Description :
When you work with windows virtual machine troubleshooting network related issue and try to add multiple NIC back and forth for trial or as part of resolution, you might face issue with Ghost NIC and your active NIC might show up APIPA address.
Note: this issue sometime do not show up immediately and could trouble you after 1 or 2 restarts.
Most Commonly this could be found after server patching where you might face “No logon server” issue
Notes:
To overcome “No Logon server” issue, you have to login using local admin credentials or the last persons credentials (Cache Credentials) who patched the server; if you don’t have that person you might end up resetting windows host password by attaching ISO
It is always better to have your IP configuration file stored locally on server/desktop
You can save your IP details file by running command “ipconfig /all > c:\ipdet.txt”
Resolution:
- Open command prompt with admin privileges
- run command : set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
- Open device management by running command ” devmgmt.msc “
- from device manager, select show hidden devices
- Delete/Uninstall the inactive (Greyed out) NIC – Ghost NIC
- reassign the IP details to active NIC from file backed-up – from notes section
Vinayak Pardeshi 