CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — The first pieces of the long-planned Blue Waters supercomputer are expected to be installed this weekend at the University of Illinois. Trish Barker is a spokeswoman for the National Center for Supercomputing Applications. She said hardware that amounts to about 10 percent of the $ 300 million computer is scheduled to be installed starting Saturday.
computer hardware – Yahoo! News Search Results
Steps to Easy Computer Installation Online
Computer installation is a collaborative term related with hardware and software installation, which in turns put life in your computer. In this blog, we would discuss how to install an operating system (XP) on a PC?
The best method to install Windows XP is to perform a clean Windows installation. It is not difficult to do a clean installation. Before you initiate the installation process, we recommend that you must check Windows XP Compatibility List to ensure that you have all the required drivers to run Windows XP. If your hardware is not in the compatibility list, you can refer your hardware manufactures website to download the drivers for Windows XP. Save all the necessary drivers in CD or USB drives before your go ahead and start the installation.
All the editions of Windows XP CD are bootable. In order to boot from CD/DVD-ROM, you need to configure the boot sequence. Look for the boot sequence under your BIOS settings and make sure that the first boot device is configured to CD/DVD-ROM. You can then follow the given steps to install Windows XP:
STEP 1. Start your computer and insert your Windows XP installation CD in your CD/DVD-ROM drive. Your PC should automatically detect the CD and you will see a message asking “Press any key to boot from CD”.
STEP 2. Press F6 if you want to install a third party Raid or SCSI driver. If you are using an IDE Hard Drive then it’s not required to press F6.
STEP 3. You will then see a Windows XP Professional Setup screen. You can do a new Windows install, Repair previous install or quit. Since we are doing a new install we just press Enter to continue.
STEP 4. You find End User Licensing Agreement. Press F8 to accept and continue.
STEP 5. Next step is very important. Here, you can create the partition where operating system will be installed.
STEP 6. Choose format the partition using NTFS file system. This is the recommended file system and probably most secure.
STEP 7. Windows will now start formatting drive C: and start copying setup files.
STEP 8. After the setup has completed copying the files the computer will reboot.
STEP 9. Choose your region and language.
STEP 10. Next Type your name and organization.
STEP 11. Enter your 25 product key.
STEP 12. Name the computer, and set an Administrator password. Don’t forget to write down your Administrator password.
STEP 13. Set the correct date, time and choose your time zone.
STEP 14. For the network setting choose typical and press next.
STEP 15. Choose workgroup or domain name. If you are not a member of a domain then leave the default settings and press next. Windows will restart again and adjust the display.
STEP 16. Lastly Windows will start and present you with a Welcome screen. Click next to continue.
Alina Wilson is a technical expert at iYogi, which is an online technical support provider. The firm’s Microsoft Certified Technicians perform complete PC checkup & system optimization, computer support that are essential for keeping your desktop or laptop in good condition, enhancing its life and increasing your productivity.
Article from articlesbase.com
Windows 2000 Graphics Driver – Safe Installation !
I’d like to let you in on a new system that makes it easy for you to simply download a Windows 2000 graphics driver without ever opening a web browser. Windows errors? the majority of users haven’t realized the fact that these are often due to a case of damaged drivers. You may be skeptical, but we will soon be modernizing your ‘driver research habits’, don’t miss out on the following information.
Click here to download a Windows 2000 graphics driver now!
I hope that you are aware of the fact that unfortunately, most of the various drivers that are being used on your pc are archaic and/or corrupted. While some driver manufacturers make sure to give you free and automatic drivers updates, a large number don’t and you have to do that manually. No doubt we should pause to describe what a driver does: keeping things uncomplicated right now, it’s a basic sw program which contains information about a device – such as printers, video card, or hard drive, and more. Your life just got easier! let me tell you about a fast and easy solution which will not just track down the best driver(s); it even actually installs it for you, too – and your worries about versions or compatibility will be over. A very handy utility, it can frequently (and all by itself) search and replace any and all archaic drivers (you decide how often you want it done).
It might be our goal, but we lack the ability (and perhaps the drive) to take care of our computer’s many drivers. Such a utility achieves more than a simple auto-windows updates while it uncovers and provides updates to any drivers that may be found on your computer. You should definitely try to try not to use out of date drivers since they can result in error messages and slow down your work.
