During my install I copy our authenticode signed pnp files to the c:\windows\inf\mystuff\product\ folder along with dpinst.exe and then run it, however it fails, see dpinst report below.
Take the same folder and copy to a folder on the desktop and it works without problems. Run dpinst from the same folder on the desktop but use the path parameter and point to the location as before in the inf folder and it again fails with the same error as before.
Windows 7 using the inf folder works without problems, obviously something has changed in 8.1 is there a trick I am missing?. Done the usual things of, digital sign dpinst.exe with our cert, run as admin and run from an elevated command prompt, turned off UAC but nothing so far 
Not tried 8 or 64 bit version
C:\Windows\inf\mydev\product>dpinst32 /c
INFO: Option set: dumping log info to console.
INFO: Current working directory: ‘C:\Windows\inf\mydev\product’
INFO: Running on path ‘C:\Windows\inf\mydev\product’
INFO: No valid ‘dpinst.xml’ file provided.
INFO: Found driver package: ‘C:\Windows\inf\mydev\product\mydev.inf’.
INFO: Preinstalling ‘c:\windows\inf\mydev\product\mydev.inf’ …
INFO: ENTER: DriverPackagePreinstallW
SUCCESS:c:\windows\inf\mydev\product\mydev.inf is preinstalled.
INFO: RETURN: DriverPackagePreinstallW (0x0)
INFO: ENTER: DriverPackageGetPathW
INFO: RETURN: DriverPackageGetPathW (0x2)
INFO: ENTER: DriverPackageInstallW
INFO: Installing INF file ‘c:\windows\inf\mydev\product\mydev.inf’ (Plug and Pla
y).
INFO: Could not open file . (Error code 0x57: The parameter is incorrect.)
ERROR: PnP Install failed. (Error code 0x3EE: The volume for a file has been ex
ternally altered so that the opened file is no longer valid.)
INFO: Attempting to rollback …
INFO: No devices to rollback
INFO: RETURN: DriverPackageInstallW (0x3EE)
INFO: ENTER: DriverPackageUninstallW
INFO: RETURN: DriverPackageUninstallW (0x2)
INFO: Returning with code 0x80010000
A working log using the same inf/pnp etc but from a folder on the desktop
C:\Users\test\Desktop\product>dpinst32 /c
INFO: Option set: dumping log info to console.
INFO: Current working directory: ‘C:\Users\test\Desktop\product’
INFO: Running on path ‘C:\Users\test\Desktop\product’
INFO: No valid ‘dpinst.xml’ file provided.
INFO: Found driver package: ‘C:\Users\test\Desktop\product\product.inf’.
INFO: Preinstalling ‘c:\users\test\desktop\product\product.inf’ …
INFO: ENTER: DriverPackagePreinstallW
INFO: Driver package is already preinstalled ‘c:\users\test\desktop\product\product.inf’.
SUCCESS:c:\users\test\desktop\product\product.inf is preinstalled.
INFO: RETURN: DriverPackagePreinstallW (0xB7)
INFO: ENTER: DriverPackageGetPathW
INFO: RETURN: DriverPackageGetPathW (0x0)
INFO: ENTER: DriverPackageInstallW
INFO: Installing INF file ‘c:\users\test\desktop\product\product.inf’ (Plug and Pla
y).
INFO: Looking for Model Section [product.NTx86]…
INFO: No matching devices found in INF “C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRe
pository\productpnp.inf_x86_1e6ab36f3c643c4f\product.inf” on the Machine.
INFO: No drivers installed. No devices found that match driver(s) contained in
‘C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\product.inf_x86_1e6ab36f3c643c4f
\product.inf’.
INFO: RETURN: DriverPackageInstallW (0xE000020B)
INFO: No matching device was found for ‘c:\users\test\desktop\product\product.inf’.
Driver will be installed when plugged in.
INFO: Returning with code 0x100
d
Bent from my phone
From: xxxxx@des.co.ukmailto:xxxxx
Sent: ?8/?28/?2014 5:59 AM
To: Windows System Software Devs Interest Listmailto:xxxxx
Subject: [ntdev] Problem running DPINST on 8.1 32 bit
During my install I copy our authenticode signed pnp files to the c:\windows\inf\mystuff\product\ folder along with dpinst.exe and then run it, however it fails, see dpinst report below.
Take the same folder and copy to a folder on the desktop and it works without problems. Run dpinst from the same folder on the desktop but use the path parameter and point to the location as before in the inf folder and it again fails with the same error as before.
Windows 7 using the inf folder works without problems, obviously something has changed in 8.1 is there a trick I am missing?. Done the usual things of, digital sign dpinst.exe with our cert, run as admin and run from an elevated command prompt, turned off UAC but nothing so far
Not tried 8 or 64 bit version
C:\Windows\inf\mydev\product>dpinst32 /c
INFO: Option set: dumping log info to console.
