Yes, but with caveats.

Microsoft did not remove tetherxp.inf from the driver store until Windows 10 version 1703 (Creators Update). In earlier builds (1507, 1511, 1607), the driver was present but disabled by default for security reasons. After 1703, Microsoft officially deprecated RNDIS tethering drivers for security and performance reasons (e.g., potential for remote code execution via malformed packets).

However, the physical file may still exist on your system if you upgraded from an older Windows version or manually restored it.

Many point-of-sale terminals, rugged handhelds (e.g., Symbol/Motorola MC series), and medical devices use RNDIS over USB. Their firmware hasn’t been updated since 2009.

  • To view matching hardware IDs: use Device Manager → Properties → Details → Hardware Ids.
  • To extract driver signing info: use signtool verify or check the catalog (.cat) files.

    • These often provide better performance and additional diagnostic features.

    Cause: Required system files (rndismp.sys, usb8023.sys) are missing or mismatched.
    Fix: Copy these files from C:\Windows\System32\drivers of a Windows XP VM into your Windows 10 SysWOW64\drivers (if 32-bit compatibility mode) or the main driver store.

    If you’ve stumbled upon a file named tetherxp.inf while trying to use your phone’s internet on a Windows 10 PC, you might be confused. The name literally includes "XP" – an operating system Microsoft stopped supporting years ago.

    This article explains what this driver is, why Windows 10 behaves the way it does with it, and how to successfully tether your phone’s internet without errors.