force to use 3COM driver during unattended install

[Marcel]

Hi,

I would like to have a 3COM driver installed instead of the Microsoft
supplied driver during unattended setup of Windows XP.

The PC has a integrated 3COM 3C920 NIC. During the unattended
installation Windows XP installs the default Windows XP driver for
this card. I like to use the 3COM driver instead because this driver
has Wakeup On Lan configuration items.
I do have the 3COM drivers installed in the $OEM$ folder and the
folder is listed in the OemPnPdriversPath.

Even when I try to update the drivers manually Windows reports the
drivers of 3COM are not newer than those already installed on the
system.

The only way to install the 3COM drivers is by updating the drivers
manually and select the option 'don't search. I will choose the driver
to install'

Is there any way to force Windows XP to install the 3COM driver
instead of the builtin driver during the unattended installation of
Windows XP?


thanks,
Marcel

 

[Guest]

Try having your OEMPnPDriversPath not point to a folder inside your $OEM$
directory structure. I use OEMPnPDriversPath when I sysprep XP, but I create
a hidden "DRIVERS" folder in the system root, and leave $OEM$ for files I
want to include in the system directories like OEMINFO.INF and custom
corporate background wallpapers.

If you are performing a networked unattended setup, place a DRIVERS folder
in $OEM$\$1 (or is it $$?) and make a 3COM folder inside with your custom
driver. This will place the DRIVERS folder on your system root. Modify your
OEMPnPDriversPath to look like "DRIVERS\3COM;". If your drivers are not
digitally signed, there's a sysprep line to specify "Ignore" for signature
checking just for the duration of mini-setup. As long as the driver is
actually newer than the one included in XP and it more accurately describes
the NIC than the driver inf included in XP, it should work.

However, I don't remember being able to download the 920 driver from 3Com
because it's an intergrated device given to hardware manufacturers. (Of
course that may have changed by now.) Maybe try going to the motherboard
manufacturer's drivers site and download their driver for an experiment.
Create a second folder under drivers for the mobo's driver release and also
include it in the OEMPnPDriversPath like

"DRIVERS\3COM;DRIVERS\MOBO;"

, set driver warning to Ignore for mini-setup, and see which one of the
three Windows picks.