Intel Ethernet Universal Windows Driver (UWD) FAQ

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Intel Ethernet Universal Windows Driver (UWD) FAQ

Important Note: Before performing a major OS upgrade, Intel recommends that you uninstall the Intel PROSet feature, perform the OS upgrade, and then reinstall with the latest version of Intel PROSet. This will ensure all features are available and avoid potential issues.

This information applies to both Microsoft Windows* 10 1809 (RS5) & Microsoft Windows* Server 2019

Q: Where can I obtain Universal Windows Drivers (UWD) for Intel® Ethernet Adapters?

A: With SW Release 23.5, UWD are included in the driver download packages available on Download Center for Microsoft Windows* 10 1809 (RS5) and Windows Server 2019.

Link for Windows 10 drivers: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25016

Link for Windows Server 2019 drivers: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/28396

Link for Complete Driver Pack: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/22283

Q: Do I need to do anything different when downloading and installing Universal Windows Drivers for Intel® Ethernet Adapters?

A: No. The installation of UWD is based on the version of your Operating system. Windows 10 1809 RS5 & Windows Server 2019 will only install Universal Windows Drivers for Ethernet. Therefore, if your installed Operating System is Windows 10 1809 RS5 or later, when you execute the downloaded driver package the Universal Windows Drivers will automatically be installed. Older versions of Windows will automatically install the legacy drivers.

Q: Can I upgrade the Ethernet legacy driver to the Universal Windows Drivers or will this require uninstall of legacy drivers and new install of UWD?

A: Yes you can upgrade from Ethernet legacy drivers to Universal Windows Drivers.

Q: Can I install Ethernet Legacy drivers on Microsoft Windows* 10 1809 (RS5) & Windows Server 2019?

A: If you use the downloaded driver package, drivers are installed based on the version of Windows you are running. For example, Windows* 10 1809 RS5 will only install Universal Windows Drivers.

Note: If you install Ethernet legacy drivers manually on a Windows 10 1809 RS5 system, the adapter may not function properly and you will have created an unsupported environment.

Q: Is the installation and usage of PROSet software impacted by the release of Microsoft Windows* 10 Version 1809 and Universal Windows Driver requirement?

A: Yes. Intel® PROSet for Windows* Device Manager is not supported on Microsoft Windows* 10 Version 1809 (and later) and Microsoft* Windows Server* 2019 (and later). Use Intel® PROSet Adapter Configuration Utility instead. The installer will determine which utility to use based on the operating system version you are running.

Q: Is it possible to downgrade from a Universal Windows Driver to a "Legacy" driver?

A: Downgrading requires a complete uninstall of the Universal Windows Driver and then install of the Legacy Driver.

Note: If you are running Windows 10 1809 RS5 or Windows Server 2019, all Ethernet drivers installed on this version of Windows are Universal Windows Drivers. Legacy drivers are not available or supported on Windows 10 1809 RS5 and Windows Server 2019 (and later).

Q: Can there be a mix of Universal Windows Drivers and Legacy drivers on a system and does this impact Ethernet Adapters?

A: Yes. However, this could happen under these circumstances:

• Upgrading Windows from an older Windows build to Windows 10 1809 RS5 or Windows Server 2019 (and later), and Universal Windows drivers are not yet available on Windows Update for all components in the system. 
• Other devices that are using legacy drivers should not impact Ethernet Adapters. For Ethernet Adapters, only Universal Windows Drivers are supported on Windows 10 1809 RS5 and Windows Server 2019 (and later) systems.

Q: How are drivers made available on Windows Update?

A: The Intel Ethernet team is responsible for validating and submitting new driver packages to Microsoft for inclusion on Windows Update.