Windows 10: Win 10 created a new Ethernet connection, and now Can't get rid of it

This may be one of those examples of how Win10 is so smart that it is really stupid. (Or maybe it was me who was stupid, but how was I to know?)

I was trying to test why my Ethernet adapter was not giving more that 100 mps. (Turns out it was a cable which had gone bad--something that seems so rare that I never suspect it.) In the process, I disabled my on-board lan card in BIOS, and installed a PCI 1 Gigabit card.) For no apparent reason, Windows just figured this was the same card, and it worked without Win10 installing any new drivers. I then shut down, and intended to go back to using the original on-board card. But I forgot to unplug the 2nd card when I restarted Win. Win10 now showed that I had 2 Ethernet adapters, both with the same driver, but neither one would work. (One was now labled as Ethernet #2, both had red X's.) I shut down and removed the PCI card. Now I only had the original on-board card.

However, Win10 now calls the original card Ethernet #2, and the only advice it gives is that I need to plug in a cable. (New cable is there, and it previously worked fine.) Win10 will not allow the original on-board LAN to work, because it is misidentified as Ethernet #2, and Win provides no way to delete Ethernet #2, or uninstall it without it coming back as #2. (This used to be easy with XP.) I've tried disabling the LAN in BIOS and then restarting with no Ethernet, then shutting down and enabling the LAN again. Still Win always thinks now it is #2 and says to plug in a cable. It wont let me rename it to "Ethernet" either, because "there is another connection with that name" (which cannot be found.) Useless....

Can anyone help me get this cleared up?

:)

 

Win 10 How to get rid of Windows.old folder and content.


*Think

As always, there seems to be lots of alleged fixes out there, which may work on versions earlier than Win 10... but not with Win 10. The struggle for getting rid of this now un-needed bloat seems to be wrapped up in file permissions. But even when I try to clobber it with administrative authority, it won't budge. One fix suggests that you can use disk cleanup to get rid of it by selecting previous installation files. Heh. Yeah. Just TRY and find that option in Win 10.

Ok. Somebody hopefully has managed to resolve this inigma. Step by step, please. *Smile

 

Ethernet connections are created automatically and is cluttering my Network Settings. What must be the problem?

The 'Network Connections' option on my laptop PC shows more than 100 Ethernet connections. These are other than the two default connections: Wi-Fi and Wired Ethernet. Everyday I notice a new connection created in the list (probably everytime I restart
my PC) with the list currently standing at 111. I suspect this might be due to VMware Workstation installed on my PC, which might be creating a new connection everytime for the VMs on it, but I am not sure. Please suggest something.

Specifications:

Windows 10 Home Single Language (64-bit)

Intel Core i3-4030U (dual-core, 1.9 GHz)

4GB RAM

Realtek Ethernet Port (for Wired)

Broadcom BCM43142 Wi-Fi Adapter (for Wireless)

Thanks.

 

Setting a metered connection for Ethernet?


Please permit me to respectfully disagree, battlezone. Not only is it possible to do this, TenForums offers a tutorial that explains exactly how, step-by-step: Set Ethernet Connection as Metered or Unmetered in Windows 10. Do please check it out, won't you?
Thanks,
--Ed--