INFO: Current working directory: ‘C:\Windows\inf\mydev\product’
INFO: Running on path ‘C:\Windows\inf\mydev\product’
INFO: No valid ‘dpinst.xml’ file provided.
INFO: Found driver package: ‘C:\Windows\inf\mydev\product\mydev.inf’.
INFO: Preinstalling ‘c:\windows\inf\mydev\product\mydev.inf’ …
INFO: ENTER: DriverPackagePreinstallW
SUCCESS:c:\windows\inf\mydev\product\mydev.inf is preinstalled.
INFO: RETURN: DriverPackagePreinstallW (0x0)
INFO: ENTER: DriverPackageGetPathW
INFO: RETURN: DriverPackageGetPathW (0x2)
INFO: ENTER: DriverPackageInstallW
INFO: Installing INF file ‘c:\windows\inf\mydev\product\mydev.inf’ (Plug and Pla
y).
INFO: Could not open file . (Error code 0x57: The parameter is incorrect.)
ERROR: PnP Install failed. (Error code 0x3EE: The volume for a file has been ex
ternally altered so that the opened file is no longer valid.)
INFO: Attempting to rollback …
INFO: No devices to rollback
INFO: RETURN: DriverPackageInstallW (0x3EE)
INFO: ENTER: DriverPackageUninstallW
INFO: RETURN: DriverPackageUninstallW (0x2)
INFO: Returning with code 0x80010000
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> During my install I copy our authenticode signed pnp files to the c:\windows\inf\mystuff\product\ folder
It a very, very bad idea to manually meddle into the OS’s directories.
No surprise at all it can cause issues.
And yes, the simplest and most productive way to solve the issue is to abandon this bad idea ASAP and use some other folder from where to install the driver package. Yes, without even bothering why this issue occurs.
–
Maxim S. Shatskih
Microsoft MVP on File System And Storage
xxxxx@storagecraft.com
http://www.storagecraft.com
\windows\inf.… Is an os directory, you are not allowed to mess with it or modify it outside of the defined APIs that let you add drivers. While it worked before, you were in undefined territory all along
From: xxxxx@des.co.ukmailto:xxxxx
Sent: ?8/?28/?2014 5:59 AM
To: Windows System Software Devs Interest Listmailto:xxxxx
Subject: [ntdev] Problem running DPINST on 8.1 32 bit
During my install I copy our authenticode signed pnp files to the c:\windows\inf\mystuff\product\ folder along with dpinst.exe and then run it, however it fails, see dpinst report below.
Take the same folder and copy to a folder on the desktop and it works without problems. Run dpinst from the same folder on the desktop but use the path parameter and point to the location as before in the inf folder and it again fails with the same error as before.
Windows 7 using the inf folder works without problems, obviously something has changed in 8.1 is there a trick I am missing?. Done the usual things of, digital sign dpinst.exe with our cert, run as admin and run from an elevated command prompt, turned off UAC but nothing so far
Not tried 8 or 64 bit version
C:\Windows\inf\mydev\product>dpinst32 /c
INFO: Option set: dumping log info to console.
INFO: Current working directory: ‘C:\Windows\inf\mydev\product’
INFO: Running on path ‘C:\Windows\inf\mydev\product’
INFO: No valid ‘dpinst.xml’ file provided.
INFO: Found driver package: ‘C:\Windows\inf\mydev\product\mydev.inf’.
INFO: Preinstalling ‘c:\windows\inf\mydev\product\mydev.inf’ …
INFO: ENTER: DriverPackagePreinstallW
SUCCESS:c:\windows\inf\mydev\product\mydev.inf is preinstalled.
INFO: RETURN: DriverPackagePreinstallW (0x0)
INFO: ENTER: DriverPackageGetPathW
INFO: RETURN: DriverPackageGetPathW (0x2)
INFO: ENTER: DriverPackageInstallW
INFO: Installing INF file ‘c:\windows\inf\mydev\product\mydev.inf’ (Plug and Pla
y).
INFO: Could not open file . (Error code 0x57: The parameter is incorrect.)
ERROR: PnP Install failed. (Error code 0x3EE: The volume for a file has been ex
ternally altered so that the opened file is no longer valid.)
INFO: Attempting to rollback …
INFO: No devices to rollback
INFO: RETURN: DriverPackageInstallW (0x3EE)
INFO: ENTER: DriverPackageUninstallW
INFO: RETURN: DriverPackageUninstallW (0x2)
INFO: Returning with code 0x80010000
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Visit the list at: http://www.osronline.com/showlists.cfm?list=ntdev
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Ok thanks for the slapped wrist 
Will put them elsewhere to install and stop trying to work out why it fails.