Only after using this solution in order to download a Windows 2000 graphics driver, you’ll see how forgotten your pc is when you happen to consider these crucial files. These maintenance utilities are suitable for all those who use pcs, and most of all for those who might not be experienced in the art of computer maintenance. You are now acquainted with this handy solution, so you should check it out – no doubt you’ll discover some added benefits that i failed to notice. One can only wish that in coming versions windows’ update element will be able to offer automatic updates to these very important components, as well. There is a lot more to say about these new solutions, but i hope this brief introduction will be helpful for you to understand the amazing power of this concept.
Quickly download a Windows 2000 graphics driver right now!
Visit: DriverExplorer.com
Article from articlesbase.com
Hi Everyone, here is a short tutorial all about the compatibility mode in Windows 7 or Windows Vista, which lets run older programs that aren’t normally compatible. cheers SteveShowsYouHow
Audio Drivers Download – Safe Installation !
Looking for the right driver(s)? you’re in luck – it will be my pleasure to teach you an amazing tip on how to locate and download any audio driver – like you’ve never seen before. Your windows’ various parts need occasional updating, and drivers need replacing when they cease to function properly – do you make the effort to maintain your drivers in good working order? Take a few moments to look over this important information before you take the step of installing new drivers any time soon.
Click here to download any audio driver now!
If you’ve done this before, you know the case that many of us run into where you need particular drivers and a simple web query gives you more than you asked for, but not what you needed! Was it a time-consuming (time-wasting) task as you looked for information on one driver or another necessary to operate one of your components? Many of you probably don’t understand what a driver does – the driver is a sw program which has the function to communicate between a device and the programs which pertain to it. The last time i searched the web for a driver i bumped into an automatic driver(s) locator that is able to locate the official version of any and all of your drivers – instantly. The first time i tried it, in almost no time i was able to come across the drivers that i was looking for.
One can’t deny that drivers are basic “ingredients” that require basic upkeep, similar to the process you use to keep your windows up to speed. It’s a real time-saving convenience that these state-of-the-art utilities are often capable of downloading a driver to your system, even if it’s not listed on the manufacturer’s site. Never try to install drivers that were downloaded from anonymous sites – it may infect your pc with spyware and malware.
In the event you take advantage to download any audio driver by using this solution it will be obvious that a manual search isn’t an option anymore. Just imagine how many possible pc problems that you can steer clear of as your computer’s drivers are effortlessly revised as needed. Do you need proof? why take my word for it – “test drive” this utility and see for yourself if it found your driver – don’t let this opportunity pass you by. You’ll enjoy being able to take advantage of new ways of doing things that enable you to make irritating and frustrating tasks quick, easy, and agreeable. Now that you’ve reached the end of this article, i hope that you found it interesting and that it was of benefit to your search for a solution to your driver(s) issue.
Quickly download any audio driver right now!
Visit: DriverExplorer.com
Article from articlesbase.com
Resolving ATI Drivers Installation Problems
ATI is a company that is well known for providing entry-level graphics solutions to many PCs sold all over the world and they are also quite renowned for working with motherboard manufacturers to produce some of the best motherboards out there. But of course, we all know that within the graphics industry, ATI is one of the leading brands out there, jostling for top position with NVIDIA, who arguably holds a larger market share of the consumer graphics solution. Both of these brands are well known for producing cutting edge solutions tailor made for the hard core gamer and sometimes these boards are also generations ahead of even the latest games, which make their longevity even more tantamount.
While most technological computing equipment fall prey to the evolving hyperbole which makes them last 6 months (if you are lucky) before the next better thing comes out, graphics cards have a slightly better half life in the PC casing and ATI is a great choice. However, if you have purchased an ATI graphics card, then you might be one of the few hundred thousand gamers all over the world who might have encountered some driver installation problems when tinkering around with the initial installation.
Do not worry, this is sometimes completely normal and all you need to do is read this article. While it will not resolve major issues like manufacturing errors or corrupt memory modules, some of the simple software problems and driver conflicts can be resolved by you right at home. One of the common problems of driver installation problems is that the end user, in the rush to plug in their new graphics card, has forgotten to follow procedure.
This means they would have to uninstall the old card, shut down the computer, restart to ensure that all trailing device driver and hardware profiles are no longer there, then shut down the computer again. By bypassing this process, many people have problems where the computer either refuses to recognise the new hardware or they are in a position where they list your new card under your previous card’s name, which can be quite pain.
Also, remember to update the drivers by visiting ATI’s website and downloading the latest drivers, because the ones in the box may have been sitting there for months and you might end up with conflicts and problems that already have been resolved by the new drivers.
