Override standard driver via Window Update

Here’s a question that I probably should know the answer to, but very few of my clients have ever gone through WHQL, so it has never come up.

Let’s say I have a product in a standard device class, and it works OK with the standard driver, but for best results, my device needs special handling. So, I build a driver package, pass it through WHQL, and have it placed in the Windows Update driver library.

Now, if a user plugs in my device, the operating system is going to find a standard driver for it. Given that, is it even going to look in Windows Update to find my custom whiz-bang? Won’t the system be satisfied with the standard driver, and not take the trouble to look online? If it did a Windows Update scan every time I plugged in a USB stick or webcam, device installation would take forever, wouldn’t it?

Peter can probably guess what I’m talking about here.

During install pnp will query WU for driver packages to include in the search. The query doesn’t happen on every plug in, just during installation and when querying for updates. You could easily see the class driver installed first and then your better matching driver installed later (machine is offline during initial install, update occurs later when online).

To add to what Mr. Holan said, of course the user can always go into Device Manager and right click “update driver” which will also trigger the WU search.

Peter

That’s true, but we all know that real world users are too stupid to be trusted with a procedure that complicated. :wink:

If it is marked as a critical update, it will get pushed down and installed via WU (assuming it is the best ranked driver package) without user intervention

we all know that real world users are too stupid to be trusted with a procedure that complicated

Well, yes… ordinarily so. But it’s documentable. And far easier than “go download this package and install this driver” at least. Or, you know, “edit the Registry”… :wink:

Peter

@Doron_Holan said:
If it is marked as a critical update, it will get pushed down and installed via WU (assuming it is the best ranked driver package) without user intervention

Just to confirm my understanding this only happens on a scan that happens once every 24 hours? We would really like to do something like this with our tablets. It would be nice if a user plugged in their new tablet and got the driver right away but since USB Input Device gets loaded first it doesn’t work right away.

Is there a recommended way to do this? Would it work if our tablet had a device without an inbox driver that triggered a custom driver that’s a bootstrap that installs the rest of the driver?