Forum - RE: Intel Chipset Device "Drivers" (= INF files)

#436 | RE: Intel Chipset Device "Drivers" (= INF files) datum

Fri Dec 29, 2017 10:01 am

Zitat von Lex im Beitrag #435
So, will the driver always work after such manual method of installation?

Yes, If the offered driver
a) supports the related device and
b) is "better" (newer) than the previously used driver.

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#437 | RE: Intel Chipset Device "Drivers" (= INF files) datum

Fri Dec 29, 2017 2:04 pm

As I never used your "pure" INF files I'm curious about one thing. Some of these INF files contains information for more than one device (for example Broadwell-DESystem.inf) - if I point one device to such inf file then:
A) does Windows 7 auto-recognize other devices in this INF file and auto-install them as well
B) I will need to point each device separately to the same file
A or B?

BTW: Is latest release of Intel Chipset Device Software version 10.1.17464.8052 "not so official" one? I tried to find it on Intel's website, but version 10.1.2.86 is still shown as the latest one for my system (X99).
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/downloa...ver-for-Windows

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#438 | RE: Intel Chipset Device "Drivers" (= INF files) datum

Fri Dec 29, 2017 4:45 pm (Last edited: Fri Dec 29, 2017 4:53 pm)

Zitat von Lex im Beitrag #437
A or B?

B.

Zitat von Lex im Beitrag #437
BTW: Is latest release of Intel Chipset Device Software version 10.1.17464.8052 "not so official" one? I tried to find it on Intel's website, but version 10.1.2.86 is still shown as the latest one for my system (X99).

1. Not Intel, but the mainboard manufacturer is responsible to offer appropriate up-to-date drivers for the customers of their product.
2. The Intel Download Center is not up-to-date regarding the Intel Chipset Device Software, because Intel doesn't produce anymore Intel Chipset mainboards.
3. All WHQL certified Intel drivers (incl. the Intel Chipset INF files) are manufactured by Intel and officially released to the OEMs (mainboard and PC/Notebook manufacturers). That is why the Intel Chipset Device Utility v10.1.17464.8052 has been officially released by Intel.

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#439 | RE: Intel Chipset Device "Drivers" (= INF files) datum

Sat Dec 30, 2017 4:23 pm

I've just checked my ASUS website and they are still offering very old version of INF files, v10.1.2.19 - so, yeah, no comments for them.
I know that Intel doesn't produce mainboards anymore but it's sad that it isn't so easy for "average user" to find the latests versions.

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#440 | RE: Intel Chipset Device "Drivers" (= INF files) datum

Sat Dec 30, 2017 4:36 pm (Last edited: Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:43 pm)

Zitat von Lex im Beitrag #439
I know that Intel doesn't produce mainboards anymore but it's sad that it isn't so easy for "average user" to find the latests versions.

What do you expect from the latest version of a text file, which contains nothing more than the information, that
a) no driver is necessary and
b) the related device should get a certain name with the word "Intel" in it?

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#441 | RE: Intel Chipset Device "Drivers" (= INF files) datum

Sat Jan 06, 2018 1:24 am

Can the mod+signed AIO package be integrated into Windows installation media?

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#442 | RE: Intel Chipset Device "Drivers" (= INF files) datum

Sat Jan 06, 2018 1:37 am

Zitat von catch36 im Beitrag #441
Can the mod+signed AIO package be integrated into Windows installation media?

It is no problem to integrate all the INF files (the question is, whether the OS Setup will accept them without WHQL stamp), but it wouldn't make any sense, because more than 90% of the INF files are unusable for the specific system.

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#443 | RE: Intel Chipset Device "Drivers" (= INF files) datum

Wed Jan 24, 2018 5:04 pm (Last edited: Wed Jan 24, 2018 5:53 pm)

@Fernando: I've just did a "test installation" of fresh Windows 7 setup by using only "pure" *.inf drivers for all devices (the only exception was a video driver where I used setup.exe file to also get some of its software) and I would like to share my experiences as I have a few questions at the end to not make any mistakes on my next "normal installation".

Info #1: Almost all "pure" drivers got installed without bigger problems - the only "serious problem" was caused by ASMedia USB 3.0/3.1 driver (I described it here) and it was corrected by using proper Windows 7 driver.

Info #2: Two of my "pure" drivers (for Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Realtek HD Audio) actually registered themselves in "Control Panel" -> "Uninstall a program" and I can uninstall them that way, which is/was a big suprise for me after what I was told in answer to my post here that I will not be able to.

