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Loss of WiFi Capability Follows a DPC Watchdog Violation

Anonymous
2022-04-26T04:25:42+00:00

I am on an Asus ROG Zephyrus laptop and I am running Windows 11. I have had this computer for less than a year and the first time this happened was about a week ago.

Today, for the third time, my computer crashed with a DPC watchdog violation. This time, I was actively using my computer and watched it happen in this series of events: First, my computer disconnected from the internet, which I noticed immediately as I was browsing through different websites. Before I could try to get to my wifi settings to try to connect/disconnect, my mouse stopped responding to movements on my laptop's trackpad and froze in the middle of the screen. I could still use my keyboard for about 30 seconds, which was able to move through the options on the taskbar and bring up the task manager. Then, all input ceased to function, and after about another 30 seconds the blue crash screen appeared.

Like I said, this is the third time this has happened, and every time after restarting my computer, all wifi capabilities are lost. There is no wifi option in the network & internet settings and the button is gone from the taskbar. I have to restart my computer 5-10 times before the wifi functionality is restored.

Looking through the event viewer, I found a few warnings and errors at that time which may be related, but I'm no expert and unsure of exactly what they mean:

9:03:20 PM - NDIS - Error - Miniport Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter #2, {0705561d-aa25-4c0d-9d4f-81db13a638c9}, had event Fatal error: The miniport has failed a power transition to operational power

9:03:21 PM - DistributedCOM - Warning - The application-specific permission settings do not grant Local Activation permission for the COM Server application with CLSID {6B3B8D23-FA8D-40B9-8DBD-B950333E2C52} and APPID {4839DDB7-58C2-48F5-8283-E1D1807D0D7D} to the user NT AUTHORITY\LOCAL SERVICE SID (S-1-5-19) from address LocalHost (Using LRPC) running in the application container Unavailable SID (Unavailable). This security permission can be modified using the Component Services administrative tool.

9:03:34 PM - Server - Error - The server could not bind to the transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{4B87D242-32F1-44F4-AA8B-4FABAD929794} because another computer on the network has the same name.  The server could not start.

9:07:01 - DistributedCOM - Warning - The application-specific permission settings do not grant Local Activation permission for the COM Server application with CLSID  {2593F8B9-4EAF-457C-B68A-50F6B8EA6B54}  and APPID  {15C20B67-12E7-4BB6-92BB-7AFF07997402}  to the user LAPTOP-93GPQ0JD\Michael SID (S-1-5-21-3293096203-1135028214-408353237-1001) from address LocalHost (Using LRPC) running in the application container Unavailable SID (Unavailable). This security permission can be modified using the Component Services administrative tool.

10:41:38 PM - DNS Client Events - Warning - Name resolution for the name www.google.com timed out after none of the configured DNS servers responded. Client PID 4880.

10:41:54 PM - WLAN-AutoConfig - Warning - WLAN AutoConfig detected limited connectivity, attempting automatic recovery.

10:42:08 PM - mtkwlex - Error - MediaTek Wi-Fi 6 MT7921 Wireless LAN Card : Has determined that the network adapter is not functioning properly.

10:42:08 PM - NDIS - Error - Miniport MediaTek Wi-Fi 6 MT7921 Wireless LAN Card, {4b87d242-32f1-44f4-aa8b-4fabad929794}, had event Fatal error: The miniport has detected an internal error

After restarting, there are no errors or warnings which look relevant. What can I do to fix this? The sporadic crashing is one thing, but having to restart my computer over and over afterwards is frustrating and doesn't seem healthy for my PC.

Thanks!

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Performance and system failures

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Anonymous
2022-04-27T06:17:15+00:00

Hi micotner,

I'm Paul and I'm here to help you with your concern.

The minidump file indicates "mtkwl6ex.sys". This file is related to the MediaTek WiFi device driver.

I will recommend that try to uninstall and reinstall an older version of the Mediatek driver.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and keep me posted.

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  1. Anonymous
    2022-04-27T15:26:58+00:00

    Thank you!! I updated my MediaTek driver from v3.0.1.1207 to v3.0.1.1309. It wasn't possible to update it automatically through Windows' driver update utility, so I had to manually download it from their website. It looks like Windows 11 support was added after the version I had, so hopefully updating it will fix this issue. Because the crashes are sporadic, it will be a few weeks before I can verify if this fixed my issue or not, but I'll mark it as solved.

