Windows Update and Realtek ethernet NICs

[Funkstar]

Why oh why does the Windows update of the Realtek network driver always screw things up?

I moaned about this in another thread some time ago. The Windows Update driver killed my network letting me have a few bytes a second of bandwidth. This was on Vista.

http://forums.hexus.net/operating-sy...ml#post1756002

I just installed Windows 7 x64 last night. It all went extremely smoothly, the only hardware it hasn't set up is my Datacolor Spyder Elite. Forced Windows to run an update before it did it by itself and caught me unawares with a restart, and despite vowing never to, I selected the new Realtek driver. I foolishly thought that as Windows 7 had installed a working driver straight off, the new one wouldn't be a problem either.

Wrong.

No connection. A quick roll back in Device Manager and all was working again.

Now, you could blame Gigabyte for a custom implementation, but then how would the Windows installer get it right if that was the case?

I know it isn't a big deal, after all, driver roll back works extremely well, but it just annoys me!

[aidanjt]

The realtek nic drivers have been constantly messed up.. Often I get WU try to install 'new' drivers for it constantly.. same damn version over and over ad infinitium.

[directhex]

I'm also hit by this. When there a bad driver on Loonicks, it's a demonstration of how utterly beyond use the whole system is - yet when it's been that way with Windows literally since the day Vista was released up to and including today, nobody bats an eyelid?

[jim]

I just installed Windows 7 x64 last night. It all went extremely smoothly, the only hardware it hasn't set up is my Datacolor Spyder Elite. Forced Windows to run an update before it did it by itself and caught me unawares with a restart, and despite vowing never to, I selected the new Realtek driver. I foolishly thought that as Windows 7 had installed a working driver straight off, the new one wouldn't be a problem either.

Wrong.

No connection. A quick roll back in Device Manager and all was working again.

I had this problem, was just glad that the rollback was easy because otherwise it makes life pretty tricky - "I'll just go onto the internet and get the right driver"... "ah, damn."

Why is it so difficult for Windows Update to get the correct driver?

[Funkstar]

Why is it so difficult for Windows Update to get the correct driver?

And it's always that one driver. The drivers for my graphics card update successfully every time.

[Phage]

I can vouch for this going back to XP.

[nightkhaos]

I can vouch for this going back to XP.

I recall the Realtek driver problem also occured, albeit not as frequently (mainly because it was infiniately harder to install optional and driver updates via Windows Update because it did it through Internet Explorer) in XP.

[CyberChris]

It is always a hit or miss with drivers from windows update, best advice I can give is to get the updated driver direct from the manufactorers website.

[Agent]

I think I put it in your other thread too Funkstar, but I was hit by this (Gigabyte board - but I'm not convinced this is the issue).

Windows update is useless for drivers. It's often told me that new nVidia drivers are out, when I have updated a matter of hours before to the latest ones directly.
The other one it has had me on is monitor drivers - which then proceeded to screw up all the colour calibration on that screen.
Never again.

[Funkstar]

Never had those problems Agent, only with Realtek NICs

[lego batman]

Gigabyte board here too and the Realtek update borks my connection. One from Realtek website works fine though. Is there much benefit in updating from a working driver anyway? Maybe for graphics etc, but for ethernet connections?

[Funkstar]

It's a good point that, and reason for me not really worrying about this issue. It's just gets annoying.

As annoying as Windows Update can be, at least Windows doesn't have the 'dependency hell' to quite the same degree as other platforms

[alsenior]

i am so glad i consigned realtek network cards to the bin a long time ago. marvell and broadcom based chips all the way for me now.

what i don't understand is on higher end board where you pay a fair wedge for them do you still get realtek chip. if you buy a premium board you should get premium parts right?

[jim]

i am so glad i consigned realtek network cards to the bin a long time ago. marvell and broadcom based chips all the wayfor me now.

what i dont understand is on higher end baord where you pay a fair wedge for them do you still get realtek chip. if you buy a premium baord you should get premium parts right?

True, but I have a feeling that people just don't notice - it's like average Joe doesn't know what CPU he has, I reckon average Enthusiast doesn't know what network chip he's got.

KillerNICs have proved that in a way.