Lastly, you must download the latest DirectX drivers that Microsoft has posted (especially if you running Windows!) because they are made to optimally use your card’s drivers to their fullest potential. You have to understand that glitches in the game and crashes are down to installation problems where new DirectX drivers are not installed.
If you follow these simple steps, you will have no problem in getting your brand new, cutting edge card in working order and you will be immersed in another world within a few moments. You do not need to lug your card back to the computer store, all it takes is just some tinkering around and everything will be in good order.
Click Here to download Driver Scan for free and instantly remove your ATI drivers problems. Logan Albright is an authority on troubleshooting drivers issues at http://driverscan.org and has helped many to optimize their computers for peak performance.
Article from articlesbase.com
Drivers Installation With WiX
Written by:
Yuri Maxutenko,
Junior Software Developer of Device Team
Table of Contents
Signed and Unsigned Drivers Installation and Uninstallation Using WiX
How does DPInst work?
DPInst and System Restore
The Issues With the Unsigned Drivers
Windows Installer Packages Installation and Uninstallation Using WiX
Summary
Bibliography
Signed and Unsigned Drivers Installation and Uninstallation Using WiX
Very often the driver package is represented by the folder containing INF, SYS, CAT, DLL, and other files. In this case the driver installation description is located in the INF files. To install or uninstall such drivers you can use Microsoft DPInst utility. It is the part of the Microsoft Windows Driver Kit (you can download it from Microsoft site – http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=2105564e-1a9a-4bf4-8d74-ec5b52da3d00). Please note, that WDK distribution contains DPInst versions for both x86 and x64 platforms.
For example, we have extracted DPInst.exe versions for x86 and x64 platforms from Windows Driver Kit and placed them to the “C:\DPInst\x32” and “C:\DPInst\x64” folders correspondingly.
Let’s define the appropriate WiX components:
<Component Id=”DPInst_x32″ Guid=”PLACE-YOUR-GUID-HERE”>
<File Id=”DPInst.exe_x32″ Name=”DPInst.exe” LongName=”DPInst.exe”
Vital=”yes” DiskId=”1″ src=”C:\DPInst\x32\DPInst.exe” />
<Condition>NOT VersionNT64</Condition>
</Component>
<Component Id=”DPInst_x64″ Guid=”PLACE-YOUR-GUID-HERE”>
<File Id=”DPInst.exe_x64″ Name=”DPInst.exe” LongName=”DPInst.exe”
Vital=”yes” DiskId=”1″ src=”C:\DPInst\x64\DPInst.exe” />
<Condition>VersionNT64</Condition>
</Component>
and features:
<Feature Id=’DPInst_x32′ Level=’0′ AllowAdvertise=”no”
Absent=”disallow” Display=”hidden”>
<ComponentRef Id=’DPInst_x32′ />
<Condition Level=”1″>NOT VersionNT64</Condition>
</Feature>
<Feature Id=’DPInst_x64′ Level=’0′ AllowAdvertise=”no”
Absent=”disallow” Display=”hidden”>
<ComponentRef Id=’DPInst_x64′ />
<Condition Level=”1″>VersionNT64</Condition>
</Feature>
Please note, that the GUIDs of the components provided in all examples in this article are not real. You must generate your own GUIDs to use given parts of code in your projects.
Also let’s add two driver components: Signed_driver and Unsigned_driver. For example, their files are located in “C:\Drivers\Signed_driver” and “C:\Drivers\Unsigned_driver” folders correspondingly.
