Can't install Intel 9260 drivers on Windows 10 LTSB 1607

[HWong17]

Good afternoon.

We are trying to install Intel 9260 drivers (Intel_21.60.2) on Windows 10 LTSB 1607, but got a message saying that "The installation requires Windows 10.0.16299.0 or newer".

We tried older version of the driver and still get the same message.

So which version of drivers that works with Windows 10 LTSB?

Thanks.

[AlHill]

Upgrade your windows as directed.

Doc

[n_scott_pearson]

You would have to go to a fairly old version of the driver to support 1607. Better to upgrade your 1607 to 1909.

...S

[HWong17]

Thank you all for the answers.

Unfortunately Windows 10 LTSB doesn't have the luxury for upgrade, only updates.

Thank you.

[AlHill]

You can upgrade to 2019.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/ltsc/

Doc

[HWong17]

Hi Al,

Thank you again for the pointer.

After further reading, I found that you can only upgrade through Windows setup (installer), can't just do regular Windows upgrade.

https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/2169643-win-10-ltsb-upgrade-question

Thanks.

[friedpickles]

I know this is an old topic, but no one answered the original question and I got new drivers to install fine on LTSB. Though, they needlessly sent me on a wild goose chase in order to get it to work.

I am running Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 and these are the current drivers:

https://downloadmirror.intel.com/30434/a08/WiFi_22.50.1_Driver64_Win10.exe

As I was installing the drivers I monitored %temp% and saw this log file:

C:\Users\myusername\AppData\Local\Temp\Intel®_Software_Installer_20210629092122.log

It directed me to this location:

C:\WINDOWS\Temp\{2932FB93-75D3-4076-80AC-373E75354EF0}

Which contained:

logs (folder)
setup.xml
WirelessSetup.exe

I then opened setup.xml and noticed this line:

<MinSupportedOsVersion>10.0.16299.0</MinSupportedOsVersion>

And edited it to:

<MinSupportedOsVersion>10.0.14393.0</MinSupportedOsVersion>

I then re-installed WirelessSetup.exe and it installed with no issues. And I now have driver 20.70.23.1 from 3/21/21 installed with no issues. Newer WAP's at my work were no longer working with the old drivers from 2016. No idea why Intel felt it was necessary to limit the installer to newer versions of windows. LTSB is not end-of-life yet.

[friedpickles]

Well I figured out I made that harder than I needed to, go to your NIC download page and download the one that says:

Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software and Drivers for IT Admins

Extract the zip file somewhere and remember the location, in my case it was:

C:\Users\myusername\Downloads\WiFi_22.50.1_Driver64_Win10

Open device manager, scroll down to network adapters and double click on your wireless nic, Intel Dual Bad Wireless-AC 8260 in my case. Go to the driver tab and choose update driver and choose browse for driver software on your computer. Paste in the location from earlier and make sure search subfolders is checked.

That should work to get you the latest drivers, with no OS versions errors because of the installer.

[n_scott_pearson]

Yes, you can get the driver package to install, by hook or by crook, but there is a reason why it was not installing, namely that Intel does not test the new drivers with builds this old and thus blocked it from installing. Intel typically only validates with the current and three most-previous Windows 10 updates. The new build may work just fine, but Intel doesn't certify what it doesn't test. You are on your own using these newer, untested builds.

...S