Windows 11 (25H2) – Wi‑Fi & Bluetooth drivers disappear, only recoverable via hard reboot

Kristian Patel 25 Reputation points
2026-06-07T09:58:52.9466667+00:00

I’m experiencing a recurring issue on my Lenovo laptop running Windows 11 25H2. After some time in use, both Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth suddenly stop working:

In Device Manager, the Intel(R) Wi‑Fi 6 AX201 160MHz adapter vanishes from Network Adapters. Instead, a generic Network Controller appears under Other devices with a yellow exclamation mark.

The Bluetooth adapter remains listed but shows a yellow exclamation mark and Code 10: STATUS_DEVICE_POWER_FAILURE.

Normal restart or shutdown/start does not restore functionality.

  • The only workaround is a hard reboot (holding the power button for ~10 seconds), after which both devices reappear and work normally. I have already disabled Fast Startup, and searched for updates for both drivers. What could cause both Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth drivers to fail in this way, and how can I permanently resolve it?
Windows for home | Windows 11 | Devices and drivers
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Answer accepted by question author
DaveM121 921K Reputation points Independent Advisor
2026-06-07T10:33:39.66+00:00

Most likely there is a dual Bluetooth and WiFi card on your device, the best first option would be to go to the support page for your system on the manufacturers website to download and reinstall (not update) the version of WiFi (WLAN) drivers and Bluetooth drivers they provide, and while there, check for any BIOS update that may be available and not yet installed.

If you have any difficulty locating that support page, click your Start Button, then just type msinfo and press Enter, please provide a screenshot of the resulting System Information window.

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  1. AI answer

    2026-06-07T09:59:27.2666667+00:00

    The behavior matches a power/driver failure of the shared wireless module (Wi‑Fi + Bluetooth) where the device drops off the PCI/USB bus and comes back only after a full power drain. The generic “Network Controller” with a yellow mark and the Bluetooth Code 10 (STATUS_DEVICE_POWER_FAILURE) indicate the driver can no longer initialize the hardware in its current power state.

    Because both radios are on the same Intel module, a firmware/driver issue or a bad power state from sleep/modern standby can cause both Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth to disappear until the system is fully power‑cycled.

    To address this, use the supported steps for Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth driver recovery and ensure the latest drivers/firmware are installed:

    1. Verify and update Wi‑Fi driver
      1. Open Device Manager (Search → type device manager).
      2. Expand Network adapters.
      3. If the Intel(R) Wi‑Fi 6 AX201 160MHz is present, right‑click it → Properties → Driver tab and note Driver Version and Driver Date.
      4. Run Windows Update to ensure all latest drivers and updates are installed.
      5. Compare the driver version/date with the latest version on the device manufacturer’s site and update if newer is available.
      6. If the adapter is missing and only a Network Controller appears under Other devices, install the correct Wi‑Fi driver manually from the PC manufacturer’s website as described in the Wi‑Fi troubleshooting guidance.
    2. Uninstall and reinstall the Wi‑Fi network adapter driver If the issue started after a recent update or persists:
      1. In Device Manager, expand Network adapters.
      2. Right‑click the Wi‑Fi adapter → Uninstall device.
      3. Check Attempt to remove the driver for this device → Uninstall.
      4. Restart the PC (Start → Power → Restart). Windows will attempt to reinstall the driver automatically.
      5. If Windows does not reinstall the driver, install the backup driver downloaded from the PC manufacturer.
    3. Update Bluetooth driver to the latest version
      1. Open Device Manager.
      2. Expand Bluetooth and locate the Bluetooth adapter (may include “radio” in the name).
      3. Right‑click → Update driver → Search automatically for updated driver software.
      4. Complete the wizard and restart if prompted.
      5. If no newer driver is found, download the latest Bluetooth driver from the PC manufacturer’s website and install it (either by running the .exe installer or using Update driver → Browse my computer for drivers and pointing to the downloaded .inf files).
    4. Fully remove and reinstall the Bluetooth adapter When Bluetooth shows Code 10 or disappears:
      1. In Device Manager, expand Bluetooth.
      2. Right‑click the Bluetooth adapter → Uninstall device → Uninstall.
      3. Shut down the PC (Start → Power → Shut down), wait a few seconds, then power it back on.
      4. Windows should reinstall the Bluetooth driver automatically. If it does not, in Device Manager choose Action → Scan for hardware changes.
    5. Check for Windows updates and run Bluetooth troubleshooter
      1. Go to Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates and install all available updates, as some Bluetooth and Wi‑Fi drivers are delivered via Windows Update.
      2. Run the Bluetooth troubleshooter in the Get Help app to automatically diagnose and fix common Bluetooth issues.

    If, after updating and reinstalling both Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth drivers and ensuring all Windows updates are applied, the problem still recurs and only a hard power‑off restores the devices, this strongly suggests a firmware or hardware issue with the wireless module or system power management. In that case, contact the PC manufacturer’s support for updated firmware/BIOS or for hardware diagnostics and potential replacement of the wireless module.

    References:

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