Disable Automatic Connections in Windows 10
When you don’t want your computer to connect to your ISP automatically, turn off automatic connections. In Windows 10, you can do this through the Action Center.
Forget Networks in Windows 8
In Windows 8, there’s no setting for disabling automatic connections, but you can forget networks, which accomplishes the same thing.
Disable Automatic Connections in Windows 7
In Windows 7, you can disable automatic connections or forget a network to prevent your computer from connecting to Wi-Fi networks you’ve used before. To disable automatic connections:
Forget Networks in Windows 7
Another way to prevent automatic connections in Windows 7 is to forget (remove) the network:
Reasons to Prevent Automatic Connections
Allowing automatic connections usually makes sense, particularly in your home network. However, you may want to turn off this capability for some networks. For example, networks in coffee shops and public places are frequently unsecured. Unless you have a strong firewall, avoid connecting to public networks because hackers often target public Wi-Fi connections. Another reason to avoid automatic network connections is that your computer might automatically connect you to a weak wireless connection when a stronger one is available.
