Drivers Instalation in Post-Install stage (New Method)

[ibliss]

it be worth it especially in the following scenario:

* drivers always located on same location (eg z:\drivers)

* program always called from same location (so the once created DB is always available)

which is (of course) my scenario

Ye that's my point to create it.

Problem is that after going thru all files from bashrat drivers pack the file with db output is 850kb in size!!! Putting it both at file/memory at same time takes around 662008.467556631ms = 6minutes. Depending if hdd/ram cache kicked in it might be longer. Also it will be hardware dependant. I'm wondering how much time it will take to load it from file to memory (at the time of using the app from earlier preparation) if it will be any faster then doing it all at the time of instalation.

Anyway i'll do more testing, will try to remove some unnessecary code + put some additinal code how to handle it. I will probably introduce 2 options. One to use be used as created predb and then loading from at time of instalation or doing it straight at deployment time. One way or another it will take some time

Then you have to load it with my program

sorry, dont have a windows machine here, will try to test it (==the wmi stuff) tomorrow or otherwise thursday (/me not working on wednesdays, and only have windoze pc available at schools i work for)...

Could you specify the format you want your data to be in? I'm extracting data from .inf files right now with some simple linux commands (grep, awk)

I could create a php script that does the same, so you can use it on windoze, but i'm really not that good with php and the like

[ibliss]

i guess you're familiar with this topic wrt the 'add new hardware found' wizard ? (it is frackin' annoying when i have to click in an unattenden=d setup especially when running it on 20+ slow machines)

[Cere4l]

Can anyone with the COM with DOM! problems please test this solution:

1. http://www.computerperformance.co.uk/Logon...de_80041013.htm

seems like it's a problem with WMI. So if anyone can confirm this is a solution i'll put it on a first page or in future documentation. It's not something i can realy prevent of happing i guess since it's working just fine on computers that are up to date!

Confirmed working on two pcs. but not on the third O_o

[MadBoy]

Try this solution then, it's a bit more direct:

Here are the individual steps:

1. Open a cmd prompt.

2. Run the command: net stop winmgmt

3. Run the command: winmgmt /kill

4. change directories to c:\windows\system32\wbem

5. Run the command: for %i in (*.dll) do RegSvr32 –s %i

6. Run the commands:

regsvr32 –s scrcons.exe

regsvr32 –s unsecapp.exe

regsvr32 –s wbemtest.exe

regsvr32 –s winmgmt.exe

regsvr32 –s wmiadap.exe

regsvr32 –s wmiapsrv.exe

regsvr32 –s wmiprvse.exe

7. Run the command: net start winmgmt

[ibliss]

just came across this...

http://vernalex.com/tools/spdrvscn/index.shtml

I know it's meant for sysprep use, but... in the description it says that the registry value for oempnpdriverspath can be VERY frackin large... whereas i read up to now that it's limited to 4000 chars? (which is what you say too)

So what is the right thing to believe? Should it work that way? This should solve some problems then...

Anyone knows if there is a default registry file located somewhere in the windows setup? Or is it just generated during install from bits and pieces all over the place? If there was a default, maybe this could be modified to include a nice path (i think there are registry editors that don't require windoze to be running, so it might even be automated then...)

[MadBoy]

just came across this...

http://vernalex.com/tools/spdrvscn/index.shtml

I know it's meant for sysprep use, but... in the description it says that the registry value for oempnpdriverspath can be VERY frackin large... whereas i read up to now that it's limited to 4000 chars? (which is what you say too)

So what is the right thing to believe? Should it work that way? This should solve some problems then...

Anyone knows if there is a default registry file located somewhere in the windows setup? Or is it just generated during install from bits and pieces all over the place? If there was a default, maybe this could be modified to include a nice path (i think there are registry editors that don't require windoze to be running, so it might even be automated then...)

This is something i have read about the limit but never was able to say that it is so. For me it usually went up to 12000 chars (so way over 4000 limit). The problem is i can't confirm if Windows is reading it correctly and using it correctly. I just know that in the end my program was reporting to me that the entry has over 12000 chars. It's for you to test whether it works or not

[kickarse]

The Vernalex method does work. Even with all the Driverpacks. I have a batch script way of driver installation (posted it previously in this thread) that uses this method and works every time, albeit a bit slowly.

Also, MadBoy I found you AutoIT posts, quite interesting... seems you've had a lot of learning and issues with building this program.

Edited December 9, 2007 by kickarse

[MadBoy]

The Vernalex method does work. Even with all the Driverpacks. I have a batch script way of driver installation (posted it previously in this thread) that uses this method and works every time, albeit a bit slowly.

Also, MadBoy I found you AutoIT posts, quite interesting... seems you've had a lot of learning and issues with building this program.

