I get 'Wi-Fi Direct could not be started' or 'Microsoft Hosted Network could not be started'

Connectify Hotspot creates your Wi-Fi hotspot with one of two Windows features: Wi-Fi Direct, which it uses by default, or the older Microsoft Hosted Network. Either way, what you get is a regular Wi-Fi hotspot, and your devices don't need to support Wi-Fi Direct to join it. Both features depend on Windows being up to date, and on your Wi-Fi adapter's driver.

If Windows can't start the hotspot, Connectify Hotspot shows one of these errors at the top of the window, titled Error configuring hotspot:

Wi-Fi Direct could not be started. If you are running another application that uses Wi-Fi Direct, please stop it and try again. If you are not, please restart your computer and try again.

Microsoft Hosted Network could not be started. Please try again

Which one you'll see

• Connectify Hotspot uses Wi-Fi Direct when Settings > Network > Wireless > Prefer Wi-Fi Direct is on (the default) and your adapter supports it.
• It uses Microsoft Hosted Network when you have turned off both Prefer Wi-Fi Direct and Tell devices to save data, or when your adapter supports only Hosted Network.
• If your adapter supports only one of the two, Connectify Hotspot always uses that one.

Connectify Hotspot doesn't switch to the other one by itself when one fails. You can switch yourself, as described below. To learn more about the two, see What is Wi-Fi Direct?

Restart your computer

Restart your PC, then click Start hotspot again. This clears many Wi-Fi Direct and Hosted Network problems.

If the error is about Wi-Fi Direct, close any other program that uses Wi-Fi Direct, as the message says. Windows' own Mobile hotspot can get in the way too: see How to Turn Off the Mobile Hotspot in Windows 10.

Fix the issue by updating your wireless drivers

Unfortunately, Windows does a poor job of keeping drivers up to date, so often you have to update your drivers yourself. We strongly recommend getting drivers from the website of your computer's maker or your Wi-Fi adapter's maker. Learn here how to update your wireless (Wi-Fi) drivers: How to Update Your Wireless (Wi-Fi) Driver.

Try the other way of creating the hotspot

If your adapter supports both Wi-Fi Direct and Hosted Network, try the one Connectify Hotspot isn't using:

1. Click Settings, then Network.
2. Under Wireless:
   • If you got the Wi-Fi Direct error, turn off Prefer Wi-Fi Direct, and also turn off Tell devices to save data (it only works with Wi-Fi Direct, so while it is on, Connectify Hotspot keeps using Wi-Fi Direct).
   • If you got the Hosted Network error, turn on Prefer Wi-Fi Direct.
3. Go back to Hotspot and click Start hotspot.

Both create the same kind of hotspot on the same channel as your PC's Wi-Fi, so switching doesn't change whether your hotspot is on 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz.

If your adapter supports only one of the two, this setting makes no difference. To check whether it supports Hosted Network, open a Command Prompt and enter netsh wlan show drivers, then look for Hosted network supported. Many current adapters say No there, and then Connectify Hotspot always uses Wi-Fi Direct.

Start the Hosted Network manually

If you got the Hosted Network error, you can check whether Windows can start the Hosted Network at all. Open a Command Prompt as administrator (in the Start menu, search for "cmd", right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator) and enter the following:

netsh wlan start hostednetwork

The command prompt should then show "The hosted network started."

Stop it again with netsh wlan stop hostednetwork, then try starting Connectify Hotspot. If Windows says the hosted network couldn't be started, the problem is with Windows or your Wi-Fi driver rather than Connectify Hotspot: update your driver, or turn on Prefer Wi-Fi Direct.

If your company doesn't allow Hosted Network

On a PC managed by an organization, you may see this error instead:

Your corporate network policy does not allow the use of Microsoft Hosted Network. Please talk to your company's IT department about allowing Hosted Network.

Ask your IT department, or turn on Prefer Wi-Fi Direct if your adapter supports Wi-Fi Direct.