Solved "Driver_irql_not_less_or_equal caused by ndis.sys" even after fresh install of Windows 10

Hey,
I've been having a BSOD problem for quite some time and don't know what to do anymore about it, I hope I can find help here.

Short version: almost an hour ago I've had a BSOD which said that it was caused by "ndis.sys" and its code was "Driver irql not less or equal"; as per the instructions, I've attached the associated dump.

Long version: this is not the first time I've had this problem; recently, I've had this problem some days ago, so I searched on the internet and saw this was tipically caused by drivers or ram. So i've done a memtest and it came out ok, then did some maintenance on the computer (changed cpu's thermal paste), and in the end I've done a fresh install of windows 10, less than a week ago; I've installed the drivers from the motherboard website and only then I've connected it to the internet, hoping there would be no driver problems. Now, some days later, this problem reoccured.
Both times it happened while I had a live from twitch open and also onenote, but I tend to do this often and don't usually have this problem, so I don't think it's related to these two specific applications (but I really don't know to be fair), to me it almost seems like it's random.

If it can be useful, this is a screenshot from HWiNFO so that you can have some info about my hardware


I'll post this too because maybe it could be useful: this is a screenshot from event viewer

Sadly these are all in Italian, but if it can be helpful I'd be more than happy to translate some or all of them in English. This particular one says "Control events not elaborated from transport. 0.", the "Critico" one is when I've had the BSOD.

Optional info: I don't think this could be useful so this text can be skipped, but I'm writing it because maybe it can help if an hardware failure is feared. This PC is quite old, I've had it since around 2013 and changed hard disks and ram because they had failed in the past. In late 2013 I tried to change the heatsink and I think I did some damage to the motherboard: some USB ports didn't work anymore and I had some bsod that had a code that was like "Bugcode-Usb-something". Reinstalling windows solved the bsod, but since then, if I went in "devices" there had always been an "unknown device" listed, and I always assumed they were the usb ports I broke (haven't tried them anymore in fear of causing more hardware malfunctions). This time though there is not, and I'm always scared that that malfunction could come up, cause bsod and force me to change motherboard and everything else. I list this as "optional info" because for these eight years it's been fine, I've had other bsod but not never relating to the moterboard at all, so I think it would be unlikely.

I'm not sure, but I think some years ago I've had this same bsod, and I noticed at first it was caused by launching an online game, and then it escalated and blocked me from using the computer because it would come up minutes after booting windows. Reinstalling windows did solve the problem that time though. If you think this could be related, I'd be more to happy to be more specific about this story.

I'm truly at a loss, and I thank you kindly for reading and possibly helping. If you need anything - more info, results of tests etc. - I'll be more than happy to comply!

Hello, thanks! In the meantime, I thought it could be useful to publish a Speccy snapshot, here it is if needed: http://speccy.piriform.com/results/fkFmSwOTtCP5Fl5yYvRgzKx

Thank you for your answer!

If it indeed is a driver problem and not something hardware related, I think "Qualcomm Atheros AR8161" could be the culprit



I say that because in the "Event" tab the name of the driver "netl1c63x64.inf" can be read (the messages says, from top to bottom : "Device installation requested" "Device installation requested" "Device configured (netl1c63x64.inf)" "Device started (L1C)").

When I fresh installed Windows, before connecting the computer to the internet I had downloaded from another pc and transfered the five drivers listed for windows 10 64 bit on the motherboard's site, here, and then the driver for the GPU. But, as you can see, of these 5 drivers not one is for the LAN.



By removing the filtering on the motherboard's site, I've found this old LAN driver, but it seems like "Windows 10" is not a listed OS for it.

I've also done some quick research on the internet, and I've found a thread on another forum, here, where someone had a similar problem but with a different motherboard. He tried installing the driver from the motherboard site, though, as in my case, windows 10 was not a listed OS for the driver, but that didn't solve the case; apparently, installing a newer version found on the internet solved his case.

What would you advice me to do?

Thanks for your answer! This is what I see



I'm sorry that it's not in English, but I think the text is just generic info (otherwise just tell me and I'll be more than happy to translate!)

I'm pretty sure the HP - SmartCardReader driver is for the keyboard I'm using, but I'm not really sure about the others.

Of course, here it is, and thanks again!



Do you need the other lists to be open too?

I'm just saying this out of curiosity and nothing else, as I think and hope it is not the cause of bsods, but about the card reader driver, I've always thought it was caused by the fact that in the keyboard I have, which is the one in this image, there's a "smart card terminal" with a hole that I think is too big for memory cards. Don't think it makes any difference in the appearance of bsods though

Right, they mentioned the .27 version and it seems to be there. For reference, the version of the driver I currently have and have had a BSOD with is the .16 version, as shown below



This was installed automatically by Windows, because on Gigabyte's site there are no Lan drivers listed for windows 10 for my motherboard, only up to Win8.

