How to fix the rtux64w10.sys blue screen (BSOD) in Windows

rtux64w10.sys is Realtek's driver for USB Ethernet adapters, USB-C hubs and docking stations, shown in Device Manager as Realtek USB GbE Family Controller. When a stop screen names it, that USB network device's driver crashed, not Windows. Install Realtek's current USB driver first, or roll back the one Windows Update installed.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What rtux64w10.sys is and why it crashes Windows

The name reads as Realtek USB, 64-bit (x64), Windows 10. It is the driver of Realtek's USB network chips: the RTL8153 family for 1 Gbit/s over USB 3.0, the RTL8152B for 100 Mbit/s and the RTL8156 for 2.5 Gbit/s. Almost every cheap USB-C to Ethernet dongle and many USB-C hubs and docks use one of them.

That is why the old advice to update the motherboard's Realtek PCIe Ethernet driver misses the point. The PCIe controller uses other driver files. The stop screen names rtux64w10.sys only when the USB adapter's driver was running at the moment of the crash.

Why rtux64w10.sys crashes: the causes, most common first

In the reports on Microsoft's and HP's forums, the crashes happen only while the computer is online through the USB adapter or dock, and stop on Wi-Fi. That points at the driver version first, then at the USB connection.

Confirm that the USB adapter is the one crashing

A laptop can have several Realtek network devices. This shows which one uses rtux64w10.sys and which driver version it runs now, so you can compare it after each fix.

1. Plug in the USB adapter or dock that you use for the cable connection.
2. Right-click Start, select Terminal (Admin) and run:

   Get-NetAdapter | Format-List Name, InterfaceDescription, DriverFileName, DriverVersionString, DriverDate

3. Find the entry whose DriverFileName is rtux64w10.sys. Its InterfaceDescription is the name you will look for in Device Manager.
4. Write down DriverVersionString and DriverDate. A version from 2016 to 2020 is the most common one in crash reports.
5. Unplug the adapter or dock, use Wi-Fi for a day and see whether the stop screens stop.

How to fix the rtux64w10.sys blue screen

Fix 1 helps most readers. Fix 2 is for crashes that began after an update, Fix 3 for branded docks. Download the driver before you start: the cable connection goes away while you change it, and Wi-Fi keeps you online.

Fix 1. Install Realtek's current USB Ethernet driver

10 minutesLow riskThe crashes happen while the USB adapter or dock is in use, whatever the driver date.

The version Windows installs for a USB adapter is often years old. Realtek keeps fixing its USB network driver and publishes the current one for every Windows version on its own download page.

1. Open Realtek's page Realtek USB FE / GbE / 2.5GbE / 5G / 10G Family Controller Software at realtek.com.
2. Under Windows, download the package for your system: Win11 and Windows server 2025 Auto Installation Program (NetAdapterCx) on Windows 11, or Win10 and Windows server 2022 Auto Installation Program (NDIS) on Windows 10.
3. Unpack the file and run the installer inside as administrator. Keep the adapter or dock plugged in.
4. Restart the PC.
5. Run the Get-NetAdapter command from the section above again and check that the version and date changed.

Fix 2. Roll back the USB Ethernet driver or remove the update that brought it

10 minutesLow riskThe stop screens started right after Windows Update or a driver update.

Windows Update sometimes delivers a new Realtek USB driver, and users report that the crashes started right after it. The previous version worked on this PC, so returning to it is a quick test.

1. Right-click Start, select Device Manager and expand Network adapters.
2. Right-click Realtek USB GbE Family Controller and select Properties.
3. Open the Driver tab, select Roll Back Driver, choose a reason and select Yes.
4. Restart the PC.
5. If Roll Back Driver is greyed out, select Uninstall Device, tick Attempt to remove the driver for this device and restart. Windows then loads the next version it still has.
6. If a Windows update brought the driver, remove that update instead: How to uninstall a Windows update

Fix 3. Use the docking station maker's driver package

15 minutesLow riskYou use a branded dock or USB-C monitor with a LAN port, such as an HP, Dell or Lenovo dock.

