OEM Third-Party Network Drivers Cannot be Updated

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.51 and 4.0

• Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.51 and 4.0

SYMPTOMS

The Update button on the Adapters tab in the Control Panel Networks tool is unusable when the network driver name and/or registry values for the new driver are not the same as the old one.

RESOLUTION

Microsoft does not have any processes for updating OEM-supplied drivers during a manual or unattended upgrade installation of Windows NT, even if the driver name and registry values have not changed.

The only way to update an installed OEM network adapter card driver with a different driver is to completely remove the adapter using the Control Panel Network tool, restart the computer, and reinstall the Network adapter using the new driver.

MORE INFORMATION

The process used by the Update button reads the registry to determine the option name for the adapter, then opens the Oemsetup.inf file and checks the [UPGRADE] section of the Oemsetup.inf file.

If the option name, registry entries, or driver name do not match the currently installed driver or registry entries, then the operation will fail.

If this process fails, the only option is to completely remove the adapter using the Control Panel Network tool, restart your computer and re-install the adapter using the new driver.

The process also fails if a third-party, or OEM vendor renames their driver and/or rewrites the Oemsetup.inf file with different option names, descriptions, registry settings, or driver names.