The components:
<Directory Id=”Signed_driver” Name=”SIGNED_1″
LongName=”Signed_driver”>
<Component Id=”Signed_driver” DiskId=”1″ Guid=”PLACE-YOUR-GUID-
HERE”>
<File Id=”driver1.cat” Name=”driver1.cat”
src=”C:\Drivers\Signed_driver\driver1.cat” />
<File Id=”driver1.inf” Name=”driver1.inf”
src=”C:\Drivers\Signed_driver\driver1.inf” />
<File Id=”driver1.sys” Name=”driver1.sys”
src=”C:\Drivers\Signed_driver\driver1.sys” />
</Component>
</Directory>
<Directory Id=”Unsigned_driver” Name=”UNSIGN_1″
LongName=”Unsigned_driver”>
<Component Id=”Unsigned_driver” DiskId=”1″ Guid=”PLACE-YOUR-GUID-
HERE”>
<File Id=”driver2.inf” Name=”driver2.inf”
src=”C:\Drivers\Unsigned_driver\driver2.inf” />
<File Id=”driver2.sys” Name=”driver2.sys”
src=”C:\Drivers\Unsigned_driver\driver2.sys” />
</Component>
</Directory>
And the feature for them:
<Feature Id=”RootFeature” Level=”1″ ConfigurableDirectory=”TARGETDIR”
Description=”Sample” Display=”expand” Title=”Sample”
AllowAdvertise=”no” TypicalDefault=”install”>
<Feature Id=”Drivers” Level=”1″ AllowAdvertise=”no”
ConfigurableDirectory=”TARGETDIR” Description=”Drivers”
Display=”collapse” Title=”Drivers” >
<ComponentRef Id=’Signed_driver’ />
<ComponentRef Id=’Unsigned_driver’ />
</Feature>
</Feature> Installation
To install all INF files from the specified directory you can use the following DPInst command line:
DPInst.exe [/LM] [/SW] [/Q] [/SA] /PATH “Path to the drivers folder”
The /LM key allows you to launch the utility in ‘legacy’ mode (obsolete on Windows Vista and higher). In such case DPInst will install even unsigned drivers and those drivers which miss some of the files described in their INF files.
The /SW key turns off the displaying of the DPInst GUI. Note, that the operating system still will be able to display dialogs (such as the unsigned driver installation warnings, for example).
The /Q key turns off both the displaying of the DPInst GUI and the displaying of the operating system dialogs. In this case, if DPInst meets an unsigned driver, the operating system will not display the installation prompt for it and such driver will be skipped.
The /SA key turns off the creation of the ‘Add/Remove Programs’ entry for each installed INF file (otherwise DPInst will create it by default).
After the /PATH key you should specify the path to the folder containing driver package.
Now let’s see how this stuff works inside the WiX script.
We will use the installation custom actions to install signed and unsigned drivers with DPInst.
The custom actions definitions for both packages look as follows:
<CustomAction Id=’Install_Signed_Driver’ Execute=’deferred’
Directory=’Drivers’ ExeCommand=’&quot;[Drivers]DPinst.exe&quot; /SW
/SA /PATH &quot;[Signed_driver]‘ Return=’ignore’ />
<CustomAction Id=’Install_Unsigned_Driver’ Execute=’deferred’
Directory=’Drivers’ ExeCommand=’&quot;[Drivers]DPinst.exe&quot; /LM
/SW /SA /PATH &quot;[Unsigned_driver]‘ Return=’ignore’ />
Now we should schedule these actions for execution. We will do it in the InstallExecuteSequence. To setup drivers correctly we must be sure that all required files were unpacked. So theoretically we should schedule the execution of the custom actions somewhere after InstallFiles standard action. Practically we should set Execute=’deferred’ for each custom action if we want it to be executed between InstallFiles and InstallFinalize. Or we should schedule it after InstallFinalize standard action. In this case the deferred execution is not necessary.
So, the installation sequence will look as follows:
<InstallExecuteSequence>
<Custom Action=”Install_Signed_Driver” After=”InstallFiles”>NOT
Installed</Custom>
<Custom Action=”Install_Unsigned_Driver” After=”Install_Signed_Driver”>NOT
Installed</Custom>
</InstallExecuteSequence> Uninstallation
To uninstall specified INF file you can use the following DPInst command line:
DPInst.exe /U “Path to the INF file” [/SW] [/D]
The /U key tells DPInst to perform the uninstallation. It should be followed by the path to the target INF file. Please note, that DPInst supports only the uninstallation of one file at a time (as opposed to the installation). So the wildcards are not supported here.
The /D key tells DPInst to remove not only the driver registry settings but its binaries as well from the system.
Again, the parts of the WiX script.
The custom actions definition for the Signed_driver and Unsigned_driver components:
<CustomAction Id=’Uninstall_Signed_Driver’ Directory=’Drivers’
ExeCommand=’&quot;[Drivers]DPinst.exe&quot; /U
&quot;[Signed_driver]driver1.inf&quot; /SW /D’ Return=’ignore’ />
<CustomAction Id=’Uninstall_Unsigned_Driver’ Directory=’Drivers’
ExeCommand=’&quot;[Drivers]DPinst.exe&quot; /U
&quot;[Unsigned_driver]driver2.inf&quot; /SW /D’ Return=’ignore’ />
The execution of these custom actions should be scheduled somewhere before the RemoveFiles standard action (we will use the same INF files for both drivers installation and uninstallation so these files should be present on the hard drive when we run uninstallation custom actions). For example, the scheduling of these actions after the RemoveRegistryValues standard action would be a good idea:
<Custom Action=”Uninstall_Signed_Driver”
After=”RemoveRegistryValues”>Installed</Custom>
<Custom Action=”Uninstall_Unsigned_Driver”
After=”Uninstall_Signed_Driver”>Installed</Custom> How does DPInst work?
