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Device drivers.

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by a former member

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I am looking into a Linux based program that would extract the Windows device drivers from an HD [u]without[/u] loading Windows. I would like to be able to use this when Windows is to badly damaged to load Windows.

I have Googled the issue but have been unable to find relevant information as to where in the registry Windows determines what devices are to be loaded and what devices exist on the computer.

Can anyone shed some light on where the registry holds the information on devices?

5 replies

by Former member

Clarifications

by thechas

Trying to create installation files for installed drivers is no simple task.

Finding and capturing the DLL and related files is not too difficult. Creating a list of needed files takes a lot more detective work.

Then, there are the registry settings and VXD files. These are actually created when the driver is installed. Even if you could extract these files, there is no guarantee that they will install and register properly when restored.

You are going to have the best results if you perform a system inventory and then download and install the correct drivers.

Keep in mind that the order of driver installation has a strong impact on system performance.

I ALWAYS start with the system / chip-set drivers. Then the display adapter. Followed by the other on-board devices. I finish with plug-in cards and peripherals.

Reboot as often as requested when installing drivers so that the registry settings take effect, and so the VXD files will be loaded.

Chas

by Former member

There are several programs for Windows that will extract the device drivers from a Windows installation [b]when[/b] Windows is running. I use Driver Genius myself.

This program works great at both extracting the devise drivers from an old installation and installing them on a new installation.

What I am looking at is about the same but I want to use Linux as the OS to extract the drivers from an HD in which the Windows installation is to badly damage, infected, whatever, to either boot or safely boot.

Because I came name three programs that can do this with a running Windows installation, I am forced to the conclusion that the information is contained in the registry. Meaning that I should be able to Linux to load and scan the registry to determine the drivers, determine their load order, and pack them into a self installing executable.

I have looked at the open source offerings and can find nothing that can do this. The key is to determine where in the registry these files are listed. MSDN itself offers no relevant help for many of the files. Although some can be found in HKLM\HARDWARE\*, not all of them can be. Even when the files are listed in the registry, the file names often are not, but they have to be there somewhere.

by Former member

Why can't I find these when I look; I spend hours before I ask. I can see that I did look in the wrong place; I looked in the MSDN forums rather than the support forum. Even so, it should have come up in Google when searching "Location of device drivers."

Changed my perspective a little. Some will be easier than I envisioned some a little different. Will have to look at the registry for the device order, I believe the correct hive is System, and pretty much copy %SystemRoot\Inf for the inf files.

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