DeployAnywhere process doesn't install all complex drivers (Nvidia drivers, etc)

Products

• Deployment Solution

Issue/Introduction

When Drivermanager imports drivers into the Drivers database, Drivermanager only imports files listed in the driver INF file. Unfortunately, for complex drivers - usually video drivers - there are additional files that are needed for the driver installation to be successful and that are not referenced in the INF file. Because the files aren't referenced in the INF file, these drivers are not imported.

There aren't any errors and the driver doesn't install correctly.

Environment

All versions of DS and GSS

Cause

Driver manufacturers are not referencing files that are needed for successful driver installation in the INF files.  

Resolution

Since 8.5 Post RU2 release, a new executable named ''updatedriver.exe' can be used to overcome this limitation.  This file is located on the SMP Server at '<drive>\program files\altiris\deployment\tools'

To use this new executable, follow these steps:

1. Import the driver using the normal drivermanagement process
2. Deploy an image and allow DeployAnywhere (DA) to run.  DO NOT boot to production.
3. Gather the Deployanywhere logs
4. Boot to production
5. Open device manager and check the hardware ID's of the driver that didn't install
6. Open the DA log that shows the targeting of drivers and search for the hardwareID of the driver.
7. Note the name of the driver that DA used.
8. On the SMP Server go to driversdb and open up the driver folder.
9. Copy the drivers from the source driver package into the driver folder under driversdb.
10. Save 'updatedriver.exe' to the root of the driversdb folder.
11. Open a command prompt and type 'updatedriver.exe <path to the driver>'
12. 'updatedriver.exe' will add every file in the drivers folder to the driversmanifest.txt