QCAMain10x64.sys BSOD prevents Windows from loading at all

Try this page at the MS forum and also this page at Appuals. Very possible that a Linux driver would be quite different from a Windows driver. 

RIght.  Sure.  But that doesn't help me FIX it at all.  I can't get IN to Windows to deal with the driver.  Windows won't boot, even after a completely clean install.

@DJ Speed​ Sorry that my suggestions were not helpful, possibly another person on the forum may have other thoughts.

When was last time you replaced the motherboard battery? I'd start there, if it's old...

1. Power off, unplug power cord from rear of PC
2. Press/hold power button for ~15 sec
3. Open case and remove motherboard battery (check Service Manual for details)
4. Press/hold power button for ~30 sec
5. Install fresh CR2032 coin cell battery
6. Close up and connect mouse, monitor and keyboard
7. See if it boots now...

@JOcean​ I don't use wifi and don't have a wifi card installed.  It's the LAN card built directly into the MB.  

@RoHe​ It's not a CMOS error.  The date and time stays, just fine.  Plus, CMOS errors are CMOS errors and it would warn me at boot that the battery needs to be replaced.  

BIOS won't necessarily warn you about the battery...

Even if date/time are correct, that doesn't mean the battery is good.  Windows syncs PC's date/time automatically via a Microsoft server on a regular/scheduled basis, so you may never see them being wrong.

As you can see from this, Windows synced my PC's date/time immediately after I logged onto the internet tonight so I'd never know if they were incorrect beforehand:

BTW: Did you uninstall the WiFi card in Windows or at least disable it in Device Manager before you physically removed the card?  If not, Windows may still be looking for it even though it's not there, so it gives you a BSOD...

@RoHe​ sure, it won't always tell you that you have a CMOS issue. But windows wouldn't false report an IRQ BSOD error for a CMOS issue, I don't believe. Also, if it were the battery causing the issue, Linux would have problems, too. It doesn't. 

I can't get into windows so I can't get into device manager. But I've never installed or removed a wifi card. It's the network card built into the motherboard. 

The "network card built into the motherboard" is Ethernet (wired connection to router), not WiFi (wireless connection to router).  WiFi cards are add-in cards and there's a dedicated M.2 WiFi slot on the Inspiron 5676 motherboard.

If you can get into BIOS setup by tapping F2 at the Dell splash screen, disable the Integrated NIC, save the change and see if it lets you boot to desktop.

If that works, it's possible the Integrated NIC has failed. So you could install a WiFi card, if you don't already have one installed.  Another alternative would be to get a USB>Ethernet adapter and plug into a USB port on PC and use a RJ-45 cable (at least CAT5e) from rear of PC to the router.

Just so we're clear, the only card I've ever installed in this computer was a USB Hub.  If there's a separate wifi card, it came from the factory.  I've never touched it.

Thanks for the suggestion.  Went in to BIOS and disabled the NIC as you said.  Tried reinstalling Dell's recovery stuff, got an error "Your computer restarted unexpectedly and Windows installation couldn't finish.  Please click okay to restart your computer and try the installation again."  Downloaded a fresh installer for Win11-23H2.  Install proceeds normally, computer restarts, proceeds to boot into Windows until it gets to the 'Getting devices ready' portion of the boot and then BSOD's with the same QCAMain10x64.sys IRQL_Less_than_or_not_equal error.

Sounds like maybe my project for this weekend is digging into the computer and trying to physically remove the wifi card it came preinstalled with, since I don't use WiFi at all.

Before you start digging around inside the PC, go to Dell's support page and enter your Service Tag (don't post it here).  When your PC is recognized, look under Quick Links on right side of the screen for link to system's factory specs. When that opens, scroll down the list and see if a WiFi card is listed, or not, and if listed copy all the details for the card.

Is the SATA option in BIOS set to use RAID or AHCI? Make sure it's set to AHCI and re-enable the Onboard NIC in BIOS before trying another installation.

Are you telling the OS installer at the beginning of the installation to wipe the boot drive completely, including all installed applications and data?

Are you trying to do all these OS installs with the 4-port USB hub and external drives connected to the PC, that are listed in your MS forum post?  That can certainly cause problems.

Disconnect everything from PC, except mouse, keyboard and monitor.  And if there's an internal D: drive, in addition to the boot C: drive, disconnect D: from the motherboard before trying another installation because that drive could confuse the OS installer. Once the installation is complete and working properly, you can go back inside to re-connect the D: drive.

Too late!  I went digging around in my PC.  Removing the factory wifi card from the m.2 slot solved the issue.  My ethernet port is also currently disabled, but I'm assuming that's because I disabled the Onboard NIC or whatever.  I was able to finish a WIn11 install using a USB-to-Ethernet adapter to bypass the currently non-functioning ethernet port.

I dunno if I specified this before, but I do happen to work for Geek Squad and I've had a computer since I was 4, so.  It wasn't the USB devices, as the Windows install went just fine until it hit that wifi driver.  Removing the wifi device made it not try to install the adapter, which allowed it to install just hunky dory.  

Also, Dell's list of 'factory specs' is ALMOST useless, since they use abbreviations and internal part numbers for everything.  But yes, there was a factory issued wifi card in an m.2 slot on the Motherboard.  A previous commenter had already linked to the manual with the instructions on how to remove it and where it was on the motherboard.  I'm guessing it's this on the Support page for my desk

So yeah.  Removing it made my computer work normally and I don't use wifi at all, ANYWAY, so!  Now I restart the process of installing all my software.  Last time, it took me 4 hours- maybe now that I've got it all downloaded and saved on an exHDD, I can get it installed in more like 2.  Project for later.

Thanks for the assists, folks.  Microsoft's and Dell's suggestions were all pretty useless, but you guys got me there eventually.  Which is the nature of tech support!  :D  I appreciate y'all.

@DJ Speed​ Happy we were able to help out!

Solved...finally...!

And now re-enable the onboard NIC in BIOS setup.