How to fix "The network security key isn't correct" error in Windows 11

"The network security key isn't correct" means the Wi-Fi password Windows sent was refused by the router. Most often the password is mistyped or was changed; less often Windows holds an old copy of the network or the security type does not match. Find the real password first, then forget the network and join again.

Facts checked on 16 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2, read against Microsoft Support's Wi-Fi troubleshooting page and a Microsoft Q&A answer.

What "The network security key isn't correct" means

The network security key is simply the Wi-Fi password: the key of a WPA2-Personal or WPA3-Personal network. When you select a network on the taskbar, Windows asks you to Enter the network security key. If the router does not accept what you typed, the line under the network changes to: "The network security key isn't correct. Please try again."

The PC and the router never send the password itself. Both work out encryption keys from it, and if a single character differs, the handshake fails. So Windows cannot tell you which character is wrong, only that the key does not match.

• "Network security key mismatch", "security key mismatch" and "network key mismatch" describe the same thing: the key the PC sent does not match the router's.
• "Possible network security key mismatch" is wording users quote from diagnostics and router logs. We could not confirm which Windows window shows it, but the meaning and the fixes are the same.
• "Some information has changed since the last time you connected" can appear first, when the router's password or security type changed since the PC last joined.

Why Windows says the network security key isn't correct

Most often the password really is wrong. Less often it is right, but Windows sends an old copy from a saved profile, or tries a security type the router no longer uses. Rarely the router or the Wi-Fi driver is stuck. Microsoft's own advice for this case starts with the password, then the router.

How to fix "The network security key isn't correct"

Fixes 1 and 2 solve most cases in a few minutes. Fixes 3 and 4 rebuild the saved Wi-Fi profile when the right password is still refused. Fixes 5 to 8 are for the router, the adapter and the driver.

Fix 1. Find the real Wi-Fi password and type it again

2 minutesNo riskEveryone should start here, and it is the only fix when the router password changed.

Microsoft's first step for Wi-Fi authentication problems is to verify that the password matches the router. Wi-Fi passwords are case sensitive, so one wrong capital letter is enough for the router to refuse the key.

1. Look for the password on the router's sticker. It is often labelled Wi-Fi key, WPA key, WLAN key or Password.
2. If another Windows PC is connected, open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi, open the network's properties and select View next to View Wi-Fi security key.
3. Or, on that PC, open Command Prompt and show the saved key. It is on the line Key Content:

   netsh wlan show profile name="YourNetworkName" key=clear

4. On many phones you can open the saved network and show its password or a QR code. That copy is the one that works right now.
5. Back on this PC, check that Caps Lock is off, select the network on the taskbar and type the key slowly.
6. Select the eye icon in the field to read what you typed, then select Next.

Fix 2. Forget the network in Windows and connect again

3 minutesNo riskThe password is right and this PC joined the network before, or the router password changed lately.

Windows stores a profile with the password and security type of each network. Microsoft lists forgetting and reconnecting as a standard Wi-Fi step, because the old profile can keep sending a key the router no longer accepts.

1. Press Win + I and open Network & internet > Wi-Fi.
2. Select Manage known networks.
3. Find your network and select Forget.
4. Select the network icon on the taskbar, choose your Wi-Fi and select Connect.
5. Type the password and select Next.

On Windows 10 22H2 the path is Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks. If the router offers two networks, for example one ending in 5G, forget both.

Fix 3. Delete the saved Wi-Fi profile with netsh

5 minutesLow riskForgetting in Settings did not help, or the network is not in the Manage known networks list.

Command Prompt shows every stored Wi-Fi profile, including ones Settings hides. A Microsoft support specialist linked this error after a reset to stale network profile data, and deleting the profile removes it.

1. Press Win + S, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
2. List the stored Wi-Fi profiles:

   netsh wlan show profiles

3. Delete the profile of your network, using its exact name from the list:

   netsh wlan delete profile name="YourNetworkName"

4. If the name appears twice with small differences, delete both.
5. Connect from the taskbar again and type the password.

