DRIVER FILE · REALTEK
rtwlane.sys: The Realtek Network Driver on a Blue Screen
rtwlane.sys is a Realtek driver for PCIe network adapters. When a blue screen says it failed, the stop happened inside the driver of a Realtek adapter, and the first things to try are a newer or the previous version of that driver.
WHAT MICROSOFT SAYS
Microsoft documents how a network adapter's driver is built: it is an NDIS miniport driver that links to Windows' NDIS library (ndis.sys) and works with it as a pair, forming the driver of the network card. Microsoft's general advice when a driver is named on a stop screen is to disable the driver or check with the manufacturer for driver updates.
From Microsoft's documentation, linked under Sources. Microsoft's pages on this are written for driver developers.
ON THE TEST PC
| File | rtwlane.sys |
|---|---|
| Published by | Realtek |
| Company in the file | Realtek Semiconductor Corporation |
| File description | Realtek PCIE NDIS Driver 80274 36661 |
| File version | 2024.0.8.108 |
| Signed by | Microsoft Windows (signature valid) |
| Location | C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\netrtwlane.inf_amd64_…\rtwlane.sys |
| Driver service | None loaded: no adapter on the test PC uses this driver |
Read on 12 November 2026 on Windows 11 build 26300, without administrator rights. The file was in the Windows driver store without any device using it, and it carried the same signer as Windows' own files on that PC. A file being present does not mean it is running: the first command below tells you whether it is.
Why a blue screen names rtwlane.sys
- A fault in the adapter's driver. For stop codes such as DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, Microsoft says the usual cause is a driver that used improper memory addresses.
- A driver version that does not suit your adapter or your Windows version: Microsoft's remedy is to check with the manufacturer for updates.
- A change made just before the first crash: a new driver, a Windows upgrade or new hardware.
What to do when a blue screen names rtwlane.sys
The steps come from Microsoft's guidance, with the reversible ones first. Each one says how to put back what it changed. If Windows cannot start normally, Microsoft's basic steps say to start in safe mode and continue from there.
Write down the stop code and the file the screen names
Microsoft Support says the stop code appears at the bottom of the screen and, when Windows knows it, so does the name of the module that was running. If the screen went by too fast, the command under Check it yourself lists the stop codes Windows recorded, and Event Viewer > Windows Logs > System shows the errors logged around the restart.
To undo: Nothing to undo: this only reads information.
Before you change anything: note the driver and make a restore point
Open the device's Properties > Driver tab and write down the driver provider, date and version. Then select Start, type Create a restore point, open it, and on the System Protection tab choose Create. Microsoft notes that System Protection is not turned on by default; if Create is greyed out, choose Configure and turn it on for the system drive first.
To undo: A restore point changes nothing by itself. To go back later, run System Restore and pick it: Microsoft says it reverts system files, the registry and installed programs, and leaves your personal files alone.
Update the driver the screen names
Microsoft's advice when a driver is identified in the bug check message is to disable the driver or check with the manufacturer for driver updates. In Device Manager, right-click the device and choose Update driver, or install the current package from the manufacturer's support page for your exact model. For a laptop or a prebuilt PC, the PC maker's support page for your model is the place to look for the adapter's driver.
To undo: Open the device's Properties > Driver tab and choose Roll Back Driver, or apply the restore point.
If it started after a driver update, roll the driver back
In Device Manager, right-click the device, choose Properties, open the Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver, then give a reason and confirm. Microsoft notes that you need administrator rights, and that going back to the previous driver often fixes a problem that appeared after an update. The button is greyed out when Windows kept no earlier driver for the device.
To undo: Rolling back is the undo for the update. To return to the newer driver, install it again with Update driver or from the manufacturer's package.
Take out what you added just before it started
Microsoft's first basic step for a stop code that keeps coming back is to remove new hardware: shut the PC down, disconnect the device and start again. Its bug check pages say the same about drivers and system services added recently: remove or update them, and work out what changed just before the first crash.
To undo: Reconnect the hardware, or install the program or driver again.
Install the latest Windows updates
Select Start > Settings > Windows Update and choose Check for updates. It is one of Microsoft's basic steps for a stop code that keeps returning, and it is how new versions of Windows' own drivers arrive.
To undo: If the crashes get worse after an update, apply the restore point from the earlier step.
If nothing helps, go back to a restore point
Microsoft's last basic step is to restore Windows from a system restore point made before the crashes began, or to use one of its other recovery options.
To undo: System Restore leaves personal files alone; programs and drivers installed after that restore point have to be installed again.
Check it yourself
See whether a driver on your PC is running from this file (PowerShell)
Shows the driver service that loads the file, whether it is running and its exact path. No output means no driver service on your PC points at this file. Nothing is changed.
PowerShellGet-CimInstance Win32_SystemDriver | Where-Object PathName -like '*\rtwlane.sys' | Format-List Name, State, StartMode, PathNameRead the company and version from the file itself
Every copy on the PC is listed, including copies waiting in the driver store.
PowerShellGet-ChildItem C:\Windows\System32\drivers, C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository -Recurse -Filter rtwlane.sys -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | ForEach-Object { $_.VersionInfo } | Format-List FileName, CompanyName, FileDescription, FileVersionCheck the signature
Status should be Valid. The table above shows who signed the file on the test PC.
PowerShellGet-ChildItem C:\Windows\System32\drivers, C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository -Recurse -Filter rtwlane.sys -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Get-AuthenticodeSignature | Format-List Path, Status, SignerCertificate
What Tweaky Driver can and cannot do here
Vendor driverrtwlane.sys belongs to a Realtek network adapter, which is one of the devices Tweaky Driver's scan lists. The scan shows the installed driver version and whether Windows Update, the Microsoft Update Catalog or a manufacturer package it supports has a newer one, with the source and version in front of you before anything is installed; when no supported source has one, it says so. Tweaky Driver does not read crash dumps, so it cannot confirm that this file caused your blue screen, and a newer driver is no promise that the crashes stop.
Tweaky Driver, the driver checker that shows its sources — free for Windows 10 and 11.
Common questions
What is rtwlane.sys?
A Realtek driver for PCIe network adapters. On the test PC the file names Realtek Semiconductor Corporation as its company and describes itself as "Realtek PCIE NDIS Driver".
What does "What failed: rtwlane.sys" mean?
Windows identified the Realtek adapter's driver as the code that was running when it stopped. Microsoft's advice when a driver is named is to disable it or check with the manufacturer for driver updates.
Is rtwlane.sys part of Windows?
It is Realtek's driver. On the test PC a copy sat in the Windows driver store, signed by Microsoft Windows, with no Realtek adapter using it.
Can I delete rtwlane.sys?
Do not delete it by hand. If an adapter uses it, removing the file breaks that adapter; change the driver through Device Manager with Update driver or Roll Back Driver instead.