In general, DPInst is simply the wrapper on two Windows API functions: DriverPackagePreinstall for driver installation and DriverPackageUninstall for uninstallation. Header files and libraries which are necessary for using them are the part of the Windows Driver Kit. If you don’t want to use Microsoft utility, you can use these functions in your application instead.
DriverPackagePreinstall function receives two parameters: the path to the driver INF file and the flags configuring the way of driver installation (legacy mode, silent installation, repair mode, etc. – all these options could be mentioned here).
For example, to install the Signed_driver package from the example above you can use DriverPackagePreinstall function:
DriverPackagePreinstall(L”C:\Drivers\Signed_driver\driver1.inf”,
DRIVER_PACKAGE_SILENT);
And to install Unsigned_driver package you can use the following code:
DriverPackagePreinstall(L”C:\Drivers\Unsigned_driver\driver2.inf”,
DRIVER_PACKAGE_LEGACY_MODE);
You can read the detailed information about this function on MSDN: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms793500.aspx.
DriverPackageUninstall function receives four parameters:
path to the driver INF file configuration flags (silent uninstallation, delete the binary files, etc.) pointer to the constant INSTALLERINFO structure supplying the information about an application associated with the driver (an optional parameter) pointer to BOOL variable which indicates on return whether the system is to be restarted.
To uninstall the Signed_driver package from the example above you can use DriverPackageUninstall function:
BOOL needReboot = false;
DriverPackageUninstall(L”C:\Drivers\Signed_driver\driver1.inf”,
DRIVER_PACKAGE_DELETE_FILES, NULL, &needReboot);
The detailed information on this function you can find, as well, on MSDN: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms793508.aspx.
Please note, that you must place difxapi.dll library from Windows Driver Kit to your application’s directory to make it work correctly.
Another interesting peculiarity of DPInst functioning is that it automatically creates System Restore Point before each driver installation (if the corresponding feature is enabled on the target OS). It takes some time, so, if you plan to install big amount of drivers using DPInst, your installation could be a very long process (in particular, on Windows Vista).
If you want to speed up your installation and don’t want to disable Windows System Restore, you can use transactional restore points. When the creation of the transactional restore point starts, the operating system forbids the creation of other restore points before the end of the transaction. So, if you start the transaction before the drivers installation and finish it after the installation completes, only one restore point will be created and the whole process will require much less time.
To create such restore points you can use the CreateRestorePoint method of SystemRestore WMI class. You can find the detailed information about it in MSDN: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa378847(VS.85).aspx.
This method obtains 3 parameters: the string with the restore point description, the restore point type and the event type. For our installation restore point type you can use 0 (APPLICATION_INSTALL) or 10 (DEVICE_DRIVER_INSTALL) value. And the event type is the most important parameter. In our case it will represent the information about the transactional action. Before the beginning of the drivers installation you should invoke CreateRestorePoint with 102 (BEGIN_NESTED_SYSTEM_CHANGE) value as the event type. This will start the transaction. It can look as follows:
CreateRestorePoint(“Drivers Installation”, 10, 102);
And after the drivers installation is completedyou should call CreateRestorePoint with 103 (END_NESTED_SYSTEM_CHANGE) value to end the transaction. It can look as follows:
CreateRestorePoint(“Drivers Installation”, 10, 103);
Also you should remember that the target machine may have System Restore feature disabled. Or the CreateRestorePoint function may fail for some reason. You should handle these situations in your code.
To access CreateRestorePoint method you can use C++, VBScript or Jscript. In the example below we will use Jscript implementation. It is more simple than C++ one and more flexible in handling the errors than VBScript one.
