How to fix "NetAdapterCreate 0xC000000D" while creating a windows 11 WiFi Driver.

Question

How to fix "NetAdapterCreate 0xC000000D" while creating a windows 11 WiFi Driver.

Sidharthan Srinivasan 20

Hi Team,

I am trying to write a windows11 wifi driver. Currently I have developed a KMDF driver, where we reached a stage until we could see the shared pointer from the chip is exposed to the driver logs in DebugView. Rest of the controler/data path bringup process is undertaken by other engineer in my team.

My goal is to integrate netadaptercx and wificx to our current project (More like making sure the upper layer works fine).

Success part: (The below stages in our driver is working fine)

KMDF PCIe device bring-up
BAR0/BAR1 mapping
firmware download
NVRAM download
firmware shared pointer discovery
MSGBUF ring initialization
NetAdapterCx/WiFiCx skeleton integration
WiFiCx EvtWifiDeviceCreateAdapter callback reached

Non-Working part:

NetAdapterCreate() fails with STATUS_INVALID_PARAMETER / 0xC000000D
inside EvtWifiDeviceCreateAdapter().

How to overcome this problem any solutions?

Working Logs:

IFX: DriverEntry entered BUILD_COUNTER_TEST

IFX: DriverEntry exit

IFX: EvtDriverDeviceAdd entered

IFX: Registered resource-requirements filter callback

IFX: NetDeviceInitConfig success

IFX: WifiDeviceInitConfig success

IFX: WifiDeviceInitialize success

IFX: PollTimer + PollWorkItem created interval=100 ms

IFX: WdfInterruptCreate success interrupt=00002978D8FF3B58

IFX: EvtDriverDeviceAdd success

Failure Logs:

IFX: EvtWifiDeviceCreateAdapter entered Device=00002978D81E9FF8 AdapterInit=FFFF8A0DD17FF800

IFX: WifiAdapterInitGetType=1

IFX: calling NetAdapterCreate diagnostic-no-adapter-context AdapterInit=FFFF8A0DD17FF800

IFX: NetAdapterCreate failed 0xc000000d AdapterInit=FFFF8A0DD17FF800 adapterType=1 path=diagnostic-no-adapter-context

IFX: D0Exit enter targetState=5

IFX: polling timer stopped wait=TRUE

IFX: polling work item flushed

IFX: interrupts disabled

IFX: MsgbufDeinitialize

IFX: RingFree id=0

IFX: RingFree id=1

IFX: RingFree id=2

IFX: RingFree id=3

IFX: RingFree id=4

IFX: D0Exit exit

IFX: ReleaseHardware enter

IFX: ReleaseHardware exit

If anyone can help me out with this means, please do let me know. The help would be much more appreciated.

Regards,
Sidharthan

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Hi Taki, Thanks for the information!!! JFYI, I have tried to integrate netadaptercx alone to my windows KMDF wifi driver without the use of any wificx callbacks. Since our Standalone KMDF driver only has control path and does not have a functioning event or data path. it seems the fake empty stubs for queues are not working and it is resulting in BSOD. Failure path attempted earlier:

EvtDeviceD0Entry   -> IfxNetAdapterCreate()        -> NetAdapterInitAllocate(Device)        -> NetAdapterCreate()

This was controlled by registry gates:

EnableNetAdapter=1 AllowNetAdapterCreateTest=1 NetAdapterCreateMagic=0x55570001

Observed failures:

In an earlier attempt, NetAdapterCreate returned:

0xC000000D

which is STATUS_INVALID_PARAMETER.

In a later forced/manual test path, the test machine hit a BSOD:

SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
What failed: netadaptercx.sys

So i think I need to follow based on the official wificx model. I think it alligns with the method that you suggested earlier to include both netadaptercx and wificx paraelly to KMDF wifi driver.Hi Taki,

Thanks for the information!!!

JFYI, I have tried to integrate netadaptercx alone to my windows KMDF wifi driver without the use of any wificx callbacks. Since our Standalone KMDF driver only has control path and does not have a functioning event or data path. it seems the fake empty stubs for queues are not working and it is resulting in BSOD.

