How do you do it: deploy an updated driver?

[sonofsanta]

Mornin' all. Just found a fun problem with the ActiveTeach software here, in that it causes a massive handle leak in audiodg.exe and after 15 minutes of use that process is taking up half the system RAM and choking the whole computer to a halt. These being i3-550s with 2Gb of RAM, it shouldn't be happening.

Updating the Via 1708S integrated audio driver seems to mitigate the issue to a good enough extent that I want to roll it out to the 170 odd machines it applies to. Unfortunately I'm bugg3red if I can find a way to do it...

For whatever reason, the setup.exe refuses to run on the relevant machines, failing with an installshield 1608 error; I am presuming it's trying to access files currently in use as the setup runs fine on other machines, it only fails on the ones I need it to run on. I could probably track it down, but even if I do I'll still not be able to just roll the setup out with SCCM.

Driver packages in SCCM are only good for OS installation time, and I don't want to faff around reimaging everything for one audio driver for one curriculum software package.

I can update the driver manually from Device Manager using the relevant inf file, but I don't want to walk around 170 machines to do that, I'm supposed to be past chores like that now.

So riddle me this: how can I push out an updated driver across the network? Is there a scriptable way? A packageable way? An SCCM2012 way?

(Windows 7 SP1 x64, Server 2008R2, SCCM2012, fog... think that's everything relevant. Oh, and I'm rubbish at scripting, so I need my hand held with that)

[Geoff]

Is the updated driver in WSUS?

[localzuk]

Is it a signed driver?

Or does it require user interaction to confirm its use?

If it is signed, you could build yourself a script using DPInst to install it?

Driver Package Installer (DPInst)

[sonofsanta]

Is the updated driver in WSUS?

Can't see the right driver in the Microsoft catalogue (VIA HD Audio Driver Dated: 25-Jul-2012 version 10.005D / 6.0.1.10500)

[sonofsanta]

Is it a signed driver?

Or does it require user interaction to confirm its use?

If it is signed, you could build yourself a script using DPInst to install it?

Driver Package Installer (DPInst)

It's WHQL certified so should be fine. Not used DPInst before - does it give me an MSI at the end?

[localzuk]

It's WHQL certified so should be fine. Not used DPInst before - does it give me an MSI at the end?

No, DPInstall just does the install. If you wanted an MSI, you'd have to custom craft one to do it.

[sonofsanta]

No, DPInstall just does the install. If you wanted an MSI, you'd have to custom craft one to do it.

So I'd script Windows to run DPInst with the driver as an argument? (just downloading it now to play)

That being the case, I could run it as a package from SCCM, which would be a handy way of getting reports back on it and making sure it only ran once... if it works that way, of course.

[localzuk]

So I'd script Windows to run DPInst with the driver as an argument? (just downloading it now to play)

That being the case, I could run it as a package from SCCM, which would be a handy way of getting reports back on it and making sure it only ran once... if it works that way, of course.

Yup, exactly that. I believe you put it in a directory along with the inf and its associated driver files in the structure that they require, and when it runs, it finds that .inf file and executes its install.

That link I posted has the full instruction manual for it - it can do a lot more than just install a driver but in its simplest form, that's what it does.

[sonofsanta]

Yup, exactly that. I believe you put it in a directory along with the inf and its associated driver files in the structure that they require, and when it runs, it finds that .inf file and executes its install.

That link I posted has the full instruction manual for it - it can do a lot more than just install a driver but in its simplest form, that's what it does.

Brilliant, I'll have a play. Learn something new every day cheers!

[sonofsanta]

I think I'm being a bit thick here. I've downloaded WDK 7.1.0.7600 but there ain't no DPInst in the redist\DIFx folder - there isn't even a DIFx folder. Whu?

I can't spot it being installed as a result of anything, either. Where is it?

EDIT: nvm, found it - you have to install the tools from WDK and then it appears in the redist folder that's in the install directory. Carry on!

[sonofsanta]

That is pretty damn cool.

At a basic level, then, I stuck redist\DIFx\dpinst\MultiLin\amd64\dpinst.exe into the folder with the inf/cat/sys files on my SCCM server, then created a package pointing at that folder, and just gave it dpinset.exe /q /se /sw /f as a command line, and SHAZAM job done. Awesome awesome awesome.

Only minor issue is that Software Center reports it as failed, presumably because it's not getting a return code that it understands from DPInst. If anyone knows how to hack that, it'd be brilliant, but if it shows up as failed I at least know it's run, and if it's run then it's done, so I'm not too fussed.

Lovely job thanks chaps!

[localzuk]

Glad to help. I use it as part of my 'DriverPack' universal image installer for Windows 7 - combine it with a script from Driverpacks.net and custom driverpacks in .7z files and voila, it installs everything you need for a universal image.