Question BSOD possibly caused by WIFI Adapter?

[McP12345]

Ever since I bought a Tenda Wifi USB Adapter N, I kept getting errors such as IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL or WATCHDOG_ViOLATION Blue screen errors randomly when gaming. It doesn't happen immediately when I turn on the computer. Based on google, I think it's mostly driver problems? But I checked for updates on the driver Realtek RTL8192 wlan 802.1.1 usb 2.0 Network Adapter on Device Manager and it still crashes randomly


I downloaded the program for it but still no avail. Compared to my phone being tethered for internet connection, it caused no BSODs related to this than the WIFI adapter.

Is the driver a problem or the dongle itself?

 

[Ralston18]

Could be temperature related.

From your post:

" It doesn't happen immediately when I turn on the computer".

Feel the wireless adapter before use.

Plug in and use the wireless adapter as usual. After a few minutes, pull the wireless adapter out.

Does the adapter feel very warm or even hot?

Try different USB ports.

Then repeat the process using a USB extension cable to keep the wireless adapter up and away from the host computer and the port being used.

 

[onespeedbiker]

The problem is most likely the driver. I checked the Tenda website and they have their own drivers, which are not identified as Realtek. I'm thinking Windows 10 misidentified your doggle and installed the wrong drivers. Go to this link and determine which USB adapter is the one you have, click on the device and then click on Download & FAQ to download the correct driver. https://www.tendacn.com/en/product/forhome-23.html

 

[britechguy]

If it is temperature related it's almost certainly not a USB WiFi adapter that's the root cause, though isolating it as proposed makes that easy to confirm.

If the machine is overheating from using a USB WiFi adapter something else is wrong.

With regard to the driver, it is always a good idea to go to the manufacturer's website (here) then get to the page for your specific device and download their driver. That is the surest way to make certain that you've got the latest, particularly for external devices that were not a part of your machine's hardware.

 

[Colif]

just in case its not what you think

Can you follow option one on the following link - here - and then do this step below: Small memory dumps - Have Windows Create a Small Memory Dump (Minidump) on BSOD

that creates a file in c windows/minidump after the next BSOD
copy that file to documents
upload the copy from documents to a file sharing web site, and share the link here and I will get someone to convert file into a format I can read

 

[McP12345]

Downloaded their drivers, still testing if it causes another crash

 

[britechguy]

Please do report back on your findings, and mark the thread as "solved" if you're now crash free.

 

[McP12345]

Update: I get crashes now and then but no BSOD, just whenever I play a game, it randomly freezes/crashes with a distorted like sound

 

[britechguy]

It sounds like the BSODs were related to the device driver and whatever's still happening is likely secondary to something else entirely.

You're into the "freezes" category now. Do you have the latest audio and video drivers?