Update *RTL8139 drivers drivers according to your computer's operating system. This device is supported under legacy operating systems such as Windows Vista and Windows XP. These updates are highly rated (4.4 out of 5 stars) with over 77,650 downloads. Choose the best match from the list below or use our customized search engine to search our entire driver archive. The DriverGuide download archive is scanned regularly using the latest anti-virus and anti-malware software.
To install or update your driver automatically, click the green button next to your selected driver. To see more information on a particular driver and to download it, click the Download Driver button.
A device Hardware ID (HWID) is a set of numbers and letters that uniquely identifies any device. For example, different models of Motherboards, Graphics Cards, Printers and Network Interface Cards would have their own unique Hardware ID.
The general format for a Hardware ID is <Bus Type>\<Vendor ID>&<Device ID>&<Additional IDs>.
The Vendor ID takes the form "VEN_XXXX" where XXXX is a 4 digit code unique to the manufacturer.
The Device ID format is "DEV_YYYY" where YYYY is a 4 digit code unique to that manufacturer's device.
Hardware IDs are useful because they help identify the manufacturer and model of every hardware device inside, or attached to, your computer.
Each Hardware ID is assigned to a particular device by the device manufacturer. Windows operating systems such as Windows 11 use the Hardware ID to match to a specific INF file. INF files are used to install the correct device drivers - that's the software that lets your computer communicate with the device in the most efficient manner.
While a particular device driver is associated with specific Hardware ID, that driver may be compatible with other devices as well. In that case, the INF file would identify one or more Hardware IDs as an exact match, and provide a list of Compatible Hardware IDs for that driver. In many cases, the Compatible Hardware IDs will look similar, with the identifier having only minor variations, particularly in the Device ID portion.
Once you download your new driver, then you need to install it. To install a driver in Windows, you will need to use a built-in utility called Device Manager. It allows you to see all of the devices recognized by your system, and the drivers associated with them.
Tech Tip: If you are having trouble deciding which is the right driver, try our Automatic Driver Update Utility. It is a software utility that will find and install the right driver quickly and easily.
In Windows 11, Windows 10 & Windows 8.1, right-click the Start menu and select Device Manager
In Windows 8, swipe up from the bottom, or right-click anywhere on the desktop and choose "All Apps" -> swipe or scroll right and choose "Control Panel" (under Windows System section) -> Hardware and Sound -> Device Manager
In Windows 7, click Start -> Control Panel -> Hardware and Sound -> Device Manager
In Windows Vista, click Start -> Control Panel -> System and Maintenance -> Device Manager
In Windows XP, click Start -> Control Panel -> Performance and Maintenance -> System -> Hardware tab -> Device Manager button
Locate the device and model that is having the issue and double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
Select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button and follow the instructions.
In most cases, you will need to reboot your computer in order for the driver update to take effect.
Visit our Driver Support Page for helpful step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.
If you are having trouble finding the right driver, stop searching and fix driver problems faster with the Automatic Driver Update Utility. Many computer problems are caused by missing or outdated device drivers, especially in Windows 11. If your deskttop or laptop is running slow, or keeps crashing or hanging, there is a good chance that updating your drivers will fix the problem. Automatic updates could save you hours of time.