Failure path attempted earlier:

EvtDeviceD0Entry   -> IfxNetAdapterCreate()        -> NetAdapterInitAllocate(Device)        -> NetAdapterCreate()

This was controlled by registry gates:

EnableNetAdapter=1 AllowNetAdapterCreateTest=1 NetAdapterCreateMagic=0x55570001

Observed failures:

In an earlier attempt, NetAdapterCreate returned:

0xC000000D

which is STATUS_INVALID_PARAMETER.

In a later forced/manual test path, the test machine hit a BSOD:

SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
What failed: netadaptercx.sys

So i think I need to follow based on the official wificx model. I think it alligns with the method that you suggested earlier to include both netadaptercx and wificx paraelly to KMDF wifi driver.

Answer 2

Taki Ly (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 1,825 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello @Sidharthan Srinivasan ,

Thank you for reaching out.

Regarding the NetAdapterCreate() failing with STATUS_INVALID_PARAMETER (0xC000000D) inside your EvtWifiDeviceCreateAdapter callback. In the context of NetAdapterCx/WiFiCx, I've observed that this specific error code at this stage often suggests that the framework has evaluated the pre-configurations attached to the NETADAPTER_INIT pointer (or the WDF_OBJECT_ATTRIBUTES) and found a missing parameter or incorrectly sized structure.

You might want to review your EvtWifiDeviceCreateAdapter implementation against a few areas:

1. Datapath Callbacks Initialization Before calling NetAdapterCreate, it typically requires the datapath callbacks (Tx/Rx queue creation) to be configured. If a NET_ADAPTER_DATAPATH_CALLBACKS structure is passed without its Size property being properly initialized, it could potentially throw a 0xC000000D.

It might be helpful to verify if you are using the _INIT macro. For example:

NET_ADAPTER_DATAPATH_CALLBACKS datapathCallbacks;
// Ensure you use the _INIT macro to properly set the structure Size
NET_ADAPTER_DATAPATH_CALLBACKS_INIT(&datapathCallbacks,
                                    EvtAdapterCreateTxQueue,
                                    EvtAdapterCreateRxQueue);
NetAdapterInitSetDatapathCallbacks(AdapterInit, &datapathCallbacks);

2. WDF_OBJECT_ATTRIBUTES Initialization If you are attaching a context space to the adapter, it's worth double-checking that the attributes structure is initialized correctly inside the callback:

WDF_OBJECT_ATTRIBUTES adapterAttributes;
WDF_OBJECT_ATTRIBUTES_INIT_CONTEXT_TYPE(&adapterAttributes, MY_ADAPTER_CONTEXT);
// Then pass &adapterAttributes to NetAdapterCreate

An uninitialized or incorrectly sized adapterAttributes might also lead to an Invalid Parameter error.

3. The AdapterInit Object Just as a general reminder, since you are inside EvtWifiDeviceCreateAdapter, the PNETADAPTER_INIT AdapterInit parameter is handed to you by the framework. It's recommended to only use this provided object and not allocate a new one manually.

If you have already checked these and the issue persists, would it be possible to share a small snippet of the code inside your EvtWifiDeviceCreateAdapter function up to the point of failure? Seeing the code might help spot any missing configuration more easily.

Official References & Documentation: For further reference, you might find these official documents helpful for cross-checking your implementation:

Writing a WiFiCx client driver (Overview): https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/netcx/writing-a-wificx-client-driver
EVT_WIFI_DEVICE_CREATE_ADAPTER callback function: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/ddi/wificx/nc-wificx-evt_wifi_device_create_adapter
NetAdapterCreate function details: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/ddi/netadapter/nf-netadapter-netadaptercreate
NetAdapterCx Device and Adapter Initialization: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/netcx/device-and-adapter-initialization

I hope this points you in the right direction! If you found my response helpful or informative, I would greatly appreciate it if you could follow this guide for your confirmation.

Thank you.

