Fix STATUS_NDIS_INVALID_ADDRESS (0xC0230022) Network Error

Quick answer

Run these three commands as Administrator: netsh int ip reset, netsh winsock reset, then ipconfig /renew. If that doesn't stick, reinstall your network adapter driver from the manufacturer's website.

Why this happens

You'll see this error in the Event Viewer or as a network failure message when Windows tries to assign an IP address to your network card but the NDIS (Network Driver Interface Specification) layer rejects it. The error code 0xC0230022 literally means STATUS_NDIS_INVALID_ADDRESS — the address your machine wants to use is garbage from the NDIS perspective. This usually pops up after a Windows update that borks the driver, a manual IP change that went wrong, or a third-party VPN that left garbage behind. I've seen it most on Windows 10 version 22H2 after a cumulative update, and on some Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controllers.

Fix steps

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Hit the Start button, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, pick "Run as administrator". You'll see a UAC prompt — click Yes.
2. Reset the IP stack. Type this and press Enter: netsh int ip reset. Wait a few seconds. You'll see "Resetting Compartment Forwarding... OK!" and a bunch of similar messages. That's normal.
3. Reset Winsock. Type this and press Enter: netsh winsock reset. You'll get "Successfully reset the Winsock Catalog. You must restart the computer..." Don't restart yet.
4. Release and renew your IP. Type ipconfig /release, press Enter. Then ipconfig /renew, press Enter. If your network goes down during release, that's expected. Renew might take a few seconds — if it hangs, wait 30 seconds then press Ctrl+C to cancel.
5. Restart your computer. Go to Start > Power > Restart. After reboot, check if the error is gone. Open Event Viewer (type eventvwr.msc in Run), go to Windows Logs > System, and look for the error code. If you see it, move to the alternative fixes below.

Alternative fixes if the main one fails

1. Reinstall the network adapter driver. Press Windows key + X, pick Device Manager. Expand "Network adapters". Right-click your active adapter (the one without a yellow triangle), pick "Uninstall device". Check the box that says "Delete the driver software for this device" if it shows up. Click Uninstall. Restart the PC — Windows will auto-install a generic driver. If that works, download the latest driver from your motherboard or laptop manufacturer's site (not from Windows Update — their drivers are often stale). For Realtek chips, go to realtek.com. For Intel, go to intel.com.
2. Disable IPv6. Some routers or ISPs hand out IPv6 addresses that NDIS can't handle. Go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings. Right-click your connection, pick Properties. Uncheck "Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)". Click OK, then restart.
3. Check for static IP conflicts. If you set a manual IP, make sure it's not already used by another device. Run arp -a in Command Prompt to see what's on your subnet. If you see your IP listed under a different MAC address, change yours to something unused. To set a static IP, go to adapter properties, select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)", click Properties, choose "Use the following IP address".
4. Reset network settings from Settings. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset. Click "Reset now". This wipes all network adapters and sets them to defaults. You'll lose saved Wi-Fi passwords and VPN settings — have those handy.

Prevention tips

Don't install Windows updates the day they drop. Wait a week — let others break their machines first. If you use a VPN, disable it before making IP changes. For laptops, always download network drivers from the manufacturer's support page, not from third-party driver updater tools — those things install the wrong version half the time. If this keeps happening on the same adapter, replace the NIC. A $20 Intel Pro 1000 PT is bulletproof and won't give you NDIS headaches.