How do I find software for my ethernet card?

I just installed a new hard drive in my 6 year old pc, and I can’t connect to the internet because I need to download software for my ethernet card (that’s what Verizon tech support told me). I bought the ethernet card about 6 months ago. I’m not sure if it came with a CD, but if it did, I can’t find it. Does anyone know how I can download or get the necessary software off of my old hard drive? I can connect to the internet fine on my old hard drive. I don’t see any brand name or anything like that on the ethernet card itself. Thanks.

Drivers are located at C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers usually. Instead of windows it may say WINNT. You may have to view all folder to see this.

To find out specifically where your network driver was located Right click my computer—manage—device manger—network adapters–double click your ethernet card—driver tab—driver details. This will tell you the path to the location of your driver. This is done on the old hard drive. You will need to copy this file.

On the new hard drive place this file on say C drive, and tell the computer to search there. This should work (it did for me the only time I had to try this)

Awesome! Okay, I’m burning that file to a disc right now. Before I shut down my computer, install the new hard drive, and fire it up again- one more question:

How do I tell the computer to search there once I put the file on the C drive?

You don’t. You have to install the driver.

Better still, using the info Queuing provided, go to the manufacturer’s web site now and download the current driver install file for your card. That’s the file you should burn, along with any installation instructions.

What version of Windows? Usually, XP will have drivers and automagically sets things up when you plug them in for the first time, or it’ll pop up and tell you it needs help finding the drivers.

Otherwise, yes, head over the the card’s manufacturer’s site and look for an install package or updates, but ethernet cards are so commonplace now that Windows is pretty agile at sniffing them out and making them work with no intervention needed on your part.

Us graybeards do not look fondly back on the era when the network card (and not necessarily ethernet, either!) had its own BIOS that loaded in when the PC was turned on, and a whole raft of initialization that had to be done every time as well.

How do I find the manufacturer? I went under ‘Network Adapters’ and it says I have a “10/100 gigabit ethernet cardbus pc card” and that the manufacturer is CardBus, but after doing a Google search it doesn’t seem that CardBus is an actual manufacturer. :confused:

Yeah, it’s not doing it on its own. Maybe it’s because my Version of XP is an upgrade version and it’s about four years old?

Try running Belarc Advisor which may be able to sniff out a bit more info for you, or SiSoft Sandra which is a bit more intensive.

Alternatively you could slave your old hard drive and get the new one to locate and install the driver from there.

I’m surprised that XP didn’t just run with it though, I haven’t found any problems with new or old machines, new or old cards, it has always just installed and used them. Vista now, that is another kettle of fish altogether.

Ubuntu just used them to, without even a mention, went straight online and synched with the Ubuntu server during the installation process.

Belarc Advisor just says “10/100 Gigabit Ethernet CardBus PC Card”.

Okay, the file that Queuing told me to download was ‘rtlnicxp.sys’. I Googled this and I got a lot of hits for the company Realtek. Is that most likely the manufacturer of my ethernet card?

Realtek is the manufacturer of the ethernet chip used in the card. They may or may not provide drivers for the card. Some companies provide reference drivers for their chips, some make you go to the OEM manufacturer of the card.

I think it may have been a CompUsa brand ethernet card.