• Registered: 2014-06-12
  • Posts: 5

Topic: Copying The Correct Drivers

Greetings,

I"m posting here because after googling I found that this site has the most out of the box thinking when it comes to figuring things out.  I have posted this question in 2 forums (I changed the question slightly) and I realized that although those folks were helping, I could not use their advise due to the unique scenario I have.

For my question, please do not suggest MDT, WDS, SCCM Acronis etc as I can't use it.  Well I can, however, I'm working on an image for a remote site that currently does not have servers.  Eventually they will so I need to create a (probably)  USB flash drive that is self contained with the images/drivers etc.  I can figure out the rest as long as I can overcome the following

I think I need to use the "SetupComplete.cmd" script to do the following

use WMIC to detect the hardware and either do the following

1. Copy the appropriate folder with the drivers into c:\windows\inf        or
2. Use Dism to inject the appropriate drivers                                       or
3. Add the folders that contained the drivers each in its own model into c:\windows\inf

Reason

We are doing massive imaging.  My plan is to have a SysPrep image.  So when it boots up the SetupComplete.cmd will detect the hardware and install the correct drivers based on my 3 questions (unless you can think of a different way)

Once I have the logic of installing the drivers, I will have the WIM and applied to 1 drive which will be the master.  Using this master we will close many hard drives using a Disk Duplicator machine which can do multiple hard drives at one.  Since we have 4 of these duplications we can prep many drives

I know I can use in SetupComplete.cmd  ->  wmic computesystem to find the model
Then I can't figure out the rest.

Or should I just store the 3 folders with the drivers for 3 models of desktops in c:\windows\inf and let windows pick.  I much rather use logic in a the script and make it install the correct drivers.

Thank you

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

Re: Copying The Correct Drivers

Welcome to DriverPacks.net,

good question, short answer,

Sysprep always seems to have issues, DriverPacks (team / site) does not directly support it, many of our users do. Whether you sysprep and disc duplicate or deploy from USB or disc with an installation image your best bet is to use DISM to add mass storage and Chipset drivers to your  base image and then run our SAD2 script from SetupComplete.cmd or similar for the remaining DriverPacks. in this way the deployment image and the target machine are not bloated with unneeded drivers.

SAD -> first Stickied topic in this subforum. (  Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7 )

I know you said you can't deploy from server because you don't have one, BUT with Norton Ghost you can do a one to many copy. it's very slick. I have done this with over a hundred machines at a time, and you don't have to take out the HDD's big_smile. simply prepare your master, Boot up from usb, disc whatever and run Ghost Server on the master (this machine is now your server) they do this very slick, you connect all the client machines also with a ghost boot disc or USB. Then they use multicast to deploy, thus there is NO increase in network traffic per machine, 100 uses the same as one, true multicast. Plus you don't have to pull and replace the drives. Just throwing it out there big_smile. (This works even better if you have a large number of identical machines because you can skip sysprep, Ghost automatically fixes the network and machine (ssid) info to be unique for each machine big_smile.

Thanks for the kind words

Jeff

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  • Registered: 2014-06-12
  • Posts: 5

Re: Copying The Correct Drivers

Jeff, thank you for your repsonse.

We can't spend money on Ghost as eventually we will use WDS with PXE so management does not want to spend money at all.


I though about using the SAD2 script, however does it detect the hardware of the machine?  Example  The machne is a Dell 790 but I have drivers each in its own folder as such  C:\DRivers\Dell790 - :\DRivers\Dell710  etc.

Does SAD2 detec the hardhware and then install the correct drivers from the correct folder or just allow any drivers from within the C:\Drivers folder.

Yes, I want to use DISM, however, I was laid off (while working from home) and never got a chance to copy my notes which had how to detect using WMIC then point to the correct folder and then run DISM.  (yes, I've learned to keep a copy of my notes now)

I was thinking the setupcomplete would have something like this ->


If ComputerModel 790 GoTo 790

:790

DISM (need to check which switches I really need to use)


Or in the Setupcomplete.cmd I can add the pointer to the SAD2 scrip.  I prefer to learn to use DISM and WMIC


Thank you

  • Registered: 2013-11-11
  • Posts: 56

Re: Copying The Correct Drivers

@lunchbox
i used win32_pnpentity, to check if theres any driver that i need to install. to make sure that i wont try to fix/install what is not broken.
but not anymore with SDI forum.driverpacks.net/viewtopic.php?id=10794 . u can use it with setupcomplete

i prefer not to inject any drivers in,  as it will bloat the installation especially on 60gb ssd os drive =/

  • From: Cambridgeshire, UK
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 6,226

Re: Copying The Correct Drivers

Unfortunately, you're not going to be able to script DISM into installing drivers in a running OS (online) image.
DISM is meant as a tool for preparing deployment images.  Its use in a running OS is limited.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/libr … s.10).aspx

The driver servicing commands can be used on an offline image to add and remove drivers based on the INF file, and on a running operating system (online) to enumerate drivers (only).

Bold emphasis is my addition.

