Question Windows 10 only booting when connected to LAN

[VenomousDuck]

I am running windows 10 on a Dell7710 I received from work. It was a retired PC they wiped and did a factory reset. Once I got it I also did a factory reset and installed the preloaded Windows image. Recently I have ran into a strange issue where Windows will not fully boot unless I am connected to the internet through LAN. About 30 seconds after the desktop I get BSoD - SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED.

What I have tried so far -
Disabling the adapter in windows.
Uninstalling the adapter and driver in windows.
Disabling the adapter in BIOS.
Disabling wake on LAN in BIOS. Windows adapter settings are set to not allow the NIC to wake.
Enabling in BIOS with and without PXE.
Booting with the router disconnected from the internet.
A different router. Connected, works fine, disconnected BSoD.

It does boot just fine in safe mode when disconnected, Boots just fine to a Linux USB drive. Something in Windows is trying to connect to the internet and start up causing it to crash. I have uninstalled AutoCAD and Office 2022 incase it was a problem with the startup licensing services. I have uninstalled my VPM software,

I am completely out of ideas. I have not yet tried a clean install of Windows. I am hoping that wont be needed unless a last resort, but I have a feeling it is going to end up that way.

 

[USAFRet]

a factory reset and installed the preloaded Windows image

Try another install, with a vanilla image from Microsoft.

That factory image may have some corporate level connection stuff in there.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[VenomousDuck]

Thanks USAFRet. I am currently reloading the hard drive image. So far so good with no LAN connected. If it start giving me issues I will try the cloud download from WRE. Will my key work with a downloaded version if it is intended for the Dell factory image?

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks USAFRet. I am currently reloading the hard drive image. So far so good with no LAN connected. If it start giving me issues I will try the cloud download from WRE. Will my key work with a downloaded version if it is intended for the Dell factory image?

"my key"
Where did this license key come from?

 

[VenomousDuck]

From Dell. The license does work. While loading I recalled that I did have to do a cloud install. When installing from the Dell image, windows has issues updating past 1806 (I think that is the one). It gets to a point it fails a feature update and wont move forward with any other updates. I did have it once install them and after the second one I got BSoD with out the LAN. I uninstalled the last update and it worked, but I was unable to install most of my apps since I wasnt on the latest version and any attempt to update through the update service failed. I wiped again and installed I believe 20h2 from the net and once it took one of the feature updates I lost LAN again. It seems to me it is something in a windows update that is not playing nice with probably a driver. Also to add, when i install the Dell image I have failed hardware updates. one being NVidia driver and one being a Logitec driver. When installing from the USB, both install fine. only thing I can think of is when i first set up, I updated the BIOS from Dell. Maybe I can try rolling back the BIOS and see if that helps. I am far from being a tech, but i have always been able to get around since '95, but this one has me stumped, especially after doing a clean install and still having the issue.

 

[USAFRet]

Have you tried an actual clean vanilla install, rather than what came from Dell?

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[VenomousDuck]

I am using an image from WRE from about 8 months ago when I set it up the first time around. The Dell image fails to install updates. I am going to try one from you link. It may contain the pertinent updates and already be at 22H2. The one I got from WRE was 20H2 and had to install updates. I will update on how it goes.

 

[VenomousDuck]

Finally got it to install from the USB and not from WRE. Had to delete the OS partition and let Windows installer create a new one. All updated now and so far so good. Thanks for the help