5 replies to this topic

[sara - pmedia]

how can i integrate driverpack folder into installed xp so new connected hardware will automatly install by windows?
(I don't mean to integrate drivers to installation disk)

can i simpley put the folder in windows/inf or system32/drivers or maby add some reg entry to use my folder as drivers location?

[agni]

Read this

http://agnipulse.com...issing-drivers/

http://www.msfn.org/...iver-installer/

Download Driverpacks from driverpacks.net and DriverForge from http://www.softpedia...iverForge.shtml

[wimb]

I use also DriverForge 4.5.4 but have folder D of size 2.7 GB with extracted driverpacks available on USB-drive.
That saves time and I have enough space on 2.5 inch portable USB-drive of 320 GB

DriverForge 4.5.4 is part of IMG_XP package, so you can also use that one.
See folder IMG_XP\POST_INSTALL\INSTALL_DRIVERS\DriverForge

Also having DriverPacks outside the XP Image file keeps the XP image small,
so that you can still select to boot either from WinVBlock RAMDISK or from WinVBlock FILEDISK.
That is useful since booting from RAMDISK is always possible on unknown machine having 2 GB RAM

I followed your approach and can now also boot with 1.4 GB full XP Image file as WinVBlock FILEDISK on my USB harddisk.
Also other apps and Office 2003 are in this 1.4 GB Image and they work quite well.

I think there is no advantage in having the DriverPacks integrated in full XP Image file.
It would not make XP Image more Universal and it would increase the size so that booting from RAMDISK is slow or not possible.

In XP Setup it makes sense to integrate the DriverPacks (e.g. C P M L W and M txtmode selected)
Then indeed the driverpacks results in installed drivers in XP.

But for POST INSTALL I think it works quite well when you have all extracted DriverPacks available as folder D on USB-drive
and then let DriverForge 4.5.4 install the missing drivers as also proposed by agni



EDIT:
My XP Setup results in DriverForge ocurring in folder Install of XP partition.
After booting with 7 PE and mounting XP3_11_1.iso in virtual ImDisk drive
then USB_XP_Setup.exe is used to prepare drive for Install of XP.
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=23931
http://www.911cd.net...pic=21883&st=35

[maanu]

is there any command line paramters that driverforge supports ???

so that we can use the batch file to TELL driverforge where to look for the drivers directory >>>>???

[sara - pmedia]

Thanks for the tips
I already know/have/use "driverfouce" & "drivergeek" like you from external drive...

But still I'm wondering if it can be done

i found this, http://reboot.pro/3948/ Is it meant for my goal?

[wimb]

i found this, http://reboot.pro/3948/ Is it meant for my goal?

Something like that can help, but it should add only in registry the path of driver folders related to hw ids of the machine
or better the hw ids of missing drivers.

The problem is that adding the path of all drivers present in extracted all DriverPacks folder D
will generate a too long entry for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DevicePath

So it should work as something like this:
1. save_hwids with devcon will generate list of hwids of present machine (or better of missing drivers only)
2. search for hwids in extracted DriverPacks folder D and make list of relevant driver folders for the present machine
3. Set DevicePath in registry for list of found driver folders
4. Install drivers using DevicePath of registry - Scan New Hardware
5. Reset DevicePath to %SystemRoot%\inf

I don't know if there is already a program that will do it in this way ....

Or is this about already how DriverForge is doing it.
It will be quite easy to make AutoIt3 script or batch to find folder D and make autorun for DriverForge
See e.g. solutions in Make_PE3 to find drv folder - AutoIt3 script drv_find.au3 or dpinst_DriverStore.au3
in Make_PE3\PE3_mod\PE3_add\x86\Windows\System32

I think the last proposed solution with search and autorun of DriverForge is most easy for now .....



EDIT:
On the other hand I don't think that autorun of DriverForge is a good idea.
When booting on Unknown machine, then XP will first silently in about 2-3 minutes adjust to new hardware.
Then when XP driver fixing has finished, I manually launch DriverForge
to install any missing drivers from extracted DriverPacks folder D on USB-drive.
So in my opinion it is better to wait until XP has finished adjusting to new hardware.