• danboid
  • DriverPacks newbie
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  • Registered: 2008-06-28
  • Posts: 13

Topic: batch remote hardware updates

Hi DP fans!

I've only very recently discovered the amazing sounding app that is beyondexec2, which lets you remotely execute programs or scripts on multiple machines supposedly even without having to install anything on the client! Sounds too good to be true to me. Apparently its a souped-up version of psexec as it can do up to 10 machines at once it claims.

So the first thing I wanted to try this with was upgrading the ethernet driver under XPSP3 in multiple labs of PCs. The problem here was that for the chipset in question (an ADMtek AN983) try as I might I could not find an exe or msi installer for the very latest driver (ending .2004) that I can only obtain via a Windows online driver update.

Is there a command line for XP that says 'update ethernet driver to latest on net' if not then how do I recreate exactly whatever Windows downloads or does to the filesystem in the act of updating to this latest driver? I know about the driverquery /v command but I know that other files get modified and how? I was hoping to be able to use beyondexec and a script to update the ethernet driver on them all in minutes rather than having to log in to every one.

Anybody got any tips on the best way to remotely update XP boxes and install new apps?

Anyone know of a good irc channel for win sysadmin help?

Last edited by danboid (2008-09-26 08:44:23)

  • Helmi
  • Moderator & Translator (German)
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  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2006-05-27
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Re: batch remote hardware updates

Everything downloaded from windowsupdate.com is logged to WindowsUpdate.log (d'uh) in %systemroot%.
Apart from that, you can directly access driver updates through that system by going to http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Home.aspx

http://d1syubgj0w3cyv.cloudfront.net/cdn/farfuture/AeXmpESLemRyQ4RE-dgdjRhN_hKaXMe7woWjOK2wsnk/perpetual:forever/userbar/moderator-3.png

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  • OverFlow
  • DriverPacks Administrator & BASE Developer
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  • From: Cincinnati
  • Registered: 2006-12-02
  • Posts: 6,730

Re: batch remote hardware updates

SAD M2...

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  • danboid
  • DriverPacks newbie
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  • Registered: 2008-06-28
  • Posts: 13

Re: batch remote hardware updates

Thanks for that link Helmi - very useful! I managed to find a .cab file on that site (after I tried again under ie instead of ff. Typical MS smile which contained the very latest driver (the .2004 one) with an .inf, a .sys , a .bmp and something else. I know that normally you'd install .inf files through the Add Harware wizard but I've also heard you are supposed to be able to install these is you are logged in as admin and right click on the .inf and choose install or use the command rundll32 on the .inf. Neither of these methods work with the ADMtek 983 driver, for the latest version and earlier versions.

Is there a special rundll32 command especially for installing nics correctly? If I use the gui to 'Update driver' it will happily download and install the driver, I've just gotta do this on a lot of machines so I want to script it

SAD M2?

  • OverFlow
  • DriverPacks Administrator & BASE Developer
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  • Registered: 2006-12-02
  • Posts: 6,730

Re: batch remote hardware updates

SAD M2 - check the home page and the FAQ... wink (I cant post things any more visibly that those two places!)

if you want to do as you described tehn after you right click install the INF then you must go into device manager and remove teh "unknown device and then right click the list and "Scan for new hardware"
What you did will work you just didnt finish the process wink

ps if you 'right click install' the INF/Driver before you add the hardware (software preinstall) then you don't have to remove the unknown device. (because it won't be unknown when it is found since you preinstalled the driver wink)

PSS put another way... Just adding a driver won't cause windows to re-enumerate all the installed devices (thank god!)

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  • danboid
  • DriverPacks newbie
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  • Registered: 2008-06-28
  • Posts: 13

Re: batch remote hardware updates

Overflow- thanks for clearing that up but the method you gave is of no use to me as I'm only enquiring if its possible to do everything you just said but purely via the command prompt, no point n' click allowed. The right click install was just an aside, what I'm really interested in is how to get rundll32 or whatever working properly.

Maybe my problem was that I didn't remove the existing driver for the ethernet card first? We already have mostly working nic drivers on all the machines its just that the currently installed driver doesn't support wakeonlan power-on but the latest (*.2004) one does so lots of machines need to be upgraded in the most efficient manner possible. I hoped to do this by scripting wiith beyondexec, rundll32 and the inf/sys files and whatever other tools I may require

Last edited by danboid (2008-09-27 19:42:59)

  • OverFlow
  • DriverPacks Administrator & BASE Developer
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  • Registered: 2006-12-02
  • Posts: 6,730

Re: batch remote hardware updates

I am sorry i put that fast ball right past you... i will switch to slow pitch...

it is a PITA to do what you are asking to do "DONT DO IT". (insert you asking why)
1 you have to manualy script the install of teh driver (rundll32 or api call, Devcon, right click or WhatEver...)
2 and or then you have to use devcon to update or delete the driver
   (some drivers have to be removed then installed)
3 If 2 above is a delete then we must use devcon to update the driver
4 many drivers have control panels or orther software that must be scripted too like Intel proset or similar  software)

all very complex and can fail at multiple steps... Why kill yourself?




we have SAD - Stand Alone Driver installer

It is easy to use SAD
1 Use DriverPacks BASE to create a SAD folder selecting the LAN pack and Method 2 (M2).

thats it... Why make it any harder than that?

just call the DP_INST_TOOL.cmd from a machine you wish to update.

if you dont want the entire pack you could either prune the main pack or make your own 3rd party DriverPack and just "steal" the section of code from the packs INI for your folder (if any) and the driver folder you require, making sure you maintain the layout D\L\*.* and repack with 7zip. (A custom pack for one driver is easy to do but not really neccessary,... unless you feel you must) 

smile you can lead a horse to water... wink tongue big_smile big_smile
let me know if you need anything

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