Proper driver selection

[oao]

Most of the XP64 drivers for my laptop must be extracted from executable archives distributed by the mfgrs and this

makes it unclear how to select the proper driver for nLite to integrate.

1. Multiple INF files for one driver in the same directory e.g. Intel® Matrix Storage Manager Driver: it has IASTOR.INF and IAHCI.INF in the same directory, both of which I think are needed. If I specify One Driver to Insert I must choose one of them and then I DK if the other will be installed; if I try to select the other one too, nLite does not accept it from the same directory. So should I specify Multiple Drivers to insure both will be included?

2. One driver with multiple files in different directories e.g. nVidia graphics driver: it has the INF of the core driver in one directory and an INF for a HDMI driver in ahanother directory. Here my guess is that I need to specify each directory as one driver and insert them separately, as I doubt the graphics driver will also include the HDMI.

3. Multiple INFs for multiple drivers in the same directory e.g. Intel Mobile Chipset. Here there is a double problem: there are multiple INF files for the same chipset family all of which must be installed and multiple INF files for other chipset families none of which must be installed. The thing is I cannot tell from the names of the files which should be in and which out. So if I specify One-Driver to Insert, I don't know which INFs to select. But if I specify Multiple Drivers, all of them will be selected and I dk is that's correct -- would they all be installed?

Would appreciate advice from those in the know.

Thanks.

[Sp0iLedBrAt]

Put all driver folders into one folder and instruct nLite with the second option, to get multiple drivers. It will take all the .inf files, but only install the one needed for your PC.

As to the SATA/AHCI drivers, you have to install them in TXT mode (not PnP), and I think (maybe someone can confirm it) that if you choose IASTOR.inf, it will also copy IAHCI.inf, and the other way around. Also, make sure to integrate SATA/AHCI drivers last in the process.

[johnhc]

oao, drivers can be a little intimidating. If you will post a link to the drivers you have DLed, we can take a look and give you some pointers. Fernando 1 is the driver expert here and he has two stickies above on drivers. The one on Intel drivers should be of interest to you. Even if you include (point to .inf file) that is not applicable to your HW, Windows will not install it. NLite will include it in the NLDRV folder and the appropriate install file(s) but Windows will ignore it if the device and vendor IDs do not agree with any HW on your system. I am running ATI video drivers and I do have to point to a video driver and an HDMI driver and I assume nVidia is the same. Enjoy, John.

[oao]

I have already put all driver folders in one folder, but I think pointing to that folder won't pick up the inf files. I think you have to point to each driver folder separately, because they include the infs. But I'll check it out.

If only the proper drivers will be installed and if multiple inf drivers will take care of each other, one can specify all of them and not worry about it. I sort of guessed that is the case, but wanted to make sure.

In fact my graphics card is Intel's, not nVidia's. I guessed that if they put the HDMI files in a different directory than the card driver's directory, then the latter would not install the latter, so they must be specified separately.

I will take a look at the stickies.

Thanks.

[MrJinje]

There should be an option to add a folder full of drivers on that page (in nLite) , so if you don't see it, it is there.

Edited January 14, 2010 by MrJinje

[oao]

I checked out SATA sticky.

I have a Gateway T-6836 laptop which came with Vista32 and I upgraded to XP64.

There are no XP64 drivers for it, so I installed XP64 with integrated drivers that I collected

from various sources. Some I extracted from Intel's self-executable archives:

The specs say:

chipset: Intel GM965

Display: Intel X3100

but do not say whether the SATA controller is a ICH8 or ICH8M. When I integrated

the drivers, the OS installed the driver for ICH8M, so I assume that's it.

Regarding the chipset:

1. The specs say it's a GM965. Note, however, that the .rar archive you made available

has inf files for 965m and 965g; the only gm is for the 945gm. This may not matter,

though, as the OS will install the correct one.

2. The latest version downloadable from Intel is 9.1.0.12 dated 2/2/2009. The label on

the .rar you made available is 9.1.1.1025 -- newer than Intel's, but the inf files inside

say they are older versions from 2007 and 2008. What gives?

3. If the .rar is newer I would want to install it instead of Intel's, but I can only

integrate it into my next XP64 CD. To update my running system I would need an executable,

which the RAR isn't.