Sidharthan Srinivasan 20 Reputation points

2026-06-08T10:06:37.4433333+00:00

Hi Taki,

Thanks for the information i will check the code once again !!!
Taki Ly (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 1,825 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-08T10:32:32.9433333+00:00

Hi @Sidharthan Srinivasan ,

Please take your time to review the implementation. If the issue still persists after your re-check, feel free to share the relevant snippet from your EvtWifiDeviceCreateAdapter function, and I'll take a closer look.

Looking forward to your findings.
Taki Ly (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 1,825 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-10T09:27:06.0433333+00:00

Hi @Sidharthan Srinivasan ,

How is everything going so far?
Sidharthan Srinivasan 20 Reputation points

2026-06-11T11:36:58.35+00:00

Hi Taki,

I have a query. Since i am working on a windows wifi driver development for windows 11 ARM64 test machine. For the netadaptercx integration process do we need to expose our KMDF driver as a ether adapter in .INF file?

BTW for netadpatercx integration do we need any wificx parts as well? if so please let me know
Sidharthan Srinivasan 20 Reputation points

2026-06-11T12:24:29.64+00:00

For integrating netadaptercx to our project do we need proper control/data path in our KMDF driver?

Currently we only have control path not the data path, would that be an issue for implementing netadaptercx to my current driver?
Taki Ly (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 1,825 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-12T06:17:37.5066667+00:00
Hi @Sidharthan Srinivasan ,

Good to hear from you. Your recent update actually points toward what might be causing the STATUS_INVALID_PARAMETER (0xC000000D) error you encountered earlier.

Below is how your current setup seems to relate to the NetAdapterCx and WiFiCx integration:

The NetAdapterCreate Behavior: Since you mentioned that only the control path is developed, this is likely why your NetAdapterCreate call was failing. From what I’ve seen, NetAdapterCx generally expects data path callbacks (such as Tx and Rx queue creation) to be supplied before an adapter can be fully instantiated. Passing a NETADAPTER_INIT object without configuring the datapath via NetAdapterInitSetDatapathCallbacks often leads the framework to reject the setup with an Invalid Parameter error.

Suggested Workaround: If you wish to proceed while your hardware data path is still under development, one approach is to implement "stub" (empty) versions of the EvtAdapterCreateTxQueue and EvtAdapterCreateRxQueue functions. Registering these dummy callbacks usually satisfies the framework's prerequisites smoothly, potentially allowing NetAdapterCreate to succeed so you can continue testing your control path.

WiFiCx vs. NetAdapterCx Integration: Regarding whether NetAdapterCx integration requires WiFiCx components, it is recommended to use them together. In Windows 11, a Wi-Fi driver typically shouldn't rely solely on NetAdapterCx.

While NetAdapterCx serves as the foundation for passing network packets, WiFiCx acts as a specialized extension built on top of it.

Integrating WiFiCx APIs alongside NetAdapterCx is considered standard practice, as the operating system usually expects to interact with your driver’s Wi-Fi control mechanisms (like scanning, WPA3, and OID handling) through this WiFiCx layer.

INF File Configuration: Finally, looking at your .INF file, it might be best to avoid exposing your driver as a generic Ethernet adapter.

Ideally, your INF should define the device with Wi-Fi specific characteristics so the Windows WLAN service can categorize it properly. Usually, this means setting your device Class to Net and including the standard Wi-Fi NDIS keywords.

If you are porting from an older WDI-based model, you might also want to note that vWifi functionalities are mostly retired. Removing any vWIFI related information from your INF and relying on the hardware characteristics (e.g., Characteristics = 0x84) is often the safest path.

A few resources that might provide more context on the integration and INF practices:

Writing a WiFiCx client driver

Introduction to Wi-Fi WDF class extension (WiFiCx)

NetAdapterCx Overview

Creating the Network INF File

If my explanation and the information I provided were helpful, I would greatly appreciate it if you could follow the instructions here so others with the same problem can benefit as well.

