Intel DQ965GF - Error on PCI Simple Communications Controller in Device Manager

We just completed a StoragCraft ShadowProtect v3 P2P migration of our data mule system from an Intel D945GTP series with a Pentium D 2.8GHz plugged into it to an Intel DQ965GFEKR series with an E6600 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo plugged in.

Other than a hiccup with the recovery portion of the P2P transfer (will blog about that in a separate post), things went relatively well.

After installing all of the updated drivers into Windows XP Pro SP2 on the system, we still had an error in the Device Manager: PCI Simple Communications Controller - Drivers not installed.

The other message we were getting, which was wrong, was from the AMT driver: AMT is not enabled. We set it up in the BIOS, so the above error was somehow tied to the AMT setup.

In the Device Manager, the PCI Simple Communications Controller did not give us any indication as to what it was though.

The solution was pretty simple though:

Intel Support Site

One needed to find out what the device was and download the driver via Intel's support site!

Intel site links:

• Desktop Boards: Error on PCI Simple Communications Controller in Device Manager
• Intel Download Locations for: Intel® ME: Management Engine Interface Driver (32bit only)

If the download link does not work, then click the link above it to hit Intel's Download Finder site and search for the Management Engine Interface Driver. Many results for the same file will come up.

Install the driver, reboot the system, and the AMT message will now indicate that AMT is enabled if it was during board setup.

UPDATE: Note that for Vista x64 and DQ965GF and DQ35JOE boards, one needs to hit the following download links:

• DQ35JOE Windows Vista x64 Downloads
• Intel® ME: Management Engine Interface Driver

Note that the 64bit version in the second link will work for both boards.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

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