Ethernet Driver for Homemade PC

[boweasel]

Are you positive that's your motherboard?

Oh hell... I'm just going by Everest Ultimate Edition, although when I actually look at the motherboard, I can only see Gigabyte GA-G41M-ES2L - I see no revision number.

At this point, I would try the next BIOS down and see if you can run the .exe from that file and have it call the .f9 or the .f8 bios revision

Don't know what you mean...
Are you saying to go to that page and download (and extract and run) the F8 version? And if so, what do you mean by have it call the .f9 or the .f8 bios revision?

 

[LiquidSnak]

Yes, and if you move the .f8 bios out of the folder, it might call the only bios available and update to the F9 instead of F8. If it doesn't, try moving .f8 back and just updating to that.

 

[boweasel]

Yes, and if you move the .f8 bios out of the folder, it might call the only bios available and update to the F9 instead of F8. If it doesn't, try moving .f8 back and just updating to that.

With the F8 version, I still get the 'not compatible with the version of Windows' msg, no matter if F8 is in or out of the folder.

I'm about ready to call it a night. Is there anything on this utility page of value?
GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket 775 - GA-G41M-ES2L (rev. 1.3)

At this point I'm considering wiping the HD and installing Windows XP. Don't know if that would help the drivers problem, or not, but that compatibilty msg is maddening.

 

[theog]

For BIOS update, take look at page 64 of the manual.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there

Lets go right back to ist principles.

1) I assume you can get into the BIOS.

If so check if the system has ONBOARD VIDEO, LAN and AUDIO. If it has REMOVE any extra installed audio / lan / video cards and check either jumper leads on the MB or settings on the BIOS to disable the external audio / video / lan.

2) Now re-install Windows and don't worry about what drivers are missing at this stage -- do a BRAND NEW install.

3) the chances are that the LAN won't work and the Video will probably look horrible in VGA mode at ist W7 boot -- don't worry about this yet.

4) You'll need access to ANOTHER computer to get the LAN driver for the MB. Download from the site and install. This should get your Internet connection working.

5) now let Windows update try and find as many drivers as possible - go into Device management and right mouse click against devices with question marks etc against them and select update driver.

6) for the ones that don't work you'll have to get to the manufacturers site and download manually -- ASUS MB's are usually quite good for the drivers. The most important drivers you'll need are usually the Chipset, Audio and Video drivers.

7) If you want to use expansion cards (video etc) then ensure the onboard feature is turned off in the BIOS and you can download the driver from the manufactuerers site.

It's VERY RARE that you really need a BIOS update -- I think in all the years I've used computers I've never done this ONCE.

You can run W7 on some incredibly old machines -- any machine with a dual core 775 socket processor will EASILY be capable of running W7 (maybe not X-64 but who cares).

Cheers
jimbo

 

[SlasherIT]

Lol, all this just for an Ethernet driver... I doubt the OP is gonna format just for an Ethernet driver... But this is the best solution, albeit the most time-consuming.

 

[imrazor]

When I extract this file I did it to the desktop of the damaged PC, and I get 3 files - an autoexec.bat, a file called G41MES2L.F9, and an application Flashspi.exe.

Excuse me for butting in, but this sounds like this download is designed to be run off a floppy, since it has an autoexec.bat included in the download. If so, running it from Windows probably won't work. It's odd that it isn't an image, or have a copy of FreeDOS with it. Given the way it's packaged, I don't think you're going to have much luck with it, aside from contacting Gigabyte. You might also want to check Gigabyte's site for *Windows* flash utility that you could use to take G41MES2L.F9 and update your BIOS.

If I might suggest an alternate tack, you might want to just go out and get a $10-$15 PCI network adapter. Make sure it's compatible with Windows 7 (check the box) and that it's fast enough for your home network (100Mbps/Fast Ethernet is usually fast enough.) It's possible that might not work either, but it might be a cheap and easy solution to your dilemma.

EDIT: Just read theog's post - if I'm understanding what he's saying, it might be possible to put those three files you downloaded on a USB flash drive (and *ONLY* those files - backup and delete anything else on the drive) and use that Qflash function to update your BIOS from the USB flash drive.

 

[boweasel]

Hi there

Lets go right back to ist principles.

1) I assume you can get into the BIOS.

Yep. Sure can.

If so check if the system has ONBOARD VIDEO, LAN and AUDIO. If it has REMOVE any extra installed audio / lan / video cards and check either jumper leads on the MB or settings on the BIOS to disable the external audio / video / lan.

