Ethernet Controller (3) I225-LM Device Driver Update Failure

[Garitaar]

I have a NUC 11 TNH i5000

System Model NUC11TNHi5

Windows 11 identifies it as:

11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-1135G7 @ 2.40GHz 2.42 GHz

BIOS TNTGL357.0062.2021.1203.1108

64.0 GB (63.6 GB usable)

The problematic driver loading is for its:

Intel(R) Ethernet Controller (3) I225-LM

Presently running driver version: 1.0.2.6

C:\WINDOWS\system32\e2f68.din

C:\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\e2f68.sys

(Are these really 32-bit? This seems surprising.)

The Intel® Driver & Support Assistant (Intel® DSA) providing no response or change in status upon repeated attempts, I downloaded the driver installer and ran it directly.

The response was: “No Intel Network Connections Found on this computer. No Drivers were installed.”

I also downloaded LAN-Win10_Win11-1.0.2.14 which contains “e2f” files and offered them via the Device Manager. The Device Manager response was “The best drivers for your device are already installed”.

I presume that the upshifting value from 1.0.2.6 to 1.0.2.14 is minor, but still...

[AlHill]

@jsmiddleton4   "Then don't run Windows update for awhile. "

If you run the Windows ShowHide tool like I suggested, you can do Windows Update any time you want.

Doc (not an Intel employee or contractor)
[Waiting for Windows 12]

[jsmiddleton4]

Yes but still a lot of fooling around for a simple matter.  So simple it adds to the bewilderment as to why Intel hasn’t fixed it.

[Ronny_G_Intel]

Hi everyone,

We are having an Intel® Ethernet (LAN) driver version mismatch issue between Windows* Update and Intel® Driver & Support Assistant (IDSA), Windows Update will push version 1.0.2.6 while (IDSA) will push driver version 1.0.2.14, both versions should work properly but IDSA will keep reporting that there is a pending update.

I would recommend that you either stay on driver version 1.0.2.6 and set IDSA notifications to "hide/snooze" (this for 3 or 4 weeks) or pause Windows* Updates also for a few weeks (3 or 4 weeks).

As mentioned before, either driver version should work fine, If you are having trouble with the Ethernet device with either driver installed please create a new case or community.

See here How to Turn off the Driver Update Notification from Intel® Driver & Support Assistant (Intel® DSA): https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000056698/software/software-applications.ht...

I totally understand this is not a fix but resolution for this issue may take a while and I also understand these notifications are very annoying.

I apologize for the inconvenience.

Regards,

Ronny G

[Garitaar]

Hello @Ronny_G_Intel  

We solved this adequately about a month ago.  The threads I followed on this topic have been quiet for weeks.

Pausing Windows updates is a profoundly poor suggestion.

We must be honest in saying that the "Support" has not exactly been impressive on this topic.  Why were support techs trying to close threads and tell everyone to go start a new one of their own?  Why were the techs asking everyone for the same information over and over again?  Really, this is not only illogical from a troubleshooting and support perspective, it makes the techs appear quite incompetent.  

The following is what I posted after it all settled for me.

-----------------

Intel have apparently not communicated with Microsoft so they can push 1.0.2.14.

This approach succeeded for me.  If you are doing this and it is not succeeding, I would be curious to know more.

Let's take it from the top.

1)  download the driver.

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/19711/intel-ethernet-lan-network-connection-driver-...

2)  unzip the driver folder so you can point Device Manager to the folder containing the driver.

3)  Open Device Manager, Network Adapters, Ethernet Controller (3) I225-LM, and open the Driver tab.

4)  If any version other than 1.0.2.14 is presented, choose Uninstall Device and check the box for attempting to remove the driver.

5)  Close the Ethernet Controller (3) I225-LM dialog box.

6)  Within the Device Manager, right-click on Network Adapters and select Scan for Hardware Changes.

7)  Ethernet Controller (3) I225-LM should reappear in the list. 

  Reopen the dialog box for Ethernet Controller (3) I225-LM and go to the Driver tab.

9)  Within the dialog box, select Update Driver and Browse My Computer.

10)  Locate the folder where you unzipped LAN-Win10_Win11-1.0.2.14 and select the folder as the driver source.

11)  Driver version 1.0.2.14 should successfully install.

12)  Reboot.

13)  Run Microsoft Updates.

14)  when/if Windows Update reverts the driver to version 1.0.2.6 then use the Device Manager function "Roll Back Driver" to the previously installed version which was 1.0.2.14.

(Note that the rollback function appears to be about the order in which drivers are loaded, not about version numbers or their dates.)

[ArtVB]

I confirm - this solution after many attempts brings peace of mind with annoying messages. In addition, updating the BIOS to version 067 allows WOL, which has not worked with this network card so far. Another thing is that waking up the computer by WOL behaves quite strange because although the computer is supposed to wake up, but you cannot run the remote desktop without a local mouse or keyboard click, this is a topic for another thread so I do not clutter.