Can't Load NIC Driver

[thiteshew]

Hi all,

A junior admin loaded an application in a Windows 2003 VM that caused the NIC to stop workin. This server was working for several months before this happened. A yellow exclamation appears in the NIC (VmWare Accelerated AMD PCNet Adapter) and Windows cannot load the driver. I have tried uninstalling vmware tools, reinstalling vmware tools, and installing the driver manually. I cannot remove the NIC either.

I've also compared .vmx files with one of our other VMs and the ethernet config sections look identical. The .vmx file is attached for reference. Any insight to this issue would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[weinstein5]

I would try reloading the vmware tools which will reload the vmxnet driver for your virtual NIC card -

[thiteshew]

Thanks for the reply. But I have uninstalled and reinstalled vmware tools twice with the same result.

[weinstein5]

looking at the last line of your attachment - is your ethernet card connected? in the setting for the ethernet card are the connected box and connect at power on cheecked?

[thiteshew]

When I posted the config, it was not connected. However, a NIC does not show up on the server at all since it can't load the driver. I have since connected the NIC but it does not make a difference.

[weinstein5]

What if you add a new NIC - does it get detected by the o/s when your vm reboots? or with it connected and you rescan for new hardware does it show up -

[thiteshew]

Nope. Neither options work.

[Rumple]

Try this

See if the nic is hidden and maybe if you delete it, it will pick it up as a new device...

[thiteshew]

The device is not hidden and I cannot remove it saying that it is necessary to boot the computer. I agree that this is more of a Windows problem and not a VmWare problem, but I am wondering why it can't load the NIC driver?

[Caleb_Gibbs]

I am having the same issue after P2v a server i have tried the extended nic drivers in VMware and the E1000 nic. nothing works I can't. get it to work.

Has anyone found a solution for this yet?

If it was a problem with the os I would have had the same issue on the physical Machine. and I would have just taken out the Network card and put in a new one. I can't do that in this situation because it is virtual.

So i guess I disagree with the comment that it is a OS problem. The OS requires hardware to run if there is a problem at the hardware layer then it will transfer to the Application layer.

Any assistance with this would be good.