# Solved: NIC hardware failed, need to delete associated LAN config



## budious (Nov 27, 2009)

Server 2003 (Windows Home Server) The onboard NIC was configured with a static LAN address. The hardware failed so I replaced it a PCI Intel NIC. New NIC appears as Local Area Connection 2 but when I try to assign the static IP address of the former NIC windows tells me a network connection already has this address and will create a conflict; it also tells me that inactive connections have been hidden from view in the Network Connections folder. How do I enable view or edit the original Local Area Connection for which hardware is no longer installed? The old hardware also does not appear in device manager since it failed, and I have also since disabled it in BIOS. budious


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## TheOutcaste (Aug 8, 2007)

Welcome to TSG!

Windows Server 2003 and Windows Home Server are two different operating systems.
This should work on both, but I've not had my hands on Windows Home Server, so can't be sure:

To show devices that are no longer present in Device Manager:

Go to *Control Panel | System*
Click the *Advanced* tab, then click the *Environment Variables* button
Under the *System variables* section, click the *New* button.
In the *Variable name:* box type *DevMgr_Show_NonPresent_Devices
*In the *Variable value:* box type *1
*Click *OK*, then click *OK* again on the *Environment Variables* window
In Device Manager, Click *View* | *Show hidden devices*

Uninstall the driver for the defective NIC. That should also remove any configuration info.

If it's disabled in the BIOS, it should not be detected on reboot, so won't re-install.

If that doesn't work, you can find the interface settings under this key:

```
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces
```
You'll have to check each interface listed to find the one with the IP you want to use, and change it to something else. I'm not sure what effect just deleting that key would have if you don't also track down the other keys related to that interface.
Best to just change the address to something unused in one of the private ranges, 10.x.x.x, 169.254.x.x, 172.16-31.x.x, or 192.168.x.x


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## budious (Nov 27, 2009)

Thanks for the suggestion, I will give this a try. 

BTW, Windows Home Server is built on a tweaked Windows 2003 SP2 Small Business Server with the additional components of the Home Server installed on top. Thus, the naming of Power Pack updates for WHS as they address the features and functionality of the Home Server Console. If Microsoft ever chose to release a Service Pack 3 for the Windows 2003 Server family then it would be applicable to Windows Home Server, as all updates that come down the pipe from Windows Update are Server 2003 security hotfixes, or WHS component updates.


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## budious (Nov 27, 2009)

I can confirm that setting the Environment Variable to display the removed hardware in Device Manager works and I was able to uninstall the previous NIC driver. Editing the registry was not required. Thanks again.


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## TheOutcaste (Aug 8, 2007)

You're welcome, and thanks for the update and the info on WHS. I was thinking it was closer to XP than 2003. Guess I should grab a copy off of MSDN one of these days to learn more about it.

If your issue has been resolved you (and ONLY you) can mark this thread Solved by using the Mark Solved button at the Top Left of this thread (above the first post) 










Jerry


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