Fix 802.11n “This Device Cannot Start (Code 10)” on Windows 10

Jun. 24, 2022 / Updated by Helia to Windows 10

“My computer suddenly today stopped connecting to WiFi and when I go to see at Device Manager at Broadcom 802.11n, it says ‘This device cannot start (Code 10)’.”

After the Windows 10 upgrade or update, like the Windows 10 Creators Update or the Anniversary Update, the speedily running machine and the new OS make our office work more efficient. But the wireless or Ethernet network problems still get on our nerves, such as unidentified network after Windows 10 upgrade, no WiFi available after the Creators Update, 802.11n WLAN adapter not working issue, etc..

When your Windows 10 runs into the 802.11n network adapter “This device cannot start (Code 10)” problem, you won’t be able to experience a high speed and smooth surfing on the Internet even if the network signal is detected. So today, let’s have a close look at how to troubleshoot the 802.11n network adapter “This device cannot start (Code 10)” problem on your Windows 10 laptop or desktop.

Top 3 Ways to Fix “This Device Cannot Start (Code 10)” of 802.11n Network Adapter on Windows 10

There are top 3 solutions you can adopt to fix the 802.11n network adapter issue in minutes to hours. Take your time following the steps, and if the previous one workaround didn’t troubleshoot the issue, try another one.

Way 1. Check 802.11n Network-related Hardware Device that May Cause the Issue

Faulty hardware can cause “This device cannot start (Code 10)” issue on your Windows 10 laptop or desktop. So before you get starting on the inner working of Windows 10, it’s better to check the 802.11n network-related hardware on your computer so that you can manually fix the issue caused by hardware devices.

1. Make sure your network card is right in its port. Also, clean the dust around the network card if you’ve used the computer for a long time.

2. Make sure the physical buttons controlling the WiFi is switched to ON.

3. Connect your 802.11n wireless network adapter to another computer that works properly to see if the adapter functions.

See Also:Fix WiFi Adapter Not Showing up after Windows 10 Creators Update

Way 2. Modify the Registry and Solve the 802.11n Code 10 Error

In this method, you are going to modify some values in Registry Editor, which is a collective data base and stores the important data of Windows.

Note: To avoid your computer get stuck on other serious issues, such as black screen, blue screen, 100% disk usage, etc., it is necessary to back up the registry before any changes.

Here’s how to solve “This device cannot start (Code 10)” problem by modifying the registry:

1. Use Windows shortcut keysWin + R to launch the Run.

2. Type into regedit.

3. Hit the Enter key.

4. Follow the path below to expand the folders on the left side:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E972-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}

5. On the right pane, navigate to values UpperFilters and LowerFilters.

6. Right-click and select Delete if the two values are available.

Note: If you don’t have the two values in the Registry Editor, and in this case, you can skip to Way 3 directly.

Way 3. Reinstall the 802.11n Adapter Driver to Fix “This Device Cannot Start (Code 10)” on Windows 10

Incompatible 802.11n WLAN adapter driver can cause “This device cannot start (Code 10)” error after the Windows 10 upgrade or update. Outdated, missing or incorrectly configured wireless driver can also result in no WLAN access on Windows 10, slow Internet problem, “WiFi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” or other network issues like this. To get the Internet connection back on track, you can go to Device Manager or use Driver Talent to reinstall the 802.11n WLAN adapter driver update for Windows 10.

If you have to use WiFi connection to fix the problem, the Device Manager is definitely not appropriate for you, so you can turn to the one-click solution, Driver Talent, to fix the code 10 error. Click the button below to get the driver directly and use a USB drive to load it to your computer.

Download Now

Here are 3 easy steps to make it:

1. Click the Scan button to detect all the faulty drivers, including the 802.11n network driver.

2. Click Update or Repair to download and reinstall the best-matched driver, for example, the Broadcom 802.11n network adapter driver.

3. Restart the PC to make the changes take effect.

Note: Don’t forget to create a system restore point and back up the drivers before any system changes so that you can restore the system and the drivers once the computer runs into other issues.

See Also:How to Download 802.11n WLAN Driver for Windows 7

That’s it. If the tips above are still not working for fixing “This device cannot start (code 10)” of the 802.11n network adapter on your Windows 10, you might need to wait for a hotfix by Microsoft. If you have any questions on the 802.11n driver or the code 10 error, you can comment below. Any Windows-10 related questions please go to our Windows 10 Issues and Fix section.

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