What files are needed for a driver to work.

[Digitalfox]

Hello.

Let me try to explain first want I want to do..

I'm slipstreaming drivers in Windows XP SP3 CD using nLite..

And what I want is just that by slipstreaming those drivers I have basic driver support for some hardware..

Not those stupid control panels incorporated, sorry but many of my clients just want to plug a cable for hearing sound and don't care about choosing what kind of living room they are and equalize the sound, and if they want they can always later install that control panel..

So for a driver to work is there any need for *.exe, cpl, hlp and some other files needed?

What is the files needed for a driver to work?

I suppose is *.inf, *.dll *.cat *.cab *.cfg and *.sys right?

Thank you

[danker]

Its depends on the driver, its just differently!

At first you need only the files in the same folder then the INF.

Now you can open the INF (editor), and can look for the files are listed in it.

If you remove a file listed in the INF maybe the silnet / automatical instalation of this driver is broken. If you think you dont need a singel file which is listed in the INF you can delete it out of the INF, but this way you lose the WHQL signing.

... so be carefuly!

[Digitalfox]

Its depends on the driver, its just differently!

At first you need only the files in the same folder then the INF.

Now you can open the INF (editor), and can look for the files are listed in it.

If you remove a file listed in the INF maybe the silnet / automatical instalation of this driver is broken. If you think you dont need a singel file which is listed in the INF you can delete it out of the INF, but this way you lose the WHQL signing.

... so be carefuly!

Ok thanks

So for example some drivers bring uninstall.exe, so is this required if the driver it's slipstreamed in Windows XP CD?

I hope you understand where I'm going with this question.

Edited May 10, 2008 by Digitalfox

[danker]

Its depends on the driver, its just differently!

Sometimes the uninstall.exe is mentioned in the INF but mostly not.

[TranceEnergy]

Quick reply, but i have always gone into the driver inf. files and deleted anything not actually needed for the driver/hardware to function. Unless im doing bugtesting etc. Uninstall.exe type of files, are definitively not needed. Nor help files if you are never going to read them.

There's just so much bloat.

A GREAT example of bloatware in drivers the Creative X-FI drivers. I have been running computer with realtek hd audio for quite some time, and thought i'd do some benchmarks and test if the sound quality was really any better with the x-fi. I didnt think so. But anyway, then i got a flashback.

If you have these drivers installed, you are in for a small nightmare. Turns out even Guru3d.com has made a tool to remove the drivers. Which i tried, and it didnt remove even half of all the files left in windows folders and registry. It took me 15 minutes of manually deleting stuff from registry to get rid of it completely.

The only times you should keep something is if it is actually needed for compability/stability, alltho u wont ever 'use' it yourself.

Unsigned driver installations isnt a bad thing, it means you've done your duty =)

[jmbattle]

Intel's integrated graphics drivers are pretty awful for this too, typically installing lots of unnecessary services and programmes that run in the background and do not offer any useful functionality.

Cheers,

James

x

[danker]

If you disable WHQL you are a lot more free!

Only for textmode SATA drivers is better to keep WHQL!

A easy way to get "clean" drivers are tools like "Double Driver".

With DD you can slipout the drivers from your runing system, and you get normaly only the real needet files.

For the german-nlite board i uploadet my driver collection to esnips.com , maybe you are interested to compare something (i remove normaly every language beside german, so maybe a english speeker should not use this!!!) http://www.esnips.com/web/thxTREIBER (note: I´m not perfect! )

Or look at the work from http://www.driverpacks.net/ they to a gread job.

To modifying drivers is somtimes hard work, because not every failure is easy to find!

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Well see thats the big issue "What can I remove and what can I not remove" without breaking everything?

nLite DOES read the inf and copies ONLY the basic needed files, NO uninstall or setup files, most of the cpl's will be skipped. Nlite is really smart about the drivers it will strip out everything not needed.

p.s. nLite IS NOT FOR CORPORATE USE!!!

sorry but many of my clients just want to

[danker]

nLite DOES read the inf and copies ONLY the basic needed files, NO uninstall or setup files, most of the cpl's will be skipped. Nlite is really smart about the drivers it will strip out everything not needed.

Good to know! Thanks!