Thank you.
Sidharthan Srinivasan 20 Reputation points

2026-06-12T06:39:30.3666667+00:00

Sure Thanks Taki,

Will try and let you know my observations
Taki Ly (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 1,825 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-12T07:07:24.4133333+00:00

Hi @Sidharthan Srinivasan ,

Please take your time to review and try it.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon!
Sidharthan Srinivasan 20 Reputation points

2026-06-12T10:40:16.64+00:00

Why i am asking is that currently our KMDF driver only has a data path, where i have created a small user mode application which is an .exe file where if i enter getversion. it will generate the required IOCTL to driver and driver will send required IOVAR to the chip. The response from the chip will be shown to the user in command prompt

My management is asking me to integrate netadaptercx first without wificx so that our KMDF driver could be visible to the windows networking stack. So apologize to ask the same question again. Is it possible to integrate netadaptercx alone without any inclusion of wificx because we still do not have event and data path in our KMDF driver.

let me know the possibilities. And also let me know if am missing anything. Also it would be much appreciated if you could share me the safest way to integrate netadpatercx to my current KMDF driver.

Let me know if my management's way of thinking is somehow wrong. If so let me know what exactly are they missing.
Taki Ly (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 1,825 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-15T07:56:23.08+00:00
Hi @Sidharthan Srinivasan ,

Thanks for the clarification!

Regarding the possibility of integrating NetAdapterCx without WiFiCx, it seems doable to use NetAdapterCx on its own. If you take this route, Windows would typically see the device as a standard Ethernet (wired) adapter rather than a Wi-Fi card. This approach might be a safe way to ensure the OS network stack recognizes your driver before you introduce more complex Wi-Fi requirements (like scanning or WPA3). For an Ethernet-only approach, you would generally expose it as a basic network device in your .INF file, avoiding WDI/Native 802.11 specifics.

Looking closer at the 0xC000000D error you encountered, there appears to be a slight terminology overlap. The IOCTL functionality from your .exe is generally considered a Control/Management Path. In the context of Windows networking, the "Data Path" typically refers specifically to Tx/Rx network packet traffic (e.g., passing TCP/IP frames). It seems that NetAdapterCx generally rejects the NetAdapterCreate API (returning STATUS_INVALID_PARAMETER) if the framework isn't told how to handle these packet queues.

As for safe way to work around this and get the device to appear in the network stack without having the actual packet-passing logic ready, you might consider providing "dummy/stub" queues. Registering empty functions often satisfies the NetAdapterCx prerequisites. Below is a conceptual snippet that might help bypass the error:

// Create empty (stub) functions for Tx/Rx queues NTSTATUS EvtMyAdapterCreateTxQueue(_In_ NETADAPTER Adapter, _Inout_ NETTXQUEUE_INIT *TxQueueInit) { // Return success temporarily return STATUS_SUCCESS; } NTSTATUS EvtMyAdapterCreateRxQueue(_In_ NETADAPTER Adapter, _Inout_ NETRXQUEUE_INIT *RxQueueInit) { // Return success temporarily return STATUS_SUCCESS; } // Register them BEFORE calling NetAdapterCreate NET_ADAPTER_DATAPATH_CALLBACKS datapathCallbacks; NET_ADAPTER_DATAPATH_CALLBACKS_INIT(&datapathCallbacks, EvtMyAdapterCreateTxQueue, EvtMyAdapterCreateRxQueue); NetAdapterInitSetDatapathCallbacks(AdapterInit, &datapathCallbacks); // The creation step should now have a better chance of succeeding status = NetAdapterCreate(AdapterInit, &adapterAttributes, &Adapter);

For more context on this approach, these resources might outline some helpful practices:

NetAdapterCx Overview

Device and adapter initialization

NET_ADAPTER_DATAPATH_CALLBACKS_INIT function

Creating network INF files

I hope this helps point you and your team in a helpful direction!

Thank you.
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Sidharthan Srinivasan 20 Reputation points

2026-06-15T08:42:33.86+00:00

Hi Taki,

Thanks for the information.

My responses are getting auto deteted in the forum. I am unable to share my observations.

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How to fix "NetAdapterCreate 0xC000000D" while creating a windows 11 WiFi Driver.

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