Solved vEthernet adapter appeared and can't remove


steveg

Well-known member
Member
Local time
11:04 AM
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198
OS
11 Pro 24H2
Recently discovered a vEthernet adapter appearing in the adapter settings of Network and Sharing. I don't know when it got installed, maybe during the 24H2 update. The thing is I can't make any changes to it like stop it from being the default, uninstall it or disable it. Very frustrating as I'm not much of a virtual machine user so I don't normally have the virtual features enabled.

So I enabled Hyper V and Hyper Visor then rebooted. Went to the Hyper V manager and still could do nothing with the adapter. Unselected both features, rebooted and the adapter is still there with options to delete still greyed out.

Getting very frustrated especially since it shows as the default adapter, I didn't install it, and seems I can't do anything about it. Anybody have any experience with this and is it a requirement of 24H2 that is always there? Thanks.

PS: It doesn't show in ipconfigScreenshot 2025-05-27 072950.webpScreenshot 2025-05-27 110336.webp
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI
    CPU
    i7-10750H
    Motherboard
    MSI MS-17F5
    Memory
    16GB Samsung DDR4 3200
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel + Nvidia RTX3060 Laptop
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 24" Curved (HDMI)
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    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Sabrent Rocket Gen3 1Tb Smasung EVO 870 1TB
    Antivirus
    Avast
Virtual network card is installed when you enable hyper-v platform or an item which needs a piece of integrated Windows virtualization, like WSA for example. vEthernet exists across Default Virtual Switch, which cannot be deleted. Otherwise uninstalling hyper-v and all its dependencies.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus NUC 14 Pro +
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 5 125H
    Motherboard
    NUC14RVS
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel ARC
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    DELL
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    SSD Crucial T500 - 4TB
    SSD Integral - 1TB
    PSU
    Integrated
    Case
    Integrated
    Cooling
    Integrated
    Keyboard
    Dell WK717
    Mouse
    Logitech M650L
    Internet Speed
    Orange / Fiber @ 1 gbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Integrated (WD)
    Other Info
    Router Netgear R7800 @ DD-WRT
    Printer Brother HL-2130
    Phone Google Pixel 4 @ Android 13 & Orange 4G
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home made
    CPU
    Intel Core i3-3220
    Motherboard
    Intel DH77EB
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics card(s)
    nVidia GT1030 GDDR5
    Sound Card
    Asus Xonar DX
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    SSD Sandisk - 240GB HDD WD - 1.5TB
    PSU
    Antec Earthwatts 380W
    Case
    Lian-Li PC-C37
    Cooling
    Stock cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech K400
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Integrated (WD)
That gets installed by Hyper-V. You would need to uninstall Hyper-V to get rid of it. The Default Switch in Hyper-V allows Hyper-V guests to access the network via NAT.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self-built
    CPU
    Intel i7 11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A MB
    Memory
    64GB (Waiting for warranty replacement of another 64GB for 128GB total)
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe SSD
    1 x 4TB NVMe SSD
    3 x 512GB 2.5" SSD
    1 x 4TB 2.5" SSD
    5 x 8TB Seagate Barracuda HDD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCUE RGB 5000X mid tower case
    Cooling
    Noctua NF-S12A chromax.black.swap case fans (Qty. 7) & Home Computer Specifications, Configuration, and Usage Notes General Specifications ASUS Prime Z590-A motherboard, serial number M1M0KC222467ARP Intel Core i7-11700K CPU (11th Gen Rocket Lake / LGA 1200 Socket) 128GB Crucial Ballistix RGB DDR4 3200 MHz DRAM (4 x 32GB) Corsair iCUE RGB 5000X mid tower case Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black CPU cooler Noctua NF-S12A chromax.black.swap case fans (Qty. 7) & Corsair LL-120 RGB Fans (Qty. 3)
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 Max RGB Magnetic Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
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    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    The five 8TB drives and three 512GB SSDs are part of a DrivePool using StableBit DrivePool software. The three SSDs are devoted purely to caching for the 8TB drives. All of the important data is stored in triplicate so that I can withstand simultaneous failure of 2 disks.

    Networking: 2.5Gbps Ethernet and WiFi 6e
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
That gets installed by Hyper-V. You would need to uninstall Hyper-V to get rid of it. The Default Switch in Hyper-V allows Hyper-V guests to access the network via NAT.

So just unchecking Hyper-V in features doesn't get rid of it? Weird part is I didn't have it checked as an added feature when the adapter appeared. Enabling Hyper-V , rebooting then disabling and rebooting didn't get rid of it either. Not aware of anything on my system that needs vEthernet adapter and very annoyed it shows as the default switch.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI
    CPU
    i7-10750H
    Motherboard
    MSI MS-17F5
    Memory
    16GB Samsung DDR4 3200
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel + Nvidia RTX3060 Laptop
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 24" Curved (HDMI)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Sabrent Rocket Gen3 1Tb Smasung EVO 870 1TB
    Antivirus
    Avast
Could Avast antivirus be doing it? Have had a few years though and never saw this before.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI
    CPU
    i7-10750H
    Motherboard
    MSI MS-17F5
    Memory
    16GB Samsung DDR4 3200
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel + Nvidia RTX3060 Laptop
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 24" Curved (HDMI)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Sabrent Rocket Gen3 1Tb Smasung EVO 870 1TB
    Antivirus
    Avast
The virtual card does not appear like that. You should have installed a program that activated a virtual feature of HV.

