to Windows 10 Tech Preview. But, this can still appear on other versions of Windows as well.

How to Fix “One or More Network Protocols Are Missing” Error?

Whether you’re connected to the network via ethernet or Wi-Fi, the protocol missing error can pop up on either of them. Some users claim to experience this problem even when their PC has a stable internet connection, but the browser displays, “Your Connection Was Interrupted. A Network Change Was Detected.”

Reenable Network Device

You may have already tried reenabling the network device. But did you disable it, restart your PC, and then turn it back on? Since most Windows users claim to have fixed the error that way, we recommend trying out this simple method first:

1. Right-click on the network icon from the system tray and select Network and internet settings.
   
2. Once the Settings app opens, move to Advanced network settings.
   
3. Under Related settings, select More network adapter options.
   
4. Now, the Network Connections window should open up. Here, right-click on your current device (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and select Disable.
   
5. Then, restart your PC.
6. Once your computer boots into Windows, move to Network Connections again and enable the adapter.
   

Set up a Local Administrator Account

You may encounter the “One or More Network Protocols Are Missing on This Computer” error if your user account is corrupted. It can happen if you’re using a local account and previously tweaked specific settings from your system administrator.

Therefore, we recommend using an administrator account to check if the error exists here. But if you have no idea what administrative and standard accounts are, kindly follow the below steps that should help you set up one:

1. Press Windows + I to launch Settings and move to Accounts > Family & other users.
   
2. Under Other users, tap the Add Account button.
   
3. You can proceed with your Microsoft account. But if you don’t have one, we recommend choosing I don’t have this person’s sign-in information.
   
4. Now, you may create a Microsoft account and use the credentials to create a local administrator account. Else, select Add a user without a Microsoft account. This sets up Windows without a Microsoft account.
   
5. In the Create a User on this PC window, enter the desired username and secure it using a password.
   
6. Press Next, and this should successfully create a user account.
7. Now, expand the recently created user section and click the Change account type button.
   
8. Once a new dialogue box pops up, expand the Account type drop-down and pick Administrator.
9. Then, hit the Ok button to set your local account as an administrator.
   
10. Now, navigate to the Start Menu, click on the profile icon, and pick Sign out.
    
11. Next, sign in using the recently created local account administrator.
12. Here, re-establish the network connection and check if this solves the problem.

Run Dedicated Troubleshooters

Fortunately, Windows has dedicated troubleshooters to fix corrupted or misconfigured settings that could be causing errors. For “One or More Network Protocols Are Missing on This Computer,” we recommend running the Internet Connections and Network Adapter troubleshooters:

1. Navigate to Windows settings and switch to System > Troubleshoot.
   
2. Under Options, select Other troubleshooters.
   
3. Here, first, run the Internet Connections.
   
4. Choose Troubleshoot my connection to the internet. This should fix any issues related to your internet.
   
5. If no problem is found, move back to the Troubleshoot settings and run the Network Adapter troubleshooter.
   
6. Now, choose your network adapter and hit Next.
   
7. Finally, wait until the problems are resolved, and you should be able to load any web page without facing any errors.

Check Problems Within Antivirus

Once you’re connected to the internet, you’ll likely be exposed to viruses, spyware, or other forms of malware. Installing third-party antivirus includes security protocols that usually provide additional security to your computer.

To know whether the antivirus software is the culprit, we recommend disabling it temporarily. Now, check if the Windows Network Diagnostic still shows the same error. If it does, you might want to disable the internet security setting (for example, HTTPS Scanning on Avast). But if that didn’t help, we suggest uninstalling the app or switching to another antivirus software.

Manually Install Network Protocols

If neither of the four fixes worked for you, we recommend manually installing the missing network protocols. This is a pretty straightforward process that should assist you in getting rid of the “One or More Network Protocols Are Missing on This Computer” error:

1. First of all, get to the Network Connection window from Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced network settings > More network adapter options.
2. Here, right-click your network device and choose Properties.
   
3. Now, find and press the Install button.
   
4. In the Select Network Feature Type window, pick Protocol and hit the Add button.
   
5. Then, select all the missing protocols and press Ok.
6. Also, click the Ok button in the Ethernet/Wi-Fi Properties dialogue box to save the changes.

Reinstall Network Drivers

If installing protocols manually didn’t help, you probably get the network protocol error message due to a corrupted network adapter. Here’s a quick workaround to fix this:

1. Press Windows + R and run devmgmt.msc to launch the Device Manager utility.
2. Expand the Network adapter drop-down.
3. Right-click your network driver and select Uninstall device.
   
