How to install Intel driver?

[eddie11013]

Appreciate if someone could give me some guidance. The “Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility Driver” for my computer, Dell Dimension 2350, v4.04.1007, A11, windows xp pro, doesn't have an ‘inf’, at least none that I can detect. I did see one in the C:\WINDOWS\inf folder, but its 'not' in the 'Intel driver folder'. Since it needs to be installed first, I can’t slipstream the rest of my drivers. The audio, modem, network & video drivers all have an ‘inf’ which I can easily add to driver section of the nlite program. I did a search but didn't find anything, if I missed it I apologize. I'm still a 'noob', so hopefully if someone has a suggestion it will be nothing to complicated.

Thanks in advance,

Eddie

[BikinDutchman]

Download here, extract and integrate with nLite.

[eddie11013]

Thanks for replying, BikinDutchman. The version number that you gave me is 'SO' different, v8.4.0.1016. Is this a one size fits all thing? As I stated I'm not very experienced. And also, when I run nlite, will it just 'know' to install this 'system driver' first and then the rest? I will, of course, load them on the driver page in their proper order.

Thanks again for your help.

Eddie

[IcemanND]

Dell repackages all of the drivers for their systems. And rarely update them to the newer drivers released by the chip manufacturers.

[eddie11013]

So, since I don't have an ".inf", does that mean there is no way to slipstream my system driver unattended, along with the rest of my drivers?

[BikinDutchman]

I put you on the wrong foot!

The Dell Dimension 2350 has a 845G chipset and an ICH4 I/O controller.

I expected .inf files for those components in the Intel package (845G.inf, ich4xxx.inf and likewise *.cat).

-Intel frequently updates the chipset package to include the newest motherboards and fixes but keeps the old ones in for a while.

-Too bad 845 and ICH4 are no longer in the Intel chipset packages .

Your Dell package has them embedded and you have to run it, and find the right 4 *.cat and *.inf files under your windows folder.

However, as far as I can see 845G and ICH4 are well supported by Windows XP SP2 so if you have that the best option may be: do nothing at all, do not integrate any chipset drivers.

[eddie11013]

Sooooooooo, it can't be done. Well that's a bit of a surprise! Thanks for the suggestion, BikinDutchman, but as you know, we're now moving from an sp1 environment to an sp3 rc1 scenario.

Thanks again,

Eddie

[BikinDutchman]

it can't be done.

It CAN be done, the old Dell package has 845g.cat, ich4core.cat, ich4ide.cat, and ich4usb.cat (signature) files, so the related inf files must be somewhere in the package, and can be found under windows after installation if they get installed at all (likely as windows\Inf\oem??.inf).

But if you are going SP3 don't even think about digging into that legacy package. You will be covered.

[bludragon]

If your driver package is an exe or cab file and you have 7z you can use it to open the file as an archive and then extract the drivers from there. That is what I had to do to for mine (except wi-fi unfortunately - no inf not even in the exe).

Edited November 27, 2007 by bludragon

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Their are a coupla driver backup apps out there that will find that for you. (google for drivergrabber)

[eddie11013]

Thanks for the help guys, but I did say I wasn’t very knowledgeable. Just so you know, I had already tried to slipstream sp3 rc1 and the video, modem and network drivers. On first boot, I installed my system driver. After doing the various things that we do before going on line, I connected to the ‘Internet’. Where upon, I ran into numerous disconnect ’errors’ from my browser. I went back to a previous disc with sp3, without the integration of my drivers, after first boot, installed my drivers and everything worked perfectly. The issue I believe is that the “system” driver has to be installed first, otherwise there are issues.

With your help, here’s what I have done so far. I ran ’DriverGrabber’, and it located, and created, eight driver folders, with their respective ‘.inf’, ‘.cat’, etc. files. So if I go this route, “Option One” if you will, do I just start nlite, and when I get to the ’driver’ integration portion, just point it to those ’.inf’ for each driver? Do I need to ‘select’ for integration , these drivers in any special order or rename each folder before I start the process, such as ‘000_System, 001_Video, etc. “AND”, frankly, I don’t see which one, if any, is my “system driver”? “AND”, is what is contained in these folders “all” I need? Meaning, I don’t see the ‘Setup.exe‘, for example, in these folders? Or, is this info in these folders supposed to be added to my ‘regular’ driver folders, so that nlite can do its thing with these ‘inf’s?

Or do I go with “Option Two”. That being, I extracted my ‘system driver’ to its own folder, I deleted from this folder, the ‘.cat’ folders for win98, win2000, winme, (don’t know if these steps were necessary), and kept the winxp folder that contained the ‘.cat’ files for ICH4core.cat, ICH4ide.cat, ICH4usb.cat and the 845g.cat. I located, in the C:\WINDOWS\inf folder, 845G.INF, ICH4CORE.INF, ICH4IDE.INF, ICH4USB.INF, oem0.inf and I copied same into this ‘system driver folder’. I assume that I select the ‘oem0.inf’ as the ‘real’ “.inf” for this folder for nlite driver integration? And, if this is the way to go, then I repeat my previous question: Do I need to ‘select’ for integration , these drivers in any special order or rename each folder before I start the process, such as ‘000_System, 001_Video, etc

Or maybe, Option Three, since, maybe I now have the “.inf’s”, maybe follow the older guidelines from the ‘Unattended Guide’, http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/35/

Sorry for such a long post, just trying to get it right. Unfortunately you can’t “see/figure” anything out by using a virtual pc like virtual box.

Thanks again for your help,

Eddie

DriverGrabber.txt

Edited November 27, 2007 by eddie11013

[BikinDutchman]

I think you came a long way.

I would put the ICH4core.cat, ICH4ide.cat, ICH4usb.cat, and 845g.cat, and 845G.INF, ICH4CORE.INF, ICH4IDE.INF, ICH4USB.INF in one folder (not the oem0.inf). Then integrate the contents of that folder with nLite > drivers, just pick 845G.INF, nLite will copy the rest.

I am a bit surprised you had this trouble after integration. The above drivers are not really essential. Would it be an idea to try SP2 RTM first?

[eddie11013]

Thanks. I did what you said. Just to be clear, I don't need the 'rest' of the contents of my 'system driver' that I had previously extracted? And, finally, hopefully, I don't have to pick the drivers for integration, in any particular order? Or rename them?

Thanks again, BikinDutchman.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Just select the multiple driver option and point it to the drivergrabber output folder. nLite will see all of the drivers therin and automatically compress, make new folder and add all of the entries needed to integrate them into your disk.

It really is pretyy easy once you finger it out.

[BikinDutchman]

Thanks. I did what you said. Just to be clear, I don't need the 'rest' of the contents of my 'system driver' that I had previously extracted? And, finally, hopefully, I don't have to pick the drivers for integration, in any particular order? Or rename them?

Thanks again, BikinDutchman.

Yes, just those 4 *.cats and 4 *.infs (8 files) in one folder (call it your system driver folder).

If you integrate just that one folder you pick one *.inf at random and nLite integrates them all (to verify: look under Windows\NLDRV, you will find it back as 001, or 002 etc, depending on the order of integrating.

The order of integration does not matter: if windows detects a device it scans all inf files for a match (and carries out the instructions in the matching *.inf).

Do not rename anything, nLite does the naming (001, 002, etc)

If you have more than one driver sub-folder in a driver folder, you can use Kel's method, to save you some time.