Archive: Driver Install Frameworks Tools v.2.01

Updated: February 23, 2007

Driver Install Frameworks (DIFx) provides infrastructure and tools to simplify device and driver installation for both developers and users. DIFx tools includes the Driver Package Installer (DPInst), Driver Installation Frameworks for Applications (DIFxApp) and Driver Installation Frameworks Library (DIFxAPI).

Updates were made to DIFx 2.01 to address customer requests.

Features in Version 2.01:

• Driver Installation Frameworks Library (DIFxAPI).

  • Support for install, uninstall, repair, and rollback of drivers.

  • Ability to track and maintain application-driver-service associations and provide reference counting on drivers and services.

  • DIFxAPI that exports the following functions:

    • DriverPackagePreinstall()

    • DriverPackageInstall()

    • DriverPackageUninstall()

    • DriverPackageGetPath()

• Ability to create driver installation packages for 32-bit, x64-based platforms and Itanium-based systems.

• Support for Windows Vista

• Driver Package Installer (DPInst).

  • Ability to group packages belonging to multifunction devices.

  • New XML elements and command-line switches for:

    • Accepting unsigned drivers by using the legacy mode flag. The underlying operating system still performs signing checks, but the DIFx tools don't add any additional signing requirements.

    • Scanning hardware before performing any preinstall or install to ensure that only packages for which hardware is present are loaded on the machine. This allows the use of DPInst for batch updates, during which the system is scanned for a large number of drivers and only those that are actually required are selected.

    • Using uninstall to delete files that have been copied to the system during install.

• Driver Install Frameworks for Applications (DIFxApp).

  • Ability to work with a scenario in which non-administrators can install administrator-authorized driver packages.

  • New flags for:

    • Using the legacy-mode flag to accept unsigned drivers. The underlying operating system still performs signing checks, but the DIFx tools don't add additional signing requirements.

    • Deleting files on uninstall. Uninstall can delete files that have been copied to the system during install.

 Top of page