How to Load Ethernet Drivers Using the Command Line

Most Ethernet card installation CDs ship with setup wizards that install drivers in Windows. Often, installing Ethernet drivers in Windows requires little more than inserting the CD, clicking "Setup" and then selecting the default options. For many Ethernet cards, you may not need an external installer because Windows contains built-in drivers for many common cards that it is installs by default. If Windows does not have a built-in driver, though, and the manufacturer offers only an "INF" file for the card -- without an automated installer -- you can install the driver from the command line.


Instructions
1. Press "Windows-E" to open File Explorer. Click the "C:\" drive link under the "Computer" header in the navigation pane. Click the "New Folder" icon on the ribbon bar and then change the name of the new folder to "Drivers" or something similar.

2. Copy the "INF" file supplied by the manufacturer of the Ethernet card to the "C:\Drivers" folder. If you chose another name for the new folder, copy the file to that folder instead.


3. Press "Windows-R" to open a Run box. Type "cmd" in the box and press "Enter." If a User Account Control window opens, click "Yes." The Command Prompt window opens.

4. Type the following command at the prompt:

RUNDLL32.EXE SETUPAPI.DLL,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 C:\Drivers\INF-File-Name.inf

Change the "C:\Drivers" value to the folder name used to store the INF file. Change the "INF-File-Name.inf" value to the actual filename of the INF supplied by the Ethernet card manufacturer. Press "Enter" after entering the command and then wait a few seconds for Windows to install and load the Ethernet card driver.

5. Restart the computer. Press "Windows-E," select "Computer" and then click "System Properties" on the ribbon bar.

6. Click "Device Manager" in the System window. Double-click "Network Adapters" in the Device Manager list of installed hardware. The Ethernet card device name appears in the list indicating that it ready for use.


Tips & Warnings
You can also install an INF file from within File Explorer without opening a command prompt window. To do this, right-click the file in the File Explorer window and select "Install" on the shortcut menu.



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