How to fix "Windows is still setting up the class configuration for this device. (Code 56)"

Code 56 means Windows loaded the network adapter's driver but never finished connecting it to the network stack, so the adapter has a yellow warning sign and no internet. Microsoft says it is often temporary. If a restart does not clear it, run Network reset first.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What "Windows is still setting up the class configuration for this device" means

Code 56 is a Device Manager problem code. Microsoft's driver documentation names it CM_PROB_NEED_CLASS_CONFIG and shows one message for it: Windows is still setting up the class configuration for this device. (Code 56). In plain words, the driver for the device is installed, but a second setup step for its device class has not finished yet.

For network adapters that second step is big. Windows must register the adapter with the network stack and bind TCP/IP, the Microsoft client and any VPN or firewall filters to it. Microsoft says the code is often temporary: when the setup ends, the device restarts and the code goes away. When it stays, the adapter never comes online, which is why searches for "still setting up" and "code 56" come from people with no internet.

Why Code 56 stays: the causes, most common first

Microsoft names two reasons why a network adapter keeps Code 56: the driver's setup file has invalid network settings, or the system's network state is damaged. In practice the damage nearly always comes from software that adds its own adapters and filters to the network stack.

Check what is blocking the setup before you change anything

Three commands tell you in two minutes whether the network setup itself is stuck and whether a service is the reason. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin), then run them one by one.

1. List the network adapters that have a problem and their problem code:

   Get-PnpDevice -Class Net | Where-Object Status -ne 'OK' | Format-Table FriendlyName, Status, Problem, InstanceId

2. Look for CM_PROB_NEED_CLASS_CONFIG in the Problem column. Note any ROOT\VMS_ or VMware entries too: those are virtual adapters.
3. Test whether Windows' network setup answers at all:

   netcfg -q ms_tcpip

4. A healthy PC replies that ms_tcpip is installed. If you see error code: 0x800106d9, the network setup is stuck waiting for a restart that never helps. Go to Fix 2.
5. Check the two services Code 56 depends on:

   Get-Service NetSetupSvc, DeviceInstall | Format-Table Name, Status, StartType

6. StartType should be Manual for both. Disabled on either one is your cause: go straight to Fix 2.

How to fix Code 56 on a network adapter

Restart the PC once first: Microsoft says Code 56 is often temporary and clears when the setup finishes. If it is still there, Fix 1 helps most readers. Each fix tells you what to try next. Keep the Wi-Fi password and any VPN login at hand, since several fixes remove network settings.

Fix 1. Run Network reset in Settings

10 minutesLow riskCode 56 is still there after a restart, on any network adapter.

Microsoft's own advice for a network adapter that keeps Code 56 is to reset the network state with the Network reset button. It removes and reinstalls every network adapter and puts network components back to their defaults, so the class setup runs again from a clean start.

1. Restart the PC once and check Device Manager again. If the yellow sign is gone, you are done.
2. Open Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings and select Network reset. On Windows 10 it is Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network reset.
3. Select Reset now, then Yes. Windows restarts by itself after a few minutes.
4. After the restart, open Device Manager and expand Network adapters. Check that the adapter has no yellow sign.
5. Connect to your Wi-Fi again and set up your VPN again if you use one.

The command line resets (netsh winsock reset, netsh int ip reset) are part of the same procedure. They do not touch the adapter setup itself, so for Code 56 the Settings button matters most. Step by step: Reset the network and flush DNS

Fix 2. Set the Network Setup Service and Device Install Service back to Manual

10 minutesLow riskNetwork reset changed nothing, netcfg -q ms_tcpip shows 0x800106d9, or a tuning tool or guide told you to disable services.

The Device Install Service runs the second stage of every device install, and the Network Setup Service does the network part of it. If either one is Disabled, the class configuration can never run, and a restart does not help because a Disabled service does not start.

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
2. Find Network Setup Service and double-click it.
3. Set Startup type to Manual and select Apply, then Start.
4. Do the same for Device Install Service.
5. Open Device Manager, right-click the adapter with Code 56 and select Disable device, then Enable device.
6. If the yellow sign stays, restart the PC.

The same in Terminal (Admin), one line after the other:

Set-Service NetSetupSvc -StartupType Manual
Start-Service NetSetupSvc
Set-Service DeviceInstall -StartupType Manual

If Hyper-V or WSL 2 is on the PC, check the Host Network Service (hns) too and set it to Manual if it is Disabled. More on the Services window: Check and restart Windows services

Fix 3. Remove the VPN or virtual adapter that broke the network setup

20 minutesLow riskCode 56 began after you installed, updated or removed a VPN, a firewall, Hyper-V, WSL 2 or Docker.

