Andy / Gordon,
What are you trying to do? Update a driver on an end user system or
test out a new version of your driver?
The driver version field is only used in the UI (e.g. view properties on
a device and then click on the driver tab). The driver version field is
never used in ranking (e.g. when to use one driver over another). The
driver date field is used in driver ranking, but only when the drivers
have a digital signature (e.g. cat file).
The process of driver ranking is explained section 1.3 of the DDK (look
for the article titled “How Does Setup Select a Driver For a Device?”).
[Warning: advertisement ahead]
This topic was also in detail discussed at WinHEC 2000. For information
on how you can purchase the WinHEC 2000 Driver Session CDs and view all
the WinHEC driver talks right from your desktop, go to
http://www.microsoft.com/winhec/sessions/driverpresents.htm.
Sandy Spinrad
Device Driver Evangelist
Microsoft Corporation
-----Original Message-----
From: Andy Guy [mailto:xxxxx@astondes.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2000 8:32 AM
To: NT Developers Interest List
Subject: [ntdev] RE: Update Driver… [newbie] inf question.
Gordon,
Unfortunately I can’t be any help on this one, as I’m working on exactly
the
same thing as we speak, but if someone emails you directly with a
solution
is there any chance you could forward the response on to me?
Many thanks,
Andy.
Andrew L Guy
Senior Software Engineer
Aston Electronic Designs Ltd.
Camberley, UK.
Tel: +44 1252 836221
www.astondes.com
-----Original Message-----
From: xxxxx@lists.osr.com
[mailto:xxxxx@lists.osr.com]On Behalf Of xxxxx@iee.org
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2000 11:00 AM
To: NT Developers Interest List
Subject: [ntdev] Update Driver… [newbie] inf question.On Win2000 what changes are needed (to the inf file) to
ensure that a newly
supplied driver will be chosen over a previously installed (but less
recent) driver when the user chooses to “Update Driver…”
followed by
“Search for a suitable driver for my device (recommended)”
and “Specify a
location”?I’ve updated the inf’s DriverVer entry in both the [Version] and
[DDInstall] sections (so the new driver should appear to be
more recent)
but Win2k still insists that “A suitable driver is already
installed…”,
even though its DriverVer entry indicates that it is less
recent. In other
words, Win2000 does not choose the newly supplied driver (in
a different
location) over the previously installed driver.The driver is unsigned if that makes a difference. (I notice
the knowledge
base has this to say…<<
When the operating system searches for drivers, it chooses a
driver with a
more recent DriverVer date over a driver with an earlier
date. If an INF
has no DriverVer entry or is unsigned, the operating system
applies the
default date of 00/00/0000.
>>…though I’m sure I’ve seen unsigned drivers upgrade just
fine so nagging
doubts remain that this should work with unsigned drivers.)Okay, there are two obvious ways around this…suggest that
the user choose
the “Display a list of the known drivers…” option followed by “Have
Disk…” followed by “Browse…” to so force the location
containing the
new driver to be the only one searched, Or suggest that the
user ensure
that the newly supplied driver resides in the location from which the
original version of the driver was installed.I’m sure I’m missing something really obvious. I guess I’m
looing for
explanations as to why changing DriverVer doesn’t have the
desired effect.Thanks,
Gordon
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