so im an id*** again, i took out all the printer drivers but the ones i needed and a week later we get a new printer..

how can i go about getting the driver for this new printer?

check the manufacturers website, you can ensure that they will have the latest drivers

no they dont. they tell me that i dont need them b/c vista already has them.

You need:

- full Vista

- new 7zip utility which supports WIM

- and tell me which Printer manufacturer it is and I'll tell you where the files are

- and tell me which Printer manufacturer it is and I'll tell you where the files are

Is this to recover the entire driver set for all models of that manufacturer? I've already tried to recover just the files for a particular model so I'd be interested in any tips you have for that. The only way I came up with is to install full vista and they use a driver backup utility of some kind.

I am in the exact same boat...... Installed Vista x64 without printer drivers b/c I thought the manufacturer would surely have up to date drivers for their product. I have a Canon printer (pixma ip6000D), called Canon, and was informed that they didn't even have drivers for their product b/c Vista had drivers and that I would have to reinstall the printer driver component of Vista.

If you could also help me to selectively "reinstall" Canon printer drivers from the full Vista cd I would also appreciate it. Does Winzip work or only 7-zip..... (if only 7-zip, that is not I problem I will use that - but please include easy to follow steps as I've never used the utility before).

Thanks

Try Link

Try Link

Thanks for the link, but this has the same stuff as the US site...... it has a printer driver add-on module for Vista 32/64 (needs to be installed after the default Vista driver has been installed) and then the rest of the available drivers are for XP or older OS's...... so I know I need to grab the drivers off the Vista cd, but I dont know where they are located or how to extract the one I need......

did you try automatic search of drivers as it checks the Windows Update website for it, normally works for me

did you try automatic search of drivers as it checks the Windows Update website for it, normally works for me

Yeah it doesn't find any..... nuhi above said he knew how to locate the files using 7-zip and the full Vista disc but hasn't posted for a while .... .does anyone else know how to do that as I would like to get my printer working

Edited August 6, 200719 yr by magic507

i sometimes make another vlite, exactly the same as before (but leaving the upgrade options and the newer component i want, in ur case the printer driver) and then do an upgrade. but thats a last resort

i sometimes make another vlite, exactly the same as before (but leaving the upgrade options and the newer component i want, in ur case the printer driver) and then do an upgrade. but thats a last resort

Yeah.... I don't want to do that either.... It seems that it would be easy to just browse the Vista DVD for the drivers but I have tried pointing the installer to the disc and it doesnt find anything so they must be somewhere in a zip file or something on the DVD (I've searched for "printers" and "*.inf" and neither showed any results). And its not a "feature" that can be added or removed in the programs menu in control panel....

hmm ill have a look into it

Edited August 6, 200719 yr by legolash2o

it's an hp printer, thx nuhi.

You need.

7Zip x64 or 7zip x82 (32bit)

Fresh Vista source (or a source where you didnt remove the drivers you need)

1.Open install.wim with 7zip (located at VISTADVD\Sources\)

2. Open up the xml file and it should say something like "Index=1" Vista Ultimate, which means you need to go to the \1\ Folder, just open up the xml until you find the correct vista you want and the number.

For example:

<IMAGE INDEX="1"><NAME>Windows Vista Ultimate (vLite) x64</NAME>

Which means if i want Vista Ultimate x64 then i goto \1\

If Home Premium was Index="2" then you goto folder \2\

3. Browse to \*number from above*\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\ then copy the needed folder to C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository

4. On control panel go to Add New hardware > Manual > Show All > Browse > (folder on your desktop) and there should be a inf file and select your printer in the list and click next

NOTES

------------

its depends on the manufacturer and components

for example components

prn = printer

mdm = modem

net = network card

'There are more than this but there just examples, it like a shorter version of the fullname of device type'

Manufacturer examples

hp = HP

ca = CANON

so = Sony

ep = Epson

So you if want epson printer drivers just copy prnep001_?????? to your desktop

Magic507: drag the prnca001.inf_??????? to your desktop

ripken204: drag the prnhp001.inf_????? to your desktop

The ???? is jsut random numbers and letters

EDIT: i have created a guide here which has screenshots aswell

hope this helps

Edited August 7, 200719 yr by legolash2o