The same problem with the Cisco Secure Client wording is covered in Incorrect PSK provided for network SSID.

Fix 4. Create the Wi-Fi profile manually with the right security type

5 minutesLow riskThe network is hidden, or the router uses WPA3-Personal or a WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode.

When you join from the list, Windows guesses the security type. A profile made by hand with the type the router really uses removes that guess, which matters after a router was replaced or switched to WPA3.

1. Press Win + S, type Control Panel and press Enter.
2. Open Network and Sharing Center and select Set up a new connection or network.
3. Choose Manually connect to a wireless network and select Next.

   

4. Type the exact Network name, case included.
5. Set Security type to WPA2-Personal, or WPA3-Personal if the router uses it, and Encryption type to AES.
6. Enter the password in Security Key and select Next.
7. If Windows says the network already exists, select Use the existing network, then connect from the taskbar.

To learn what the router uses, open its admin page as in Fix 5 and read the Wi-Fi security mode. Do not pick WEP or TKIP; Windows warns about them, see this Wi-Fi uses an older security standard.

Fix 5. Restart the router, check its Wi-Fi password and try the other band

10 minutesLow riskNew devices fail too, the router was changed lately, or it helps only for a while.

Microsoft suggests restarting the modem and router and trying the other frequency band. The router's admin page also shows the password it really expects, which settles any doubt about the key.

1. Unplug the router and the modem, wait at least 30 seconds, plug in the modem, then the router.
2. Wait until the lights stop blinking and try to connect again.
3. If the list shows two networks, for example one for 2.4 GHz and one for 5 GHz, try the other one.
4. To read the password, open the router's admin page in a browser. The address is the Default Gateway shown by ipconfig, often 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1.

   

5. Sign in and open the Wireless or Wi-Fi security settings to see the password and security mode.
6. If you change the password, select Save and join again with the new one on every device.

Fix 6. Turn the Wi-Fi adapter off and on again

2 minutesNo riskOnly this PC fails, phones join with the same password, and the PC was not restarted for a while.

Disabling the adapter stops the Wi-Fi service's session with it. When it starts again, Windows begins a fresh handshake instead of repeating a failed one.

1. Press Win + R, type ncpa.cpl and press Enter to open Network Connections.
2. Right-click Wi-Fi and select Disable.

   

3. Wait 10 seconds.
4. Right-click Wi-Fi again and select Enable.
5. Connect from the taskbar and type the password.

Fix 7. Update or reinstall the Wi-Fi driver

15 minutesLow riskOnly this PC fails, on this and other networks, or it began after a Windows update.

An old or broken Wi-Fi driver can fail the WPA3 handshake while a phone succeeds. Microsoft suggests reinstalling the network adapter driver when a connection broke after an update.

1. Press Win + I and open Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates.
2. Expand Driver updates, tick any Wi-Fi or wireless driver and select Download & install.

   

3. Download the newest driver from the PC or adapter maker first, in case Windows does not reinstall one.
4. Open Device Manager, expand Network adapters, right-click the Wi-Fi adapter and select Uninstall device.

   

5. Restart the PC. Windows installs the driver again; if not, install the one you downloaded.

Step by step, with roll back for a driver that broke after an update: Update, roll back or reinstall a driver

Fix 8. Reset the network settings

10 minutes plus a restartRead the warningFixes 1 to 7 did not help, or the error began after an upgrade or a Windows reset.

Microsoft calls network reset the last step: it removes every network adapter and its settings, then reinstalls them with defaults. No stored profile or setting can then send an old key.

1. Open Network reset. Open Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings and select Network reset.

   

2. Reset now. Select Reset now, then Yes to confirm. Windows removes and reinstalls all network adapters and restarts the PC.

   

3. Reconnect. After the restart, connect to your Wi-Fi network again (you will need its password) and reinstall or reconfigure VPN software if it stopped working.

