I was trying to free up space on my C: drive by deleting temporary files and running a system-cleaning tool. After restarting, my Intel Wi‑Fi 6 AX201 adapter stopped working and Device Manager shows Code 37, indicating that Windows cannot initialize the hardware or driver. I have already tried uninstalling and reinstalling the adapter and its drivers, running various commands, and attempting recovery options, but nothing has fixed it. I connected my phone by USB to download fresh Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth drivers, but that also did not help. The recovery environment will not let me reset Windows while keeping my files, so I am considering creating a Windows installation USB. Is that my only realistic option, and how can I avoid losing my personal data?
2 Answers
Code 37 usually means Windows is failing to initialize the device or one of its required driver components. Since reinstalling the driver did not help, try downloading the exact Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth packages from the computer manufacturer’s support page rather than relying only on Windows Update. You can use your phone’s USB tethering or another computer to get them. If Windows recovery starts working, a reset with “Keep my files” is an option, but back up important files first because recovery operations can still go wrong.
More detail about the failure helps: if the AX201 is still listed in Device Manager with Code 37, Windows can see the adapter but cannot start it. That points more toward a damaged driver stack or system component than a simple Wi‑Fi password or router problem. Before doing a clean installation, copy your files to an external drive. A USB installer can sometimes repair or reinstall Windows, but choosing the wrong partition or performing a clean install can erase the drive, so do not proceed until the backup is verified.
The adapter is still visible in Device Manager, but uninstalling and reinstalling its driver has not changed the error. I am backing up what I can before trying the USB installer.
I used my phone’s connection to download the drivers again, but the adapter still shows Code 37. The recovery tools also will not let me reset while keeping my files, so I am preparing a Windows installation USB.