Windows 10 won't find network adapter or install driver.

Lalando

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Jan 22, 2016
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HELP!!!

To recount the tale in full:

Last Saturday, I tried to install a new GPU into my motherboard, only to learn that it was incompatible with the converter I use to make it speak to my monitor.

As such, I promptly removed the GPU, pending acquisition of a compatible converter, reinstalling my old hd 6970 GPU.

I believe Windows 10 updated itself at some point during this process, the result being that the internet connection was disabled.

I eventually tried a system restore of Windows 10, assuming that this would reinstall the driver for the Network adapter.

It hasn't.

Since then, I've tried just about everything I could find - tried pinging my router (which I know works) tried forcing it to update the driver

latest attempt has been to update the driver via the software that came with my motherboard, which yields the error message "This Driver can't release to fiel".

I have absolutely no idea what that even means.

My question is essentially, what the heck do I do now?
 
@Kurz I am not. I have attempted to do so through the Dos prompt, as part of microsofts troubleshooting guide for network issues. The key-word is "tried" :) Checking my bios, it says "Onboard H/W LAN Enabled".
 
tried pinging my router *(which I know works)*, This is what confused me.


You can try uninstalling the network card in Device manager, it should attempt to reinstall the network driver. If it doesn't Restart the computer.
 
the router works. This is the connection I'm writing from now (on a separate laptop) but my desktop cannot see the internet connection. It does not read the network card in the device manager - already tried that. Tried restarting as well. I almost get the impression the network card is burned out. It's part of the motherboard, however, so if that was the case, it's strange the computer can turn on at all. Like I said, I'm about stumped for probable causes now.
 
that's about the conclusion I've reached as well. It's an onboard network adapter, so that would be the motherboard. Thing is, apart from this, the computer is booting fine. I would assume that problems with the motherboard would render the machine unable to boot, or...?
 
Not necessarily the network card communicates via the PCIE bus. though I would attempt to do a fresh install and see if that remedies the issue.

Just need at least a 4GB usb Stick. It'll be the 1607 Version of Windows 10.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10/

Is your BIOS of your motherboard up to date as well?
 
Tried a fresh install yesterday. No luck. Also tried updating drivers for the motherboard. Also no luck. Now been without internet in a clean windows 10, and running out of ideas, safe for either adding a separate PCI-E network adapter, or replacing motherboard, ram and CPU - and really trying to avoid the latter, as it's technically still fine.
 


Sometimes windows doesnt install the internet drivers (happend to me on an i7 875k). I solved this by going on another PC with an USB stick and looking for the drivers that your motherboard needs. Then just plug it in the PC and install it, if you don't have another PC like a laptop or something I am sorry.
 


You simply don't have the Realtek drivers that is needed, get the right ones for your motherboard from another PC and just install it on your PC. It's as simple as downloading a game.
 
I would just google the model number of your motherboard go to the manufacturer's website and download the newest bois and flash it to that computer via usb or disk. Even if your motherboard's bios is up to date, it may fix it If there's an issue with it.
 


What motherboard do you have? and also you can check if it's the drivers are there from the beginning by going to "Uninstall a program" and look for "Realtek" in that list, if you can find Realtek there you have the ethernet drivers atleast and then I don't know what's wrong, however if there is no Ethernet drivers there, I can find the drivers you need (Ofc I need to know what MoBo you have).
 


I looked on their website and found this Realtek Lan Driver for your motherboard.
http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Driver/motherboard_driver_lan_realtek_8111_w7.exe
If you want to find them yourself instead of just using this link (In case you don't trust me).
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3800#dl
Here's their support page for your motherboard. You can go down to driver type and OS to find the drivers you need. This has to be downloaded on a seperate PC on to an USB stick then download it to your PC.
The problem is that the ethernet driver only exist for 7, 8 and 8.1 but using the 8.1 drivers on 10 should not be an issue.
 
none of the above has worked so far, and computer has now been malfunctioning for roughly a week and a half. Going to try with a PCIE Ethernet card, as soon as I can get a hold of one, and have it installed in my machine.
 
did another clean install of windows. Now Windows won't accept input from my usb keyboard and mouse, though both work in the bios. Slowly losing patience with this crap...
 
Like I wrote further up, to my fairly limited knowledge, a bios update might screw up my computer entirely. Not risking that until I'm entirely out of options, and I'm not quite there yet. Think next step is trying a discrete network adapter, just haven't got around to ordering one yet.