How to fix a bluescreen when using PC hotspot.

Question

How to fix a bluescreen when using PC hotspot.

steven okoth 0

Hi there,

Over the past few days, I've witnessed my PC crushing whenever I enable the hotspot and connect my phone. Once I've connected to the hotspot, it takes about 5 minutes and my pC crashes.

here are the dump files: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H8HgenyC43Dy8DqVvXVJ8auwsw6rTlPT/view?usp=sharing

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

David-M 127.7K Independent Advisor

Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.

The minidumps point to the driver Netwbw02.sys as the primary cause of the crashes. This driver belongs to your computer's Intel Wi-Fi adapter and was directly involved in the error. While third-party network software (such as antivirus filters or VPNs) or power management conflicts can sometimes trigger this, Netwbw02.sys is the main module failing.

The best initial step is to perform a clean installation of the Wi-Fi adapter driver. In most cases, this resolves the crashes and clears out any corrupted settings or conflicting configurations.

I searched the HP website for the Intel Wi-Fi drivers, but I couldn't find them for your PC model. Did you ever replace your PC's Wi-Fi adapter?

Also, please share a screenshot of the network adapters in Device Manager.

Open "Device Manager" (Windows + X and select Device Manager);
Expand "Network adapters" and take a screenshot.

Use the shortcut "Windows + Shift + S" to use the screenshot tool.

Looking forward to your reply.

steven okoth 0 Reputation points

2026-10-09T15:29:49.8866667+00:00

Hi David, here is the screenshot
David-M 127.7K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-09T16:15:06.5233333+00:00

Thanks for the screenshot.

Looking at that screenshot, the device with the yellow exclamation mark (Generic Mobile Broadband Adapter) caught my attention. That seems to be the laptop's built-in 3G/4G mobile internet module for SIM cards. Since it's currently showing an error, it might be interfering with the network stack when the hotspot turns on. This could mean Netwbw02.sys is crashing as a side effect rather than being the root cause. I think it makes sense to disable or fix that device first before moving on to anything else.

Please perform this test and let me know how it went.

Right-click on the "Generic Mobile Broadband Adapter" and select "Disable device". Then, enable the hotspot and see if the system remains stable.

If the crash occurs again, share the generated minidump so I can check whether it points to a different driver or the same one.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Answer 2

This pattern is commonly caused by the Wi-Fi/network driver used by the hotspot feature, not by the phone itself. The most relevant fixes from similar cases are to reinstall or roll back the Wi-Fi driver, reset network settings, and remove conflicting third-party software.

Recommended troubleshooting order:

Reinstall the Wi-Fi driver from the PC manufacturer
- Open Device Manager.
- Expand Network adapters.
- Identify the Wi-Fi adapter.
- Download the Wi-Fi/WLAN driver from the PC manufacturer’s support page.
- Reinstall it rather than only updating it.
- Restart the PC.
If the problem started recently, try driver rollback
- In Device Manager > Network adapters > Wi-Fi adapter > Properties > Driver tab.
- Select Roll Back Driver if available.
- Restart and test the hotspot again.
Reset network settings
- Open Windows search and search for Network Reset.
- Open it and select Reset.
- Restart the PC.
Temporarily remove third-party software that can conflict with networking
- VPN software, third-party antivirus, banking protection tools, and virtualization software can contribute to network-driver crashes.
- If third-party antivirus or antispyware is installed, uninstall it from Start > Settings > Apps > select the app > Uninstall.
- Caution: removing security software leaves the PC less protected until Microsoft Defender Antivirus and Windows Firewall are active.
Use a clean boot to check for software conflicts
- Press Win + R, type msconfig, and open System Configuration.
- On Services, check Hide all Microsoft services.
- Select Disable All.
- Restart and test the hotspot.
- If the crash stops, re-enable third-party services gradually to identify the conflict.
- This is a test step, not a permanent fix.
Collect and inspect dump files if the issue continues
- Make sure Windows is configured to generate a memory dump.
- After the next crash, copy memory.dmp or files from C:\Windows\Minidump to another PC if needed.
- Install Debugging Tools for Windows from the Windows SDK.
- In WinDbg, set the symbol path to https://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols if internet access is available.
- Open the dump file and analyze it.
If hotspot crashes continue after driver reinstall and clean boot
- The remaining likely causes are corrupted Windows networking components or a faulty Wi-Fi adapter.
- A useful test is to disable the built-in Wi-Fi adapter temporarily and verify whether the system remains stable with another network device.

The strongest signal from similar cases is Wi-Fi driver failure during network activity, including hotspot use. Prioritize the manufacturer Wi-Fi driver reinstall first.

References: