How do you guys get Win7 to use your own drivers?

[roiiploe]

Howdy,

Been upgrading several workstations on site and noticed that Windows 7 behaves quite differently in terms of driver installation vs say - Vista.

In Vista - it was great - run setup...it completes...Vista loads up with the most basic of basic drivers and then I would go to town installing my specific ones.

In Win 7 - I run a fresh setup via DVD and finally get to the desktop - I see that Win7 has already jammed in some "stock" version of the nVidia drivers (185.xx). Which then I have to spend a bunch of time messing around uninstalling this and that - essentially rendering my nice fresh tidy install - not so nice and tidy

In my case - I have a specific certified graphics driver that I want use on each fresh install - is it as simple as unplugging the LAN cable during setup so Windows cannot use this stock nVidia driver or is that driver packed on the DVD and gets installed no matter what?

Appreciate any insights...

Cheers!

VP

 

[pebbly]

hi vocalpoint read this http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/82137-drivers-turn-off-automatic-driver-installation.html

 

[Bill2]

You'll probably need to create a customised install dvd using a tool like 7Customizer. That'll let you strip drivers and components you dont want. DISM (inbuilt in win7) could probably also be used but would be more involved.

 

[roiiploe]

hi vocalpoint read this http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/82137-drivers-turn-off-automatic-driver-installation.html

Thanks but this is only relevant AFTER Windows is installed. What I want is the OS to install using nothing but it's basics - in this case - especially the VGA video driver without ANY intervention so I can update my drivers in the order that I see fit after setup is complete.

Any other ideas?

VP

 

[pebbly]

hi vocalpoint read this http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/82137-drivers-turn-off-automatic-driver-installation.html

Thanks but this is only relevant AFTER Windows is installed. What I want is the OS to install using nothing but it's basics - in this case - especially the VGA video driver without ANY intervention so I can update my drivers in the order that I see fit after setup is complete.

Any other ideas?

VP

follow Bill2's advice and make a custom installation DVD using the prog Bill2 refered to or 7 lite

 

[roiiploe]

Thanks guys...this is definitely the way to go. I did this with my XP disc for years - never knew that there were solid Win7 tools now.

Thanks!

VP

 

[pebbly]

Thanks guys...this is definitely the way to go. I did this with my XP disc for years - never knew that there were solid Win7 tools now.

Thanks!

VP

You're welcome , hope it all works out ok for you

 

[gregrocker]

Be aware that Win7 is not like Vista or XP with drivers. MS spent a fortune building drivers or paying manufacturers to build driver for Win7 so they would have them in the installer, or newer ones quickly available via optional Windows Updates.

They did this in part so manufacturers wouldn't hold out as in Vista so users are forced to buy newer hardware, even paying manufacturers under WHQL to build them.

In the past, the manufacturer'' or device's site was the top authority on drivers for XP or Vista, with user in the middle to sort it out. Now Win7 is the authority, and its given drivers should be accepted unless performance dictates otherwise.

That said, if you have your own drivers for proprietary installs then create your own installation media using Vlite slipstream.