VPN clients and virtual machine tools add their own virtual adapters and filters to the same network setup that Code 56 is stuck in. A half-removed one can make every new setup fail, so removing it cleanly lets the real adapter finish.

1. Open Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a program.
2. Select the VPN, firewall or network tool that came before the error and select Uninstall. Restart when it asks.
3. In Device Manager, select View > Show hidden devices and expand Network adapters.
4. Right-click any faded or warning-marked adapter that belongs to the removed tool, such as a TAP, WireGuard or Hyper-V entry, and select Uninstall device.
5. If a Hyper-V entry will not go away, remove it by its ID from Terminal (Admin). Use the InstanceId from the check above, for example:

   pnputil /remove-device "ROOT\VMS_VSMP\0000"

6. Restart the PC and check the real adapter in Device Manager.

Some VPNs can only be removed from Control Panel, not from Settings. Step by step: Uninstall a program or app in Windows. Install the newest version of the VPN again only after the adapter works.

Fix 4. Delete the leftover VMware network entry from the registry

10 minutesRead the warningVMware Workstation or Player is on the PC, or was on it, and Code 56 stays after Fixes 1 to 3.

Users on Microsoft Q&A report that a broken VMware install leaves a network class entry in the registry that makes every network setup fail with Code 56. Removing that one key lets Windows finish the setup. It does nothing on a PC that never had VMware.

1. Open Terminal (Admin) and check whether the key exists:

   reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{3d09c1ca-2bcc-40b7-b9bb-3f3ec143a87b}"

2. If it says the system was unable to find the key, stop here: this fix is not for your PC.
3. Save a copy of the key to your Desktop:

   reg export "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{3d09c1ca-2bcc-40b7-b9bb-3f3ec143a87b}" "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\vmware-key.reg"

4. Delete the key:

   reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{3d09c1ca-2bcc-40b7-b9bb-3f3ec143a87b}" /f

5. Restart the PC, then check the adapter in Device Manager.

Fix 5. Reinstall the network adapter driver from the PC or adapter maker

15 minutesRead the warningCode 56 began after a driver update, only on one adapter, and the setup services are fine.

Microsoft says a driver's setup file with invalid network entries can keep a NET-class device on Code 56. A different driver package from the PC or adapter maker replaces those entries, and removing the old package stops Windows from picking it again.

1. In Device Manager, expand Network adapters, right-click the adapter with Code 56 and select Uninstall device.
2. Tick Attempt to remove the driver for this device and select Uninstall.
3. Restart the PC. Windows may install a basic driver of its own.
4. Run the maker's driver installer you saved, then restart once more.
5. If the code began after an update and the old driver worked, use Roll Back Driver on the Driver tab instead.

All driver buttons with screenshots: Update, roll back or reinstall a driver. A similar driver-level network problem with the adapter framework is covered in our NetAdapterCx.sys guide.

Fix 6. Repair Windows system files, or go back with System Restore

30 minutesLow riskEvery network adapter shows Code 56, or Fixes 1 to 5 did not help.

The network setup runs inside Windows components such as netcfgx.dll. DISM and SFC replace damaged copies of them, and System Restore takes the network registration back to a date before Code 56 without touching your files.

In Terminal (Admin), one after the other:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

Step by step with screenshots: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files. DISM needs internet to fetch clean files; if no adapter works, connect with a USB cable to a phone's tethering or skip to System Restore.

1. Press Win + R, type rstrui and press Enter.
2. Choose a restore point from before Code 56 appeared.
3. Select Scan for affected programs to see which apps and drivers will be removed.
4. Select Next and Finish, and let Windows restart.

Fix 7. Repair Windows with an in-place reinstall that keeps your files

60 minutes or moreLow riskNothing above worked and the adapter works in another PC or in a live USB system.

A repair install puts a fresh copy of Windows over the old one and registers the whole network stack again, while your files and apps stay. It is the last software fix before suspecting the hardware.

1. Back up your important files first. Step by step: Reinstall Windows without losing files
2. On Windows 11, open Settings > System > Recovery and select Reinstall now next to Fix problems using Windows Update.
3. Without that option, or on Windows 10, run setup.exe from Windows installation media and choose Keep personal files and apps.
4. Let the PC restart several times until you reach the sign-in screen, then check the adapter in Device Manager.