[eddie11013]

I know everyone here is operating way above my head, but I used the free program Driver Magician Lite: http://www.drivermagician.com/Lite.htm

It found all the drivers on my computer, non microsoft, put them in a folder, and that's what I have always used to integrate with nlite.

Hope this helps,

Eddie

[johnhc]

oao,

2. The latest version downloadable from Intel is 9.1.0.12 dated 2/2/2009. The label on

the .rar you made available is 9.1.1.1025 -- newer than Intel's, but the inf files inside

say they are older versions from 2007 and 2008. What gives?

Who is this question addressed to? If it is Fernando 1, then please place a reply in his thread.

Have you seen my latest response to your Last Session thread? Enjoy, john.

[oao]

I know everyone here is operating way above my head, but I used the free program Driver Magician Lite: http://www.drivermagician.com/Lite.htm

It found all the drivers on my computer, non microsoft, put them in a folder, and that's what I have always used to integrate with nlite.

Good idea. I'll check it out, thanks. Hope the Lite version will do.

[oao]

oao,

2. The latest version downloadable from Intel is 9.1.0.12 dated 2/2/2009. The label on

the .rar you made available is 9.1.1.1025 -- newer than Intel's, but the inf files inside

say they are older versions from 2007 and 2008. What gives?

Who is this question addressed to? If it is Fernando 1, then please place a reply in his thread.

Ah, OK, will do.

Have you seen my latest response to your Last Session thread? Enjoy, john.

Yes and I replied to it. Thanks.

[oao]

I know everyone here is operating way above my head, but I used the free program Driver Magician Lite: http://www.drivermagician.com/Lite.htm

It found all the drivers on my computer, non microsoft, put them in a folder, and that's what I have always used to integrate with nlite.

Looks like DM works -- it did generate the folders.

However, I see that it also generated separate folders for drivers that are included in other drivers and do not have to be inserted separately in nLite -- e.g. USB, PCI, LPC, SMBus.

OTOH, it iput the Intel display card in an Intel chipset folder.

Anybody knows if this is OK?

[johnhc]

oao, where did you run DM and on what OS? I tried something similar some time ago and am not familiar with DM, but I suspect it copies drivers from your running system and saves them for future use. Are you currently running the same version of Widows you are going to run nLite against? Enjoy, John.

[Fernando 1]

Regarding the chipset:

1. The specs say it's a GM965. Note, however, that the .rar archive you made available

has inf files for 965m and 965g; the only gm is for the 945gm. This may not matter,

though, as the OS will install the correct one.

That is correct. Nevertheless all INF files - even the not needed ones - will be integrated into the OS CD and present while installing the OS.

2. The latest version downloadable from Intel is 9.1.0.12 dated 2/2/2009. The label on

the .rar you made available is 9.1.1.1025 -- newer than Intel's, but the inf files inside

say they are older versions from 2007 and 2008. What gives?

The newest version of the Intel chipset "drivers", which has been officially published by Intel, is v9.1.1.1025, but this does not mean, that all included INF files have the same version number and are brandnew too.

The Intel chipset "drivers" (= Intel Chipset Device Software) always have just been a bundle of different text (=INF) files with totally different dates and version numbers.

3. If the .rar is newer I would want to install it instead of Intel's, but I can only

integrate it into my next XP64 CD. To update my running system I would need an executable,

which the RAR isn't.

Just unzip the RAR package and you will be able to integrate the "drivers".

[oao]

oao, where did you run DM and on what OS? I tried something similar some time ago and am not familiar with DM, but I suspect it copies drivers from your running system and saves them for future use. Are you currently running the same version of Widows you are going to run nLite against? Enjoy, John.

You are correct.

Yes, xp64.

However, see my question about the separation of some components -- should be OK but I would like it confirmed.

And what about the ini saving i asked -- can you be more specific?

Edited January 14, 2010 by oao

[oao]

The Intel chipset "drivers" (= Intel Chipset Device Software) always have just been a bundle of different text (=INF) files with totally different dates and version numbers.

Yes, OK, but when I searched the Intel download site for the driver it did not show me the one you mentioned. If it's the latest why didn't they post it? Where exactly did you get that version to .rar?