The version on the Gigabyte's site (reply #5) is 2.1.0.21. In the microsoft site you linked, the .21 version is listed as a "Windows 8.1 and later drivers" version and that does make me wonder why on Gigabyte's site compatibility with windows 10 is not listed (I have no knowledge about this type of things, so maybe they're two different kinds of .21 drivers), and it also makes me wonder why Windows has installed the .16 version and not the .27, as it seems to be available to Microsoft.

While I'm at it, I'll also give you a small update about these days. I have used this computer because it was needed, but I have not played online videogames with it nor have I watched lives, and no blue screens have appeared so far. I don't know if these things are correlated or not; please note that I did a fresh install of Windows on 5/12/2021 and a bsod appeared only on 8/12/2021, and during the days from 5/12 to 8/12 I have played online games and watched lives everyday but the bsod appeared only on 8/12, that's why I say I don't know if they're correlated or not. On the previous install of Windows, the computer has been working fine for 11 months and then started giving me this bsod. So it seems like a "sleeper" problem or I just don't know how to replicate it, but sadly I'm sure that it's still there and it hasn't fixed itself just because it hasn't appeared these days.

If you'll come up with a solution, or even just an opinion, about which driver to install or what to do in general, then I'll do it and will surely start testing it "properly" again (meaning playing videogames and watching lives), and keep you updated.

Thank you as always, I'm really grateful for all the help.

Thank you both for the answers!

jmarket said:

Code:

        FileVersion:      2.1.0.16
        FileDescription:  Qualcomm Atheros Ar81xx series PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller

Click to expand...

I think this alone confirms the culprit is the device in the screenshot in post #12, as the driver version corresponds (2.1.0.16) and the name does too, as it's an Ar8161. I'm already pretty happy it's probably not hardware.

The tricky part now is to find a solution, because gigabyte has no lan drivers listed for windows 10 for my motherboard, only up to windows 8. But about that, I think Rustys may be onto something.

Rustys said:

Did you try the driver that was suggested in post #11?
Using the ink provided.

Click to expand...

No, I haven't. But if you advise me to, I will try it as soon as I can - I'll wait for a confirmation message just to be sure and then proceed.

Thanks, I appreciate the help and answer. I tried installing the driver but I'm having some trouble; could I ask for help on that? I'll now post everything I've tried and done so far. Hope that's okay; if it's not, or if there are sensible information in the screenshot, please let me know and I'll edit my message.

View attachment 8711
From the link you kindly provided, I clicked on the "Download" button on the second from the bottom driver listed.


Clicking on dowload opened this page. I clicked the blue link, had to authorize Edge as it said it was not a safe operation, and then it let me download the file.

The .cab file you can see here is the content of the download. The three files under it are the ones you get once the .cab file is extracted; I've then cut and past them into the "extracted" directory.

As you suggested, I tried updating the drivers through device manager. I clicked on the device -> properties -> update driver -> search the driver in the computer -> put the path (as you can see in the image) -> clicked continue


A loading bar can be seen for an instant, then the message in this screenshot appears. It reads:

"The best drivers for your device are already installed

Windows has enstablished that the optimal driver for this device is already installed. There could be available better drivers in Windows Update or in the Web site of the driver producer

Controller Ethernet Gigabit Qualcomm Atheros Ar8161 PCI-E (NDIS 6.30)

-> Search updated drivers in Windows Update"

I closed the message box and I've checked, but the drivers are not updated, they're still the .16 version. I've tried changing the path from D:\DriverEthernet\extracted to D:\DriverEthernet but the result was still the same.



The last thing I tried was trying installing it via command prompt (Administrator) using the command you can see in the image, but this also failed. I'll now translate what's written in the image:


Because of this I couldn't install the driver; do you have any suggestion on how to dol it? Thank you in advance

Sadly there is not (install would be "installa" in Italian)

If I click "Search automatically" it leads me to the second to last screenshot in post #17 (the one with the -> Search updated drivers in Windows Update button), and if I click on Windows Update then it leads me to this page and nothing really happens. I feel out of options , I hope there is a solution...
Thank you, as always, for keeping up with all this

A brief update on another try that failed as well.

First of all, I've tried updating windows and doing an sfc /scannow but I still have the problems stated in post #17.

Rustys mentioned an install button associated with the .cab file, but that didn't show. So I searched for it on the internet, stumbled upon this thread here and, thinking that's the "install" button we were looking for, I followed the steps, and so the command install appeared. I clicked on it, but still, it failed to install the driver.



This is what I get if I try to install it by clicking that "install" button. Translated, it is:


So yeah, for some reason I can't get to install this cab file. I really don't get the "The specified file could not be found." error message, as I clicked "install" on the file itself.

If you have any advice, or idea about what to do next, I'd be more than happy to listen to and follow them!