Installing network adapter driver for Windows Server 2008 R2

[OussamaR]

Hi,

We just received our HP Probook 650 G1.

We installed windows server 2008 R2 on it.

We need to connect it to the network & internet (in order to activate the OS).

But I coudn't manage to find any driver for the network adapter nor for the wifi adapter.

Can you help me please.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

The ethernet driver from the Intel website should work...

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/18725/Intel-Network-Adapter-Driver-for-Windows-Server-2008...

For the wireless, the only suggestion I can offer would be to try the W7 x64 driver for the model wlan card your notebook comes with.

[OussamaR]

Thank you for your reply.

I tried it.

During the installtion I got the follwoing message:

Windows Installer encountered a validation error

Process name: msiexec.exe

Module name: KernelBase.dll

Assert offset: 0000000000017F32

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

I would try manually installing the Intel ethernet driver and see if that works...

Since there is only an exe file to download, download and install this free file utility.

The 2nd driver on the list is for 64 bit.

http://www.7-zip.org/

After you install 7-Zip, download and save, but do not run the Intel ethernet driver I posted.

Once you do that, right click on the ethernet driver and select 7-Zip from the list.

Have 7-Zip Extract to: and let it extract the file into its folder name.

After 7-Zip creates the driver folder, go to the device manager and click on the ethernet controller needing the driver.

Click on the driver tab.  Click on Update Driver.

Selec the Browse my computer for driver software option, and browse to the driver folder 7-zip created.

Make sure the Include subfolders box is checked, and see if the driver installs that way.

Then restart the PC.

[OussamaR]

Thank you again.

I did exactly what you told. Unfortunately it didn't work and no driver was found.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Sorry that didn't work either, and I don't understand why.

The specs for your notebook indicates that it comes with the Intel I218LM Gigabit Network Connection, and the list of ethernet adapters supported by the driver I posted includes that model ethernet controller.

[OussamaR]

I have tried re-download, and re-install.

Now I got different message:

Cannot install drivers. No intel (R) Adapters are present in this computer.

I wonder, is it possible that some of computers of the same model could be manufactured with different hardware parts?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

It is very unlikely, but it is easy to find out...

Please post the hardware ID for the ethernet controller.

To find the hardware ID, click on the ethernet controller in the device manager.

Then click on the Details tab at the top of the ethernet controller window.

Now you will see a Property drop down list and it will be set to Device Description.

Drop down on that list, and select the 2nd item (Hardware ID's).

Post the top string of characters that you see in the window.

There will probably be 4 lines listed, but I only need the top one.

[OussamaR]

PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_153B&SUBSYS_1993103C&REV_04

PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_153B&SUBSYS_1993103C

PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_153B&CC_020000

PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_153B&CC_0200

[Paul_Tikkanen]

OK...

That hardware ID decodes to an Intel I217-V Ethernet Adapter.

I don't see that model ethernet listed on that Intel driver page (I see the 217LM, but not the V), so now I have to see what we can do...

There is no Windows Server 2008 R2 driver that I can find for that model ethernet adapter, so see if the W7 Pro x64 driver from your notebook support page works, by manually installing it using the same procedure with 7-zip that you tried with the Intel one.

This package contains the driver installation package for the Intel I217LM/V and I218LM This build has post-beta drivers that are Intel-Signed Gigabit Ethernet Controller in the supported notebook models and operating systems. 

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp74501-75000/sp74837.exe

Many times the W7 drivers will work on Windows Server 2008 R2.