Rogue Realtek CD Drive after driver updates

The

hdmi said:

.............so, you want to download the latest version of this same driver from Realtek official website. The installer of the latest one will let you choose to update the outdated one.................

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I downloaded the file (NetAdapterCx) and installed it, but was never offered the opportunity to update an outdated driver, and trying to update the driver from the Realtek USB CD-ROM USB Device didn't work either - it still claims that the Microsoft driver is the latest (Unless I have missed something) - so there's been no progress. Your continued help would be much appreciated.

fotofundi said:

The

I downloaded the file (NetAdapterCx) and installed it, but was never offered the opportunity to update an outdated driver,

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The fact that it only offered the option to install it just indicates that neither it nor any older version of it had been installed yet. After the installation was finished, did the InstallShield Wizard bring up a dialog window to confirm that the installation was successful? If it did, then the virtual CD-ROM should now be gone, and you should now be able to find the Realtek device in Device Manager when you expand the Network adapters category. If you did get the aforementioned confirmation dialog window, but you still can't find the Realtek network adapter under the Network adapters category in Device Manager, then choose View (from the main menu bar), and choose Show hidden devices. What happens if you run the installer [that you have downloaded] again? Does it now offer the option to repair and the option to remove? Nomally it should, and, if it does, what happens if you choose the option to remove?

Just to be sure, did you visit the support page for your specific model of laptop on Lenovo official website, and did you grab all the latest driver updates from there? Refer to the various descriptions and notes that also are available on there. Also verify that your BIOS version is still up to date.

As far as I recall nothing at all happened after I installed the NetadapterCX file, it simply installed without any messages or post update options.
I last ran Lenovo System Update in September, so I will install a backup image that I took before running the NetadapterCX file and run the Lenovo System Update again in case there are any system/driver changes, and then run the NetadapterCX file, and hope it gives me a result this time.

Update: I installed the NetAdapterCX file after running Lenovo System Updater (which installed some updates).
The NetAdapterCX file was installed under InstallShield and completed with nothing more than confirmation that it had been installed. I then did a restart and some further updates were installed but it didn't list them so I cannot be sure if they were connected to the Realtek driver or were pending updates from Microsoft. At this stage the "Realtek USB CD-ROM USB Device" was still showing in Explorer even after the reboot so I ran the <RTK_NEC_DRIVER_INSTALLER.sfx.exe> file from <Propertes> and rebooted again - and the "Realtek USB CD-ROM USB Device" entry in Explorer has gone!! I did a couple more reboots - just to be sure it has dissappeared - and I am very happy to say it has - hopefully never to return!.
Thank you for your help and patience in guiding me through this marathon excercise, it is very much appreciated, and hopfully it may help anyone else who has the same problem.