I've just built a new PC using an MSI PRO X870E-P WIFI motherboard and I'm installing Windows 11. During setup, Windows asks me to connect an Ethernet cable, but no available Wi-Fi networks appear. I opened a command prompt with Shift+F10 and launched File Explorer so I could run the Wi-Fi driver installer from a USB drive. However, the MSI installer asks me to select a driver path and device name, and I can't get it to complete. I downloaded both the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth drivers from MSI onto the USB drive, but I haven't installed the Bluetooth driver yet. I don't currently have access to the router for an Ethernet connection, so what is the correct way to install the Wi-Fi driver during Windows setup?
4 Answers
Make sure you downloaded the actual Windows 11 Wi-Fi driver package for the exact PRO X870E-P WIFI model, not just a motherboard utility or launcher. On another computer, extract the download if necessary and copy the whole extracted folder to the USB drive. During setup, use Shift+F10, open File Explorer, locate the USB drive, and run the installer as administrator. If the MSI program still asks for a path or device, look for an extracted driver folder containing .inf files and install it through Device Manager instead. You can also use the command prompt to load an INF driver directly with pnputil, for example: `pnputil /add-driver D:pathtodriver.inf /install`. Replace the drive letter and path with the actual location on your USB drive, then restart the PC.
If you can’t get the driver installed during setup, you can bypass the network requirement temporarily. At the network connection screen, press Shift+F10, type `OOBEBYPASSNRO`, and press Enter. The computer should restart and then offer an option such as “I don’t have internet” or “Continue with limited setup.” Finish installing Windows locally, then copy the motherboard’s Wi-Fi driver from the USB drive and install it from the desktop. Restart afterward, and install the Bluetooth driver separately if you need Bluetooth devices.
The antenna helps the motherboard receive the wireless signal, but it doesn’t provide the driver. Windows still needs the correct Wi-Fi driver before the adapter can work. The easiest options are to temporarily connect the PC to the router with Ethernet, use a USB Wi-Fi adapter, or download the driver on another device and transfer it by USB.
I thought the antenna might be enough by itself, so that clears up the confusion. I don’t currently have access to the router, so I’ll need to transfer the driver another way.
Don’t clear the CMOS or return the motherboard yet based only on the missing Wi-Fi option. During a fresh Windows installation, the adapter often won’t appear until its driver is installed. First verify that the motherboard’s Wi-Fi antennas are screwed into the rear connectors, install the proper Windows 11 driver, and reboot. If the adapter still doesn’t appear in Device Manager afterward, then check BIOS settings and consider contacting MSI support.
The MSI installer opens a screen with the MSI dragon and then asks for a driver path, so I may have downloaded the wrong package or need to extract it first. I’ll check for the INF files.