So, the function for the restore point creation can look as follows:
function CreateRestorePoint(name, type, event)
{
try
{
var srObject = GetObject(“winmgmts:\\.\root\default:Systemrestore”);
if (srObject == null)
{
//Cannot get System Restore service WMI object
return 0;
}
var srStatus = srObject.CreateRestorePoint(name, type, event);
return srStatus;
}
catch (e)
{
//Exception during the restore point creation
return -1;
}
}
And the functions to begin and complete the transaction:
function BeginDriverInstallation()
{
var srPointName = “Drivers Installation”;
var DEVICE_DRIVER_INSTALL = 10;
var BEGIN_NESTED_SYSTEM_CHANGE = 102;
CreateRestorePoint(srPointName, DEVICE_DRIVER_INSTALL,
BEGIN_NESTED_SYSTEM_CHANGE);
return 0;
}
function EndDriverInstallation()
{
var srPointName = “Drivers Installation”;
var DEVICE_DRIVER_INSTALL = 10;
var END_NESTED_SYSTEM_CHANGE = 103;
CreateRestorePoint(srPointName, DEVICE_DRIVER_INSTALL,
END_NESTED_SYSTEM_CHANGE);
return 0;
}
Please note, that in our examples we simply skip the errors that may appear during the restore point creation. So, if we have been unable to create the transactional restore point for some reason we just skip this step and continue with the installation. But if you need it you can add more detailed error handling.
Let’s save these three functions, for example, to “C:\Scripts\SystemRestore.js”. Then to use them in our WiX script we should add the following Binary tag to it:
<Binary Id=”SystemRestore” src=”.\Scripts\SystemRestore.js” />
After this let’s add two custom actions to begin and complete the transaction:
<CustomAction Id=’BeginDriverInstallation’ BinaryKey=’SystemRestore’
JScriptCall=’BeginDriverInstallation’ Execute=’deferred’
Return=’ignore’ />
<CustomAction Id=’EndDriverInstallation’ BinaryKey=’SystemRestore’
JScriptCall=’EndDriverInstallation’ Execute=’deferred’
Return=’ignore’ />
Then we should insert them into InstallExecuteSequence. It will look in the following way:
<InstallExecuteSequence>
<Custom Action=”BeginDriverInstallation” After=”InstallFiles”>NOT
Installed</Custom>
<Custom Action=”Install_Signed_Driver”
After=”BeginDriverInstallation”>NOT Installed</Custom>
<Custom Action=”Install_Unsigned_Driver”
After=”Install_Signed_Driver”>NOT Installed</Custom>
<Custom Action=”EndDriverInstallation”
After=”Install_Unsigned_Driver”>NOT Installed</Custom>
</InstallExecuteSequence> The Issues With the Unsigned Drivers
As it was mentioned above, to install the unsigned drivers with DPInst you should use its ‘legacy mode’ – the /LM key (it is not necessary on Windows Vista and higher). But this method has several problems.
By default Windows XP and more recent operating systems will display the unsigned driver installation warning on every attempt to install the unsigned driver. It is not very uncomfortable if you are installing one or two drivers. But if your setup includes, for example, dozens of unsigned drivers the installation would be quite annoying.
Windows XP has the local policy setting concerning the system behavior when there is an attempt to install the unsigned driver. You can access this setting in System Properties->Hardware->Driver Signing:
If you choose ‘Ignore’ the setup will install the unsigned drivers without warning.
Programmatically this setting is accessible via the registry. It is stored in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Driver Signing. To disable the unsigned driver installation warning the Policy value must be set to 0.
But this task is not as simple. The operating system protects this value from the manual modification. And if you edit it directly from your application there will be no effect.
The working C++ solution which allows to temporary disable the unsigned driver warning on Windows XP is proposed here: http://openvpn.net/archive/openvpn-users/2004-11/msg00341.html.
Windows Vista and above do not have the setting described above. So the mentioned solution will not work there. To disable the unsigned driver installation warning on these operating systems you should write some solution to locate the warning window and press the Install Anyway button, or some kind of redirecting driver, or something else. All these tasks are not quite simple. Beside this, Windows Vista x64 and Windows 7 could allow you to install the unsigned drivers but might not allow you to load them.
So, the simplest way to solve the problem with the unsigned drivers installation is to sign them. By passing the Windows Logo test or by buying the Authenticode certificate – http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc750035.aspx.
Windows Installer Packages Installation and Uninstallation Using WiX
Sometimes the driver packages are packed into the MSI installers. It is handy when the driver requires some additional actions for correct functioning – like installing system services, copying files to system directories, etc. In this section we will review some peculiarities of the installation and uninstallation of the MSI packages from the running Windows Installer setup.
