Can't get Windows 7 x64 to use the drivers I've installed repeatedly

Hello fellow forumites,

I recently purchased a device which allows me to record my guitar playing into my computer without the need of an audio interface. I simply connect the floor pedal to my laptop via USB cable and the device actually works as an external soundcard as well. To make this happen, I have to use the drivers provided to me by the manufacturer of the device, which is a Line 6 POD HD500x.

Now, my laptop does realize something is plugged to it, and calls it "HD500", and lists it as an "unknown device" in the device manager. What it doesn't do is use the drivers I have installed for it. So I wonder how to make windows 7 find and use the drivers I install, because otherwise I can never use the POD with my laptop. I believe the installer is not installing the drivers to the right location, so Windows can't access the drivers.

I did. I refuse to believe it's the device's fault, as it works perfectly. I don't know what's wrong. Perhaps something with the registry?

I think I may have figured out a part of the problem. It seems like the installer fails to add the drivers to the registry. Is there any way to add them manually?

Device driver installation in Win 7 and higher (maybe Vista too, don't remember) is a 2-step process.

Step1
If a "Driver Package" is valid (e.g. it is suitable for machine architecture and it is digitally signed), Windows loads the driver package into the "Driver Store". A "Driver Package" is the set of files required for device installation.

Step 2
When a device is detected, Windows only installs drivers found in the Driver Store

Open a command prompt window. Type pnputil -e Windows lists all driver packages added to the Driver Store since Windows 7 was installed.

Look at Driver Package Provider names. Do you see an entry that might be for your device? . Let's see if Step 1 or 2 is failing.

/* EDIT */
The output may be larger then prompt window buffer size. Redirect output to a file. File will be in the folder you see at command prompt

Code:

pnputil -e   > drivers.txt

/* EDIT 2 */
While you're at it, right click the device->Properties->Detail tab. Use pull down menu to display the hardware IDs. Copy/paste them into next post

Interestingly enough, the name of the company (and thus the driver package) appears several times in the output. My Windows is in German, so I'll translate some of the words.

Veröffentlichter Name=Published name.
Treiberpaketanbieter=provider of the driver package
Klasse=Klass
Name des Signaturgebers=Name of the signature provider.
Here's the output:
-----------------------------------

Veröffentlichter Name: oem2.inf
Treiberpaketanbieter: Line 6
Klasse: Audio-, Video- und Gamecontroller
Treiberversion und -datum: 07/11/2013 4.2.7.1
Name des Signaturgebers:

Veröffentlichter Name: oem10.inf
Treiberpaketanbieter: Line 6
Klasse: Audio-, Video- und Gamecontroller
Treiberversion und -datum: 06/26/2013 4.2.6.9
Name des Signaturgebers:


Veröffentlichter Name: oem50.inf
Treiberpaketanbieter: Line 6
Klasse: Audio-, Video- und Gamecontroller
Treiberversion und -datum: 07/11/2013 4.2.7.1
Name des Signaturgebers:


Veröffentlichter Name: oem51.inf
Treiberpaketanbieter: Line 6
Klasse: Unbekannte Treiberklasse
Treiberversion und -datum: 07/11/2013 4.2.7.1
Name des Signaturgebers:


Veröffentlichter Name: oem52.inf
Treiberpaketanbieter: Line 6
Klasse: Audio-, Video- und Gamecontroller
Treiberversion und -datum: 07/11/2013 4.2.7.1
Name des Signaturgebers:

Veröffentlichter Name: oem56.inf
Treiberpaketanbieter: Line 6
Klasse: Audio-, Video- und Gamecontroller
Treiberversion und -datum: 07/11/2013 4.2.7.1
Name des Signaturgebers:

So it looks like the drivers lack a signature.

These are the hardware ID's:

USB\VID_0E41&PID_414D&REV_0000
USB\VID_0E41&PID_414D

Well, I finally forced Windows to assign drivers to the device...the problem isn't fully solved, but I will mark this thread as such. Thank you all for your help :)