Deleting 'inactive' network interfaces

  • Thread starter Thread starter Steve Buckley
  • Start date Start date
S

Steve Buckley

If you remove or sometimes move a NIC to a
different PCI slot you can often end up with "inactive"
network interaces being remembered in Device manager
(ever get the warning that the IP range you are
allocating to an interface is in use by an inactive
device...?) I have found this can cause some quite severe
problems in RRAS(i.e complete system freezes)and would
like to know how you can safely delete these "phantom"
NIC, either through a utility or a bit of hack'n'slash at
the registry.
 
Hi Steve. In device manager try selecting view/show hidden devices to see if that
allows you to uninstall it. There may also be a setting in cmos to clear the pnp
configuration [it is called by various names] so that it starts fresh upon reboot
that may help. A removal and reinstall of tcp/ip may help, but if it is a domain
controller the process is a lot more involved. There may be a registry fix, but I
don't know it offhand. --- Steve

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=285034
 
Even worse,
-----Original Message-----
Hi Steve. In device manager try selecting view/show hidden devices to see if that
allows you to uninstall it. There may also be a setting in cmos to clear the pnp
configuration [it is called by various names] so that it starts fresh upon reboot
that may help. A removal and reinstall of tcp/ip may help, but if it is a domain
controller the process is a lot more involved. There may be a registry fix, but I
don't know it offhand. --- Steve

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=285034

If you remove or sometimes move a NIC to a
different PCI slot you can often end up with "inactive"
network interaces being remembered in Device manager
(ever get the warning that the IP range you are
allocating to an interface is in use by an inactive
device...?) I have found this can cause some quite severe
problems in RRAS(i.e complete system freezes)and would
like to know how you can safely delete these "phantom"
NIC, either through a utility or a bit of hack'n'slash at
the registry.
Click to expand...


.
Click to expand...
 
Even worse,
-----Original Message-----
Hi Steve. In device manager try selecting view/show hidden devices to see if that
allows you to uninstall it. There may also be a setting in cmos to clear the pnp
configuration [it is called by various names] so that it starts fresh upon reboot
that may help. A removal and reinstall of tcp/ip may help, but if it is a domain
controller the process is a lot more involved. There may be a registry fix, but I
don't know it offhand. --- Steve

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=285034

If you remove or sometimes move a NIC to a
different PCI slot you can often end up with "inactive"
network interaces being remembered in Device manager
(ever get the warning that the IP range you are
allocating to an interface is in use by an inactive
device...?) I have found this can cause some quite severe
problems in RRAS(i.e complete system freezes)and would
like to know how you can safely delete these "phantom"
NIC, either through a utility or a bit of hack'n'slash at
the registry.
Click to expand...


.
Click to expand...
 
Even worse,
-----Original Message-----
Hi Steve. In device manager try selecting view/show hidden devices to see if that
allows you to uninstall it. There may also be a setting in cmos to clear the pnp
configuration [it is called by various names] so that it starts fresh upon reboot
that may help. A removal and reinstall of tcp/ip may help, but if it is a domain
controller the process is a lot more involved. There may be a registry fix, but I
don't know it offhand. --- Steve

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=285034

If you remove or sometimes move a NIC to a
different PCI slot you can often end up with "inactive"
network interaces being remembered in Device manager
(ever get the warning that the IP range you are
allocating to an interface is in use by an inactive
device...?) I have found this can cause some quite severe
problems in RRAS(i.e complete system freezes)and would
like to know how you can safely delete these "phantom"
NIC, either through a utility or a bit of hack'n'slash at
the registry.
Click to expand...


.
Click to expand...
 
Even worse,
-----Original Message-----
Hi Steve. In device manager try selecting view/show hidden devices to see if that
allows you to uninstall it. There may also be a setting in cmos to clear the pnp
configuration [it is called by various names] so that it starts fresh upon reboot
that may help. A removal and reinstall of tcp/ip may help, but if it is a domain
controller the process is a lot more involved. There may be a registry fix, but I
don't know it offhand. --- Steve

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=285034

If you remove or sometimes move a NIC to a
different PCI slot you can often end up with "inactive"
network interaces being remembered in Device manager
(ever get the warning that the IP range you are
allocating to an interface is in use by an inactive
device...?) I have found this can cause some quite severe
problems in RRAS(i.e complete system freezes)and would
like to know how you can safely delete these "phantom"
NIC, either through a utility or a bit of hack'n'slash at
the registry.
Click to expand...


.
Click to expand...
 
