Installing an unsupported Intel NIC driver on Windows Server Core 2019.

Trying to install Hyper-V Server Core 2019 for testing purposes on a regular workstation but always got the message “No active network adapters found”!
Installing the mainboard NIC drivers also failed with the message “No Intel(R) Adapters are present in this computer”!

Solution:
– Bios -> SecureBoot: Off
– Bios -> Operating System: Other OS
– Bios -> BootMode: Setup or TestMode

-Disable the driver signature enforcement on Server:
bcdedit /set LOADOPTIONS DISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
bcdedit /set TESTSIGNING ON
bcdedit /set NOINTEGRITYCHECKS ON
reboot

– Fetch the latest Intel drivers for your mainboard and ensure using NDIS68
– Use the free devmanview tool from NirSoft to get the correct PnP vendor string
– Modify the e1d68x64.inf file using the info from devmanview tool:
1. Identify the “section” : e.g. E15BC
2. Copy the two corresponding lines from [Intel.NTamd64.10.0.1] to [Intel.NTamd64.10.0] and remove the tailing “.10.0.1” in the section part.
3. Add a third line to the [Intel.NTamd64.10.0] block using the info found with devmanview tool. (e.g. … _15BC&SUBSYS_E0001458 )

%E15BCNC.DeviceDesc% = E15BC, PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_15BC
%E15BCNC.DeviceDesc% = E15BC, PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_15BC&SUBSYS_00008086
%E15BCNC.DeviceDesc% = E15BC, PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_15BC&SUBSYS_E0001458

Install the chipset drivers using the setup tool of your mainboard vendor.

Use pnputil to install the modified NIC driver
pnputil /add-driver e1d68x64.inf
reboot

Voila!

Due to the fact that it’s only a testing machine I waive to re-secure the machine.
In case you need it:
-> redo Bios settings
bcdedit /set LOADOPTIONS ENABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
bcdedit /set TESTSIGNING OFF
bcdedit /set NOINTEGRITYCHECKS OFF
reboot