Q103811: How Windows NT Constructs the supported Network Adapter List

Article: Q103811
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 3.1 3.5 3.51
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbsetup
Last Modified: 08-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.1 
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.1 
- Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server, version 3.1 
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51 
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SUMMARY
=======

When you choose to manually add a network adapter either during setup or after
setup through Control Panel, Windows NT presents you with a list of network
adapter choices. The contents of the list depends on which network adapters you
have .INF files for in your SYSTEM32 subdirectory of Windows NT, as well as the
bus type of your computer.

MORE INFORMATION
================

All network adapters that can be installed under Windows NT must have an .INF
file for them in the SYSTEM32 subdirectory of Windows NT. These files are always
of the following format

  OEMNADxx.INF

where "xx" is a two-letter abbreviation representing the network adapter. Each
.INF file contains a section with the following header:

  [PlatformsSupported]

This section can contain the following values:

  ISA
  EISA
  MCA
  "Jazz-Internal Bus"

Each value indicates a bus type that is supported by the network cards described
in the .INF file.

NOTE: "Jazz-Internal Bus" is the bus on Advanced RISC Computing (ARC) computers
such as the SGI MIPS and DEC Alpha.

When the network Setup program compiles the list of network adapters that can be
added to the computer, it parses these files and lists any adapters whose .INF
file contains the correct bus option for the computer on which you are
installing the network adapter. Note that while network adapters that are
ISA-only can be installed on EISA computers and are therefore listed as an
available option, the reverse is not true.

The text strings that are added to the network adapter options list are contained
in each .INF file in the [OptionsTextENG] section.


For more information on the network adapter INF files, query on the following
words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  network and services and inf

Additional query words: prodnt NETWORK SERVICES

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Keywords          : kbsetup 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNT351search kbWinNT350search kbWinNTW350 kbWinNTW350search kbWinNTW351search kbWinNTW351 kbWinNTW310 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS350 kbWinNTS310 kbWinNTAdvSerSearch kbWinNTAdvServ310 kbWinNTS351search kbWinNTS350search kbWinNTS310search kbWinNT310Search kbWinNTW310Search
Version           : 3.1 3.5 3.51

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