Automaticly install device drivers

[infoplus]

I have two XP pro images at work one was built from scratch using the
Windows XP pro cd, and the other was built starting from the HP
restore CD. When I plug a new device in to the HP machine the drivers
are loaded automatically without any user prompting or wizards, but
when I plug a new device into the machine with the other image I am
promted by the device wizard every time. I have tested this using the
same user, same user group, and same domain/ GPO. Is there a way to
configure my "from scratch" image to install device automatically like
the HP image? Thanks

 

[M.I.5¾]

I have two XP pro images at work one was built from scratch using the
Windows XP pro cd, and the other was built starting from the HP
restore CD. When I plug a new device in to the HP machine the drivers
are loaded automatically without any user prompting or wizards, but
when I plug a new device into the machine with the other image I am
promted by the device wizard every time. I have tested this using the
same user, same user group, and same domain/ GPO. Is there a way to
configure my "from scratch" image to install device automatically like
the HP image? Thanks

When you plug in a new device, the plug and play routine runs. If an
approriate driver exists on the machine, the device is installed and the
driver used. No on screen message appears (apart from the new hardware icon
with its ballon in the system tray). If there is no appropriate driver,
then the device wizard pops up asking you where it can find a driver (or
allowing an automatic search).

When PC manufacturers produce their Windows image disks, they include
drivers for all of the hardware that they are likely to use when producing a
machine. Thus such windows installations are already heavily populated with
drivers. The device that you plug in is one that the HP is expecting or has
a driver for. If you plug in a device for which there is no driver, then
you will get the device wizard pop up.

Windows retail disks also come populated with drivers but these are
generally windows generic drivers produced by microsoft and only cover a
limited range of devices. Thus when you plug the device in, the device
wizard pops up because there is no driver.

Occasionally, even if a suitable driver is installed, windows still pops up
the wizard requiring the driver disk to be installed. It is beleived that
this may be a feature of the driver itself rather than an inherent fault in
windows.

 

[infoplus]

When you plug in a new device, the plug and play routine runs. If an
approriate driver exists on the machine, the device is installed and the
driver used. No on screen message appears (apart from the new hardware icon
with its ballon in the system tray). If there is no appropriate driver,
then the device wizard pops up asking you where it can find a driver (or
allowing an automatic search).

When PC manufacturers produce their Windows image disks, they include
drivers for all of the hardware that they are likely to use when producing a
machine. Thus such windows installations are already heavily populated with
drivers. The device that you plug in is one that the HP is expecting or has
a driver for. If you plug in a device for which there is no driver, then
you will get the device wizard pop up.

Windows retail disks also come populated with drivers but these are
generally windows generic drivers produced by microsoft and only cover a
limited range of devices. Thus when you plug the device in, the device
wizard pops up because there is no driver.

Occasionally, even if a suitable driver is installed, windows still pops up
the wizard requiring the driver disk to be installed. It is beleived that
this may be a feature of the driver itself rather than an inherent fault in
windows.

The strange thing is that this keeps happening for devices to which
Windows has the drivers. For example USB flash drive, usb floppy, or
usb external numeric keypad. These are devices that do not ship with
specific drivers (for XP). Even my home machine (clean install from XP
disk) discovers them one by one and installs the driver without
running the wizard.

 

[infoplus]

The strange thing is that this keeps happening for devices to which
Windows has the drivers. For example USB flash drive, usb floppy, or
usb external numeric keypad. These are devices that do not ship with
specific drivers (for XP). Even my home machine (clean install from XP
disk) discovers them one by one and installs the driver without
running the wizard.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I have just started building the image from scratch and so for the
problem has not shown up. I would like to find the solution though
because a few of these things have already been deployed and I want to
fix them. Thanks for your help.