First of all, let’s add two MSI components to our WiX script. For example, their files are located in “C:\Drivers\MSI” and “C:\Drivers\MSI”. Then the component definition will look as follows:
<Directory Id=”MSI” Name=”MSI”>
<Directory Id=”MSI_1″ Name=”1″>
<Component Id=”MSI_1″ DiskId=”1″ Guid=”PLACE-YOUR-GUID-HERE”>
<File Id=”sample1.msi” Name=”sample1.msi”
src=”C:\Drivers\MSI\sample1.msi” />
</Component>
</Directory>
<Directory Id=”MSI_2″ Name=”2″>
<Component Id=”MSI_2″ DiskId=”1″ Guid=”PLACE-YOUR-GUID-HERE”>
<File Id=”sample2.msi” Name=”sample2.msi”
src=”C:\Drivers\MSI\sample2.msi” />
</Component>
</Directory>
</Directory>
And the feature for them:
<Feature Id=”RootFeature” Level=”1″ ConfigurableDirectory=”TARGETDIR”
Description=”Sample” Display=”expand” Title=”Sample”
AllowAdvertise=”no” TypicalDefault=”install”>
<Feature Id=”Drivers” Level=”1″ AllowAdvertise=”no”
ConfigurableDirectory=”TARGETDIR” Description=”Drivers”
Display=”collapse” Title=”Drivers” >
<ComponentRef Id=’MSI_1′ />
<ComponentRef Id=’MSI_2′ />
</Feature>
</Feature> Installation
We will install these packages with standard Microsoft utility msiexec. In our example we will use “quite” type of the installation (the /qn key) and the maximal verbose logging (/L*v). Here is the corresponding custom actions definition:
<CustomAction Id=’Install_MSI_1′ Return=”ignore”
Directory=”SystemFolder” ExeCommand=”msiexec /i
&quot;[MSI_1]sample1.msi&quot; /qn /L*v
&quot;[TempFolder]sample1.log&quot; ALLUSERS=1 REBOOT=ReallySuppress
ARPSYSTEMCOMPONENT=1″ />
<CustomAction Id=’Install_MSI_2′ Return=”ignore”
Directory=”SystemFolder” ExeCommand=”msiexec /i
&quot;[MSI_2]sample2.msi&quot; /qn /L*v
&quot;[TempFolder]sample2.log&quot; ALLUSERS=1 REBOOT=ReallySuppress
ARPSYSTEMCOMPONENT=1″ />
Now the main question is when to execute these custom actions.
Generally speaking, the Windows Installer technology supports the installation of only one MSI package at a time. The installation grabs the execution mutex at the beginning and the next installation doesn’t start until it is free. If we try to schedule Install_MSI_1 or Install_MSI_2 like we did it earlier with DPInst custom actions the installation will fail.
There are two possible things to do about it.
The first one is described here: http://www.advancedinstaller.com/user-guide/qa-uninstall-msi.html. We should modify the installation custom action definition to match the option “Asynchronous Execution, do not wait for return” and make it immediate:
<CustomAction Id=’Install_MSI_1′ Execute=”immediate”
Return=”asyncNoWait” Directory=”SystemFolder” ExeCommand=”msiexec /i
&quot;[MSI_1]sample1.msi&quot; /qn /L*v
&quot;[TempFolder]sample1.log&quot; ALLUSERS=1 REBOOT=ReallySuppress
ARPSYSTEMCOMPONENT=1″ />
Also we should schedule it after InstallFinalize:
<InstallExecuteSequence>
<Custom Action=”Install_MSI_1″ After=”InstallFinalize”>NOT
Installed</Custom>
</InstallExecuteSequence>
Thus the custom action will be launched right after the main installer finishes. In this case two installations will not interfere.
Probably, this method is good for one additional MSI setup. But if you want to start two or more MSI packages installations during the running of the main installer, you’ll be unable to do it in the described way.
The second method does not have this disadvantage. It is about the scheduling of the MSI installation custom actions not in the InstallExecuteSequence, but in the InstallUISequence after the ExecuteAction standard action. Roughly speaking, the ExecuteAction is the whole InstallUISequence. When it completes, the execution mutex is released. So if we schedule some Windows Installer custom actions after it we will be able to execute as many MSI installations as we want before the actual finish of the main installation. Also we don’t need to modify the custom actions definitions.
