What does Windows error code 10050 (WSAENETDOWN) mean?

 
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WSAENETDOWN

WSAENETDOWN means that the Windows networking subsystem has failed. It is broader than a missing route to one destination and normally affects more than one socket operation.

How to distinguish it

Compare this error with WSAENETUNREACH, which concerns a particular destination network. WSAENETDOWN points to local networking availability: adapters, drivers, the protocol stack, or a system-level failure.

What to check

  • Check whether unrelated applications and sockets are also failing.
  • Inspect adapter status, driver events, and changes such as VPN or firewall software installation.
  • Do not hide the error with immediate retry loops; recover only after local networking has become available again.

Microsoft: connect · Microsoft: Windows Sockets Error Codes


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