Driver Installation Order With Nlite

[barnold]

Hi,

I'm using Nlite to create an unattended install of XP with SP3 on multiple hardware models. My question pertains to the driver installation order that Nlite uses.

In the "official guide" ( http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/34/) it says when you are installing drivers via winnt.sif to name the driver folders starting with numbers to assure that they are installed numerically in the correct order

like this:

000_chipset

001_network

002_graphics

003_tv_out

004_sound

005_monitor

006_keyboard

007_mouse

008_and_so_on

As I said I am using Nlite for this disk (not winnt.sif) and want to know if I still need to name the folders in this order. Currently my disk is working well on multiple hardware models and I did not put much thought into the folder order because Nlite doesn't appear to care what order I put them in.

In the i386\NLDRV folder nlite has a bunch of folders: 001, 002, and so on.. but the order is completely random (i.e. 001 is a storage driver, 002 - 004 are audio drivers, 005 is a network driver, then there is a storage driver a few folders later, etc)

My folder structure is in alphabetical order because thats how Windows likes them

Audio

Network

Storage

USB

Video

I purposely have not included any chipset or cpu drivers because i don't want to take a chance and hose my disk (which is working well so far) by accidentally implementing them in the wrong order.

From what I have read it is important that the chipset driver be installed first. If I change to a numerical folder structure and add a chipset folder I might change it to look something like this:

000_chipset

001_storage

002_network

003_graphics

004_sound

005_usb

I guess my questions are:

1) Do I need to use the numerical folder structure if I'm using Nlite?

2) Does Nlite even care about the folder structure?

3) If Nlite doesn't care about the folder structure, is it smart enough to install the chipset drivers first?

4) Does the above folder order look good?

Thanks!

brian

[jaclaz]

I'm using Nlite to create an unattended install ...

You should decide WHETHER posting here or in Unattended, not in BOTH :

Rule #2a:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=18408

Double post:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=128875&hl=

jaclaz

[johnhc]

barnold, I think it has been stated here that the order of normal drivers does not matter. Windows installs drivers by an ID that associates it with a particular piece of HW. Text mode drivers are another thing. The last driver that is installed for a class of hardware is the one that gets used. This question came up because someone wanted to make a universal CD/DVD with all possible drivers. That would work OK with normal drivers but not text mode. Consider driver packs (I know little as I do not use) - I suspect they contain drivers that are never used. Enjoy, John.