How to update Realtek NIC drivers during Bare Metal Restore for Windows XP 32bit

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  Wednesday, July 08, 2009 4:32 AM

   

   
  

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       Lara Jones [MSFT] | Program Manager
  Community Support and Beta | Windows Home Server Team
  Windows Home Server Team Blog
  Connect Windows Home Server
  Windows Home Server
  
  Thank you for the information. Your procedure does not work but it allowed me to develop a way to allow the restore disk to work.
  
  The procedure you outlined does not work for the following Realtek NIC
   
  RTL8111B/RTL8168B/RTL8111/RTL8168
  RTL8111C/RTL8111CP/RTL8111D(L)
  RTL8168C/RTL8111DP
  
  Here is what you must do.
  
  Download the Vista (WinServer 2008) Driver
  instead of the WinXP (WinServer 2003) Driver
  

  
  Here is how I modified your procedure so that it WORKS for any of the above Realtek NIC
  
  Using the Windows Home Server Dual Boot Computer Restore Disk (Release Date 7/16/2008), the NIC drivers for the Realtek  family of network cards will need to be manually updated using the Vista (WinServer 2008) Driver.
       
       The Windows Home Server restore CD will indicate the "NIC driver for the restore CD is present"; 
       however, this driver WILL not work and there will be no network connectivity.
       The solution is to download the drivers from the  Realtek site and install them during the restore using
        a USB key as outlined in the  process below.

   

  Note: Just passively placing the drivers in a folder on the USB key including the drivers from a previous backup as instructed in the Restore Disk User guide will not work as the existing drivers are already loaded.
  
    You must follow the steps below.

   

  1.       Download the network drivers from the Realtek Website:

   

  http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=13&PFid=5&Level=5&Conn=4&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

  
  a.       Download the Vista (WinServer 2008) Driver.
  

       Note: I actually downloaded all the Windows XP and Vista drivers (4 different sets) and deleted all the
       drivers marked 64 bit (64 bit drivers WILL not work)
  

  
  2.       Extract all the zip files onto the ROOT of a USB flash without a folder and plug the USB flash into the client PC.

   

  3.      Then apply the downloaded NIC driver(s) with the Windows Home Server Restore CD

   

  a.       On the detect hardware screen, select the appropriate time/currency format and keyboard/input method

   

  b.      Detect hardware dialog will detect the Realtek network device RTL8168C/8111C Family PCI-E Gigibit ethernet NIC
  (NDIS 6.0 but it will not be usable because of hardware and driver incompatibility.

                 

  c.       Manually update the driver from the USB flash

                                                                                   i.           Select the “Show Details…” button

                                                                                 ii.           Press the “Install Drivers…”

                                                                                iii.          Push “Scan” button to scan for new/updated d rives

                                                                                 iv.        A dialogue box will pop up:

  "Drivers were found for your hardware.

  Click OK to see all detected hardware."

                                                                               vi.            Select OK

   

  d.      Verify that you have updated the Network driver.
  
  You should now see your specific NIC hardware listed in the “Detect Hardware” dialog screen as
  Realtek PCIe GBE family Controller.
  
  Continue following the restore disk prompts
  
  Stew Gordon
  Thestewman@msn.com

   

  • Changed Type Ken WarrenMVP, Moderator Wednesday, July 08, 2009 3:03 PM not a question
  • Changed Type thestewman Tuesday, December 08, 2009 10:48 PM Microsoft Info is Incorrect
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