Problem updating driver for Pro/100 VE nic

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Navygoat · #1 Post by **Navygoat** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:00 pm

I have a Thinkpad T23 with Win2K Pro. I made the mistake of letting the Microsoft Update site download a new driver for the Intel Pro/100 VE network card that was OEM on this model. Now the device is inoperable. I tried downloading a new driver (e100bnt5) from Intel, that did not seem to work. I went to support at IBM.com and found the e100bnt5 driver download. The LAN hub seems to flash when I first boot up, but then as Win2k loads, the LAN hub goes dark (no connection), and Device Manager says I need a driver. I have many instances of e100bnt5.sys and prounstl.exe on disk, in several directories. Not sure which one is the updated driver, or which one is actually being used. Does anyone have any ideas how to properly install the driver?
Thanks.

phool@round · #2 Post by **phool@round** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:06 pm

Welcome to the Forum Navygoat! (nice nic!)

I'd normally say, upgrade the OS but......

Delete the device and reboot. See what happens. I have a T23 too, dang VE is hard to get just right.......but I'm using XP and so far so good.

Anchors away mate!

Navygoat · #3 Post by **Navygoat** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:09 am

Thanks for the reply phool.
If I go to Device Manager, and right click on the Pro/100 device --- I get options to "enable" and "uninstsall". Clicking on "uninstall" gives the message "Failed to uninstall the device. The device may be required to boot up the computer". If I click "enable", it says hardware changes have been made, need to reboot. When I reboot, it detects the new hardware and leads me to the "file e100bnt5.sys on windows driver cabinet is needed". It defaults to location "C:\WINNT\Driver Cache" --- but doesn't find it there. My problem is if I search "My computer", I find many versions of e100bnt5.sys, in various folders (C:\IBMTOOLS\DRIVERS\ETHINVE, C:\DRIVERS\NETWORK, C:\WINNT\System32\drivers, etc.). If I pick one of these, it then asks for PROUNSTL.exe, and I have several of these. It then asks for e100bnt5.din...yep, got those too! I have tried several combinations... haven't found the magic combination yet.

phool@round · #4 Post by **phool@round** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:37 am

LOL...... probably shouldn't take up knitting as a hobby.

What's happening is your cross linking files if your not selecting them all from the same folder. I would perform a search for every instance of "e100nt5.sys" and delete it except the one from the i386 folder. I think you can check the date on them. Keep the oldest one available in any case.

One thing to note; PROUNSTL.exe is the uninstaller executable file for the driver. If you copy paste that into the "run" box it will come up and you can delete the current driver/software from your system. May have to reboot. Then I would ignore the new device notice and just do the searching for e100nt5.sys files and delete.

I would use the IBM PRO100VE file to install the ethernet driver again.

It's been so long since I've used W2K that I cannot remember if you can roll back the driver.

I hope this gives you some idea. No matter what, right now it doesn't work and anything you do can't harm it or catch anything on fire.....

Navygoat · #5 Post by **Navygoat** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 1:33 pm

Thanks again, but no luck. I followed your instructions (I think), deleted extraneous copies of driver. Executed the "tpveall.exe" (which was a fresh download from the IBM/Lenovo support site). This placed the needed components in "C:\DRIVERS\WIN\ETHERNET\PRO100\WIN2K". Rebooted, the new hardware wizzard started, and I specified above directory for the requested components. The install "finished", but the the device immediately becomes disabled --- invokes the "new hardware wizzard" --- and I loop through several times (curiously hoping for a different result?). Still no joy.

phool@round · #6 Post by **phool@round** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 2:51 pm

What does it say under your resources tab for the device? Should be Memory Range C0200000-C0200FFF, I/O Range 6400-643F, IRQ 11.

Navygoat · #7 Post by **Navygoat** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 3:22 pm

Unfortunately it says "This device isn't using any resources because it is not currently enabled".

phool@round · #8 Post by **phool@round** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 9:33 pm

What happens if you try to enable it, does it go through the install loop again?

Navygoat · #9 Post by **Navygoat** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 10:02 am

Yes, and I slavishly repeat the same behavior... hoping for a different outcome.

phool@round · #10 Post by **phool@round** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 7:07 pm

I Windows 98 you could boot up in Safe Mode and delete extra/hidden copies of a device. I'm wondering if you boot W2K into Safe Mode (F8 prior to splash screen) if you can't delete any extra copies of the same device. Like I said, it's been along time since those days for me.

Andersonjoe711 · #11 Post by **Andersonjoe711** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 11:15 pm

I made the same mistake with windows update.

I updated my display driver, and screwed it up completely. it would only give me the lowest resolution, and 4bit color. download after download, and i couldn't fix it, so I'm re-formatting and re-installing XP......again.

Navygoat · #12 Post by **Navygoat** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 1:19 pm

Phool,
Thanks, but no luck. I booted to Safe Mode. Their is a "view" option in Device Manager to "show hidden devices". But regardless of view, I see only one instance of the Pro/100 adapter. It is disabled (code 22). But trying to enable it only leads me down the same loop. Am I missing something?

phool@round · #13 Post by **phool@round** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 7:00 pm

I installed W2K on one of my boxen so I'll refresh myself with it and see if I can't offer more information than I've been able to.

Problem updating driver for Pro/100 VE nic

Problem updating driver for Pro/100 VE nic

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