XPs Automatic Driver Install

[si007]

Is there a way to disable Windows XP from installing its own drivers when you install a new piece of hardware. I want to install the latest XP drivers for my Soundblaster Live Value that I downloaded from the Creative website. But when I reboot my PC after having removed the current drivers, XP just reloads its own ones again.

Also, can someone tell me what I should actually remove when trying to uninstall the current SB drivers. When I open device manager and go to Sound, Video and Game Controllers, there's quite a few things in there which I have listed below:

Audio Codecs
Creative SB Live Value (WDM)
Creative SB Live Gameport
Legacy Audio Drivers
Legacy Video Capture Devices
Media Control Devices
Microsoft Sidewinder
Standard Gameport
Video Codecs

Many thanks

Si

 

[Rick]

XP does not automatically install drivers while using Safe Mode.. You may want to try this mode to install your drivers.

There's a service called "Plug and Play" in Start/Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Services

I've never done it before, but it makes sense that you can disable this to stop automatic hardware detection.

 

[si007]

Hey Rick,

I tried the Safe Mode thing earlier today but XP still installed the drivers. I suppose I could disable P 'n' P in the BIOS but I need to know how I can fully uninstall the current drivers first.

Cheers.

Si

 

[si007]

Hey Rick,

I just clicked on your link for Windows RG. Very funny

Si

 

[Rick]

Originally posted by si007
Hey Rick,

I tried the Safe Mode thing earlier today but XP still installed the drivers. I suppose I could disable P 'n' P in the BIOS but I need to know how I can fully uninstall the current drivers first.

Cheers.

Si

Disabling PnP OS in the BIOS doesn't do what you want it to do. You'll need to disable PnP in the Windows services, as I mentioned above. It's just a guess though, but I'm pretty sure it will force windows not to install new devices automatically.

To futher fix your problem, it may be possible to disable that "driver signing" crap. Windows XP will not install unsigned drivers (which may or may not include yours) automatically.. Rather, it chooses the latest signed drivers.

You can do this in Start/Control Panel/System/Hardware/Driver Signing

You should be able to manually install your drivers, if Windows is not letting the installer do it for you. If you need details on any of this, just ask.

 

[si007]

Hey Rick,

Thanks for your help with this. I've disabled the P 'n' P service as you suggested but I still need to know what I should uninstall so I can get a clean install of the new drivers. Any ideas?

Cheers.

Si

 

[TS | Thomas]

You can remove Creative SB Live Value (WDM) & Creative SB Live Gameport. Nothing else there should be removed. I don't know if it applies to the Live! Drivers, but the Audigy 1/2 drivers don't install unless you have a current driver installation, mightn't be a good idea to uninstall anything anyway.

Otherwise you can extract the driver files & use CTZAPXX.EXE for installing the Drivers.

 

[si007]

Thanks Thomas, I'll give it a try

Cheers.

Si

 

[Grubby_One]

Can't you just let windows select the drivers that it wants, then afterwards, just update them with the drivers that you have downloaded. I'm pretty sure that this is what I have done in the past myself, but it has been a little while.