Dock makers ship the Realtek USB driver they tested with their dock, often newer than the one on the laptop's own support page. In one HP case, the dock package replaced a 2016 rtux64w10.sys with a 2020 version and the crashes stopped.

1. Find the dock's exact model on its label, for example HP USB-C Dock G5.
2. Open the dock maker's support site and search for that model, not for your laptop.
3. Download the Network or Ethernet driver for the dock, and the dock firmware if one is listed.
4. Install the driver first, then the firmware, with the dock connected and the laptop on mains power.
5. Restart and check the new driver version with the Get-NetAdapter command.

HP support noted in that thread that a commercial dock on a consumer laptop is a combination HP does not test. The newer driver still worked without the dock, with a plain USB-C adapter, because both use the same Realtek chip family.

Fix 4. Remove every copy of the Realtek USB driver and install it again

15 minutesLow riskA new driver did not help, or Device Manager lists several Realtek USB GbE Family Controller entries with #2 or #3.

Each USB port and each dock can create its own copy of the adapter, and old driver packages stay in the Windows driver store. Windows may keep loading a buggy one until all of them are gone.

1. In Device Manager, select View > Show hidden devices and expand Network adapters.
2. Right-click each Realtek USB GbE Family Controller entry, including greyed-out ones, and select Uninstall Device. Tick Attempt to remove the driver for this device.
3. In Terminal (Admin), list the Realtek network packages left in the driver store:

   pnputil /enum-drivers

4. Look for entries with Original Name rtux64w10.inf and note their Published Name, such as oem12.inf.
5. Remove each one, using its own published name:

   pnputil /delete-driver oem12.inf /uninstall

6. Unplug the adapter or dock, restart, then install Realtek's package from Fix 1 and plug the adapter in again.

Fix 5. Stop USB power saving from cutting off the adapter

10 minutesLow riskThe PC crashes after waking from sleep, or when you connect the dock or the network cable.

To save power, Windows can switch off a USB device and the network adapter inside it. The driver then has to bring the chip back, and a driver that gets this wrong crashes at exactly that moment.

1. In Device Manager, open the properties of Realtek USB GbE Family Controller.
2. On the Power Management tab, clear Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
3. On the Advanced tab, look for Energy-Efficient Ethernet, Green Ethernet or Selective suspend and set them to Disabled, one at a time.
4. Under Universal Serial Bus controllers, open each USB Root Hub and clear the same power option.
5. Select OK, restart, and test several sleep and wake cycles.

The entries on the Advanced tab differ between driver versions. Change one, test for a day, then change the next, so you know which one helped. Leave the rest as they were.

Fix 6. Test another USB port, cable and adapter

15 minutes, then a day of useNo riskDriver changes did not help, or the crashes started after a knock or a new hub.

A loose USB-C plug or a failing adapter can drop off the bus during traffic, and the driver crashes while it handles the loss. Swapping one part at a time shows whether the device is at fault.

1. Plug the adapter straight into the laptop, not through a hub or extension.
2. Try another USB port, preferably one on the other side of the laptop.
3. Swap the network cable for another one.
4. If you have another USB Ethernet adapter, ideally one with a different chip, use it for a day.
5. Test the memory too, since bad RAM can make any driver crash: How to test your RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic

Fix 7. Repair Windows system files

20 minutesNo riskEvery driver fix above failed, or the stop screens also name other drivers.

rtux64w10.sys runs on top of the Windows network and USB stacks. They are rarely damaged, but DISM and SFC check them together with the rest of Windows and replace a broken copy.

DISM fetches clean Windows components, then SFC replaces damaged system files. Step by step with screenshots: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files

In Terminal (Admin), one after the other:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

If the crashes started on a known date and nothing else helped, System Restore can take Windows and its drivers back to that date without touching your files: Undo recent changes with System Restore

Still crashing: what to check and whom to ask

Only Realtek or the maker of your dock can fix a bug inside rtux64w10.sys. Give them what they need to reproduce it.

• The three newest .dmp files from C:\Windows\Minidump, zipped.
• The output of the Get-NetAdapter command from the section above.
• The exact adapter or dock model, and whether it crashes in every USB port.
• Your Windows edition and version from Settings > System > About.
• When it crashes: under load, after sleep, or when you plug in the cable.

