No network access outside LAN subnet after Windows driver update.

Colin R 0 Reputation points
2026-11-13T17:19:37.12+00:00

System info: W11 Pro 25H2 26200.9711

Intel i7-12700KF 64Gb RAM Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050

Went to my computer to start work in the morning. Programs were closed, so windows decided to restart to update. Whatever. Log in, no network access on either wired internet (browsers cannot access page, all online services report failure), and connecting on wifi does not work. At some point later I connected to my phone hotspot. Also did not work.

At cmd, I can ping devices on LAN on same subnet, but when I try things like 8.8.8.8 or other external known addresses, I get a "general failure".

I tried all of the network reset and DNS flush instructions I could find. Windows troubelshooters. Nothing worked.

So I checked and had a system restore point from several days earlier. Before checking, looked and did not see any recent windows updates. So I restore to a couple days ago. Everything works. Great! I then see that windows needs to restart to update. So I restart, and when I log in, no internet, just like before. I check the update history. No updates. However, there was a driver update: NVIDIA 32.0.16.1088.

So now I'm like ok, I'll just restore again and stop it from making this driver update. But, restore fails, and I have to do a full restore, not just operating system files. Fine. It works once again, but I'm again unable to stop the update, and it's now again not able to get to the internet. I also no longer have any valid restore points.

So, assuming it's the driver, I download the most current driver from Nvidia. I install it, and in device manager switch over to the new driver. I run all the network flush and reset commands. I run network reset from control panel. I restart. No dice.

What should I try next? I'm considering finding an older Nvidia driver and trying to roll back to that.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Internet and connectivity

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  1. AI answer

    2026-11-13T17:19:55.51+00:00

    Given the symptoms, the next supported path is to focus on the network stack and adapter recovery rather than the NVIDIA display driver.

    1. Run the network reset commands again in an elevated Command Prompt, in this order:
      • netsh winsock reset
      • netsh int ip reset
      • ipconfig /release
      • ipconfig /renew
      • ipconfig /flushdns
    2. Then perform a full Network reset from Settings:
      • Start > Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset
      • Select Reset now > Yes
      • Let the PC restart and check connectivity again
    3. If that still fails, reinstall the network adapter driver, not the NVIDIA driver:
      • Before uninstalling, download the latest network adapter driver from the PC manufacturer on another PC if needed, and copy it to USB
      • Open Device Manager
      • Expand Network adapters
      • Right-click the Ethernet adapter > Uninstall device
      • Select Attempt to remove the driver for this device > Uninstall
      • Restart the PC
      • After restart, Windows should reinstall the adapter automatically; if not, install the backup driver manually
    4. Since Wi‑Fi, Ethernet, and phone hotspot all fail the same way, also run the built-in diagnostics path for Windows 11:
      • Start with the automated Network and Internet troubleshooter in the Get Help app
    5. If the issue started immediately after an update or resume, compare the current network driver and firmware versions with the versions recommended by the device or adapter manufacturer before making more changes.

    Important risk note: Network reset removes installed network adapters and resets their settings to defaults. It can also require reinstalling VPN client software or virtual switches, and known networks may be set back to a public profile after restart.

    Based on the available guidance, rolling back the NVIDIA driver is not the next documented step for this network failure pattern. The documented next step is reinstalling the affected network adapter driver and using network reset as the last reset action.

    References:

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  2. Colin R 0 Reputation points
    2026-11-13T18:31:28.9466667+00:00

    This did not work.

    Other notes: I am still able to access network drives on the local network, connected by wired ethernet.

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