Topic: method to inject a driver into an existing XP install before hardware?

I know this isn't technically driverpacks related but this might be the most knowledgeable place to ask so hope you guys can help me out.

My employer has purchased hundreds of Cisco/Linksys WMP600N wireless adapter. As various sites are getting network upgrades our desktop systems are being moved to a wireless infrastructure. Anything we can do to shave off a bit of time will be helpful here. I have the downloaded drivers which are just the raw driver files without all the extraneous stuff like the Linksys connection manager. The files are:

  • RaCoInst.dat

  • RaCoInst.dll

  • rt2860.cat

  • rt2860.inf

  • rt2860.sys

My goal is to have the drivers preloaded onto the system. What I need to know is

  • How do I stage the drivers (XP) so that they don't have to be manually installed into each system. Can I just copy the above files into the C:\windows\inf folder prior to installing the hardware?

  • Is there a way to fix it so that the drivers install automatically without making me go through the new hardware wizard. I know there should be a way as I see it all the time when installing, say, a printer where it installs the drivers and then when I plug the USB cable in it picks them up and installs automatically.

  • If the automatic install can be done even if it is a limited user that logs in next that would be great but logging in as admin at that point isn't the end of the world.

Any help you folks can give is appreciated as we're getting into a time crunch.

Re: method to inject a driver into an existing XP install before hardware?

I guess, KTD could be helpful in this case, for once... wink

Re: method to inject a driver into an existing XP install before hardware?

I guess you could make some sorta driver "true addon" or $oem$ structure that copies the INF file to the %WinDir%\inf dir and the other files to the "%WinDir%\Driver Cache" that you then integrate with nLite or RVMi (I am not sure weather the CAT file needs to go in inf or driver cache so the inf finds it)

Maybe it will work if you copy all the driver files to the Driver Cache dir, who knows worth a try

Last edited by ricktendo64 (2011-09-03 03:36:40)

Re: method to inject a driver into an existing XP install before hardware?

I assumed, he wants to prepare the systems now for possible later installation of the wireless card.
That way, he can work them off in one go and when that card/adapter is installed, the driver will already be in place and hence the device work w/o further installation and user interaction (admin rights for drivers etc).
This is exactly what KTD does; since SAD requires a) user input (needs to be run) and b) admin rights to work properly.

I guess, online deployment could be achieved through DPinst.exe.
May want to look into that.

Re: method to inject a driver into an existing XP install before hardware?

Helmi wrote:

I assumed, he wants to prepare the systems now for possible later installation of the wireless card.
That way, he can work them off in one go and when that card/adapter is installed, the driver will already be in place and hence the device work w/o further installation and user interaction (admin rights for drivers etc).
This is exactly what KTD does; since SAD requires a) user input (needs to be run) and b) admin rights to work properly.

I guess, online deployment could be achieved through DPinst.exe.
May want to look into that.

Yes, that's what I am trying to do is to preinstall the drivers. Basically I need an executable or script that can be pushed out silently using PSEXEC or whatever so that when the cards are physically installed Windows just picks up the driver and goes without spending several more minutes going through it manually.

My first attempt just now involved copying all the files to the C:\Windows\Inf folder. That didn't work. I got the wizard and then the wizard asked for the CD and I had to point it back to the C:\windows\inf folder again.

How do I use KTD to prepare the driver?

Re: method to inject a driver into an existing XP install before hardware?

Okay, I thought I did this right but apparently not. I used .7z to create a driver pack using \D\3\W\L\ as the path, the driver files listed above were all in the L folder. I copied the .7z file I created to the 3rd party driverpacks folder. I run the base, select the 3rd party driverpack, set my location, method 1 and click slipstream. It almost immediately gives an error "could not update dpsfnshr.ini to disable ktd." Here is my dps_base.log file, maybe someone can look at it and tell me what i'm doing wrong here.