Have you read my previous post ?
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus NUC 14 Pro +
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 5 125H
    Motherboard
    NUC14RVS
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel ARC
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    DELL
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    SSD Crucial T500 - 4TB
    SSD Integral - 1TB
    PSU
    Integrated
    Case
    Integrated
    Cooling
    Integrated
    Keyboard
    Dell WK717
    Mouse
    Logitech M650L
    Internet Speed
    Orange / Fiber @ 1 gbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Integrated (WD)
    Other Info
    Router Netgear R7800 @ DD-WRT
    Printer Brother HL-2130
    Phone Google Pixel 4 @ Android 13 & Orange 4G
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home made
    CPU
    Intel Core i3-3220
    Motherboard
    Intel DH77EB
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics card(s)
    nVidia GT1030 GDDR5
    Sound Card
    Asus Xonar DX
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    SSD Sandisk - 240GB HDD WD - 1.5TB
    PSU
    Antec Earthwatts 380W
    Case
    Lian-Li PC-C37
    Cooling
    Stock cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech K400
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Integrated (WD)
The virtual card does not appear like that. You should have installed a program that activated a virtual feature of HV.

Have you read my previous post ?

I just don't know what that would be. I have found 2 wifi direct virtual direct adapters in hidden items in Device Manager. They reappear after a reboot when I uninstall/delete them. So yes something is creating them. I'll have to keep digging.Screenshot 2025-05-27 115557.webp
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI
    CPU
    i7-10750H
    Motherboard
    MSI MS-17F5
    Memory
    16GB Samsung DDR4 3200
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel + Nvidia RTX3060 Laptop
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 24" Curved (HDMI)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Sabrent Rocket Gen3 1Tb Smasung EVO 870 1TB
    Antivirus
    Avast
OK, I think I might know what created it and why it won't go away. I was playing with Phone Link a while back and it seems it does setup a virtual adapter. Even when Phone Link is disabled the virtual adapter stays. Would probably have to nuke the entire app but it is heavily embedded in the system and don't think I want to go through that right now. Thanks to all, it got me looking deeper into it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI
    CPU
    i7-10750H
    Motherboard
    MSI MS-17F5
    Memory
    16GB Samsung DDR4 3200
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel + Nvidia RTX3060 Laptop
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 24" Curved (HDMI)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Sabrent Rocket Gen3 1Tb Smasung EVO 870 1TB
    Antivirus
    Avast
Try this :

go to old control panel, then "programs and features", then "Turn Windows Features On or Off". Inside new box, you can see which features are enabled. You should find items related to HV. If so, disable these features and reboot.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus NUC 14 Pro +
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 5 125H
    Motherboard
    NUC14RVS
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel ARC
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    DELL
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    SSD Crucial T500 - 4TB
    SSD Integral - 1TB
    PSU
    Integrated
    Case
    Integrated
    Cooling
    Integrated
    Keyboard
    Dell WK717
    Mouse
    Logitech M650L
    Internet Speed
    Orange / Fiber @ 1 gbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Integrated (WD)
    Other Info
    Router Netgear R7800 @ DD-WRT
    Printer Brother HL-2130
    Phone Google Pixel 4 @ Android 13 & Orange 4G
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home made
    CPU
    Intel Core i3-3220
    Motherboard
    Intel DH77EB
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics card(s)
    nVidia GT1030 GDDR5
    Sound Card
    Asus Xonar DX
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    SSD Sandisk - 240GB HDD WD - 1.5TB
    PSU
    Antec Earthwatts 380W
    Case
    Lian-Li PC-C37
    Cooling
    Stock cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech K400
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Integrated (WD)
Try this :

go to old control panel, then "programs and features", then "Turn Windows Features On or Off". Inside new box, you can see which features are enabled. You should find items related to HV. If so, disable these features and reboot.

Thanks maybe I didn't explain it well before but I did all that. Pretty sure it was created when I updated Phone Link and enabled it. I'm not going to try to completely remove it as I've read some horror stories about attempting to that. Also this short note by Microsoft: Phone Link Uninstall
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI
    CPU
    i7-10750H
    Motherboard
    MSI MS-17F5
    Memory
    16GB Samsung DDR4 3200
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel + Nvidia RTX3060 Laptop
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 24" Curved (HDMI)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Sabrent Rocket Gen3 1Tb Smasung EVO 870 1TB
    Antivirus
    Avast

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