Problem Description

Today, I have updated my Nvidia Graphics Card Driver and rebooted my Windows 10 PC (Version 1909). Once I logged in to my PC, I realized that I don’t have an Internet Connection anymore. I immediately checked my network cable and eveything was ok. Afterwards I opened the Event Viewer (Start > Run > EventVwr.msc) and checked the administrative events and saw that my Network Adapter (Intel(R) Ethernet Connection (5) I219-LM) couldn’t get an IP Address from the DHCP and ended up with error code 0x79.

Event Log

Log Name: Microsoft-Windows-Dhcp-Client/Admin
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Dhcp-Client
Date: 4/1/2020 11:23:56 PM
Event ID: 1003
Task Category: Address Configuration State Event
Level: Warning
Keywords: (1)
User: LOCAL SERVICE
Computer: ComputerName
Description:
Your computer was not able to renew its address from the network (from the DHCP Server) for the Network Card with network address 0x54E1AD63FA01. The following error occurred: 0x79. Your computer will continue to try and obtain an address on its own from the network address (DHCP) server.

Microsoft’s legendary “Microsoft Error Lookup Tool” was already installed on my PC so I checked for error code 0x79. Unfortunately, this error code wasn’t defined inside the related *.h file.

Error Code

C:\Users\Cengiz Kuskaya>err 0x79
# for hex 0x79 / decimal 121
SQL_121_severity_15                                            sql_err
# The select list for the INSERT statement contains more
# items than the insert list. The number of SELECT values
# must match the number of INSERT columns.
MISMATCHED_HAL                                                 bugcodes.h
csierrOdc_ScopeError                                           csiErrorDefinitions.h
NMERR_NO_DLLS_FOUND                                            netmon.h
ERROR_SEM_TIMEOUT                                              winerror.h
# The semaphore timeout period has expired.
# as an HRESULT: Severity: SUCCESS (0), FACILITY_NULL (0x0), Code 0x79
# for hex 0x79 / decimal 121
ERROR_SEM_TIMEOUT                                              winerror.h
# The semaphore timeout period has expired.
# 6 matches found for "0x79"

I have decided to disable and enable the Network Adapter to get an new IP Address from the DHCP Server and to flush the DNS Cache but with no luck.

Solution

As last option I decided to reboot my PC and BINGO. I was able to get an IP Address from the DHCP. I haven’t further investigated into this problem but it looks like that somehow the Network Card Drivers couldn’t be loaded properly therefore if you continuously experience this problem I would strongly recommend to delete the Network Card Driver from Device Management and use the Microsoft’s built-in Inbox Drivers.

Good luck !