How to Package Drive Applications using DPInst.exe

DPInst supports the following command-line switches that set the DPInst configuration flags that are described in Setting DPInst Configuration Flags and additional switches that further modify DPInst operation:

 /a

Sets the installAllOrNone flag to ON, which configures DPInst to install drivers in a driver package only if all of the drivers in the installation package can be installed.

/c

Configures DPInst, if DPInst is called at a command prompt, to display the text of log messages in the Command Prompt window.

/d

Sets the deleteBinaries flag to ON, which configures DPInst to delete the binary files that were copied to a system when a driver package was installed.

Note   Starting with Windows 7, the /d switch is ignored by the operating system. Binary files, which were copied to a system when a driver package was installed, can no longer be deleted by using DPInst.

/el

Sets the enableNotListedLanguages flag to ON, which configures DPInst to enable all of the supported languages that are not explicitly enabled by language XML elements in a DPInst descriptor file.

/f

Sets the forceIfDriverIsNotBetter flag to ON, which configures DPInst to install a driver on a device even if the driver that is currently installed on the device is a better match than the new driver.

/h, /?, or /help

Configures DPInst to display help information about DPInst command-line options. If DPInst was called at a command prompt, DPInst displays the help text in the Command Prompt window; otherwise, DPInst displays the help text in a message box.

/l language-ID

Configures DPInst to display the text, bitmaps, and icon for the language that is specified by a language-ID value. The language-ID value can be specified in either hexadecimal or decimal format. For a list of the languages and corresponding language identifiers, see DPInst Localization Support.

If DPInst supports the specified language and runs on a Windows operating system in which the language is installed, DPInst will use the specified language. For more information about how to use the /L switch, see Testing Language Customization.

/lm

Sets the legacyMode flag to ON. In legacy mode, DPInst accepts unsigned driver packages without performing signature verification. However, be aware that Windows driver signing requirements apply to the installation of a driver package from the DIFx driver store. These requirements depend on the Windows version, the signature type, the driver package type, and the driver signing options that are set for a computer.

/q or /s

Sets the quietInstall flag to ON, which suppresses the display of wizard pages, user dialog boxes, and other user messages that DPInst and Windows generate. ThequietInstall flag works with the presence of an end-user license agreement (EULA) page and the suppressEulaPage flag.

/p

Sets the promptIfDriverIsNotBetter flag to ON, which configures DPInst to display a user dialog box if a new driver is not a better match to a device than a driver that is currently installed on the device. The user dialog box informs a user of this situation and provides an option to replace the driver that is currently installed on the device with the new driver.

/path DPInst-working-directory

Sets the DPInst working directory to DPInst-working-directory. DPInst searches for driver packages in the DPInst working directory and in subdirectories under the working directory that are specified by subDirectory XML elements in a DPInst descriptor file. For more information about how to set the DPInst working directory and specifying subdirectories under the working directory, see Specifying the Location of a Driver Package.

/sa

Sets the suppressAddRemovePrograms flag to ON, which configures DPInst to suppress the addition of entries to Programs and Features in Control Panel. These entries represent the driver packages and driver package groups that DPInst installs.

Note  In versions of Windows earlier than Windows Vista, DPInst added the entry for the driver package or driver package group to Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel.

/se

Sets the suppressEulaPage flag to ON, which configures DPinst to suppress the display of a EULA page. The suppressEulaPage flag works with the quietInstall flag and the suppressWizard flag.

/sh

Sets the scanHardware flag to ON, which configures DPInst to install a driver package for a Plug and Play (PnP) function driver only if the driver package matches a device that is currently configured in a computer and if the driver package is a better match for the device than the driver package that is currently installed on the device.

/sw

Sets the suppressWizard flag to ON, which suppresses the display of wizard pages and other user messages that DPInst generates. The suppressWizard flag works with the presence of a EULA page and the suppressEulaPage flag.

/u inf-file-path

Configures DPInst to uninstall a driver package whose INF file is specified by inf-file-path. The path that is specified by inf-file-path is relative to the directory that containsDPInst.exe.

Examples

The following command includes the /q and /se command-line switches, which configure DPInst to operate in quiet-install mode, whether a eula XML element is included in a DPInst descriptor file. This command suppresses all of the wizard pages, user dialog boxes, and other user messages that DPInst and Windows generate.

dpinst.exe /q /se

The following command includes the /q command-line switch, which configure DPInst to operate in quiet-install mode. However, DPInst will operate in quiet-install mode only if aeula XML element is not included in a DPInst descriptor file. If a eula element is included, DPInst does not operate in quiet-install mode.

dpinst.exe /q

The following command includes a /se command-line switch, which suppresses the display of only the EULA page.

dpinst.exe /se

The following command includes the /q and /se command-line switches, which configure DPInst to operate in quiet-install mode, including suppressing the EULA page. The command also includes the /f command-line switch, which forces the installation of a new driver package for a device that is configured in a computer, even if the driver package that is currently installed on the device is a better match for the device than the new driver package.

dpinst.exe /q /se /f

The following command includes the /sh command-line switch, which configures DPInst to install a driver package on a device that is configured in a computer only if the new driver package is a better match for the device than the driver package that is currently installed on the device. This command facilitates using an installation package to batchinstall driver packages for devices that are configured in a computer. Although the installation package might contain a large number of driver packages, DPInst will install only driver packages that are better matches for the devices than the driver packages that are currently installed on the devices.

dpinst.exe /sh

The following command includes the /u command-line switch, followed by the Abc.inf INF file, and the /d command-line switch. The /u command-line switch uninstalls the driver package that is associated with the Abc.inf INF file from all of the devices on which the package is installed. The /d command-line switch deletes the binaries that were copied to the system when the package was installed and deletes the package from the DIFx driver store. If the driver package is signed, the corresponding catalog file must be present in the same directory in which Abc.inf is located.

dpinst.exe /u abc.inf /d