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  2. Anonymous
    2022-04-26T23:28:33+00:00

    Thanks for your list of solutions, Greg. Another crash happened today and my wifi adapter was gone again. I'm unable to follow most of your solutions, unfortunately, as my computer acts as if there is just no wifi capabilities after these crashes. Namely, 3, 5, 7, 8, and 9. This is because:

    • Under Device Manager->Network adapters, the wifi adapter is missing (MediaTek Wi-Fi 6 MT7921 Wireless LAN card
    • Under Network & Internet->Advanced network settings -> Network adapters, there is no Wi-Fi option where there usually is.
    • In the taskbar, the wifi button is gone so I cannot access those settings

    I was again able to fix these issues by restarting my computer around over and over 5 times until the wifi capabilities were eventually restored.

    I appreciate it, but I'm not sure these general wifi fixes are going to help in my case. I've included the minidumps from the last two crashes so hopefully someone more adept than me can find the error in them.

    042522-12546-01.dmp

    042622-12734-01.dmp

    Thanks again

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  3. Anonymous
    2022-04-26T05:00:04+00:00

    Hi Micotner. I'm Greg, 10 years awarded Windows MVP, here to help you.

    I'll give you everything that works to fix Wifi so that at least something will work. Even if you've already tried a step please try or check it again in sequence. If you need any assistance I'll be standing by here to help:

    1. See if you can System Restore to a point before the problem started:

    https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-system-r...

    System Restore is your first line of defense and can take you back to a point before a problem began like a time machine. If it doesn't help then you can undo it. Read about it first in the tutorial above and then try restoring to just before this started. If System Restore is not enabled on C drive do that now so it's available in the future.

    If the problem repeats or System Restore doesn't work then check which Windows Updates were installed at Settings > Update & Security > Windows Updates > Update History, uninstall them there or System Restore again, then immediately check for and block the Updates with the Hide Updates tool explained here: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/8280-hide-s...

    1. Update your drivers and BIOS/UEFI firmware from PC or motherboard maker's Support Downloads web page, using the full model number, Serial Number or Dell Service Tag on sticker. Compare the latest drivers available for download with the ones presently installed in Device Manager reached by right clicking the Start button. Make sure you have the latest BIOS or UEFI firmware, Chipset, Display (Video), Sound, USB3, Bluetooth, Network and all other drivers, or else download and install the latest now.

    Updating drivers from the Device Manager or Windows Update is rarely enough. The most basic thing we need to learn to maintain a PC is keep the latest manufacturer's drivers installed from their Support Downloads web page.

    If you have the latest network driver then try on it's Driver tab also to Roll Back, or Uninstall and then restart PC to reinstall the driver. Try also all older drivers from Update Driver > Browse > Let Me Pick list working backwards.

    1. Go to Device Manager > Network Adapters, select Wifi adapter, then Power Management tab, clear the check box to "Allow the computer to turn off the device to save energy." Then on the Advanced tab disable any energy-saving options.
    2. If this was caused by Version update then you can roll it back in Settings>Update & Security>Recovery and then hide it until it matures using the Hide Updates Tool.
    3. Enable IPv6 in the network adapter settings:

    https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/90033-enabl...

    1. Run the fixit from https://support.microsoft.com/help/929852 (Re-enable IPv6 on all nontunnel interfaces) and reboot.
    2. Right click the network icon in System Tray at bottom right end of task bar to Troubleshoot Problems.

    Try all of these steps: https://www.kapilarya.com/how-to-reset-network-...

    1. Fix network connection issues in Windows: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/fix...
    2. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > WIfi > Manage Known Networks, highlight and remove the network having problems, restart PC to see if it shows up again.
    3. Try plugging in by ethernet cable to the router to compare, then plug the ethernet cable into the modem (if separate) to see if this might be an issue with the router.
    4. Try powering off modem, router and PC and then restarting in that order with 1 minute in between each. You may need to reset your router or even optimize it following these steps:

    https://www.lifewire.com/resetting-a-home-netwo...

    https://www.pcmag.com/article/258865/how-to-set...

    Your router manual is always available from the manufacturer's website for your exact model.

    1. You also are entitled to Support from your internet provider to get online on all devices. This is always included in the monthly bill. If your router is less than a year old they will also Support getting it connected and optimized.
    2. Another option is you could replace the wireless adapter with an inexpensive USB nano adapter like this one:

    https://www.amazon.com/OURLiNK-600Mbps-Wireless...

    https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-USB-WiFi-Adapte...

    1. If nothing else works then do a Repair Install, by installing Media Creation Tool, open tool and choose to Upgrade Now. This reinstalls Windows while keeping files, programs and most settings in place, and is also the most stable method to advance to the latest version: https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/fix-windows...

    I hope this helps. Feel free to ask any questions. Based on the results you post back I may have other suggestions if necessary.

    ______________________________________________

    Standard Disclaimer: There are links to non-Microsoft websites. The pages appear to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the sites that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the sites before you decide to download and install it.

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