Thus the InstallUISequence for two sample actions will look as follows:
<InstallUISequence>
<Custom Action=”Install_MSI_1″ After=”ExecuteAction”>NOT
Installed</Custom>
<Custom Action=”Install_MSI_2″ After=”Install_MSI_1″>NOT
Installed</Custom>
</InstallUISequence>
Please note that for the correct work of this method the main installation must be launched in full UI mode. Otherwise the actions from InstallUISequence will be skipped.
Again we will use msiexec to uninstall the MSI packages. In our examples we will perform the uninstallation with the package GUID. The corresponding custom actions for Install_MSI_1 and Install_MSI_2 components will look as follows:
<CustomAction Id=’Uninstall_MSI_1′ Execute=’deferred’ Return=”ignore”
Directory=”SystemFolder” ExeCommand=”msiexec /x {MSI-1-GUID} /qn /L*v
&quot;[TempFolder]sample1.log&quot; ALLUSERS=1 REBOOT=ReallySuppress”
/>
<CustomAction Id=’Uninstall_MSI_2′ Execute=’deferred’ Return=”ignore”
Directory=”SystemFolder” ExeCommand=”msiexec /x {MSI-2-GUID} /qn /L*v
&quot;[TempFolder]sample2.log&quot; ALLUSERS=1 REBOOT=ReallySuppress”
/>
As usual, you should replace MSI-1-GUID and MSI-2-GUID with real GUIDs to use this code in your projects.
The uninstallation of the MSI package from the running Windows Installer package setup has the same problem with execution mutex as the installation.
So, the first possible solution (acceptable only for the single additional MSI package uninstallation) is to modify the corresponding custom action definition to match the option “Asynchronous Execution, do not wait for return” and make it immediate:
<CustomAction Id=’Uninstall_MSI_1′ Execute=”immediate”
Return=”asyncNoWait” Directory=”SystemFolder” ExeCommand=”msiexec /x
{MSI-1-GUID} /qn /L*v &quot;[TempFolder]sample1.log&quot; ALLUSERS=1
REBOOT=ReallySuppress” />
And then schedule it after InstallFinalize:
<InstallExecuteSequence>
<Custom Action=”Uninstall_MSI_1″ After=”InstallFinalize”>Installed</Custom>
</InstallExecuteSequence>
The more universal solution which allows multiple MSI uninstallations during the main package setup is to schedule the uninstallation custom actions after the ExecuteAction standard action of the InstallUISequence:
<InstallUISequence>
<Custom Action=”Uninstall_MSI_1″
After=”ExecuteAction”>Installed</Custom>
<Custom Action=”Uninstall_MSI_2″
After=”Uninstall_MSI_1″>Installed</Custom>
</InstallUISequence>
Yet again please note that for the correct work of this method the main installation must be launched in full UI mode. Otherwise the actions from InstallUISequence will be skipped.
The topic of the driver installation using Windows Installer is very wide. This article is not supposed to describe it all. The author has tried to collect the main problems which he has met working on the driver installer and describe the solutions which he has found. He hopes that this article would be useful 
.
Attached sample installer contains the implementation of the most of things described in the article – see at the Ariorit site.
Bibliography DPinst http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms790308.aspx – Driver Package Installer (DPInst) http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms790806.aspx – DPInst command line switches Driver Installation Windows API http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms793500.aspx – DriverPackagePreinstall function http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms793508.aspx – DriverPackageUninstall function System Restore Points Creation http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa378847(VS.85).aspx – CreateRestorePoint Method of the SystemRestore Class http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;295299 – VBScript code samples for working with System Restore http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa378987(VS.85).aspx – C++ code samples for working with System Restore Unsigned Drivers and Signing http://openvpn.net/archive/openvpn-users/2004-11/msg00341.html – C++ solution for disabling and enabling of the unsigned driver installation warning on Windows XP http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc750035.aspx – Authenticode MSI-from-MSI Installation http://www.advancedinstaller.com/user-guide/qa-uninstall-msi.html – launching of the MSI installation from already running MSI setup WiX http://www.tramontana.co.hu/wix/ – WiX Tutorial http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix2/wix_index.htm – WiX 2.0 manual http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix3/main.htm – WiX 3.0 manual http://blogs.technet.com/alexshev/default.aspx – TechNet blog of Alex Shevchuk (a lot of useful information about WiX)
ApriorIT is a company that unites professionals in development and management of software projects in knowledge-intensive scopes.
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