Question by Spartacus007: How do I find out what sort of Ethernet Controller I have and where to download the drivers?
I re-installed XP and have gotten all but 1 driver installed – my Ethernet Controller. Add New Hardware recognizes that it exists, but can’t find any drivers for it. I was going to download it off the internet, but I have no idea what brand or anything it is. Device Manager just calls it ‘Ethernet Controller.’ How do I find out?
Thanks for your informed answers!
Best answer:
Answer by Pfo
Sometimes Windows update can tell what driver you need. If not, the only other solution is to open up the case and look to see what’s printed on the card to identify it. If it’s onboard ethernet, then your motherboard documentation should have the name of the card.
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do a windows update. go to control panel and click windows update, you may need to download updates to actually use the windows update (dumb i know). when you get to the screen that says express or custum, do a custom. that it will look at your computer and find updates (this may take a while) when it brings up the next screen on the left it will have priority, software and hardware updates, go to the hardware updates and it will probably be in there.
if this does not work you may have to look inside your machine and look at the card to see what it is.
Hi. If you are comfortable pulling the side off, just take a look. Probably a 3Com or Realtek. Once you know, just go to the manufacturers site. Have you tried using Windows Update first?
Go to DEVICE MANAGER. You’ll find it.
1) RIGHT-CLICK MY COMPUTER
2) SELECT PROPERTIES
3) SELECT THE HARDWARE TAB
4) SELECT DEVICE MANAGER.
or save time and go to a command prompt and type
devmgmt.msi and hit enter.
Ok your going to right click on My Computer ( You may have it named different) then select properties then hardware then click on device manager and anything that comes up in ! marks or X’s that means you need drivers for them you can just go to the makers site and most likely they will have the drivers if not just run a couple of searches on yahoo for the drivers you need but be careful on the sites you go because you may get little viruses but they get to be a pain in the but…Good Luck