uninstalling driver-'may be required to boot'?

[Kyle]

Hi:
I am a tech support person who has faced about 200
uninstalls of device drivers.
About three to ten times, I have seen this error with XP
when we try to uninstall a device driver...

'unable to uninstall the device....device may be required
to boot the system'

Can you help, please?
Thank You,
Kyle

 

[Michael Leon [MSFT]]

You do not say what kind of drivers you are talking about (CD drivers?
Scanner drivers? Printer drivers? Graphic adaptor drivers?). Also, you do
not say that if you do have the device connected to the computer when you
are uninstalling (and that is what is failing), or if you are only required
to reboot the computer after you've uninstalled the driver, or the device is
of such importance to the computer that it must have something to substitute
the replacement (like a graphics card).

good luck!

- me

 

[Kyle]

Yes:
the drivers are ethernet card drivers. When we highlight
the device in the device manager, and
click 'action','uninstall'...there is the error message
previously described. The cards are usually PCI cards.
Thank You,
Kyle

 

[Michael Leon [MSFT]]

I take it these Ethernet card drivers are not signed drivers (XP approved
and signature) or they would have uninstalled as designed for XP. If that is
the case, then yes - you are going to get weird behaviors not prescribed by
XP like uninstall. Even then, when the drivers say they are uninstalled -
they may not be because the vendor didn't put their drivers where they
belonged (as outlined by the DDK) or are leaking handles and memory all over
the place as you can not close the file in order to then uninstall it.

I would think the user would have to yank the card out of there computer to
make sure the driver's aren't accessed after a reboot when you are trying to
uninstall the bad drivers. Though it may be as simple as having the user
reboot in SAFE mode and then remove the drivers that way.

good luck!

--
Michael Leon
Microsoft Printing, Imaging and Fax Team

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Please do not send email directly to this alias. This alias is for newsgroup
purposes only.'

 

[Kyle]

thank you, will try safe mode next time it happens, and
also check out the card to be sure it is 'recognized' by
Microsoft.
Thanks again,

Kyle

 

[Gary G. Little]

O really Michael, you presume to much. You presume that because a driver is
not signed it does not work properly, and at the same time you presume that
a signed driver will work properly. All signing does is certify that on a
given set of hardware, this driver performed according to specifications and
evidenced no significant problems. It does NOT guaranty that a signed
driver will function on any combination of hardware.

There are thousands of lines of unsigned driver code out there that will
never see the Hallowed Halls of WHQL, and work quite well. In this case, a
signed driver, given that the composition of the hardware will permit, MIGHT
solve the problem. But I certainly would not depend on it.

 

[Tom Fischer]

Kyle,

I have discovered how to uninstall the driver. It turns
out that the driver file being uses a windows system
file, when windows cant find a signed mfg driver, it uses
a windows system file and will not let it be uninstalled.
But, you can force windows to use an unsigned driver and
then uninstall it as follows:

I did this in safe mode, I do not know if it will work
out of safe mode.

Right click on My Computer and select Properties
Select the Hardware tab
Select the device manager button
Select the device you would like to uninstall
Right click and select Properties
Select the driver tab
You will need an old or unsigned driver file
Click the Update Driver button
Select Install from a specific location and click next
Select Search for the best driver in these locations
check search removable media
click next
browse and find your unsigned driver
keep selecting use this driver anyways

after the unsigned driver is installed, the device will
now uninstall. Good luck!

Tom

 

[Tommy Toes]

I take it these Ethernet card drivers are not signed drivers (XP approved
and signature) or they would have uninstalled as designed for XP. If that is
the case, then yes - you are going to get weird behaviors not prescribed by
XP like uninstall. Even then, when the drivers say they are uninstalled -
they may not be because the vendor didn't put their drivers where they
belonged (as outlined by the DDK) or are leaking handles and memory all over
the place as you can not close the file in order to then uninstall it.

I would think the user would have to yank the card out of there computer to
make sure the driver's aren't accessed after a reboot when you are trying to
uninstall the bad drivers. Though it may be as simple as having the user
reboot in SAFE mode and then remove the drivers that way.

good luck!

With micros&*t breeding this kind of arrogance, is it any wonder
people are looking for alternatives? I'm having exactly the same
problem with this horrible product, using YOUR signed drivers.
Go back and lurk for a while until you can offer some helpful advice.
...|..

 

[Ramboi2]

Gary,
How can you say a signed driver is not guaranteed to work? Isn't that true
that people paid a fortune to get their drivers to pass your WQHL test in order
to get their driver signed. What you said doesn't make any senses because you
indirectly said your WHQL test means nothing, a signed driver means nothing
important. Do you realize how hard it is to use your WHQL test and
certification? It's very costly and time consuming. It sounds like your
vendors went through a hard time for nothing.

Sounds illogical to me.

Ramboi