Allowing Users to Install Hardware Device Drivers

[Zoom7000]

See if this works:

http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/tools/16306.html

Allow Users to Install USB Jump Drives

Novell Cool Solutions: Cool Tool

In Brief

Grant Users and Power Users the ability to install USB mass storage devices

jaclaz

P.S.: IF it does, you owe me a beer

Unfortunately, this didn't fix the problem, so I'm still searching for a solution...

[jaclaz]

Did you try with the suggestion at the bottom of the page?

Alter permissions on %*WINSYS%\inf\usbstor.inf with r,w,c for the group that you want to have permission to "install" usb devices.

jaclaz

[Zoom7000]

I think you'll find that .exe does that anyway. I've looked at the script:

;AllowUSBJumpDrives.au3
;Created by Jeremy Mlazovsky
If IsAdmin ( ) = 0 Then
	MsgBox ( 0+48+262144, 'Uh oh!', 'You need to have administrator-level access to run this utility!' )
	Exit
EndIf

Dim $file = 'C:\Windows\inf\usbstor.inf'
Dim $group 
$group = 'Power Users'
SplashTextOn ( $group, 'Updating permissions for the file' & @CRLF & $file & ' to' & @CRLF & 'Modify, Read and Execute, Read, Write!', 300, 75 )
RunWait ( 'cacls ' & $file & ' /E /G "' & $group & '":R', '',@SW_HIDE )
RunWait ( 'cacls ' & $file & ' /E /G "' & $group & '":W', '',@SW_HIDE )
RunWait ( 'cacls ' & $file & ' /E /G "' & $group & '":C', '',@SW_HIDE )
Sleep ( 2500 )

$group = 'Users'
SplashTextOn ( $group, 'Updating permissions for the file' & @CRLF & $file & ' to' & @CRLF & 'Modify, Read and Execute, Read, Write!', 300, 75 )
RunWait ( 'cacls ' & $file & ' /E /G "' & $group & '":R', '', @SW_HIDE )
RunWait ( 'cacls ' & $file & ' /E /G "' & $group & '":W', '', @SW_HIDE )
RunWait ( 'cacls ' & $file & ' /E /G "' & $group & '":C', '', @SW_HIDE )
Sleep ( 2500 )

SplashOff()

MsgBox ( 0+262144, @ScriptName, 'Users and Power Users should now be able to install USB Flash drives!', 10 )

Could it be anything to do with Driver Signing? Albeit I have told AD to ignore all instances of Driver Signing.

[jaclaz]

Yes, that's exactly the idea behind the script, i.e. setting ACL permissions, the problem is that the path is "hardcoded" into 'C:\Windows\inf\usbstor.inf', so that it won't work if you have a different %windir%/%SystemRoot%.

The only thing that should prevent installing the USB device should be if the device is not standard, i.e. it does not comply with either the eplicit vid&pid or the general Class&Subclass declared in usbstor.inf.

Also check permissions on the tree above USBSTOR.INF, maybe something needs to be changed there, as said I am not an expert on this, but maybe some Ownership and Inheritance settings do override the file ones.

A test you could make, if you can make a test install, is to setup XP on a FAT32 partition....

Another idea (again of which I have NO experience) could be using NTRIGHTS:

http://www.ss64.com/nt/ntrights.html

with the "SeLoadDriverPrivilege"

jaclaz

Edited February 2, 2007 by jaclaz

[Zoom7000]

Right, I'm gonna give ntrights a try and hope for the best!

[Zoom7000]

OK, didn't work... I've spoken to a few people having the same problem on another forum and everyone keeps mentioning that it has something to do with unsigned drivers, however, I'm just totally confused because I've got this problem with almost all USB flash drives.

[jaclaz]

hmmm, is it possible that you have something "strange" in the Registry related to these?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/298503

but

http://www.securepcsolutions.com/tweak/Sec23.asp

More info:

http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServe...3.mspx?mfr=true

Maybe some hotfix has changed the behaviour?

jaclaz

[Zoom7000]

It's fixed! This Utility basically gives you a work around. But I've tested it on 5 machines and it works wonders. The name (USB Drive Letter Manager) makes you think it's not related, but it works! Phew...

Thank you, jaclaz, for all your help anyway, maybe we can have that coke now!

[jaclaz]

Happy problem is solved.

However it is very interesting, I use that utility normally, I would have never thought it had that "side effect"....but again, I have Admin credentials and am on Win2K....

jaclaz

[Zoom7000]

*Spits out Coke in Frustration!*

OK, now I am baffled. I have tested this on numerous machines and it was working fine. However, I have had complaints that it is still not working on some machines. So I have had a look. I've taken 2 screenshots. Both machines are HPDC7600's, both are identical in spec, both have been created using the same RIS image. However, these are the results:

What could be causing the wrong "detection" so to speak?

[jaclaz]

Hmmm, black magic needed?

I would check (comparing them) the USBSTOR.INF file on both machines to the one on another (working) one, then would try on those two machines some other sticks, and try THAT stick on other machines, to see if the problem is on the machines by themselves, is related to just the Corsair stick or it belongs to THAT stick on THOSE TWO machines...

jaclaz

P.S.:also double check that those machines have exactly the same "Windows Update" and Hotfix level...

Edited February 6, 2007 by jaclaz

[mikesw]

My local library has a problem similar to this on some computers whereas others work.

The library has Windows XP Pro.

a ). I log in as a regular user. I plug my firelite 80gig Hard disk or 4Gig Sandisk U3 device into the computer.

b ). The OS recognizes both, but then soon thereafter, it displays a window to login as administrator

to install the device(s). Other computers around me have no problem with these devices, only certain

computers.

I've bugged the admin to fix this problem, but I guess they don't know how they've configured their own machines.

....

I will suggest the article mentioned above http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326473 so that they can take

a look at the server-side vs. client-side admin rights mentioned in this KB article. All library patrons use

a magnetic card that acts as a roaming profile and stores our web-browser favorites too which are read

off this library card. I'm not sure if the basic user is considered part of the power user group to install

s/w drivers though.

Edited February 6, 2007 by mikesw