ihaveaproblem Posted January 23, 2011 Posted January 23, 2011 Hi all, Hoping someone can help me out. Is there a way i can deploy device drivers? I need to install the drivers for a pixaxe AXE027 usb cable on alot of machines PICAXE http://www.rev-ed.co.uk/software/axe027.zip Is there an easy way to deploy these drivers, like you can with a software package, so i dont have to go around each machine manualy? The clients are using windows 7 and running a server 2008 network. thanks very much.
srochford Posted January 23, 2011 Posted January 23, 2011 Should be able to do it with dpinst (part of Windows). Assuming you've got the zip file unzipped somewhere on a server you could do something like this: if exist %windir%\picaxe.installed goto end xcopy \\server\share\picaxe %windir%\temp\picaxe /i /s dpinst u c:\temp\picaxe\ftdibus.inf /q dpinst u c:\temp\picaxe\ftdiport.inf /q echo installed > %windir%\picaxe.installed :end Not sure if you need to install both .inf files (some hardware has multiple .inf files but doesn't need them - eg they're for different versions) 1
mac_shinobi Posted January 23, 2011 Posted January 23, 2011 Just curious if you would need to use devcon as well as dpinst or not - never tried doing something like this before The DevCon command-line utility functions as an alternative to Device Manager Install switch as per above link Could be wrong and dpinst may do the lot ?? 1
ihaveaproblem Posted January 23, 2011 Author Posted January 23, 2011 Thanks srochford. I'll give it a go and let you know if it worked for me. Fingers crossed it does, would save me alot of time.
ihaveaproblem Posted January 23, 2011 Author Posted January 23, 2011 Just curious if you would need to use devcon as well as dpinst or not - never tried doing something like this before The DevCon command-line utility functions as an alternative to Device Manager Install switch as per above link Could be wrong and dpinst may do the lot ?? Thanks for the link mac_shinobi. I'm not sure if this is something i need as well because this is all new to me. If what srochford suggested doesnt work i will look into this. One thing i did notice after looking through the link you posted. It says this "You can use DevCon with Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003" Does it work with Windows 7 as well?
Brpilot99 Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 I usually use Winstall lite to make an msi after installing the drivers on a standard Pc and then distribute via GPO
srochford Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 As I understand it, devcon will work if the hardware is already present in the machine but isn't as good (ie may not work at all!) if the hardware isn't there (which I'm guessing it won't be in this case - it's a device that can be plugged in at any time) DPInst is newer than devcon and, more importantly, is designed to install PnP drivers when the hardware is not present. 1
6Foot2 Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 I have followed the advice given here and I appear to have got it to run at start up without errors. However when the device is plugged it with a user logged on it still asks to install the driver The teacher of Technology has taken the PIC programmer [i think that is what it is called] away for another lesson. So my question now is do I need the programmer plugged into the USB port when the PC starts for it to install successfully? [Thought it was plug and play so it was not in place at start up on this occasion] Also do I need to activate each USB port [the way I had to for the Lego USB towers] Thanks.
mac_shinobi Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 As I understand it, devcon will work if the hardware is already present in the machine but isn't as good (ie may not work at all!) if the hardware isn't there (which I'm guessing it won't be in this case - it's a device that can be plugged in at any time) DPInst is newer than devcon and, more importantly, is designed to install PnP drivers when the hardware is not present. If it is that kind of driver ie for USB memory sticks then may need / require the GPO that allows non signed drivers to install and or possibly non admins to install drivers ( can't remember exact GPO settings but am sure you can clarify / confirm / deny this ?? ) Good info mr Rochford - thanks !!
TheScarfedOne Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Yes you are right - there are a whole load of settings related to driver install, and permissions for it. Policies > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > User Rights Assignment > Load and unload device drivers There are others for controling what class of drivers can be installed too, will go find and post...
ihaveaproblem Posted January 24, 2011 Author Posted January 24, 2011 I've not had chance to try this yet. Plan to do it first thing in the morning. I hope i can get it to work, however i have my small doubts after reading DaveP still got asked for the drivers. I'l post back the results. Thanks all for the help!
SYNACK Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Its quite involved but this should do the job for you if the other method does not work out: Creating an MSI to install device drivers - Wiki 2
ihaveaproblem Posted January 24, 2011 Author Posted January 24, 2011 I quickly tested what srochford suggested and unfortuantly it didnt work for me either. The same happened to me as it did for DavidP, when i plugged the pic programming cable in it started asking for device driver to be installed.
Heatwave Posted June 30, 2015 Posted June 30, 2015 Has anyone had any more thoughts... (or even better.. any success) with this since the last post? I currently need to install the Axe027 driver on 30-50 Windows 7 machines. I can get the drivers to the C drive, but i'm looking for a way to point the cable to the drivers automatically when its plugged in (to save me a lot of time, rather than going to each individual PC and manually browsing the path of the driver!!). Cheers!
Michael Posted June 30, 2015 Posted June 30, 2015 Something like this should work - @echo off pnputil.exe -a C:\Drivers\axe027\*.inf This will import the driver(s) into the Windows database, but 'I think' the drivers need to be signed.
Heatwave Posted June 30, 2015 Posted June 30, 2015 Something like this should work - Code: @echo off pnputil.exe -a C:\Drivers\axe027\*.inf This will import the driver(s) into the Windows database, but 'I think' the drivers need to be signed. Im getting an error when i try this, Microsoft PnP Utility Processing inf : ftdibus.inf Adding the driver package failed : The system cannot find the file specified. Processing inf : ftdiport.inf Adding the driver package failed : The system cannot find the file specified. Total attempted: 2 Number successfully imported: 0 I'm assuming I replace the path at the end of the code with the path to the drivers current location? Thanks
Michael Posted July 1, 2015 Posted July 1, 2015 Yes - you change the C:\Drivers\axe027\ path accordingly.
Heatwave Posted July 1, 2015 Posted July 1, 2015 Hi Michael. I have changed the path to the location of the drivers, however i am still getting the below error message.. any ideas? Microsoft PnP Utility Processing inf : ftdibus.inf Adding the driver package failed : The system cannot find the file specified. Processing inf : ftdiport.inf Adding the driver package failed : The system cannot find the file specified. Total attempted: 2 Number successfully imported: 0 Thanks!
Michael Posted July 1, 2015 Posted July 1, 2015 I think it's finding the .inf files, but maybe something else it requires. Do the event logs show anything interesting?
Heatwave Posted July 2, 2015 Posted July 2, 2015 This may be a stupid question.. but where can i find those?
Michael Posted July 2, 2015 Posted July 2, 2015 Start > Run > eventvwr It may tell you what the issue is. Typically there should be files ending in .cat .sys as well as .inf all in the same directory for the driver to install correctly.
Vasriel Posted July 2, 2015 Posted July 2, 2015 Start > Run > eventvwr It may tell you what the issue is. Typically there should be files ending in .cat .sys as well as .inf all in the same directory for the driver to install correctly. I had this problem too when i wanted to update network drivers. I had tried just the inf files in the driver folder but it didn't work for me. When I added the rest of the driver package into the driver folder the command worked.
Heatwave Posted July 3, 2015 Posted July 3, 2015 I had this problem too when i wanted to update network drivers. I had tried just the inf files in the driver folder but it didn't work for me. When I added the rest of the driver package into the driver folder the command worked. That has worked now. I added the rest of the package into the same folder, run the command and got a successful install. Thanks both!
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