Are your Windows applications having trouble connecting to the Internet? Try these fixes

Most applications and programs on your computer require Internet access to run. Therefore, when applications cannot connect to the Internet on Windows, they are of little use. Fortunately, it is possible to fix this annoying problem.

Here are some effective solutions you can try if Windows applications are unable to connect to the Internet.

1. Disable Windows Defender Firewall

Windows Defender Firewall monitors all applications and programs that connect to the Internet. As a preventive measure, it may sometimes block the application’s Internet access and display the security alert “Windows Defender Firewall has blocked some features of this application”. This is one of the most common reasons why an app can’t connect to the Internet on Windows.

You can temporarily disable Windows Defender Firewall to see if that fixes the problem.

1. Press Win+S: to open the search menu.
2. Type: control panel box and select the first result that appears.
3. In the Control Panel window, use the drop-down menu in the upper right corner to change the view type Big icons.
4. Click Windows Defender Firewall.
5. Choose: Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off from the left window.
6. Under Private and public network settings, select Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended) version
7. Click ok to save changes.

   

Check if your apps can now connect to the internet. If this solves your problem, you may have to allow your apps through Windows Firewall. If you need help, check out our guide on how to allow apps through Windows Firewall and follow the steps there.

2. Disable your antivirus software

As with a firewall, your antivirus can also cause connection problems. To rule out this possibility, you should temporarily disable your antivirus program. Just right-click on the antivirus program’s taskbar icon and select Disable > Disable until next reboot.

3. Run the Windows Troubleshooters

Windows 10 and 11 include several troubleshooters that can automatically detect and fix common system-level problems. Running the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter should resolve any issues with your apps and restore their ability to connect to the Internet.

To run the Windows Store apps troubleshooter:

1. Open Start menu and click gear icon Settings to run the app.
2. In System: tab, click Troubleshooting.
3. Choose: Other malfunctions.
4. Click Run button next to it Windows Store apps and follow the on-screen prompts to run the troubleshooter.

   

Run next Internet connections troubleshooter from the same menu. It will diagnose your system for any internet related issues and try to fix them. After that, the applications on your computer should connect to the Internet.

4. Reset Microsoft Store Cache

A corrupted Microsoft Store cache can affect Windows apps and prevent them from working properly. When that happens, you’ll run into all kinds of problems with your apps, including the one discussed here.

Fortunately, resetting the Microsoft Store cache on Windows is quite easy. Here’s how to do it.

1. Press Win + R: Run to open the dialog.
2. Type: wsreset.exe: In the open field.
3. Click ok.

A blank command window will appear on your screen and execute the command. Once the process is complete, the Microsoft Store will launch automatically. After that, try using your apps again and check if the problem still exists.

5. Disable automatic proxy detection

When you use a proxy server to connect to the Internet, traffic goes through the proxy server instead of directly from your computer. Your apps may be using a proxy server that no longer works. You can try disabling the proxy server to see if that solves the problem.

1. Right-click the Start icon or click Win+X To open the Power User menu.
2. Choose: Settings from the list.
3. Choose Network and Internet tab from the left panel.
4. Click Proxy.
5. Turn off Automatically detect settings version

   

6. Reset Winsock settings

Winsock is a program that allows applications to connect to the Internet using Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Naturally, if there is a problem with this program, your Windows applications will have trouble accessing the Internet. In most cases, you can fix such problems by resetting the Winsock data. Here’s how to do it.

1. Press Win+S: to open the search menu.
2. Type: command line box and select Run as administrator.
3. Choose: yes when the User Account Control (UAC) prompt appears.
4. Type the following command in the console and click Enter.

    netsh winsock reset 

Restart your computer (using one of the many methods of restarting a Windows PC) and see if the problem is resolved.

7. Reset network settings

If the problem persists, you can perform a full network configuration reset in Windows. There’s a chance that one of Windows’ network settings is conflicting with your apps and preventing them from accessing the Internet.

To reset network settings in Windows:

1. Press Win + I To open the Settings app.
2. Navigate to Network and Internet tab on your left.
3. Scroll down and click Advanced network settings.
4. In the More settings section, select Network reset.
5. Click Restore now the button.
6. Choose: yes confirm

   

After the reset is complete, your computer will restart. After that, your question will be solved.

8. Eliminate the problem with clean shoes

Sometimes third-party programs and services running on your PC can interfere with Windows processes and lead to such problems. To test this feature, you need to boot your computer into a clean boot.

In a clean boot state, Windows runs only with essential drivers and software. This can help you determine if a third-party app or service is causing problems.

If you want to learn more about the topic, check out our guide on how to perform a clean boot in Windows and follow the steps listed there. If you perform a clean boot and the problem disappears, it means that one of the disabled services is to blame. Now you can slowly re-enable the services until the problem reappears and voila. you know what is causing the problem.

Get your windows apps back online

Now you have a good idea of ​​what to do when Windows applications cannot connect to the Internet. One of the solutions listed above should help resolve the underlying issues and get your apps back online.

Now that your applications are connected to the Internet, you can limit the amount of data your Windows PC consumes.