It's gone a long way since i started it. I'm trying to find best possible solutions for this little proggy, to be as fast as possible, and this doesn't always goes as planned It takes a lot of time but i've got enough knowledge now to go thru includes and see how someone else wrote it and maybe use some of the code to write mine. I'm still learning AutoIt. Anyway it takes a lot of time to work on something i don't use myself Hardware Installer i have used in my ex-job. New job doesn't have multiple weird hardwares

Latly i am more focused on Image Manager which i have developed for my job or PostDeployment installer which can be used to "configure/install" some stuff at the time of deployment when certain piece of hardware is used (Like Tablet HP TC4400 or Laptop HP NC6400). When it's desktop it removes VPN Client from the machien at the time of deployment When it's laptop it will stop some services and do something else Stuff like that. Also i will probably write Image Builder a script to produce build according to options choosen (as i have to support 30 countries or so with diffrent images).

[romsempire]

I have tested your application about 10 PCs.

well, it works great, but you could add select directories for scanning?

Here, another project similar to your one is born.

It's based on Vernalax DriverScanner.

You could add this feature in your program?

It will be great

[MadBoy]

well, it works great, but you could add select directories for scanning?

What you mean by add select directories for scanning.

Here, another project similar to your one is born.

It's based on Vernalax DriverScanner.

Do you mean to add Vernalex DriverScanner? I'm writting my own functions for "fast driver applying". Just being lazy on my side.

[romsempire]

well, it works great, but you could add select directories for scanning?

What you mean by add select directories for scanning.

Here, another project similar to your one is born.

It's based on Vernalax DriverScanner.

Do you mean to add Vernalex DriverScanner? I'm writting my own functions for "fast driver applying". Just being lazy on my side.

See here

Scan directories at runtime and select your favourite directory for scanning.

You could add feature scan defined directories in your xml file for unattended use.

[pSycho-Y2K]

It seems that the 800401F3 problem has also plagued me. I tried the solution earlier in the thread by using RegSvr32 to register DLL and EXE-files. But it didn't help, not even after a reboot. I think it has to do with nLite which removes and de-registers certain files from the installation, but I don't know which component or setting is responsible for this error. I attached a screenshot of my installation-dvd where the error is displayed. I used the RunOnceEx process to install applications and the automatic removal and installation of the device drivers by your program. Maybe anyone can pin-point the problem for this? I'm using Microsoft Windows XP SP2 (US) VLK with all recent hotfixes/updates, and IE7 & WMP11 slipstreamed.

Funny thing is that while testing and trying out some settings, the drivertool did actually work! I just can't put my finger on it...

PS. I love your work! It's really the cherry on the cake for a complete unattended installation! Maybe you can tell me what Devcon does compared with the default value?

Edited December 17, 2007 by pSycho-Y2K

[MadBoy]

It seems that the 800401F3 problem has also plagued me. I tried the solution earlier in the thread by using RegSvr32 to register DLL and EXE-files. But it didn't help, not even after a reboot. I think it has to do with nLite which removes and de-registers certain files from the installation, but I don't know which component or setting is responsible for this error.

The problem is with WMI so most likely you've corrupted WMI files or so. Maybe you removed it or somehow got it destroyed. Not sure how i can help you guys with this? Also have you tried the newest version or the one from first page. The newest version is somewhere in the last posts as i am too lazy to update the first post (and since i am preparing new version soon i don't see sense)!

Maybe you can tell me what Devcon does compared with the default value?

Can you explain exactly what you have in mind?

[pSycho-Y2K]

The problem is with WMI so most likely you've corrupted WMI files or so. Maybe you removed it or somehow got it destroyed. Not sure how i can help you guys with this? Also have you tried the newest version or the one from first page. The newest version is somewhere in the last posts as i am too lazy to update the first post (and since i am preparing new version soon i don't see sense)!

Okay, I'm trying different things now, changing nLite removed components and tweaks. Maybe there are some registrytweaks which cause the problem, so I'm going to fiddle around some more these days and hope to solve the issue.

Update: I see some progress now, it seems an application is disorting WMI. I temporary removed the installation of applications, and it seems the program runs perfectly now I'm going to test some more.

Can you explain exactly what you have in mind?

Let me rephrase the question: Plug 'n Play has two options Internal and Devcon, what does it do and what are the differences between them? When should you use the Internal (default) and when Devcon?

Edited December 17, 2007 by pSycho-Y2K

[MadBoy]

Let me rephrase the question: Plug 'n Play has two options Internal and Devcon, what does it do and what are the differences between them? When should you use the Internal (default) and when Devcon?

Devcon is simply how everyone puts it in .batch files or any other files. Usually it's DEVCON RESCAN command and that's it.

While the Internal is written purely in AutoIt using dllcalls. The diffrence? None.

I've only added it because someone said the Internal was crashing for him at some stage of Windows Instalation so i added 'DEVCON' to be sure that it's not something that is problem of my code. So use one that suits you the most