Fixed: Wifi, Bluetooth, Touchpad Suddenly Disappeared on Ubuntu

Have your WiFi, Bluetooth, or touchpad suddenly stopped working on Ubuntu? You’re not alone! Many users experience this issue, especially after a kernel update. One day, everything works fine, and the next, Ubuntu can’t detect your network adapter or touchpad.

This usually happens due to missing drivers, a faulty kernel update, or firmware conflicts. The good news? You don’t need to reinstall Ubuntu! In this guide, I’ll walk you through easy steps to troubleshoot and fix these issues, whether you have internet access or not.

Let’s dive in and get your system back to normal! 🚀

Check if Hardware is Detected

Before trying any fixes, let’s confirm if Ubuntu still detects your hardware. Open a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) and run:

lspci | egrep -i 'network|bluetooth|touchpad'

If your WiFi card, Bluetooth module, or touchpad is listed, Ubuntu recognizes the hardware but is missing drivers. If they don’t appear, try:

lsusb

If they’re still missing, check BIOS/UEFI settings to ensure WiFi, Bluetooth, and touchpad are enabled. At this point it might be hardware related issue.

Option 1: Boot Into an Older Kernel

A common reason for lost drivers is a faulty kernel update. First check your current kernel version, run this command in the terminal if you can boot into.

uname -r

Now let’s try if an older kernel works:

1. Restart your computer.
2. Hold the Shift key (or Esc for some systems) to access the GRUB menu.
3. Select Advanced options for Ubuntu.
4. Choose an older kernel version (in the example below, the third one without the (recovery mode)) and press Enter. Numbers might be different for you.

If you can boot and everything works in the older kernel, the new one is likely the issue. We can remove the latest kernel and boot using the old kernel from the next reboot.

Fix: Remove the Faulty Kernel

To prevent Ubuntu from booting into the broken kernel, remove it. First run the following command in your terminal.

dpkg --list | grep linux-image

You will see something like this. Note, the number might be different for you but that’s okay.

Find the latest kernel version (the one causing problems) and remove it: (change linux-image-6.5.0-15-generic with your faulty version of kernel)

sudo apt remove --purge linux-image-6.5.0-15-generic

Then update GRUB.

sudo update-grub

Prevent Ubuntu from Auto-Updating to the Faulty Kernel

To stop Ubuntu from upgrading the kernel automatically, hold the current working kernel:

sudo apt-mark hold linux-image-generic
sudo apt-mark hold linux-headers-generic

This prevents kernel updates but keeps everything else updated. but you don’t want to stay on an old kernel forever. Run these command time to time. To check if a newer kernel fixes the issue:

sudo apt update && sudo apt list --upgradable | grep linux-image

If a new kernel is available, install it:

sudo apt install linux-image-generic

Then reboot and test. Repeat the steps to boot using any other kernel version, anytime.

Option 2: Reinstall Missing Drivers

Reinstall key drivers might be another way to solve the issue. This option only works if you have internet access maybe via wired or USB tehtering.

A. Fixing WiFi & Bluetooth Issues

Run the following to reinstall network-related packages:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --reinstall network-manager linux-firmware
sudo update-initramfs -u
sudo reboot

If your WiFi is from Broadcom, install the proper driver:

sudo apt install bcmwl-kernel-source

For Intel-based WiFi adapters, update the firmware:

wget -O iwlwifi.tar.gz https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/_media/en/users/drivers/iwlwifi-7260-ucode-22.214.171.124.tgz
tar -xvzf iwlwifi.tar.gz
sudo cp iwlwifi-*/iwlwifi-*.ucode /lib/firmware/
sudo reboot

B. Fixing Touchpad Issues

If your touchpad isn’t working, reinstall input drivers:

sudo apt install --reinstall xserver-xorg-input-libinput
sudo reboot

If you’re using a Synaptics touchpad, install:

sudo apt install xserver-xorg-input-synaptics

Then restart your system.

Option 3: Fixing the Issue Without Internet Access

If you have no WiFi or Ethernet, use one of these methods:

Method 1: USB Tethering (Easiest Way)

1. Connect your phone (Android 9 or later) via USB.
2. Enable USB tethering in phone settings.
3. Run ip a to check if Ubuntu detects the internet.
4. If it works, reinstall network packages:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install --reinstall network-manager linux-firmware

Method 2: Download Packages on Another Computer

1. Go to Ubuntu Packages.
2. Download:
   • linux-firmware
   • network-manager
   • Specific WiFi drivers (like broadcom-sta-dkms if needed).
3. Transfer them to your Ubuntu laptop via USB.
4. Install manually:

   sudo dpkg -i /path/to/*.deb
   sudo reboot

Losing WiFi, Bluetooth, or touchpad functionality after an Ubuntu update can be frustrating, but it’s fixable! By booting into an older kernel, reinstalling drivers, and managing kernel updates, you can quickly restore your system.

Did this guide help you? Let me know! 🚀