FirstEverTech/Universal-Intel-Chipset-Updater v10.1-2026.02.2

v10.1-2026.02.2 - Release Notes

on GitHub

Universal Intel Chipset Device Updater – v10.1-2026.02.2

🆕 New Features & Improvements

Enhanced Pre-Launch System Checks ⭐ NEW

• Windows Build Validation: BAT now checks Windows 10/11 build number
  • Minimum supported: Windows 10 LTSC 2019 (build 17763, version 1809)
  • Older builds trigger a warning about TLS 1.2 and limited GitHub connectivity
• .NET Framework Verification: Detects installed version
  • Requires .NET 4.7.2+
  • Warns if older or missing, to prevent hash verification failures
• GitHub Connectivity Test: Quick check before running updater
  • Detects TLS negotiation issues
  • Non-blocking, allows offline INF detection if GitHub is unreachable
• User Prompt on Warnings: Users can decide to continue despite warnings

Intelligent Installation Order for Multi-Version Platforms ⭐ CRITICAL FIX

• Problem Solved: When multiple HWIDs exist across different Intel package versions (e.g., HWID1 removed in newer releases, but HWID2/HWID3 still present), the script now prevents driver downgrades
• Implementation: Packages are now sorted by version number (oldest → newest) before installation
  • Example scenario:
    • Old package v1.0: Contains HWID1, HWID2, HWID3
    • New package v1.1: Contains only HWID2, HWID3 (HWID1 removed by Intel)
  • Previous behavior: Installing v1.1 first, then v1.0 would downgrade HWID2 and HWID3
  • New behavior: Installing v1.0 first, then v1.1 ensures:
    • ✅ HWID1 gets its latest available version (from v1.0)
    • ✅ HWID2 and HWID3 get upgraded to newest versions (from v1.1)
    • ✅ No downgrades occur
• Impact: Especially important for X79, X99, and other legacy platforms where Intel has removed specific HWIDs from newer installer packages
• Technical: Version-based sorting uses PowerShell's [version] type for accurate numeric comparison

Critical Fixes

• Hash verification fix on older Windows 10 builds
  • Previously failed on LTSB/LTSC versions due to TLS 1.2 defaults
• Automatic TLS 1.2 enforcement for PowerShell in BAT launcher
• Improved BAT reliability:
  • Correct working directory handling
  • Proper administrator elevation
  • Clean exit handling when new updater version launches
• Fixed driver downgrade issue when installing multiple package versions for same platform

🔧 Technical Updates

Batch Launcher

• Updated universal-intel-chipset-updater.bat to include:
  • Windows build check
  • .NET framework verification
  • GitHub connectivity test
  • TLS 1.2 enforcement for PowerShell
  • Optional continuation when warnings detected
• Handles old LTSB/LTSC systems gracefully
• Ensures deterministic environment for the PS1 updater

PowerShell Script

• NEW: Intelligent package version sorting before installation (prevents downgrades)
• No changes in PS1 logic for network operations; now relies on BAT to guarantee TLS 1.2
• Self-hash verification now works on Windows 10 LTSC 2019+ without user intervention

🐛 Bug Fixes

• Fixed hash verification failures on older Windows 10 LTSB/LTSC builds
• Fixed pre-check warnings not clearly informing user about TLS / .NET requirements
• Fixed working directory issues in BAT during elevation
• Fixed exit handling when auto-update triggers launch of new version
• Fixed driver downgrade bug when same platform has HWIDs across multiple package versions

📋 Files Included

• universal-intel-chipset-updater.ps1 – Main updater script (with installation order fix)
• universal-intel-chipset-updater.bat – Updated launcher with pre-checks
• ChipsetUpdater-10.1-2026.02.2-Win10-Win11.exe – SFX package

📋 Other files (not included)

• IntelPlatformScannerParallel.ps1 – Advanced Intel Platform Scanner
• Generate-HardwareAccurateMD.ps1 – Hardware-accurate database generator (v10.1-2026.02.1)

⚡ Important Notes

• Minimum Requirements:
  • Windows 10 LTSC 2019 (build 17763) or newer
  • .NET Framework 4.7.2+
• Older LTSB/LTSC builds may still run, but GitHub hash verification could fail
• Adding support for new Intel Chipset INF releases remains manual
• Community reports of newly released Intel INF packages are highly encouraged

🔮 What's Next

• Possible /SILENT command-line switches for fully unattended updates
• Continuous minor improvements for Windows compatibility and TLS reliability

Summary:
v10.1-2026.02.2 improves Windows compatibility, prevents hash verification errors, eliminates driver downgrades for multi-version platforms, and strengthens user guidance for older systems, while maintaining all hardware-accurate platform detection and INF installation features from previous releases.

🔍 Technical Details: Installation Order Fix

Code Change (PowerShell script, line 1716):

# OLD CODE:
$sortedPackages = $packageGroups.Keys | Sort-Object { [version]($_ -replace '\s*\(S\)\s*', '') } -Descending

# NEW CODE (removed -Descending to sort oldest → newest):
$sortedPackages = $packageGroups.Keys | Sort-Object { [version]($_ -replace '\s*\(S\)\s*', '') }

Why This Matters:

• Intel sometimes removes specific Hardware IDs from newer installer packages
• Legacy platforms (X79, X99, Z77, etc.) may have HWIDs split across different package versions
• Installing in version order (oldest → newest) ensures:
  • Deprecated HWIDs get their last available INF
  • Current HWIDs get upgraded to latest versions
  • No accidental downgrades occur

Real-World Example:

• User's X79 chipset has 3 detected HWIDs
• Package v10.1.18362.8428 contains all 3 HWIDs
• Package v10.1.19041.4355 contains only 2 HWIDs (Intel deprecated one)
• Without fix: v10.1.19041.4355 installs first → v10.1.18362.8428 downgrades 2 drivers
• With fix: v10.1.18362.8428 installs first → v10.1.19041.4355 upgrades 2 drivers → deprecated HWID keeps its last version