Dell Vostro Laptop Keeps Blue Screening (BSOD) when using WiFi

[BadBoy House]

We've got a couple of Dell Vostro 1710 laptops that we've recently put Windows Vista on (they originally had XP downgrades). They're used occasionally to run PowerPoint presentations and view webinars in meeting rooms.

When they were running XP Pro we didn't have any problems with them at all, however since installing Vista Business (which they originally came with), they have both been intermittently blue screening.

Blue Screen View reports that it was caused by the driver called NWIFI.SYS. The bug check string is DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL.

If we turn off the wifi (either by disabling within windows or via the switch on the side), the blue screens don't occur and the laptops seem to run fine.

We've done pretty much everything that we can think of, including latest and oldest drivers, updated chipset drivers and other than Windows and AV there isn't any other software installed at this stage.

Just wondering if anyone can suggest anything else that we could try?

Thanks in advance

 

[nlinecomputers]

THat is almost always caused by a poorly written driver. Are you running with Vista Service Pack 2? Vista is unstable in any situation but SP2 runs far better then anything else. other wise your only solution is to change to a different Wifi card. Or upgrade to 7. If it can run Vista it can run 7 better.

 

[Tekguy]

Have you tried getting the latest drivers through Windows Update or directly from the manufacturer of the wireless card or are you just using the drivers provided by Dell?

 

[mr m]

If the PC has the latest OS updates and you've exhausted all versions of drivers it might pay to plug in a couple of USB adapters.

You could try a different brand of internal WiFi card or go to 7 pro like nline suggested.

 

[BadBoy House]

Yes we made sure we had installed the latest drivers (we also tested with the original drivers as well).

We presumed it would be a driver issue although we thought it was strange that both laptops are exhibiting the same issue. They were fine when originally on Vista and also when on XP.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Yes we made sure we had installed the latest drivers (we also tested with the original drivers as well).

We presumed it would be a driver issue although we thought it was strange that both laptops are exhibiting the same issue. They were fine when originally on Vista and also when on XP.

Ok I thought you said that they had Xp on them originally as a downgrade from Vista. If so how could you know HOW they had reacted before on Vista?

And why would it be strange for two identical computers with bad drivers to both exhibit the same symptoms?

 

[nlinecomputers]

Also I ask again. Is SP2 installed on this?