Wi-Fi adapter driver BSOD

What is WIFI-DRIVER-BSOD?

Wi-Fi adapter driver BSOD is a high-severity network adapter issue. The wireless network adapter driver (commonly Intel AX series or Realtek RTL) causes a Blue Screen of Death. This typically manifests as SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED or DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL pointing to a Wi-Fi driver file. Often occurs after Windows Update automatically installs an incompatible wireless driver version. Use the steps below to track down and fix the cause.

Common Causes

• Windows Update installed incompatible Wi-Fi driver
• Driver corruption
• Firmware mismatch between adapter and driver

Step-by-Step Fix Guide

• 1
  Boot into Safe Mode and uninstall Wi-Fi driver

  Always source Wi-Fi drivers from the device manufacturer (Dell, Lenovo, HP) rather than Windows Update for laptop wireless adapters.

• 2
  Download driver from laptop/motherboard manufacturer's site

  Rolling back the driver in Device Manager is the fastest fix after a Windows Update breakage.

• 3
  Roll back Wi-Fi driver to previous version

  "Roll back Wi-Fi driver to previous version" targets windows Update installed incompatible Wi-Fi driver, one of the documented causes of WIFI-DRIVER-BSOD.

Commands & Diagnostics

Frequently Asked Questions