Info #3 (with questions): I'm still not sure if I properly installed "pure" Intel Chipset Device "drivers" - and that's the main reason why I'm posting here, in this topic. My previous experience was very simple - I used SetupChipset.exe, got Chipset "drivers" installed and four files appeared in C:\Windows\INF directory:
1. oem2.inf - it was original WellsburgSystem.inf
2. oem3.inf - it was original WellsburgUSB.inf
3. oem4.inf - it was original NULL_HECISystem.inf
4. oem5.inf - it was original Broadwell-DESystem.inf

This time I was not going to use SetupChipset.exe - I was going to install "pure" inf files instead.

Question #1: File oem4.inf (NULL_HECISystem.inf) was going to be replaced by Intel ME Interface inf driver later so I decided to not install it - was it a right decision?

To get oem2.inf (WellsburgSystem.inf) and oem5.inf (Broadwell-DESystem.inf) installed I used this way:
A) I found one unknown "!" device for each file - it was:
- "PCI Device" for WellsburgSystem.inf
- "Base System Device" for Broadwell-DESystem.inf
B) After each file was installed (= moved to C:\Windows\INF directory) RMB -> Scan for hardware changes - this installed rest of devices included in these files.

Question #2: Were A and B steps ok? I'm not sure about this "Scan for hardware changes", because here I got the answer as "I will need to point each device separately to the same file" - is manual way better?

Question #3: Some of devices from oem2.inf (WellsburgSystem.inf) and oem5.inf (Broadwell-DESystem.inf) were already "known" on my freshly installed system (they have some "basic" names, like "PCI standard ISA bridge") but I remember that when I used SetupChipset.exe they still got replaced - should I manually force installation of inf files on such devices now just like SetupChipset.exe did in the past? Is Intel Chipset Device "driver" in any way better than original system Microsoft one? What about "descriptive" names of these alredy known devices?

Question #4: It is a question connected to #3 and about oem3.inf (WellsburgUSB.inf) - it contains only two devices:
- "Intel C610 series/X99 chipset USB Enhanced Host Controller #1 - 8D26"
- "Intel C610 series/X99 chipset USB Enhanced Host Controller #2 - 8D2D"
Both of them are already "known" as 2x "Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller"
I manually forced installation of WellsburgUSB.inf on these devices - but I do not know if it is ok? Reason "why I did this?" was "simple": if I won't force it then WellsburgUSB.inf file will not be installed at all and it was installed when I used SetupChipset.exe my previous time so I am not really sure what to do now.

Question #5: What happens if I point device to a directory where could be two (or more) separate inf files for it? For example: Realtek HD Audio driver has so many different inf files that I'm not sure if I should do this that way for it (or maybe use of setup.exe is a better way in this case).

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#444 | RE: Intel Chipset Device "Drivers" (= INF files) datum

Wed Jan 24, 2018 8:13 pm

Zitat von Lex im Beitrag #443
Info #2: Two of my "pure" drivers (for Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Realtek HD Audio) actually registered themselves in "Control Panel" -> "Uninstall a program" and I can uninstall them that way, which is/was a big suprise for me after what I was told in answer to my post here that I will not be able to.

If any installed driverpack is listed within the Control Panel's "Uninstall a program" section, this is the proof, that the installed driverpack contained more than the "pure" drivers (e.g. an additional *.exe file). "Pure" drivers usually just consist of *.sys, *.inf, *.cat and maybe *.dll files, but never of *.exe files.

Zitat von Lex im Beitrag #443
File oem4.inf (NULL_HECISystem.inf) was going to be replaced by Intel ME Interface inf driver later so I decided to not install it - was it a right decision?

Yes!
To answer all your other questions here is my advice regarding the order and the procedure of the driver installation after having done a clean install of any Windows OS:

Once the OS installation is completed, set the OS up-to-date by running Windows Update (if your network connection should not be available due to a missing driver, install the Network Controller driver as first step and then run Windows Update).
Install the latest/best drivers for your Storage Controller (AHCI/RAID/NVMe), Graphics Controller, Network Controller (if not already done) and the device named "Intel(R) Management Engine Interface" (should be listed within the "System devices" section, if you are unsure, check the HardwareIDs). All related drivers can be installed manually from within the Device Manager by doing a right-click onto the related device and choosing the options "Update driver software" > "Browse my computer..." > "Browse" and navigating to the folder, which contains the related driver). If you should not have access to other important devices (e.g. USB Controllers), install the related drivers the same way.
Now to the least important Intel Chipset Device INF files:
- Make sure, that you have access to the folder, which contains the "Latest Intel Chipset Device INF files" (either as WHQL or as mod+signed variant, in the latter case don't forget to import the Certificate).
- Open the Device Manager and look for yellow flagged devices.
- Right-click - one after the other - onto all devices, which are yellow flagged or show the "Missing driver" message, and choose the options "Update driver software" > "Browse my computer...". Then click onto the "Browse" button and navigate into the root of the folder, which contains all the Intel CPUs and their Chipset INF files. The OS Hardware Detection will find the suitable INF file itself (if there is any inside the folder and its various subfolders) and install it. If no suitable INF file should be found, you will get a related message. Don't worry about getting a "wrong" driver/INF file installed!
- If finally there should still be one or more yellow flagged devices listed within the Device Manager, do a right-click onto them and check their HardwareIDs ("Properties" > "Details" > "Property" > "HardwareIDs"). Then you can do a Google search for the manufacturer (VEN_XXXX) and the model (DEV_XXXX) of the related device.

