5 Ways to Fix an "An Unexpected Error Has Occurred" Issue on Windows

In most cases, it has to do with your network adapter drivers. Let’s get them fixed.

To resolve an “An unexpected error has occurred” problem on Windows, use Windows’ Network Adapter troubleshooter, update network adapter drivers, remove and reinstall adapter drivers, turn off IPv6 for your adapter, or re-register the “netshell.dll” file.

Getting an “An unexpected error has occurred” message while trying to launch your network adapter’s settings menu? Worry not, as fixing this issue is easy in most cases. We’ll show you multiple ways to get around this problem on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer.

Why Am I Getting an “Unexpected Error Occurred” Message?

Windows displays an “An unexpected error has occurred” message when something’s wrong with your network adapter. The most common reason of this issue is that your network adapter drivers are faulty. Such bad drivers cause your adapter not to properly communicate with your PC, leading to an error message.

There are other causes of the issue, such as a conflicting IPv6 feature.

Ways to Resolve the “An unexpected error has occurred” Issue

Fixing an “An unexpected error has occurred” problem isn’t as difficult as you might think. Simply resolve the issues with your network adapter, and your error message will be gone. Here’s how.

Use Network Adapter Troubleshooter

Both Windows 11 and Windows 10 include a Network Adapter troubleshooter that allows you to find and fix issues with your network adapter. This tool automatically detects the problems with your adapter, and then suggests ways to resolve them.

To use the troubleshooter on your Windows 11 PC, navigate to Settings> System> Troubleshoot> Other Troubleshooters. On the open page, next to “Network Adapter,” click “Run.”

If you’re on Windows 10, head into Settings> Update & Security> Troubleshoot> Additional Troubleshooters. On the open page, select “Network Adapter” and choose “Run the Troubleshooter.”

Allow the troubleshooter to find and fix your adapter problems.

Update Outdated Network Adapter Drivers

Outdated drivers for any device, including network adapter, can cause various issues. If your adapter uses older drivers, that may be why you can’t access your adapter’s settings menu.

To fix that, simply update your drivers to the latest version. Do that by first opening Device Manager on your PC. You can open this utility by right-clicking the “Start” menu icon and choosing “Device Manager.”

On the Device Manager window, expand “Network Adapters.” Right-click your adapter and choose “Update Driver.”

Select “Search Automatically for Drivers.”

Allow the tool to find and install the latest drivers for you. Then, restart your PC and try accessing your adapter’s settings menu.

Reinstall Faulty Network Adapter Drivers

If your issue persists, your network adapter drivers might be corrupted. Such drivers prevent your adapter from correctly communicating with your PC, causing various problems.

In this case, remove and reinstall your network adapter drivers to fix your issue. To do that, first, open Device Manager on your PC. Expand “Network Adapters,” right-click your adapter, and choose “Uninstall Device.”

In the open window, enable the “Attempt to Remove the Driver for This Device” option. Then, click “Uninstall.”

Restart your PC. When your PC turns back on, Windows will automatically install the latest network adapter drivers. And that’s it.

Disable IPv6 on Your Windows PC

IPv6 is the latest Internet protocol version, but not every connection uses it. When you experience opening your network adapter’s settings menu, it’s worth toggling off this protocol to see if that resolves your issue.

To do that, open the “Start” menu, find “PowerShell”, and click “Run as Administrator.” In the “User Account Control” prompt, choose “Yes.”

In PowerShell, type the following command and press Enter:

Get-NetAdapterBinding -ComponentID ms_tcpip6

You’ll see your adapter list. Here, note the name of your network adapter from the “Name” column. Then, run the following command replacing ADNAME with the name of your adapter.

Disable-NetAdapterBinding -Name "ADNAME" -ComponentID ms_tcpip6

IPv6 is now disabled for your adapter. Reboot your PC, and your issue will likely be fixed.

Re-Register the “netshell.dll” File

Windows’ “netshell.dll” file helps your PC run various network-related tasks. This file must be registered in your system for it to work. When you experience issues accessing your adapter’s configuration menu, re-register this file to possibly fix your issue.

To do that, open the “Start” menu, find “Command Prompt”, and select “Run as Administrator.” In the “User Account Control” prompt, choose “Yes.”