Drivers

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

For some reason, everytime I try to install drivers for a device by asking
Windows to show me a list of device drivers, after selecting the category
(DVD ROM, Network Adapter, etc.) it shows me an empty list.
 
S said:
For some reason, everytime I try to install drivers for a device by asking
Windows to show me a list of device drivers, after selecting the category
(DVD ROM, Network Adapter, etc.) it shows me an empty list.
Click to expand...

Do you have a C:\windows\inf\infcache.1 ? If yes, delete that file.
 
S said:
Yup, it's there.
It says I need permission, but I'm already the Administrator.
Click to expand...

My working theory is that file is copied from XP but really should
not be. Did you upgrade from XP?
 
Don said:
My working theory is that file is copied from XP
Click to expand...

I don't think so, I booted my computer on the DVD and installed Vista
on a blank partition but I have the file also.
 
Don said:
Well, I'll change my working theory to: infcache.1 can be
corrupted by some mysterious evil force.
Click to expand...

Not the mysterious evil force again?
Deleting that file will cause it to be regenerated correctly,
which fixes the problem.
Click to expand...

But, as S Murder pointed out, he can't delete the file. I can't delete
mine either.
 
David R. Norton said:
I don't think so, I booted my computer on the DVD and installed Vista
on a blank partition but I have the file also.
Click to expand...


Aha! You just taught me something, thanks. Vista Search by default will
search the system directories of XP and W2K, but not its own system
directories. I changed that default and now my Vista infcache.1 shows
up in Search.

Well, I'll change my working theory to: infcache.1 can be corrupted by
some mysterious evil force. When that happens, the driver search wizard
can't find the drivers which are normally listed in that file, and so it
will
ask for them again. Deleting that file will cause it to be regenerated
correctly, which fixes the problem.
 
David R. Norton said:
Not the mysterious evil force again?
Click to expand...

Well, yes. And for the first time in twenty years I'm not pointing to MS as
the Mysterious Evil Force ;o) I've read elsewhere in these newsgroups
that the MS gurus are working on a fix for this bug. But, meanwhile....
But, as S Murder pointed out, he can't delete the file. I can't delete
mine either.
Click to expand...

Infallible Instructions (but if they don't work, let me know):

Using Explorer, find C:\windows\inf\INFCACHE.1
Right-click on the file and go to Properties>>Security.
Edit the permissions for 'Users' to grant Full Control.
This will let you rename INFCACHE.1 to INFCACHE.old.
(Or delete it if you want -- makes no difference.)

Now reboot. You should notice no difference unless you've had
trouble installing drivers (new or old). Throwing caution to the winds,
you could use Device Manager to delete some critical device and
then reboot to see if the deleted device is properly re-installed.

Well, okay, tell your most junior employee to try it and watch what happens.
 
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