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Are you seeing the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found. If Deep Sleep Mode Is Enabled Please Plug the Cable” message on your PC’s screen? Do you wonder what this message is about and why you can’t let go of it? If yes, this guide has everything you are looking for.
“The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found. If Deep Sleep Mode Is Enabled, Please Plug the Cable,” usually appears after you upgrade to Windows 10. There are multiple reasons for this error message to appear on your screens.
Some of them include an outdated or wrong network driver, faulty BIOS settings on your PC, a problematic RAM card, and the network adapter in Sleep Mode.
We have developed a detailed guide for you explaining the meaning of the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found. If Deep Sleep Mode Is Enabled Please Plug the Cable” error message and some of the main reasons why it keeps appearing on your screen.
We will also provide you with some fixes you can try to get rid of this message. So, without further ado, let us get started with this guide.
What Is The Meaning Of the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” Error Message?
If you are seeing the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” error message appear on your computer screen for the first time and wonder what it means, we have you covered. With computers and other such devices, it’s normal to encounter different issues with the parts.
Usually, when one or the other computer part stops working or gets into some trouble, such error messages appear on the screen to warn you of the risk. “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” message is also one such error code.
The full message you would see on the screen reads as “The Realtek Network Controller was not found. If Deep Sleep Mode is enabled Please Plug the Cable.” As evident from the complete message itself, it refers to the fact that you won’t be able to start the network card as it cannot come out of Sleep Mode with other parts of your PC.
Simply put, this means that when you turn on your device completely to get it out of Sleep Mode, all other parts of the computer quickly wake up except the Network Card, which is still in Sleep Mode due to some issue with the device.
What Leads to the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” Error?
Now that you know what to infer from this error message that might appear on your computer screen at one point or the other, let us take you through a quick review of the causes leading to this problem.
After thorough research and studying different computer parts in detail, here are some possible causes of this issue we managed to pick out for you.
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Outdated Drivers
One of the primary reasons for the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” error is outdated network controller drivers. For the network controller card and other such components to keep on working tirelessly on your device, you ought to be careful that their drivers stay updated.
If you have not upgraded the drivers for a long time, this could affect the functionality of the network card, eventually stopping it from coming out of Sleep Mode.
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Sleep Settings
Another reason for the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” error appearing on your device is the sleep settings for your device. If you have not changed the Sleep settings for different computer components, you might face this issue where one part or the other couldn’t get out of Sleep mode.
Changing the sleep settings for your device and setting them to put the device to sleep or vice versa, regardless of the apps or programs running in the background, can help you prevent this problem.
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Faulty RAM or Network Adapter
If there is some problem with your device’s RAM or network adapter, the network controller card won’t be able to get out of Sleep Mode. This will ultimately lead to the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” error message appearing on your device’s screen.
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Damaged Ethernet Port
One of the leading causes of the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” is the faulty ethernet port of your device. To make the network work properly on your device, it’s crucial to ensure that no external or internal factor comes in the way of the network.
However, if the ethernet port is faulty or damaged, it will directly interrupt the network’s reach, leading to this error.
Fixing the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” Error
If you are wondering how to resolve the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” error on your device, our 8 simple solutions will help you perform this task without much hassle.
Method #1: Power Cycling the Laptop
The first thing you can do to fix the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” error is power cycle your laptop. As for power cycling, it is known for solving most of the issues with your device.
Here are the steps you need to follow for this:
- Hit your laptop’s “Ctrl + Alt + Del” keys to shut it down.
- Unplug the power cord of your laptop from the power source.
- Wait for a few seconds and plug the power cord back.
- Switch on your laptop to see if the problem is fixed.
Method #2: Removing the CMOS Battery
Another possible fix for the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” error is to remove the CMOS battery of the laptop and insert it again.
To do this, follow these steps.
- Firstly, shut down your laptop and turn it upside down.
- Use a flat screwdriver to remove the screws around the laptop’s panel.
- Now, use the flat end of the screwdriver to remove the panel.
- You can now see the CMOS battery of your device.
- Remove it and keep it out for a few minutes.
- After around 20 to 30 minutes, insert the CMOS battery into the laptop.
- Switch on your device and check for the issue.
Method #3: Checking the RAM of the Laptop
As mentioned earlier, a problem with the device’s RAM is one of the major causes of the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” error. To fix this problem, it’s crucial to check your device’s RAM for any errors.
Here is how this can be done:
- Shut down your device and remove its power cord from the power outlet.
- Turn the laptop upside down and remove its back case using a screwdriver.
- Detach and remove the RAM board from the motherboard.
- After around 2 to 3 hours, place the RAM back in its position.
- Switch on your device and plug the cable back.
- See if the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” error is fixed now.
Method #4: Checking the Network Adapter & Power Cable
Another thing that’s part of the computer’s hardware and needs to be examined for any error is the network adapter.
