Last Updated on August 2, 2017 by Dave Farquhar
If you replace your wireless router with another one, your Windows machines may give you a red X along with this error message when you try to reconnect: the settings saved on this computer for the network do not match the requirements of the network.
The quickest, easiest fix is to forget the network and reconnect. Here’s how to forget a network in Windows 7, and how to forget a network in Windows 10.
Windows 7
Right-click on the wifi icon in your system tray (it looks like a beam emitting to toward the upper right) and select Network and Sharing Center, then click Manage Wireless Networks. If you need to recover the password, click on the network, then right click and click Properties. Click on Security, then check Show characters. Note the password. You can copy it into Notepad if you wish, because you’re going to need it in a minute.
Next, click on the network, then click Remove. When asked Are you sure you want to remove this network?, click Yes.
Scroll to the end of this section for help adding the network back.
Windows 10
This is harder in Windows 10. Or at least it’s different. To recover your password, you start out the same way as in Windows 7. Right-click on the wifi icon in your system tray (it looks like a beam emitting to toward the upper right) and select Network and Sharing Center, Click on the wireless network, then right click and click Properties. Click on Security, then check Show characters. Note the password. You can copy it into Notepad if you wish, because you’re going to need it in a minute.
Now, left-click on the wifi icon in your system tray and select Network & Internet Settings. Scroll down and click Wifi. Click on Manage known networks. Click on the network, then click Forget.
Adding the network back
Now when you click on the Wifi icon in the system tray, the network will appear correctly. Pick the network from the list, re-enter the wireless password, then the network will work properly. You can paste the password back in from Notepad if you don’t want to type it.
Congratulations. You’ve fixed the dreaded the settings saved on this computer for the network do not match the requirements of the network error message.
I’m not always sure why this happens. One would think it’s usually due to having different security settings on your new router than on your old one, but I’ve had it happen when swapping a router with a nearly identical router with identical security settings. I even had it happen once when I removed a router from my network and added it back in later.
I’ve also had it not happen when changing a network to improve its security settings. (I recommend WPA2 with AES, for what it’s worth. No TKIP, no WPA.)
All that said, it’s maddening when it happens, but at least the fix is simple enough.
If you’re curious, once you get reconnected, here’s how to check your network connection speed.
David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.
Simple and work wonders