BSOD 0x15E (BUGCODE_NDIS_DRIVER_LIVE_DUMP): causes and diagnosis

Status / error code:		Category:

Constant name:
Source:		Operating System:
Description: NDIS captured a live kernel dump for a network-driver problem without bug checking the system.

Could be also:
Constant	Type	OS
ERROR_FAIL_NOACTION_REBOOT	Win32 error	Windows

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SOC_SUBSYSTEM_FAILURE_LIVEDUMP	CONNECTED_STANDBY_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT_LIVEDUMP

BUGCODE_NDIS_DRIVER_LIVE_DUMP

NDIS network-driver live dump for BUGCODE_NDIS_DRIVER_LIVE_DUMP

BUGCODE_NDIS_DRIVER_LIVE_DUMP is bug check code 0x0000015E.

This value identifies a live dump, not a normal fatal stop. NDIS captured state because it detected a serious network-driver condition such as a stuck NET_BUFFER_LIST or driver-model violation, but NDIS did not itself crash the system.

How to read it in a dump

Parameter 1 is the NDIS live-dump reason code.
Microsoft documents this as a live dump: NDIS captures a kernel dump and does not generate a bug check in this situation.
The dump is still valuable because it contains NDIS and driver state at the time of the network fault.

What to check

Analyze the NDIS reason code and the miniport/filter/protocol driver on the stack.
Check VPN, firewall, virtual switch, packet capture, NIC offload, and team/bonding drivers.
Use NDIS verifier for reproducible driver-model violations.

References

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