Even Worse, its a DC and an ISA server,
I tried deleting the hidden devices from Device Manager,
but it said that it couldn't, error message "Device may
be required to boot system" and the same was true in safe
mode.
I've tried the BIOS reset PnP configuration option as
well.
Is there a registry flag that stipulates that a device is
undeletable from Device Manager or is it more complex
than that?
Push comes to shove this is only a development machine so
I *could* just rebuild it but I'm sure the day will come
when I have an ISA server out in the field that needs
this done to it, as you can appriciate Windows is now
pushing very much into the routing/firewall market and
this exact problem really needs to be addressed, you
can't just rebuild a machine from scratch because of a
misidentified network interface and likewise replacing a
failed NIC or upgrading an interface.
I understand that an ISA Server shouldn't really be a DC
in ideal circumstances, but I don't think you can
uninstall TCP/IP from ISA Server without hurting it more
than a bit.

Note: there is an accidentally posted semi-complete
version of this reply - please ignore/delete it.
-----Original Message-----
Hi Steve. In device manager try selecting view/show hidden devices to see if that
allows you to uninstall it. There may also be a setting in cmos to clear the pnp
configuration [it is called by various names] so that it starts fresh upon reboot
that may help. A removal and reinstall of tcp/ip may help, but if it is a domain
controller the process is a lot more involved. There may be a registry fix, but I
don't know it offhand. --- Steve

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=285034

If you remove or sometimes move a NIC to a
different PCI slot you can often end up with "inactive"
network interaces being remembered in Device manager
(ever get the warning that the IP range you are
allocating to an interface is in use by an inactive
device...?) I have found this can cause some quite severe
problems in RRAS(i.e complete system freezes)and would
like to know how you can safely delete these "phantom"
NIC, either through a utility or a bit of hack'n'slash at
the registry.
Click to expand...


.
Click to expand...
 
Ouch! I am not sure about a particular registry entry, luckily I have not run across
that problem. See the link to the following KB article that may be of help,
particularly the reference in part five to network adapter by name and number. There
are a lot of services using network adapters on a server like the one you are having
a problem with. I can't advise any further, but certainly can agree with you and
understand your frustration about something that should be a seemingly easy enough
task such as swapping a nic. --- Steve

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=299451

Steve Buckley said:
Even Worse, its a DC and an ISA server,
I tried deleting the hidden devices from Device Manager,
but it said that it couldn't, error message "Device may
be required to boot system" and the same was true in safe
mode.
I've tried the BIOS reset PnP configuration option as
well.
Is there a registry flag that stipulates that a device is
undeletable from Device Manager or is it more complex
than that?
Push comes to shove this is only a development machine so
I *could* just rebuild it but I'm sure the day will come
when I have an ISA server out in the field that needs
this done to it, as you can appriciate Windows is now
pushing very much into the routing/firewall market and
this exact problem really needs to be addressed, you
can't just rebuild a machine from scratch because of a
misidentified network interface and likewise replacing a
failed NIC or upgrading an interface.
I understand that an ISA Server shouldn't really be a DC
in ideal circumstances, but I don't think you can
uninstall TCP/IP from ISA Server without hurting it more
than a bit.

Note: there is an accidentally posted semi-complete
version of this reply - please ignore/delete it.
-----Original Message-----
Hi Steve. In device manager try selecting view/show hidden devices to see if that
allows you to uninstall it. There may also be a setting in cmos to clear the pnp
configuration [it is called by various names] so that it starts fresh upon reboot
that may help. A removal and reinstall of tcp/ip may help, but if it is a domain
controller the process is a lot more involved. There may be a registry fix, but I
don't know it offhand. --- Steve

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=285034

If you remove or sometimes move a NIC to a
different PCI slot you can often end up with "inactive"
network interaces being remembered in Device manager
(ever get the warning that the IP range you are
allocating to an interface is in use by an inactive
device...?) I have found this can cause some quite severe
problems in RRAS(i.e complete system freezes)and would
like to know how you can safely delete these "phantom"
NIC, either through a utility or a bit of hack'n'slash at
the registry.
Click to expand...


.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Marc Reynolds reply to this post from the RAS-Routing
Group which works.
Wh00t!!!

