Windows 10 2004 and Intel Ethernet Problem Solving

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If only Microsoft had competent expertise about hardware. Today, I installed an Intel X710-DA2 Ethernet adapter in a Dell Precision T5810, a combination that had worked perfectly before in the same system with the identical model of card, running Windows 10 Pro Version 2004. Device Manager reported the X710-DA2 as not operational, even though the drivers were automatically installed when I booted the system. The explanation given was that the motherboard BIOS was incompatible with the card and that I had to update the BIOS. Oops! The T5810 BIOS was already at the last A29 revision.

But problem solved. First, I downloaded the latest 600MB Intel Ethernet software collection, and installed the drivers. That did not do anything to improve the situation because the latest drivers carried the same date as the ones automatically installed by the Windows 10 installer. What next? I deleted the two X710-DA2 devices from the Device Manager, checking the box to remove the drivers, then rebooted. The system came back up with the card and its drivers enabled. Go figure.

I hope this helps someone else dealing with similar driver issues.  The magic formula seems to be remove a device from the Device Manager and delete the associated drivers when asked, then reboot.  Like I said, go figure.

 

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You are saying that Windows automatically installed the correct drivers and the network card works as expected?

I’m not sure you can blame MS for the initial failure as it was a retrofit and you don’t know what was already set / installed in network driver land.

cheers, Paul

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Let me emphasize one point about Microsoft hardware expertise.  The message displayed in Device Manager advising me to update the motherboard BIOS was completely bogus, and would have driven a less experienced person down a blind alley.  Having been there at least a few times with Microsoft hardware oddities and quirks, I verified that a BIOS update was not possible and soldiered on.

Clearly the procedure that worked here was to delete the devices and their drivers from the system, and then reboot.  Why wouldn’t Windows 10 detect the card and install the drivers cleanly the first time, like it does with most any other hardware?

Retrofit?  Not exactly.  Supplier was slow in providing the network card, so I installed and set up everything else.  It is poor use of one’s time to wait to have everything in place when setting up a system for a client on a tight deadline, a lesson learned from my project management salad days.

 

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