What you want to do, you can (partially) with devcon.  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311272
But it's clunky.
SAD doesn't scan for specific machine types, rather it uses DPInst to scan for installed hardware (HWIDs) and finds suitable matching drivers (ranked by: signed, version, date, etc.) before installing them.
You can build your own DriverPacks by using only the drivers you want from Dell and trim down the driver folder size considerably.
That would be my recommendation, same as Jeff's.

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  • OverFlow
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  • Registered: 2006-12-02
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Re: Copying The Correct Drivers

thinking out loud. they have the money to pay techs for lots of hours of time to remove and replace drives.

15 minutes a PC to pull and replace a drive, (being kind). 100 PC's x 15 minutes = 1500 Min.
1500 / 60 = 20 hours or two and a half days work.
not counting the copy time.


So
1 Spend money on labor for three days tech time  (Based on 100 machines).
2 OR Buy Ghost and do the whole job in about an hour.

depending on your actual time, and the cost of that time, it may be an option.
especially if you buy an older version of Ghost online wink. 
I have used version 8.x (well over ten years old) to copy windows NT6 drives with no issues.

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  • Registered: 2014-06-12
  • Posts: 5

Re: Copying The Correct Drivers

Yes, it would be much better to spend money, however, I went do that road only to be told no.  (not sure but maybe there is something going on with the company).

On a previous job I had I created a self contain USB flash drive which the techs used to install the OS based on the role and model of the PC.  The OS was applied using ImageX and then once the of steps I copied the Driver folder in teh the C:\Windows\INF.  This worked great but I can't use it in my scenario because I won't know where the clone drives wil be used.

I thought I could use DISM or a script inside the SetupComplete.cmd file to add the drivers as the OS is botting.  If this won't work I guess I might just have to suck it up and inject the drivers for 3 models of desktops into the WIM and let Windows decise what to install.

This scenerio is only for mass disk duplication where the HDs wil eventually be used on one of the 3 models we have.

I will eventually build an MDT server (PXE not allowed)

Any ideas on a methods, perhaps using the unattended answer file to detec the hardware and then install drivers, or copy the drivers into the INF folder or using DISM to inject the drivers?

Thank for for all the suggestion s for far though.

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

Re: Copying The Correct Drivers

answered in my first post.
let me elaborate:

Use DISM to add ONLY Chipset and Mass Storage (and USB3?) drivers to your source. They are small packs.
(I put them right in my install and boot WIM files of every install i have)

SAD - Stand Alone Driver installer
put SAD (with NT6 DriverPacks) on the source (to be cloned) drive.
Call SAD from setupcomplete or whatever.
SAD will only install drivers that are required per machine.
(This is what you said you wanted... and that is what it does... reread last line)
Delete SAD from setupcomplete or whatever

Might as well use the entire set of drivers since once the SAD folder is deleted only machine specific drivers will remain.
this will add a huge amount of size to your source, but since you are using a disc duplicator who cares?
The advantage here is any hardware is supported.
the target will not suffer the loss of space after deployment (since we are deleting everything we don't need)
mr_smartepants suggests that if you have a small number of machine types (perhaps they are all DELL) then you could make a custom driver set just for you to put in your SAD folder to save space and time during the copy. (Optional)
The advantage here is space and copy time, but you give up the ability to deploy to a black box.

this will add minimal size to the target with maximum compatibility to any machine (black box).

again same answer as first post use SAD!

PS I love companies that would rather pay me than buy tools... more for me big_smile. You can lead a horse to water...

PSS you could put SAD on a thumbdrive and run it manually after the drive is installed in the target. That's why we call it Stand Alone big_smile.

PSSS Or you could put it on a DVD and use autorun big_smile big_smile. (convenient but slow)

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  • Registered: 2014-06-12
  • Posts: 5

Re: Copying The Correct Drivers

Thank you everyone for your suggestions.  I will test the methods suggested.

OverFlow - Sorry I missed read your thread (probably tired).  Yes, I don't understand why they do what they do here.  I'm new at this company and everything is very irritating (very).  But, I always look for the positive in things and here I discovered a new method.

I came across a Task in MDT called "LiteTouch OEM Task Sequence".  This wil allow me to build a normal task sequence and the OEM task sequence will allow normal task sequence to be copied to the HD.  When the HD first loads it will use the normal task sequence I created which will install the apps, drivers etc.

Have any of you every used or heard of the OEM task sequence?

  • OverFlow
  • DriverPacks Administrator & BASE Developer
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Re: Copying The Correct Drivers

Yes I have seen it.

I tend to take a more hands on approach.

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  • Registered: 2014-06-12
  • Posts: 5

Re: Copying The Correct Drivers

Yes, I agree.  I like to add script when possible as I found its easier to modify a WIM vs having to build a new one.  At least for me since I build hybrid images.

Well thank you everyone for your suggestions.  I will play around with the SAD2 utility as I seen quite a few threads on how folks are using it and it will come in handy once I finish this project I'm on.

  • OverFlow
  • DriverPacks Administrator & BASE Developer
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  • Registered: 2006-12-02
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Re: Copying The Correct Drivers

Let us know what works for you, the DriverPacks team, members and lurkers alike may all benefit from your experience big_smile

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