Trouble adding .inf files in Distribution (for 8.1.1)

[AMM]

Hi,

I've recently upgraded from LabWindows 7x to 8.1.1 and I'm rebuilding my distribution kit.  The distribution kit installs some old legacy device drivers which requires the drivers .sys and .inf files.  The distribution kit will install the .sys files into the Windows/system32/drivers directory just fine, but when I try to add the .inf files (they should go to the Windows/inf directory), I always get the error "Error occurred while adding user-specified files" when building the distribution.  In the build log it says "Error: Do not install INF files to [Windows]\inf.  All INF files will automatically be registered during installation".

If I include the .inf files in the application directory the distribution kit will build, but when executing setup.exe the installation fails with no indication as to why.  I'm guessing it's trying to "register" the .inf files and it fails.

The only solution I can think of would be to rename the .inf files, and have some sort of batch file that runs after installation to rename them back to .inf and move into the windows/inf directory....

This all worked fine under the LabWindows 7 distribution kit.

Any help for a cleaner solution would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks.

AMM.

[Mert_A.]

In order to support installing drivers on Windows Vista, the CVI distribution builder began using Microsoft's DIFxApp technology to "properly" install INF drivers.  This mechanism imposes new restrictions on where and how these drivers can be registered.  Most notably, the registration process fails if the INF to be registered is not the only INF file in the directory.  This is the reason you cannot install and register files in the [Windows]\inf directory.

We recommend that you install each of your INF files to a new subdirectory of your application directory to ensure that it doesn't end up next to any other INF files.  (See the "Using LabWindows/CVI to Install Your Device .inf Files" help topic.)  If you confirm that your .inf file is the only .inf file in the installation directory and you are still having this problem, we need to investgate further.  You can run your installer's setup.exe with certain command line arguments to generate a verbose log:

setup.exe /l*v "<path to an output log file>"

This log will include DIFxApp errors, so may help us figure out why it's failing.

Mert A.
National Instruments

[AMM]

Thanks Mert that did the trick!

The only thing that's a little troublesome is the message that pops up during the install with the old legacy drivers saying that it has not passed the Windows logo testing.  It just a little anoying since there are 5 drivers to install and it pops up 5 times.  Is there any easy way around this?

Thanks for your help

AMM

[Mert_A.]

I don't believe there is a way to "batch" these warning popups, since it is Windows itself that is initiating them as each separate driver is installed.  The only thing I could find that may be of help is the following quote from http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=822798 which suggests a potential reason you are receiving these warning popups:

"The Unsigned non-driver installation behavior Group Policy setting (Windows 2000 only) is set to Do not allow installation or Warn but allow installation, or the Policy binary value is not set to 0 in the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Non-Driver Signing"

You may be able to completely disable these warnings on a per-machine basis, but I'm not sure that's really what you want.

Mert A.
National Instruments

[LabDude]

Hi AMM,

I just encountered this same problemo.

It sounds like you have the work around Cool!

I had a couple of questions.

Does the system find the INF automatically or do you then need to point the person installing the SW to the right directory.

Also do you have any Idea if this same setup will work for XP the same way?

I  need to support both at the moment.

I will try it out but any shared experience would be most excellent.

Regards,

The Dude

[AMM]

Hi Dude,

To answer your questions:

1. Yes the system found the inf files automatically. 

2. I am using xp pro.  I have not tried it on vista.

Hope that helps

AMM.