James Harper
How To Fix No Internet Connection After Blue Screen on Windows 11
Step 1: Double-check if Wi-Fi or Ethernet is disabled
This seems obvious, but sometimes after a crash or reboot, your network adapters might get turned off. So, wherever you usually toggle Wi-Fi—either the quick action menu (Windows + A) or in Settings > Network & Internet—make sure it’s switched on. If it’s off, turn it back on.
And don’t forget to peek into Control Panel. Go to Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings. Are your Wi-Fi or Ethernet connections disabled (they’ll be grayed out)? If yes, right-click and pick Enable. Because of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary.
Sometimes, on some machines this fails the first time, then works after a reboot or a few tries. Weird, but it’s a start.
Step 2: Check your network driver in Device Manager
If your network adapters are enabled but no internet still, this is a common culprit: the drivers. Hit the Start menu, type Device Manager, and open it.
Expand Network adapters. Look for your Wi-Fi or Ethernet device. If it’s got a yellow warning icon or isn’t showing up properly, that’s a red flag. Right-click and choose Properties.
Under the General tab, see the Device status. If it reads something like “Windows cannot initialize the device driver” or “No driver installed,” that’s likely your issue.
To fix it, you can try updating the driver. If you don’t have internet access, you’ll have to download the driver from the manufacturer’s website on another computer, then transfer it over via USB. For example, if it’s a Realtek or Intel Wi-Fi chip, go to their official sites—Intel Support or Realtek Downloads. Then, right-click your device, select Update driver, and choose Browse my computer for drivers.
Pro tip: some driver updates won’t help until you fully uninstall the old one first. Right-click the device, hit Uninstall device. After rebooting, Windows might auto-reinstall the driver, or you can install the new one manually.
Extra troubleshooting if things are still wonky
If you’re still dead in the water after that, consider resetting network settings. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Status, then click on Network reset. This almost always fixes stubborn issues, but note it will remove all your saved Wi-Fi passwords and VPN configs.
Also, double-check your router—sometimes a BSOD can mess with router connectivity. Power cycle it, make sure it’s connected fine, and that your ISP’s up and running.
On some setups, you might need to run a quick network troubleshoot: Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Network Adapter. Windows might auto-fix some errors, but don’t expect miracles every time.
When all else fails, more advanced steps
If nothing helps, you might want to reset your network stack entirely. Open PowerShell as administrator (Windows + X then select Windows PowerShell (Admin)) and run:
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns
This resets a bunch of internal network settings that could be scrambled after a crash. Then reboot and see if the net connection is back.
Summary
- Check if Wi-Fi or Ethernet is enabled in Settings and Control Panel.
- Open Device Manager, verify your network device isn’t flagged with a warning.
- Update or reinstall drivers if necessary, ideally from manufacturer’s sites.
- Reset network settings if nothing else works.
- Reboot your router and PC to clear out any weird cache issues.
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. Not sure why it works sometimes, but doing these steps has fixed a bunch of post-BSOD network issues more than once. Just keep in mind, some drivers can be stubborn, and Windows isn’t always the most helpful with errors. Good luck!