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and later. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Reset the network and flush DNS

Full steps, including the Winsock and TCP/IP commands Microsoft lists before a reset: Reset the network and flush DNS

If "The network security key isn't correct" keeps coming back

Windows can write a wireless network report that lists each connection attempt and its result. Run netsh wlan show wlanreport in an administrator Command Prompt; the report opens as an HTML file under C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WlanReport. Look for failed sessions at the time of the error.

• When it is hardware. If a USB Wi-Fi adapter joins the same network with the same password and the built-in one does not, the built-in adapter or its driver is at fault.
• What to send to support. The exact message, the router model and its security mode, whether other devices join, and the wireless network report.

How to keep the network security key error away

If several people share the network, tell them before you change its password or security mode. Every device has to forget the network and join again, and a PC that still holds the old profile shows this exact message.

Frequently asked questions

What does "The network security key isn't correct" mean?

It means the router refused the Wi-Fi password your PC sent. The network security key is the Wi-Fi password of a WPA2 or WPA3 network. Windows shows the message under the network name after you select Next. It does not say which character is wrong, because the PC and the router compare keys worked out from the password, not the password itself. Retype the real password first.

How do I enter the network security key in Windows 11?

Select the network icon on the taskbar, pick your Wi-Fi and select Connect. Windows then asks you to enter the network security key. Type the Wi-Fi password exactly, select the eye icon to check it, and select Next. If the router supports WPS, Windows may also offer to connect when you push the button on the router, without typing the key.

What is a network security key mismatch?

A network security key mismatch means the key your device sent does not match the key set on the router. "Security key mismatch", "network key mismatch" and "possible network security key mismatch" are the same idea in other words, often from diagnostics or router logs. The usual reasons are a typo, a changed router password, or a saved profile with an old key. Retype the key, then forget the network and join again.

Where do I find my Wi-Fi network security key?

Look at the sticker on the router first, labelled Wi-Fi key, WPA key or Password. On a Windows PC that is connected, open Settings, Network and internet, Wi-Fi, the network's properties, and select View next to View Wi-Fi security key. Or run netsh wlan show profile with the network name and key=clear and read Key Content. Many phones can also show the saved password.

Why is my network security key not working when it is correct?

Usually because Windows sends an old saved profile, or tries a security type the router no longer uses. Forget the network in Settings, delete the profile with netsh, and create it by hand with WPA2-Personal or WPA3-Personal and AES. One user on Microsoft Q&A saw this after a Windows reset, and only the profile cleanup and router side helped. If only this PC fails, update the Wi-Fi driver.

Which one is it: the Wi-Fi password, the router password or my Windows password?

It is the Wi-Fi password, the one other devices type to join the network. It is not your Windows sign-in password or PIN, and not your Microsoft account password. It is also usually not the router's admin password, which you use only to open the router's settings page. On many routers the Wi-Fi password is printed on the sticker as WPA key or Wi-Fi key.

Is a Windows network security key the same as Windows Security?

No. Windows Security is the app with Microsoft Defender antivirus and the firewall. It does not check Wi-Fi passwords and does not cause this message. The network security key is the router's Wi-Fi password, and the check happens between the Wi-Fi adapter and the router. You do not need to turn off any protection to fix it.

Could "The network security key isn't correct" mean someone is attacking me?

Almost never. The message only says the key did not match. Check that you picked the right network name, because a nearby network with a similar name will refuse your password. If the router password was changed and you did not change it, sign in to the router, set a new long Wi-Fi password and a new admin password, and update its firmware.

The password does not work on any device. What now?

Then the password you have is not the one on the router. Sign in to the router's admin page with the address shown as Default Gateway in ipconfig, and read or change the Wi-Fi password in its wireless security settings. If you cannot sign in, ask the person who runs the network or your internet provider. A factory reset restores the sticker password but also wipes all router settings.