Network adapter stops working immediately after a Windows Update
A Windows cumulative update replaced the working vendor network driver with an incompatible generic driver or corrupted adapter bindings.
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Common Symptoms & Tells
- Ethernet or Wi-Fi was working before rebooting for an update
- Network adapter properties show 'Driver is unavailable'
- IP address shows 0.0.0.0 or configuration tab is greyed out
Interactive Fix Checklist
0 of 4 steps completedRoll back network driver in Device Manager
Open Device Manager → Network adapters → right-click adapter → Properties → Driver tab → click 'Roll Back Driver'.
Uninstall the latest Windows Quality Update
Go to Settings → Windows Update → Update history → Uninstall updates → find the update installed immediately prior to the failure and click 'Uninstall'.
Use manufacturer standalone offline installer
Download the official driver installer from the motherboard vendor (Intel, Realtek, Marvell) on another PC, transfer via USB flash drive, and install.
Prevent Windows Update from replacing hardware drivers
Open 'sysdm.cpl' → Hardware tab → Device Installation Settings → select 'No (your device might not work as expected)'.
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