: En Ethernet Connection after Windows 11 Clean Install
: En Ethernet Connection after Windows 11 Clean Install
Hello!
According to the instructions, after a fresh installation of Windows 11 (without keeping anything selected), I set up all the required drivers for my motherboard Gigabyte Z490M.
I installed the Realtek HD Audio Driver, Intel Management Engine Firmware, Intel Serial I/O driver, Intel INF installation, Intel LAN Driver, and additional drivers for SATA and VGA.
The first time I tried to connect, there was no internet access—my system reported that no DHCP server was found. I restarted both the PC and the router, but it didn’t work. Eventually, I reformatted the drive, reinstalled Windows 11, and finally got back an internet connection!
For a day after that, I didn’t make any changes and left the PC untouched. No internet was available for any reason.
I tested everything: uninstalled drivers, reinstalled them, used the device manager multiple times, but nothing resolved the issue.
Checking the ipconfig /all command showed:
Host Name ... My pc name
Primary DNS Suffix ... empty
Node Type ... Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled ... No
WINS Proxy Enabled .... No
Ethernet adapter Ethernet: Connection-specific DNS Suffix .: (empty)
Description .... Intel® Ethernet Connection (11) I219-V
Physical Address ... 18-C0-4D-6A-XX-XX (replaced with XX)
DHCP Enabled ... Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled ... Yes
Link-local IPV6 Address.... fe80::2b59:59b7:31c:xxxxx (preferred) (replaced with xxx)
Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address ... 169.254.xxx.xx (preferred) (replaced with xxx)
Subnet Mask .... 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway .... (empty)
DHCPv6 IAID: 10228xxxx (replaced with xxx)
DHCPv6 Client DUID ... 00-01-00-01-30-62-DC-46-18-C0-4D-xx-xx-xx (replaced with xxx)
DNS servers .... and here I have 3 displayed like fec0:0:0 ...
NetBIOS over Tcpip .... Enabled
That’s all. Please let me know if you need further assistance!
After a fresh setup of Windows 11 (leaving nothing selected), it seems like an OS reset rather than a full installation. A clean install involves formatting the drive where the OS is being installed.
You mentioned using the Gigabyte Z490M. The installer was found at the provided link. Is this the board you're using? What BIOS version are you currently running for your motherboard?
I'm not close to that PC right now, but that's all that was visible.
The image shows a clean install with an empty Windows.old folder and Program Files. I manually removed the old Windows folder.
About the installer source for the OS—this is unclear to me.
Also here are the motherboard version and BIOS details.
You are currently using BIOS version F6. Checking Gigabyte's support page for your Z490M-rev-10 model shows that BIOS version F6 is unavailable, likely because it was removed due to instability. I recommend flashing the BIOS to version F24a, resetting the CMOS, and testing internet connectivity via your network card. Also, clarify if you need help finding the OS installer source.
Turn on IPv4 configuration. The DHCP server and DNS server should match your router's (or modem/router's) IP address, which is often 192.168.1.1 but can differ by manufacturer or change made by the network administrator.
Find the router's IP through the "ipconfig /all" command on another connected device on the same network.
Use a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0.
Set DNS servers to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
Ensure someone with full administrator privileges assists if needed.
If there was a Windows.old folder, then you hadn't performed a clean install. Windows.old doesn't appear after a clean install; it only shows up after a Windows reset or update. Running a Windows reinstall from the settings isn't a clean install either. To get a fresh installation, you need to make a USB Windows 11 media, boot from it, remove any existing partitions, and start the setup. If your computer came with Windows pre-installed, you'll probably need a new license after the fresh install.
I changed the bios to the F24a latest release and now my Windows logo PC displays a driver verifier dma violation message and it won’t boot. I attempted to use a Windows USB made with the 11 media creation tool, but the issue persists. Additionally, using another BIOS version still doesn’t resolve the problem with q flash, which shows an invalid bios image; renaming it to GIGABYTE.bin or GIGABYTE.BIN didn’t help.
Changed the virtualization VT-m settings from BIOS and it functioned. I'm adjusting the PC formatting now, hoping it will finally work.