Still Code 56: what to check and whom to ask

If a repair install did not clear Code 56, collect what support needs to see before you ask. Most of it is in the three checks near the top of this page.

• The output of the Get-PnpDevice command, which shows the problem code of every network adapter.
• The result of netcfg -q ms_tcpip and of the Get-Service NetSetupSvc, DeviceInstall check.
• The lines starting with !!! near the error time in C:\Windows\INF\setupapi.dev.log.
• Your Windows edition and version from Settings > System > About.
• Every VPN, firewall, virtual machine program or network tool installed now or recently.

How to keep Code 56 from coming back

Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025. VPN and adapter makers may stop testing new versions on it, so a PC that can run Windows 11 is less likely to meet this kind of setup failure after an update.

Frequently asked questions

What is Code 56 in Device Manager?

Code 56 is the Device Manager code for CM_PROB_NEED_CLASS_CONFIG. It means the device's driver is installed, but Windows has not finished the extra setup its device class needs. Microsoft says this is often temporary and the code clears when the setup ends. On network adapters it can stay, because the network part of the setup fails. Then the adapter has a yellow warning sign and no connection. Start with a restart and Network reset (Fix 1).

Why does my Wi-Fi adapter show Code 56 and no networks?

Because the adapter never finished its network registration. The driver is loaded, so Windows knows the card by name, but TCP/IP and the other network parts were never bound to it. The Wi-Fi list then stays empty or shows nothing useful. The fix is the same as for Ethernet: Network reset first, then check that the Network Setup Service is set to Manual (Fix 2), then remove VPN or virtual adapter leftovers (Fix 3).

How do I fix Code 56 on Windows 11?

Restart once, then open Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset and select Reset now. That is Microsoft's own fix for a network adapter that keeps this code. If the code stays, open Services and set Network Setup Service and Device Install Service to Manual, then disable and enable the adapter. The steps are the same on Windows 10, only the Network reset path differs, as shown in Fix 1.

Is "Windows is still setting up the class configuration" a hardware problem?

Almost never. The message comes from Windows' setup after the driver has loaded, so the hardware has already been found and talked to. The usual causes are damaged network settings, a disabled setup service or a leftover VPN or VMware component. Suspect the card only if it fails the same way in a live USB system or another PC. Resetting the BIOS, which some guides suggest, does not touch the step where Code 56 stops.

Can a VPN cause Code 56?

Yes, it is one of the most common triggers. VPN clients add their own virtual adapters and network filters, and an install, update or uninstall that goes wrong can leave the network setup broken for every adapter. Uninstall the VPN from Control Panel, remove its leftover adapters in Device Manager with hidden devices shown, restart and run Network reset. Install the newest VPN version again only after the adapter works (Fix 3).

Does VMware cause "Windows is still setting up the class configuration"?

It can. Users on Microsoft Q&A report that a broken VMware Workstation or Player install leaves a network class entry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID with the ID {3d09c1ca-2bcc-40b7-b9bb-3f3ec143a87b}, and that deleting it clears Code 56. Check first whether the key exists, back it up and the registry, then delete it (Fix 4). On a PC that never had VMware, this key is not there and the fix does not apply.

What does netcfg error 0x800106d9 mean with Code 56?

It means Windows' network setup is waiting for a restart to finish an earlier change, and it refuses every new change until then. If the Network Setup Service is Disabled, the earlier change can never finish, so no restart clears the wait and every adapter setup ends in Code 56. Set the Network Setup Service to Manual, start it, then disable and enable the adapter (Fix 2).

Will Network reset delete my files or Wi-Fi passwords?

It does not touch your files. It removes and reinstalls every network adapter and puts network settings back to their defaults. You will have to join your Wi-Fi network again with its password, and VPN clients or virtual switches may need setting up again. A static IP address or custom DNS server you entered by hand is also reset, so note them before you start.

What are code56s and code56.net searches about?

We could not find a Windows component with those names. People who type code56s or code56.net are most likely looking for this Device Manager error, written without a space. If your adapter shows Windows is still setting up the class configuration for this device, this page is the right one. A website or program that uses those names is a separate subject not covered here.

I searched in Spanish or Russian. Is this the same error?

Yes. "Windows todavía está estableciendo la configuración de clase para este dispositivo. (Código 56)" in Spanish and "Настройка класса устройства продолжается. (Код 56)" in Russian are the same Code 56 in a translated Windows. The menu names differ by language, but the order of fixes is the same: restart, Network reset, the Network Setup Service, then VPN and virtual adapter leftovers.