 

[M.I.5¾]

When you plug in a new device, the plug and play routine runs. If an
approriate driver exists on the machine, the device is installed and the
driver used. No on screen message appears (apart from the new hardware
icon
with its ballon in the system tray). If there is no appropriate driver,
then the device wizard pops up asking you where it can find a driver (or
allowing an automatic search).

When PC manufacturers produce their Windows image disks, they include
drivers for all of the hardware that they are likely to use when producing
a
machine. Thus such windows installations are already heavily populated
with
drivers. The device that you plug in is one that the HP is expecting or
has
a driver for. If you plug in a device for which there is no driver, then
you will get the device wizard pop up.

Windows retail disks also come populated with drivers but these are
generally windows generic drivers produced by microsoft and only cover a
limited range of devices. Thus when you plug the device in, the device
wizard pops up because there is no driver.

Occasionally, even if a suitable driver is installed, windows still pops
up
the wizard requiring the driver disk to be installed. It is beleived that
this may be a feature of the driver itself rather than an inherent fault
in
windows.

The strange thing is that this keeps happening for devices to which
Windows has the drivers. For example USB flash drive, usb floppy, or
usb external numeric keypad. These are devices that do not ship with
specific drivers (for XP). Even my home machine (clean install from XP
disk) discovers them one by one and installs the driver without
running the wizard.

------------------

I've got you. I have seen machines start to do this that didn't do it
before. In these cases a system restore to before the problem started
usually solves the problem (for a few weeks at least).

IME Windows installations are somewhat fickle and bits tend to drop off as
the installation ages. There comes a point where a format and reinstall is
the only way of recovering full operation. XP does seem to hold up longer
than previous versions (with exception of Windows 2000 - now that was
stable)

 

[infoplus]

The strange thing is that this keeps happening for devices to which
Windows has the drivers. For example USB flash drive, usb floppy, or
usb external numeric keypad. These are devices that do not ship with
specific drivers (for XP). Even my home machine (clean install from XP
disk) discovers them one by one and installs the driver without
running the wizard.

------------------

I've got you. I have seen machines start to do this that didn't do it
before. In these cases a system restore to before the problem started
usually solves the problem (for a few weeks at least).

IME Windows installations are somewhat fickle and bits tend to drop off as
the installation ages. There comes a point where a format and reinstall is
the only way of recovering full operation. XP does seem to hold up longer
than previous versions (with exception of Windows 2000 - now that was
stable)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

For other who may have the same problem here is what was required.
Rename the %systemroot%\system32\catroot2\edb.log file.
(some kind soul posted this on tech net) Here is what he posted:
Try this, though note the part about the infcache.1 file:

XP asks for drivers or just want to install new hardware

XP comes with drivers for USB mass storage. If it asks for drivers
then
there are two common reasons:
1. It does not trust it's own drivers
This is the case when it cannot check if the drivers are signed which
is
true when the servicie 'Cryptographic Services' ist not running
(CryptSvc) or
if its data are corrupt.
Start -> Execute -> services.msc
Check here for 'Cryptographic Services' beeing started automatically.
Fixing corrupted data of the 'Cryptographic Services' is described at
Microsoft:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822798

2. It does not find the drives
This is the case when the registry key that points to the INF folder
is
corrupt.
Start the Registry Editor (Run -> Regedit). Check if under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion the item
'DevicePath' points to '%SystemRoot%\inf'. Additional items, separated
by
semikolons, are ok but '%SystemRoot%\inf' has to be one of them.
Then delete the file C:\WINDOWS\inf\infcache.1 - XP will recreate it.
The INF folder and the infcache.1 file are 'hidden'. To see them in
the
Windows Explorer:
Menu 'Tools' -> 'Folder Options'
Tab 'View', mark 'show hidden files and folders'
If it still doesn't work after a restart, the files in C:\WINDOWS\inf
might
be corrupt. An Windows repair install helps then.

Another thing to check is if the values 'FactoryPreInstallInProgress'
and
'AuditInProgress' are set to '1' under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Factory
.. They should be 0 or non present.