Follow these steps to check your laptop’s power cable and network adapters.
- Shut down your laptop and unplug its power cord.
- If you use the PCI network adapters, remove the network cable and plug it into the network port.
- Switch on your device and see if the issue is resolved.
- Contrastingly, if you use an integrated network adapter, use a third-party network adapter to see if the error is fixed.
Method #5: Reinstalling & Updating Network Drivers
If the network drivers on your device are outdated, you will likely see the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” error message on the screen. Reinstalling or updating the drivers will fix this error for you.
For this, here are the steps you are required to follow.
- Tap the “Search” bar on the taskbar.
- Type “Device Manager” in the search bar and select the first option from the search results.
- The Device Manager window will open up before you.
- Click the “Network adapters” option to expand it.
- Find and right-click “Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller.”
- Choose the “Update Driver Software (or Update Driver)” option.
- Let your device automatically choose the drivers and wait for the update process to complete.
- Once the network drivers are successfully updated, check for the error again.
Method #6: Changing Sleep Settings for Network Controller
You can also eliminate the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” error from your device by changing the Sleep settings. For this, you have to adjust the settings so that they won’t allow the adapter to even get into sleep mode.
Here is what you need to do for this:
- Hit your laptop’s “Win + X” keys to open the “Quick Access Menu.”
- Click the “Device Manager” option to open it.
- On the Device Manager Window, choose “Network adapters” to expand it.
- Right-click on the Network adapter and select “Properties.”
- Go to the “Power Management” tab.
- Uncheck the box saying, “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.”
- Click “OK” to save the changes.
You have successfully changed the sleep settings of your device for the Network Controller, and now it won’t go into Sleep Mode, no matter the situation.
Method #7: Checking the Network Adapter Power In BIOS
Another thing you need to pay heed to when trying to fix the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” error is checking the power of the Network adapter in the BIOS. This step is crucial as no matter how good the condition of the network adapter is; it won’t work if there is zero power in it.
Here are the steps you are required to follow for this fix.
- Hit the “Start” button in the taskbar.
- Select the “Power” icon on the pop-up window.
- Choose “Restart,” and while your device reboots, hit a key to enter BIOS.
- Locate or navigate to the Integrated NIC or Onboard Lan Setting.
- Enable the concerned LAN setting on your device.
- Reboot your device again and check for the error.
Method #8: Resetting BIOS
This is a technical method; it’s best to seek professional help if you are no tech enthusiast.
Here are the steps you need to follow to reset the BIOS settings of your device.
- Reboot your device and press a key to enter BIOS.
- Go to “Exit.”
- Select the “Load Setup Default” option.
- Hit the “Save” option to save all the changes.
- Exit from BIOS and boot up your device to check for the error.
FAQs
How to update Realtek WiFi Adapter?
To update your Realtek WiFi adapter, here are the steps you need to follow:
- Hit the “Win + X” keys to reach the Quick Access Menu.
- Select “Device Manager” to open it.
- Click the “Network adapter” option to expand it.
- Find the “Wireless LAN card” option.
- Right-click on it and choose “Update driver.”
- Select the “Search automatically for drivers” option.
- Wait for Windows to find an update and hang on till the process completes.
- Once done, restart your device.
Why can’t I see Realtek in Device Manager?
If you are unable to find Realtek in Device Manager on your device, go for rolling back the sound drivers.
For this, here is what you need to do:
- Select “Sound controller and other audio devices” in Device Manager on your device.”
- Go to the “Driver” tab.
- If you see the “Rollback” option, click on it.
Note: If you can’t find any new driver, uninstall the present one and restart your device.
How to reset my Realtek WIFi adapter?
If you are trying to reset your Realtek WiFi adapter, here is what you need to follow:
- Head to “Settings” on your device.
- Choose the “Network & Internet” option.
- Select “Network reset” on the next page.
- Hit the “Reset now” option.
Does the motherboard feature a network card?
The network card is generally integrated into the motherboard in laptops and computers. You can generally find the network port on the laptop’s side or even on its back. However, your device might only feature a wireless network connection if you cannot see the network port on either of these places.
How to find out if my network card is broken?
To know whether your network card is broken, hit the “Start” icon on the taskbar.
- Right-click “This PC” or “Computer.”
- Hit the “Properties” option from the drop-down menu.
- Select the “Device Manager” option.
- Go to “Network adapters.”
Note: Your network card might be broken if you see a question mark or an exclamation mark on the Network adapters page.
Conclusion – Fixing the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” Error!
In this guide, we have covered all the aspects concerning the “The Realtek Network Controller Was Not Found” error, from its possible causes to some simple troubleshooting steps you can try to resolve the problem.
Hopefully, one of these methods will help eliminate the issue for you, and you no longer have to sit around staring at your laptop’s screen showing an error message. Thanks for staying till the end. We will ensure to come with more such informative and useful guides for you in the future.
