[IcemanND]

Dissatisfied with both freeware and commercial driver backup applications I wrote my own for personal and work use.

The biggest difference is that instead of relying on what is stored within Windows in regards to driver files it locates the install INF and then gathers the files from the files listed in it.

This has only been tested in 32 bit Windows XP. It may work in other version of Windows but I have no way to test. If you do and it works post here and I will update this post accordingly.

Requirements:
v2.1.x
mscomctl.ocx (sorry not licesnsed for distribution, believe it gets installed with Office so you may already have it)

v.79
Must be run with administrative permissions
.NET 1.1

Recommend 1024x768 resolution

How to use:
If you want the Microsoft drivers uncheck 'Non-Microsoft drivers only'
Click 'Scan System'
Highlight listed drivers you wish to backup
Enter path to backup drivers to
Click 'Backup Now'

Each driver will be backed up to its own folder inside of the folder you select named by what is shown on the screen.

Update Log:
v2.1.83 - complete rewrite, don't remember what other changes were made.
does not elevate permissions in Vista and 7, need to run as administrator

v.79b - 10/12 - 98
- fixed resoltion issues
- added additional logging

v.78b - 10/6 - 34
- fixed inf filname missing when no cat file found
- change 'browse' to start ad desktop
- modified data store

v.77b - 10/5 - 30
- Changed fonts to be static sizes.
- added select all button
- added additional error checking for folder creation

Attached File(s)

•  driverbackup79.exe (176K)
  Number of downloads: 3967
•  DriverBackup2183.exe (236K)
  Number of downloads: 961

[clavicle]

Good piece. I hope it will work well with creative audio drivers. They are rather tricky to backup and restore.

[ricktendo]

OMG this is awesome... Been looking for something like this for ages to make my own BTS DriverPack's.

Thank you IcemanND for sharing this with us.

[IcemanND]

@clavicle - let me know I no longer have a machine with a Creative card so I can't test it.

[MadBoy]

@IceMan: nice idea. I tried your program but eh it didnt work. When i have choosen few devices, set right path and stated your program i got error saying


 error.jpg (50.42K)
Number of downloads: 142


To make polish story short it says Script Error from internet Explorer.


And btw can you give me more info how you are backing up drivers? With steps prefered. I wanted to include this feature in my program Hardware instaler that is on this forum with Sticky.

Thanks,

[P51D Mustang]

Thanks for sharing, mon!

Trying it out as we speak...One typo noted in "Driver is unsigned, not catalog file available."

Also had to drop my font size setting back to the default from "Use Extra Large Fonts" so the controls on the top and bottom of the screen would show.

[urie]

Quote

IcemanND, working great here Thanks

[IcemanND]

@madboy - what is the name of the driver it was attempting to back up? And did it contain any special characters, that would not be allowed in a file or directory name? And What directory are you backing up to? I thought I had removed all of the special characters and replaced them with underscores but where it says it is failing is on creating the folder to back up to.

@ P51D - Thanks type will be fixed in the next version. I'll see if I can fix the font size issue.


How it does it:
First it uses WMI to query Win32_PnPEntity to collect information on installed hardware.
Then using this it creates a directory named after the hardware description. If the folder already exists it deletes it and its contents first the recreates it.
Then searches for the INF file based on the information returned by the WMI call.
THen I parse the INF file to find what files are installed when using the INF and search for each first in the default install location and then on the entire boot drive for the file if not found in the appropriate windows subfolder.
then copy that file to the previously created folder
When the CAT file is found it is renamed to match what is listed in the INF, and I rename the INF to the same name also rather than have OEMXX.inf in all of the folders.
then repeat for the next selected driver.

This post has been edited by IcemanND: 05 October 2006 - 11:12 AM

[IcemanND]

I updated the coded to fix the font problem and added some additional error checking for folder creation.

Oh, and a select all button.

This post has been edited by IcemanND: 05 October 2006 - 11:57 AM

[clavicle]

@IcemanND

The program has copied all the creative drivers, but the OS doesn't install drivers from backed up folder, both in unattended mode using, winnt.sif and manually after installation.

Secondly, the names inf files of couple of drivers are truncated. Like that of of creative and my TV Tuner card. What I get in backed up directory is only inf.

Attached File(s)

•  inf.jpg (68.95K)
  Number of downloads: 165

[IcemanND]

Are the files in the picture all of the files found? No CAT file?

[spazmire11]

hmmm this looks cool!

unfortuantly it seems to lock up whenever i run the backup......
it gets to creating the folder for my all-in-wonder x800 driver and starts analizeing like oem6.inf then bombs out,

like so

it does take awhile however to do this.

when i selected only my nforce networking controller i got this


this is a good idea tho i think, just needs a little tweaking

Edit-
almost forgot, take a look at the browse button dialog.... for some reason i can select to expand file like folders from it, i think it'd be nice if it started from the desktop too.

This post has been edited by spazmire11: 05 October 2006 - 09:06 PM

[clavicle]

Yes there are no cat files. The error was shown while compiling the drivers' backup.

All the files backed-up shown in the attachment.

Attached File(s)

•  inf2.jpg (65.54K)
  Number of downloads: 93

[IcemanND]

Bound to find some bugs when you give it to the public to use on evedry piece of hardware out there. I only have access to a couple dozen different machine models.

@ clavicle - I think I found the problem you discovered. As soon as I find Spazmires I'll post an update, probably tomorrow morning.

@ spazmire - Two things can you email me the system_scan.csv file from your temp folder. and also I need the complete display name in the device manager for your network card. And I'll see if I can track down what happened there.

[urie]

@clavicle have you tried renaming your driver folders removing the spaces.

[IcemanND]

Spaces in the path should make no difference whatsoever. I regularly backup the drivers to a folder on my desktop with multiple spaces in the path. And every driver that gets backed up has spaces in the name of the device which is how the folder is named.

@clavicle - If you rename the INF for your Audigy to audigy.inf do the drivers work?

@spazmire - I'm not sure what is happening with the problems you are seeing. the GUID that comes up as being unable to create folder is not a guid in the CSV file you sent me so I'm not sure where it even got it from in the first place. Once you click scan system all the information is either pulled from the CSV file or the related INF once that is located. And any folders are created before the INF is even searched for. I'll keep looking to see what I can find though.

[MadBoy]

@IceMan: i doubt it's due to polish chars. Right now i choose MOBILITY RADEON and before i choose Backup dir i clicked Backup Now. Same error. Even if i don't choose anything and click Backup i get that error too :|
BTW. What's your programming experience with DLL CALLs and stuff like that?

[IcemanND]

v78 beta released

@madboy - I more programming experience than I admit to anyone. It's not something I do on a regular basis. I do it when I find something I need/want to do but can't find anything else that does the job I want. But I've been programming for more than 20 years in 8 languages. This is actually a small part of a much larger program I am working on.

[MadBoy]

@IceMan

1. I keep getting same error :| Dunno what's wrong with it.
2. One suggestion, name your file with versions. So IE or Mozilla or some Proxy wouldn't cache it so one wouldn't use old bin by accident.

[ricktendo]

Driver Backup Control Panel addon

Thank you IcemanND for giving me permission to make this, Great work on the program dude

This post has been edited by ricktendo64: 07 October 2006 - 05:32 PM