On the Advanced Chipset there is a listing for Onboard VGA, which is set to Enable If No Ext PEG, and Init Display First which is set to PCI. When I go into the Integrated Peripherals, I see an entry called Onboard LAB Boot ROM which is disabled. Also one called Green LAN - also disabled. Onboard H/W Lan = Enabled, Smart LAN, which requires me to press Enter, and then reads Virtual Cable Test Port. Link Detected-> 100Mbps,....
All of the Onboard Serial Ports are Enabled
On the motherboard are 2 white PCI slots - both empty. There is a light blue PCI Express slot that holds the video card. No other slots. The NIC card is integrated into the mobo. I have no idea how to check for jumper leads.

2) Now re-install Windows and don't worry about what drivers are missing at this stage -- do a BRAND NEW install.

Have not yet done this. The PC came 'as is' - no disks, no sticker with a product code on the chassis. AIAS, it was built from parts, and I assume all new parts. I'm concerned that putting in a Windows 7 CD and doing an install will prompt for a product code which I don't possess.

3) the chances are that the LAN won't work and the Video will probably look horrible in VGA mode at ist W7 boot -- don't worry about this yet.

4) You'll need access to ANOTHER computer to get the LAN driver for the MB. Download from the site and install. This should get your Internet connection working.

5) now let Windows update try and find as many drivers as possible - go into Device management and right mouse click against devices with question marks etc against them and select update driver.

6) for the ones that don't work you'll have to get to the manufacturers site and download manually -- ASUS MB's are usually quite good for the drivers. The most important drivers you'll need are usually the Chipset, Audio and Video drivers.

7) If you want to use expansion cards (video etc) then ensure the onboard feature is turned off in the BIOS and you can download the driver from the manufactuerers site.

It's VERY RARE that you really need a BIOS update -- I think in all the years I've used computers I've never done this ONCE.

You can run W7 on some incredibly old machines -- any machine with a dual core 775 socket processor will EASILY be capable of running W7 (maybe not X-64 but who cares).

Cheers
jimbo

 

[boweasel]

Have used QFlash to update the BIOS, and it now posts with an F9 instead of the old F3. I used device mgr and deleted the NIC card. I went to the Gigabyte site and downloaded the Chipset and LAN drivers onto a flash drive and then installed them on the Franken-PC (or just effin-PC), and.....

No difference - 'This device cannot find enough free resources that it can use (Code 12)'.

I'm just sorry I missed the trash man the other day. Now I have to wait until Thursday to toss this...

 

[SlasherIT]

Use this Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder v2.0.8 Review to find your Windows 7 serial key.

 

[boweasel]

Before I reinstall, I'm going to get a PCI network adapter card, and see if that makes a diff. Maybe the integrated LAN has gone bad.??

 

[boweasel]

Okay....
So I had an old Windows 98 PC in the basement that had a NIC card which I removed. I opened up the problem PC and inserted the card into the PCI slot. I figured 'What's it gonna hurt?'. A NIC card is a NIC card. So what if it comes from a W98 machine?

Anyway when I rebooted I got the msg installing hardware. Then it gave me the msg that the hardware might not have installed correctly.

When I went to device mgr, there was another entry - Other devices. When I opened it up it said Ethernet Controller. No name - just Ethernet Controller. I still had the Realtek device (the one that always said it could not find enough resources) under Network adapters. So now I had 2 ethernet devices that didn't work.

I uninstalled the Ethernet controller, and the Network adapter in Dev Mgr. Then I uninstalled the Realtek device from the setup file in the folder I'd extracted to the desktop. Then I reinstalled the Realtek driver, was prompted to reboot, and am now back with Ethernet Controller under Other devices and the Realtek driver under Network Adapter. The Realtek still has the property of not finding enough resources to run. And the Ethernet adapter under Other devices has no driver, and cannor find one on my PC.

Am I getting closer or further away?

 

[Sardonicus]

Try the hardware troubleshooter.
Open the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter

 

[boweasel]

Try the hardware troubleshooter.
Open the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter

I either don't have that option available, or don't know how to cause it to be available.

 

[SlasherIT]

Even though you could plug the NIC card from your Windows 98 computer into the computer with the Ethernet issue, it wouldn't work, because you wouldn't be able to find a driver for it.

 

[LiquidSnak]

You might be on the right track... But I would just bite the bullet and spend the ~5-10 bucks for a cheap NIC

 

[SlasherIT]

Yup.

 

[boweasel]

Son of a bitch.... I got the old adapter to work. Joy to the world.

 

[SlasherIT]

The Windows 98 one?

 

[boweasel]

To quote you...

'Yup'.