How to keep the rtux64w10.sys blue screen from coming back

Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025. Realtek still lists a Windows 10 USB driver dated 31 August 2026, but a PC that can run Windows 11 has better odds of getting future fixes.

Frequently asked questions

What is rtux64w10.sys?

rtux64w10.sys is Realtek's driver for USB network chips such as the RTL8153, RTL8152B and RTL8156. It runs whenever you use a USB Ethernet adapter, a USB-C hub with a LAN port or a docking station built on one of these chips. In Device Manager the device shows as Realtek USB GbE Family Controller under Network adapters. The file lives in C:\Windows\System32\drivers. It is not part of Windows itself and not malware: it comes with the adapter's driver package or from Windows Update.

What does DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL with rtux64w10.sys mean?

It means the Realtek USB network driver tried to read or write memory at a moment when the kernel did not allow it, so Windows stopped to protect your data. The stop code describes the kind of fault, and What failed names the driver at fault. With rtux64w10.sys, the fix is nearly always a different driver version: Realtek's current one in Fix 1, or the previous one in Fix 2. The same applies when the stop code is KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED.

Does rtux64w10.sys work on Windows 11?

Yes. The name says Windows 10, but the same driver loads on Windows 11, and most recent crash reports come from Windows 11 laptops. Realtek also offers a separate Windows 11 package built on Microsoft's NetAdapterCx model, version 115X.23.20 from 31 August 2026. On Windows 11, install that package first. The Windows 10 package, version 10.68.20, is the one that uses rtux64w10.sys; Realtek labels it for Windows 10, and we could not confirm that it supports Windows 11.

Why does it crash on Ethernet but not on Wi-Fi?

Because rtux64w10.sys only runs while the USB Ethernet adapter or dock is connected and in use. On Wi-Fi, a different driver handles the traffic, so the faulty code never runs. This is a useful test: if a full day on Wi-Fi passes without a stop screen, you know the problem is the USB network driver or the adapter itself. Install a different driver version for the adapter, then go back to the cable.

Can I delete rtux64w10.sys?

You can remove it, but not by deleting the file. Deleting it by hand leaves the adapter broken and Windows may restore the same version. To remove it properly, uninstall the Realtek USB GbE Family Controller in Device Manager with the option to remove the driver, then delete leftover packages with pnputil as in Fix 4. If you never use a USB Ethernet adapter or dock, you can leave it removed. Otherwise install a working version.

What is rtux64w10.inf?

rtux64w10.inf is the setup information file of the same Realtek USB driver package. It tells Windows which devices the driver supports and where to copy rtux64w10.sys. When the package is installed, Windows stores a copy in C:\Windows\INF under a name such as oem12.inf. The command pnputil /enum-drivers shows both names, Original Name rtux64w10.inf and the Published Name, so you can remove old copies as shown in Fix 4.

Is rtux64w10.sys a virus?

The genuine file is a signed Realtek driver in C:\Windows\System32\drivers, and its crashes come from bugs, not from malware. A copy in another folder, or one without a valid Realtek signature, is suspicious. To check, right-click the file in File Explorer, select Properties and open Digital Signatures. If in doubt, run a Microsoft Defender scan: How to scan for malware with Microsoft Defender. A malware scan alone will not stop the blue screens, though.

Should I use a driver updater program to fix it?

No. Driver updater programs often pick a driver for the wrong chip or from an unofficial source, and a network driver that fails leaves you offline. The current Realtek USB driver is free on Realtek's own download page, and dock makers publish theirs on their support sites. Those two places are enough for this error, and you know exactly which version you installed.

This page is about rtux64w10.sys. What about rtf64x64.sys, bsmem64_w10.sys or rfeco10x64?

Those are different drivers, so the fixes here do not apply to them. The method still helps: find the device that uses the file, then update or roll back that device's driver from its maker. Use the Driver Details button on each device's Driver tab in Device Manager to see which files it loads. If you only searched for what this error is, the answer is in the first section of this page.