Question regarding installing FSDs

Hello Everyone,

I’m about 4 years into learning driver development. I’ve built and tested several of the WDK samples, and have enjoyed the challenge. Recently I’ve successfully built and installed the minispy and scanner minifilter samples. What a difference in the developing/tesing cycle than some of the legacy filters aka (FileSpy). Over the past few months, I’ve been wanting to build the fastfat FSD sample, but I’m a bit confused about something. Since this is a file system that’s included with the OS, how do I install it? With no INF provided, do I write a custom INF? I realize that this may seem like a complete entry-level question regarding file system drivers for windows, but again, I’m somewhat new to the file system space. I read an article on a microsoft site that stated something like; “You can do a private build of the fastfat sample and use it as a replacement for the one that ships with the OS.” To me, that’s very vague. So again, my question is how would I go about installing that sample and replacing it with the one that’s already installed in the OS? I’m running Vista Service pack 2 currently.

Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Larry

Replacing a inbox driver (for development purposes only), usually is handled
in one the two following ways (in general order of preference):

  1. Use .kdfiles in windbg/kd
    (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff563848(VS.85).aspx)

This allows you to replace fastfat.sys conditionally when you boot.

Be sure to make the path in your map file EXACTLY the same as the registry
entry (ignoring case).

  1. Change the ‘ImagePath’ registry entry for the FASTFAT service key to
    point to your driver.

That is:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\FASTFAT:
ImagePath: ‘\Windows\System32\Drivers\Fastfat.sys’ (or whatever it
currently is)

  • TO -

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\FASTFAT:
ImagePath: ‘’

Good luck,

mm
-----Original Message-----
From: xxxxx@lists.osr.com
[mailto:xxxxx@lists.osr.com] On Behalf Of xxxxx@frontier.com
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 7:05 PM
To: Windows File Systems Devs Interest List
Subject: [ntfsd] Question regarding installing FSDs

Hello Everyone,

I’m about 4 years into learning driver development. I’ve built and tested
several of the WDK samples, and have enjoyed the challenge. Recently I’ve
successfully built and installed the minispy and scanner minifilter samples.
What a difference in the developing/tesing cycle than some of the legacy
filters aka (FileSpy). Over the past few months, I’ve been wanting to build
the fastfat FSD sample, but I’m a bit confused about something. Since this
is a file system that’s included with the OS, how do I install it? With no
INF provided, do I write a custom INF? I realize that this may seem like a
complete entry-level question regarding file system drivers for windows, but
again, I’m somewhat new to the file system space. I read an article on a
microsoft site that stated something like; “You can do a private build of
the fastfat sample and use it as a replacement for the one that ships with
the OS.” To me, that’s very vague. So again, my question is how would I go
about installing that sample and replacing it with the one that’s already
installed in the OS? I’m running Vista Service pack 2 currently.

Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Larry


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Assuming that you just want to play around with a local build of fastfat,
what I usually do it just set up KDFILES to do the work.

So long as you are not booting ofF FAT (and you aren’t since you are on
Vista) this works very nicely.

If your question is how do I arrange for my own filesystem to load (as
opposed to a slot in for an existing filesystem), well that’s is another
story.

Rod