In the past few months, Intel has confirmed that their drivers can crash some installations of Windows 11 (and Windows 10) with Blue Screen of Death. Intel has tried to fix these crashes multiple times, but the company’s efforts may not be enough. There appears to be another bug that causes BSOD on some PCs.
Intel has posted two new versions of its drivers: Wi-Fi driver version 23.40.0.4 and Bluetooth driver version 23.40.0.2. According to release notes spotted by Windows Latest, Intel’s April 2024 wireless driver update attempts to patch an issue where some of you could experience BSODs.
Intel states that it has fixed the “blue screen with low occurrence” caused by the Wi-Fi adapter and associated drivers on Windows 11 and 10. Another bug has been fixed where Wi-Fi automatically disconnected or stopped working, and some of you might have noticed a yellow bang icon in Device Manager for the wireless adapter.
Finally, Intel Wi-Fi v23.40.0.4 may contain minor bug fixes that will improve your device’s performance, stability, and security.
The Bluetooth driver 23.40.0.2 package also comes with some quality changes, including better performance of headphones using Basic Rate/Enhanced Data Rate (BR/EDR) and LE (low-energy) connections.
How to get Intel wireless driver update (April 2024)
Intel’s drivers typically appear in Windows Update when required for your device. For example, there’s a pending optional Lenovo OEM update on my device, but I can skip the installation. Similarly, Intel and AMD drivers also ship via Windows Update, and these BSOD fixes will eventually arrive automatically.
However, if you’ve been experiencing performance issues with your Wi-Fi or believe the BSODs are due to Intel’s faulty driver, you can use Intel’s Driver and Support Assistant (iDSA) tool to quickly install the April 2024 patch.
Here’s how you can manually force-install the update and remove restrictions placed by OEMs:
- Head to Intel’s website to grab the .exe. Run the app, and install it. You’ll find it in the system tray as it runs automatically in the background.
- Right-click the icon in the system tray, and start checking for updates.
This will install the new wireless drivers or other Intel updates. If you run into new problems, you’ll be able to reinstall the old driver by opening Device Manager, double-clicking the wireless adapter, and managing the previously installed version.
Do you really need these driver updates? I personally don’t recommend installing these updates when everything is working normally, but you can give them a try if your Wi-Fi or Bluetooth performance is not good.