Problems installing drivers on fresh windows

[td241]

Hello everyone. I recently installed windows on a second hard drive on a computer. It's XP Pro SP3. All was fine and dandy until I needed to install the proper drivers.

Unfortunately, when I click the drivers to install them (which I've always done when installing Windows drivers) Windows tells me that the drivers are already in c:\HP\Drivers\... (my disc is d:\) and that I need to use the Device Manager to install them.

I tried DM, clicking on the appropriate apparatus in the device manager, then clicking update driver. I go through the yadda yadda "Have Disc..." etc, but the Device Manager INSISTS that I use .inf files. I tried adding ".inf" to the ends of the files (in some cases in OS X, if the format is not written on the file name, a browser will not recognize it; apparently that's not the case here). Whatever these drivers are, they're not .inf; but they're the drivers that came from the HP support website for this particular machine.

Any ideas on what I could do?

Thanks so much,

Thomas

 

[SNGX1275]

Are the files you got from the HP site .exe or .msi? If either of those you should just be able to double click those and follow the on screen directions to install them.

 

[td241]

Hi,
They're .exe. I do double click, they do start to install, and then Windows stops them, saying to install them through the device manager, and that they're already installed (on drive c:\, I'm using d:\). Device manager will ONLY let me install .inf files. frownie face.

 

[LookinAround]

1) You say have a dual boot machine. You installed XP SP3 and what other OS??


2) When you boot into XP SP3 what are the drive letter assignments? Are you booted into XP SP3 when you try installing the HP drivers?


And, fyi...

Yes, as you've observed.. When you install using Device Manager, you must point DevMgr to the driver INF file (the driver's Installation Setup File). That's the only option for DevMgr based installs.

The INF file is a packed file contained within that EXE file you're trying to run...

 

[td241]

Thanks, lookin

There is another XP Pro on the other drive. Basically we did this because it's an older (5 y/o) computer that I'm trying to set up for a friend who just needs a clunker. The roommate who left said we could use it, but not to touch his drive in case he needs something later. I figured why not just put a fresh uncontaminated copy of XPPSP3 on the empty, bigger drive and forget the rest. It looks like it's not going to be that easy.

Should I just unplug the other drive from the machine and leave it in there til he needs it (which may never happen seeing as though it's been sitting idle for two years)? That way XP won't complain that I have the drivers already (even though what it claims to have the drivers for doesn't work and I can't install new ones)?

 

[LookinAround]

Well, if you could simply unplug the unused drive that should make it easier to install and setup the new one if it's truly causing the conflict...

Tho i'm honestly not sure why the HP driver package should have problems installing in a dual boot situation (dual boots are pretty common)

But, again, will probably be easier for you to just unplug the old drive you don't want to use and install on the other. Will probably be less time/effort to get it to work that way as you only need to use the bigger drive