4. Once a new dialogue box pops up, press the Uninstall button.
   
5. Now, restart your PC, and the required network driver will be installed, which should fix the error.

Try Resetting Network Components

Since corrupted Winsock API is one of the prime causes of “One or More Network Protocols Are Missing on This Computer,” we recommend resetting the catalog. This will correct all the invalid entries and might solve your problem. Below is the complete guide on how to do just that:

1. Use the Instant Search feature on the taskbar to launch either Command Prompt or Windows Powershell.
2. Now, paste the below command line to reset the Winsock catalog successfully:
   netsh winsock reset
3. Hit Enter key and the process should be successful.
   
4. Now, restart your computer to complete the catalog reset.
5. If this doesn’t do the trick, run the below commands on the terminal to reset the network stack:
   ipconfig /flushdns

ipconfig /registerdns

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /renew

netsh int ip reset

netsh winsock reset
   In some cases, the command may not work. For this, we have prepared a separate article to help you fix ipconfig on Windows.
6. Then, reboot your computer.
7. If you were connected to Wi-Fi, you’d need to enter the password again to connect to the network.
8. Finally, check if the internet is restored and run the Windows Network Diagnostics to confirm that the error is now resolved.

Disable NetBIOS Over TCP/IP

NetBIOS over TCP/IP is only required for legacy applications requiring API to function. Moreover, if you have enabled it on IPv4, it will harm the network performance rather than do good. So, we recommend disabling this protocol to see if this solves the network protocol error:

1. Click on the Start button, search for Control Panel, and launch it.
2. Here, choose Network and Internet.
   
3. Then, switch to Network and Sharing Center.
   
4. Under View your active networks, click on your current connection.
   
5. Once the Status window pops up, press the Properties button.
   
6. From the list, double-click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).
   
7. In the new dialogue box, tap on the Advanced button.
   
8. Now, switch to the WINS tab and mark the Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP under the NetBIOS setting.
   
9. Finally, hit Ok on all the opened dialogue boxes and check if the issue persists.

Try Disabling Proxy & VPN

Although proxy servers and VPNs are great for enhancing user privacy and bypassing firewalls, they can still cause interference with the network protocols. If you’re connected to the internet with either of them enabled, you may sometimes notice that specific sites don’t load. Follow the below steps on how to disable them:

1. Navigate to Settings > Network and Internet > VPN.
   
2. Go to the VPN set up on Windows and press the Disconnect button.
   
3. If disabling VPN didn’t work, move back to the Network & internet settings and go to Proxy.
   
4. Now, if you’ve set up an automatic proxy, click on the Edit button next to the Use setup script.
   
   But for the manual proxy setup, press the Edit button next to the Use a proxy server.
5. Then, toggle off the button and hit Save. This should fix the “One or More Network Protocols Are Missing on This Computer” error.
   

Import Winsock Keys From Another PC

If none of the fixes helped you, you’d need to import the Winsock keys from a completely fine computer. In this method, we remove the corrupt Winsock key on the troublesome PC and replace it with the working one from another computer.

Kindly follow the below instructions to import winsock keys from another PC to resolve the “One or More Network Protocols Are Missing on This Computer” error:

1. On another PC, press Windows + R and run the following command to launch Registry Editor:
   regedit.exe
2. Now, copy and paste the below path on the address bar and hit enter:
   Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
   
3. Expand the key and look for Winsock.
4. Right-click on the subkey and choose Export.
   
5. Then, move to the desired location, name the file “Winsock”, and hit Save.
   
6. Repeat the same process for WinSock2.
7. Once both the registry files are exported, copy them to a USB flash drive or any other storage device.
8. Now, move to the initial PC and open Registry Editor.
9. Then, navigate to the following path:
   Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
10. Delete both Winsock and WinSock2, and restart Windows.
    
11. Once the computer boots, insert the flash drive and launch Registry Editor.
12. Go to File > Import.
    
13. Then, select both files, turn by turn, and hit Open.
    
14. Once you’ve imported the keys, reset the Winsock catalog, as discussed earlier.
15. Again, reboot your PC, and this should fix the network protocol error.

Perform System Restore

Even if importing Winsock keys from another computer didn’t help you, your operating system is probably corrupted. So, we recommend performing a system restore to get back to the point when you didn’t face the “One or More Network Protocols Are Missing on This Computer” error:

1. First of all, show your desktop and right-click on This PC.
2. Select Properties, which should take you to Settings > System > About.
   
3. Here, find the Advanced system settings option and click on it.
   
4. In the System Properties dialogue box, move to the System Protection tab.
5. Next, press the System Restore button.
   
6. In the first window, select Recommended Restore and tap the Next button.
   
7. Then, press Finish and wait until your PC restarts.
   
8. Once the system restoration is complete, check if your internet is working. Also, ensure that all the sites are up and running.