Add Hardware in Windows 7 – Loopback Adapter

Adding hardware in Windows 7 is a little different than it use to be in previous versions of Windows.  I recently needed to install a loopback adapter on my main laptop (I have 3 machines running Windows 7), and stumbled for a second before getting to what I needed.  So, here’s a short guide on how to install hardware (specifically a loopback adapter) on Windows 7.

1. Click Start, and Search for Programs and Files.  Do a search for “hdwwiz.exe”

   

   

2. In the Programs search results, right-click on hdwwiz and select Run as administrator.

   

3. You’ll then have the familiar wizard for Add Hardware.

4. On the first screen of the wizard, select Advanced and click Next.

    

5. For hardware category, select Network Adapters and click Next.

   

6. On the Select Network Adapter screen, select Microsoft for the Manufacturer and Microsoft Loopback Adapter for the Network Adapter. Click Next.

   

7. Confirm your selections, and viola!