"Cannot install drivers. No intel adapter present in this computer"

[Wolfang]

I have an MSI Z170a Xpower Gaming Titanium Edition motherboard and Windows 10 64-bit. I'm not sure what occurred, but one day I woke up to a black screen, and when I turned my comp back on, my network driver was uninstalled. Okay, no problem, I'll just re-install it. Device manager, Ethernet controller, look for the driver from the C:/Windows folder.

Nope. Let's try again. I plug in a wireless USB stick, get on the net, download the LAN driver from the MSI website, autorun it...and it gives me the "cannot install drivers no intel adapter present in this computer" message. What? Okay, fine. I uninstall the Ethernet controller, search for new hardware. Device manager finds it, gives the little yellow triangle to say it has no driver. Try again with downloaded driver, no go. Uninstall again, run driver, nothing.

At this point, I'm just completely confused.

 

[clutchc]

My uneducated guess is that the Ethernet adapter is failing. Or has failed. Have you tried a different Ethernet cable? Does the router it is plugged into work with other Ethernet devices. (don't go by the wifi).

 

[Wolfang]

My uneducated guess is that the Ethernet adapter is failing. Or has failed. Have you tried a different Ethernet cable? Does the router it is plugged into work with other Ethernet devices. (don't go by the wifi).

Yep, changed the wire, and the router does work with other devices as well. I hope the Ethernet adapter isn't kicking the bucket, this motherboard is pretty new, just got it in late March.

 

[clutchc]

Might want to update your virus signatures and run a FULL scan just to be sure some virus hasn't been at work. I'd also do a Malwaresbytes scan too.
Or it could be one of the numerous glitches that seem to constantly pop up in Win10.

 

[Wolfang]

Might want to update your virus signatures and run a FULL scan just to be sure some virus hasn't been at work. I'd also do a Malwaresbytes scan too.
Or it could be one of the numerous glitches that seem to constantly pop up in Win10.

Malwarebytes and ESET found nothing.

 

[clutchc]

Might want to update your virus signatures and run a FULL scan just to be sure some virus hasn't been at work. I'd also do a Malwaresbytes scan too.
Or it could be one of the numerous glitches that seem to constantly pop up in Win10.

Malwarebytes and ESET found nothing.

You might try the Intel site direct for the driver: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/82186/Intel-Ethernet-Connection-I219-V
Although the one from MSI should be the same.

Try this: once you have the driver pkg. downloaded, uninstall the USB adapter and remove it. Then try to run the driver installation pkg. Maybe the driver pkg sees the non-Intel wireless adapter and stops.