That's it!
Don't copy any INF files into the C:\Windows\Inf directory. Let the OS Hardware Management do the job.

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#445 | RE: Intel Chipset Device "Drivers" (= INF files) datum

Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:01 pm

Zitat von Fernando im Beitrag #444
3. Now to the least important Intel Chipset Device INF files:
(...)
Open the Device Manager and look for yellow flagged devices.

So, for these devices not marked with yellow "!", I should not even try to install them from Intel Chipset Device INF package and leave them with Microsoft default OS inf?

What's the difference between downloaded Intel and default Microsoft OS Chipset Device INF? Is it just the name?

As I said in my Questions #3 and #4, it seems that default setup (by using SetupChipset.exe) did some reinstallation of already known Device INFs, not just these with yellow "!"s.

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#446 | RE: Intel Chipset Device "Drivers" (= INF files) datum

Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:39 pm (Last edited: Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:40 pm)

Zitat von Lex im Beitrag #445
So, for these devices not marked with yellow "!", I should not even try to install them from Intel Chipset Device INF package and leave them with Microsoft default OS inf?

No, the installation of these text files is only useful, if the OS Hardware Management doesn't know what to do with the related devices. I repeat: None of the Intel Chipset Device INF file has a real function except to tell the OS, that the related device is manufactured by Intel and no driver is required to manage it.

Zitat von Lex im Beitrag #445
What's the difference between downloaded Intel and default Microsoft OS Chipset Device INF? Is it just the name?

Yes.

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#447 | RE: Intel Chipset Device "Drivers" (= INF files) datum

Wed Jan 24, 2018 10:03 pm

Zitat von Fernando im Beitrag #446
Zitat von Lex im Beitrag #445
What's the difference between downloaded Intel and default Microsoft OS Chipset Device INF? Is it just the name?
Yes.

Ah, so WellsburgUSB.inf looks like another file to "skip" (first one was NULL_HECISystem.inf as I explained earlier) - my OS already somehow managed to get the info about these two "USB Host Controllers" (as I explained in Question #4).

In the end I will need only some (not all) information from WellsburgSystem.inf and Broadwell-DESystem.inf.

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#448 | RE: Intel Chipset Device "Drivers" (= INF files) datum

Wed Jan 24, 2018 10:35 pm (Last edited: Wed Jan 24, 2018 10:51 pm)

Zitat von Fernando im Beitrag #444
If any installed driverpack is listed within the Control Panel's "Uninstall a program" section, this is the proof, that the installed driverpack contained more than the "pure" drivers (e.g. an additional *.exe file). "Pure" drivers usually just consist of *.sys, *.inf, *.cat and maybe *.dll files, but never of *.exe files.

I have one more question: for drivers like noted here (which shows in Control Panel after installation, like Realtek HD Audio) - should I still use inf-only way or maybe it is better to install them normally by using provided exe file?

Will there be any difference? Have you ever installed Realtek drivers? If yes then which way do you prefer? :)

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#449 | RE: Intel Chipset Device "Drivers" (= INF files) datum

Wed Jan 24, 2018 10:59 pm (Last edited: Wed Jan 24, 2018 11:00 pm)

@Lex:
Everything depends on the user's specific system and personal preferences.
For me the performance of my system has the highest priority. That is why I don't like not essential software, which is filling up my system drive, or "Services", which are permanently running in the background.

Zitat von Lex im Beitrag #448
Have you ever installed Realtek drivers?

No, I neither need nor use the >500MB sized drivers and features package. I have sound, that's all what I need and want.

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#450 | RE: Intel Chipset Device "Drivers" (= INF files) datum

Wed Jan 24, 2018 11:06 pm (Last edited: Wed Jan 24, 2018 11:12 pm)

Zitat von Fernando im Beitrag #449
I neither need nor use the >500MB sized drivers and features package. I have sound, that's all what I need and want.

So are you using Windows OS default audio drivers or something else?

It seems that this package takes 40MB after installation from inf file. I've started "full setup" exe and there are no other software options, "just drivers".

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