See 269155 Error Message When You Try to Set an IP
Address on a Network
Adapter
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=269155

--

Thanks,
Marc Reynolds
Microsoft Technical Support

-----Original Message-----
Ouch! I am not sure about a particular registry entry, luckily I have not run across
that problem. See the link to the following KB article that may be of help,
particularly the reference in part five to network
Click to expand...
adapter by name and number. There
are a lot of services using network adapters on a server like the one you are having
a problem with. I can't advise any further, but
Click to expand...
certainly can agree with you and
understand your frustration about something that should be a seemingly easy enough
task such as swapping a nic. --- Steve

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=299451

Even Worse, its a DC and an ISA server,
I tried deleting the hidden devices from Device Manager,
but it said that it couldn't, error message "Device may
be required to boot system" and the same was true in safe
mode.
I've tried the BIOS reset PnP configuration option as
well.
Is there a registry flag that stipulates that a device is
undeletable from Device Manager or is it more complex
than that?
Push comes to shove this is only a development machine so
I *could* just rebuild it but I'm sure the day will come
when I have an ISA server out in the field that needs
this done to it, as you can appriciate Windows is now
pushing very much into the routing/firewall market and
this exact problem really needs to be addressed, you
can't just rebuild a machine from scratch because of a
misidentified network interface and likewise replacing a
failed NIC or upgrading an interface.
I understand that an ISA Server shouldn't really be a DC
in ideal circumstances, but I don't think you can
uninstall TCP/IP from ISA Server without hurting it more
than a bit.

Note: there is an accidentally posted semi-complete
version of this reply - please ignore/delete it.
-----Original Message-----
Hi Steve. In device manager try selecting view/show hidden devices to see if that
allows you to uninstall it. There may also be a
Click to expand...
setting
in cmos to clear the pnp
configuration [it is called by various names] so that
Click to expand...
it
starts fresh upon reboot
that may help. A removal and reinstall of tcp/ip may help, but if it is a domain
controller the process is a lot more involved. There
Click to expand...
may
be a registry fix, but I
don't know it offhand. --- Steve

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=285034

If you remove or sometimes move a NIC to a
different PCI slot you can often end up with "inactive"
network interaces being remembered in Device manager
(ever get the warning that the IP range you are
allocating to an interface is in use by an inactive
device...?) I have found this can cause some quite severe
problems in RRAS(i.e complete system freezes)and would
like to know how you can safely delete these "phantom"
NIC, either through a utility or a bit of
Click to expand...
hack'n'slash
at
the registry.


.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...


.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for posting back. I added that link to my favorites! --- Steve

Steve Buckley said:
Marc Reynolds reply to this post from the RAS-Routing
Group which works.
Wh00t!!!

See 269155 Error Message When You Try to Set an IP
Address on a Network
Adapter
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=269155

--

Thanks,
Marc Reynolds
Microsoft Technical Support

-----Original Message-----
Ouch! I am not sure about a particular registry entry, luckily I have not run across
that problem. See the link to the following KB article that may be of help,
particularly the reference in part five to network
Click to expand...
adapter by name and number. There
are a lot of services using network adapters on a server like the one you are having
a problem with. I can't advise any further, but
Click to expand...
certainly can agree with you and
understand your frustration about something that should be a seemingly easy enough
task such as swapping a nic. --- Steve

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=299451

Even Worse, its a DC and an ISA server,
I tried deleting the hidden devices from Device Manager,
but it said that it couldn't, error message "Device may
be required to boot system" and the same was true in safe
mode.
I've tried the BIOS reset PnP configuration option as
well.
Is there a registry flag that stipulates that a device is
undeletable from Device Manager or is it more complex
than that?
Push comes to shove this is only a development machine so
I *could* just rebuild it but I'm sure the day will come
when I have an ISA server out in the field that needs
this done to it, as you can appriciate Windows is now
pushing very much into the routing/firewall market and
this exact problem really needs to be addressed, you
can't just rebuild a machine from scratch because of a
misidentified network interface and likewise replacing a
failed NIC or upgrading an interface.
I understand that an ISA Server shouldn't really be a DC
in ideal circumstances, but I don't think you can
uninstall TCP/IP from ISA Server without hurting it more
than a bit.

Note: there is an accidentally posted semi-complete
version of this reply - please ignore/delete it.

-----Original Message-----
Hi Steve. In device manager try selecting view/show
hidden devices to see if that
allows you to uninstall it. There may also be a setting
in cmos to clear the pnp
configuration [it is called by various names] so that it
starts fresh upon reboot
that may help. A removal and reinstall of tcp/ip may
help, but if it is a domain
controller the process is a lot more involved. There may
be a registry fix, but I
don't know it offhand. --- Steve

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=285034

"Steve Buckley" <[email protected]>
wrote in message
If you remove or sometimes move a NIC to a
different PCI slot you can often end up with "inactive"
network interaces being remembered in Device manager
(ever get the warning that the IP range you are
allocating to an interface is in use by an inactive
device...?) I have found this can cause some quite
severe
problems in RRAS(i.e complete system freezes)and would
like to know how you can safely delete these "phantom"
NIC, either through a utility or a bit of hack'n'slash
at
the registry.


.
Click to expand...


.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
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