Claude Code Auto-Update Nearly Bricks PC — DNS Nightmare After Driver Update
A developer on r/ClaudeAI recounts a harrowing experience after asking Claude Code to help with a GPU performance issue (GPU running at 70% power). The AI decided to automatically update the drivers, leading to a cascade of failures that took over 24 hours to resolve.
What Happened
- PC crashed and wouldn't boot
- Required System Restore to recover
- WiFi connected but had no internet
- DNS requests were all being routed to
10.2.0.1— a dead Mullvad VPN server — due to an NRPT registry entry restored by System Restore
Steps Taken (Failed)
- System Restore, Winsock reset, TCP/IP reset, DNS changes, full Windows Network Reset
- Driver reinstallation, uninstalling Mullvad, removing WireGuard adapter
What Finally Fixed It
Wireshark revealed all DNS traffic was going to 10.2.0.1 instead of the router. Running this PowerShell command resolved the issue:
Get-DnsClientNrptRule | Remove-DnsClientNrptRule -ForceKey Lesson
AI tools have no way to test driver compatibility before installing. Drivers break things at a system level that can be extremely difficult to recover from. Always update drivers manually from the manufacturer's website, verify release notes, and only update with a specific reason.
Specs
- Motherboard: MSI PRO B840-VC WIFI
- WiFi card: MediaTek Wi-Fi 7 MT7925
- OS: Windows 11 25H2
This is a strong cautionary tale: don't let Claude Code auto-update drivers.
📖 Read the full source: r/ClaudeAI
👀 See Also
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