These new Intel drivers for Windows 11 fix a major Wi-Fi problem – so download them now

New drivers for Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices have just been released by Intel aimed at resolving several network issues, like the dreaded blue screen of death popping up under heavy workloads or the ‘No Wi-Fi networks found’ pop-up when connecting to Miracast devices. 

According to Neowin, the drivers will also address other bugs creeping up on some user's devices including a Windows System Event ID 5002 and 5010. 

The former code usually appears when the DFS Replication (a role in Windows Server that lets you replicate folders across folders and sites) is unable to establish communication with the desired partner. Windows System Event 5010 refers to an event that is caused when a process serving an application stops responding to a ping. 

Better safe than sorry

The above bugs seem to be triggered after users' PCs are resuming from standby or restart mode, which is… pretty often. You can download the Intel Wi-Fi driver 23.20.0 from the official site and bat the blue screen of death away. Not only are these kinds of bugs relatively annoying to have to deal with – especially if you’re constantly getting blue-screened for no real reason – but they also leave your devices vulnerable to viruses. 

Even if you haven’t noticed these bugs on your device just yet, we still recommend downloading the drivers anyway just to stay on the safe side. 

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Google Maps just got an important update for EV drivers

Google Maps has just become a little more helpful for electric vehicle drivers who are in desperate need of a charging station.

Now, when you’re using Google Maps in Android Auto to navigate, if your app settings have your car set as an EV, it will no longer recommend gas stations at the top of the Categories menu. Instead, you’ll see charging points in pole position – a much more useful option for drivers of vehicles that don’t need gas.

The Categories menu provides you with a shortcut to search for all nearby locations that fit into a specific category such as restaurants, groceries, coffee or gas stations, and charging points to name a few. Tap on one of the categories and the app will pin and recommend several locations that fit the description of what you’re looking for.

While EV drivers tend to plan trips around charging station locations, there will be times when you’re caught out and unexpectedly need to recharge your vehicle. If you aren’t familiar with the area you’re driving in, finding a charging point can be a challenge. With this Categories menu change, it’s now a lot easier to use Google Maps and find the juice you need.

Beyond telling Google that you have an EV, you can also inform it of the type of charger it takes and the charge speed you desire – information that will further refine the list of charging options it recommends.

For now, the change appears to be exclusive to the Android Auto version of Google Maps. You can still search for nearby charging points in the regular Maps app, but the shortcut is harder to find no matter how you set your vehicle preferences.

More EV-friendly features required

woman traveling by electric car having stop at charging station standing plugging cable

Google Maps is good, but EVs typically have better in-built navigation (Image credit: Shutterstock / Viktoriia Hnatiuk)

This update follows a Google Maps change from last September that allows the app to tailor its personalized route recommendations to help EV drivers travel more efficiently. Much like how the feature works for other vehicle drivers, Google Maps looks over the data it has and recommends the route it believes will be most efficient – marking it with a green leaf symbol.

Typically the most efficient route is also the fastest but when it isn’t, the time difference between the two is often minimal – and choosing the more efficient (albeit slower) route means you’ll use less fuel or charge to get from A to B and hopefully save money in the long run.

Google Maps still has a ways to go, however. The biggest challenge it has is overcoming the in-vehicle navigation that comes with many EVs. This built-in system has the advantage of knowing the car’s status and can often automatically update your route based on how much charge your car has left – a feature Google Maps cannot currently match.

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