2011-09-02 12:00:15 : <INIT> DriverPacks BASE 10.06 initialized.
2011-09-02 12:00:15 : <INIT> Host environment: WIN_7 Service Pack 1 X64 on a X64 CPU.
2011-09-02 12:00:15 : <INIT> Created temporary working directory.
2011-09-02 12:00:15 : <INIT> Imported proxy settings from Internet Explorer.
2011-09-02 12:00:15 : <INIT> Start scanning for DriverPacks for the wnt5_x86-32 platform.
2011-09-02 12:00:15 : <INIT> 	Could not detect any (official) DriverPacks.
2011-09-02 12:00:15 : <INIT> 	Detected 3rd Party DriverPack LinksysWMP600N 11.09.02!
2011-09-02 12:00:15 : <INIT> 	Finished scanning.
2011-09-02 12:00:15 : <INIT> Detected settings file "C:\Users\dgwilliams\Downloads\DriverPacks\DPs_BASE.ini".
2011-09-02 12:00:15 : <INIT> wnt5_x86-32_StandAloneDrivers is the selected installation platform .
2011-09-02 12:00:15 : <INIT> Imported settings from settings file.
2011-09-02 12:00:15 : <INIT> [OptionalSettingsOther]\ATI_cpl not specified: default (None) was set.
2011-09-02 12:00:15 : <INIT> [OptionalSettingsOther]\Nvidia_cpl not specified: default (None) was set.
2011-09-02 12:00:15 : <GUI>  Initialized GUI.
2011-09-02 12:00:15 : <GUI>  Created a list of all available language files.
2011-09-02 12:00:15 : <GUI>  Set the last used language, English, as the GUI language.
2011-09-02 12:00:18 : <GUI>  Refreshed UpdateChecker with success.
2011-09-02 12:00:31 : <GUI>  Exported settings to C:\Users\dgwilliams\Downloads\DriverPacks\DPs_BASE.ini.
2011-09-02 12:00:34 : <GUI>  Saved settings!
2011-09-02 12:00:34 : <GUI>  Closed GUI.
2011-09-02 12:00:34 : <SEL>  Selected module: wnt5_x86-32_m1 Stand Alone DriverPacks.
2011-09-02 12:00:34 : <SEL>  Selected Location C:\Users\dgwilliams\Desktop\DriverPacks\DriverPacks.net.
2011-09-02 12:00:34 : <COPY> C:\Users\dgwilliams\Desktop\DriverPacks\DriverPacks.net\DPsFnshr.ini ,
2011-09-02 12:00:34 : <CRIT> Could not update DPsFnshr.ini to disable KTD.
2011-09-02 12:01:58 : <CLNP> Temporary working directory successfully deleted.
- = DriverPacks BASE ini settings used = -
[General]
; preferred language
prefLang	= "English"
; yes/no, enable or disable the wizard-style buttons, if not specified: yes
wizardButtons	= "yes"
; yes/no, enable or disable the GUI, if not specified: yes
GUI		= "yes"


[Settings]
; disc/bartpe/multibootDisc
instPlatform	= "StandAloneDrivers"
; trailing backslash is allowed, but not necessary
location	= "C:\Users\dgwilliams\Desktop\DriverPacks"
; none/all/select, if select, specify them below, if not specified: all
DriverPacks	= "select"
; 1/2, method to install the DriverPacks, if not specified: 2
DPsMethod	= "1"
; GUIRunOnce/RunOnceEx/custom, if not specified: GUIRunOnce
finisherMethod	= "GUIRunOnce"


; this section is optional!
[OptionalSettings]
; none/all/select/paths/patterns, enable or disable Keep The Drivers (KTD) , if not specified: none
KTD		= "false"
; <path>, to specify a custom KTD cache location, if not specified: default (%SystemRoot%\DriverPacks)
KTDlocation	= "%SystemRoot%\DriverPacks"
; yes/no, enable or disable QuickStream Cache (QSC), if not specified: yes
QSC		= "no"


; you should only add this section if you've set [Settings]\DriverPacks to "select"
[SelectDriverPacks]
DPs_3rd_party	= "yes"
DP_MassStorage_textmode = "no"
2011-09-02 12:01:58 : <CLNP> Create a DPs_Base.log backup @ C:\Users\dgwilliams\Downloads\DriverPacks\LogFiles\DPs_BASE_11-09-02_12-01.log
2011-09-02 12:01:58 : <CLNP> Program terminated.

Re: method to inject a driver into an existing XP install before hardware?

instPlatform    = "StandAloneDrivers"
That's your problem.
You need to select "Disc" and point to your install source.

KTD        = "false"
You also want to enable KTD.  We normally discourage its use, but in your unique situation it would be beneficial.

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Re: method to inject a driver into an existing XP install before hardware?

mr_smartepants wrote:

instPlatform    = "StandAloneDrivers"
That's your problem.
You need to select "Disc" and point to your install source.

KTD        = "false"
You also want to enable KTD.  We normally discourage its use, but in your unique situation it would be beneficial.

Thanks, maybe I misunderstand but I thought Disc was for injecting it into a Windows setup disc and not an existing installation?

Re: method to inject a driver into an existing XP install before hardware?

Yes this must be done BEFORE you install windows... Then it will remain available AFTER you are done installing.

that is why it is called Keep The Driver. Normally the driver(s) are deleted at the end of the install

slipstream the packs into your install... then 'Keep' only the wireless (and modems / monitors if you like)


you could use SAD (Stand Alone Drivers) by calling SAD (with your pack included)
Add  an entry to call "DP_Install_Tool.cmd" to runonce or runonceex.

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Re: method to inject a driver into an existing XP install before hardware?

Thanks, guys. I wanted to follow up and let you guys know that I got it worked out. It turned out to be just a matter of putting dpinst.exe and a dpinst.xml into the folder with the driver files and running it to preinstall the drivers. Yay for easy! big_smile Anyways, thanks again for the help. Your suggestions got me steered into the right direction to figure it out.

Re: method to inject a driver into an existing XP install before hardware?

what is the advantage when you install this?

thanks!

Re: method to inject a driver into an existing XP install before hardware?

avatar28 wrote:

Thanks, guys. I wanted to follow up and let you guys know that I got it worked out. It turned out to be just a matter of putting dpinst.exe and a dpinst.xml into the folder with the driver files and running it to preinstall the drivers. Yay for easy! big_smile Anyways, thanks again for the help. Your suggestions got me steered into the right direction to figure it out.

SAD is DPINST and the xml ... Plus the DriverPacks Finisher

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