Found new hardware wizard always fails...

I then select Install from Spicific location and select "C:\WINDOWS\INF" and
in most cases it then finds what it needs.

However as part of some installs the system will hang, unless I restart and
then when the wizard pops up I know that I have to manually select
"C:\WINDOWS\INF" and all is OK.
Where is the setting / reg entry that tells the Hardware wizard where to
search? such that I can fix it..

Thanks

Mark wrote:
> Found new hardware wizard always fails...
>
> I then select Install from Spicific location and select "C:\WINDOWS\INF" and
> in most cases it then finds what it needs.
>
> However as part of some installs the system will hang, unless I restart and
> then when the wizard pops up I know that I have to manually select
> "C:\WINDOWS\INF" and all is OK.
> Where is the setting / reg entry that tells the Hardware wizard where to
> search? such that I can fix it..
>
> Thanks

This is from
http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbtrouble_...ks_for_drivers which is
a solution for USB devices asking for drivers, but it looks like it
should apply to the default location for any drivers.

"The registry key that points to the INF folder is corrupt.
Start the Registry Editor (Run, Regedit). Check if under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion the item
'DevicePath' points to '%SystemRoot%\inf'. Additional items, separated
by semicolons, are ok but '%SystemRoot%\inf' has to be one of them.
Then delete the file C:\WINDOWS\inf\infcache.1 - XP will recreate it.
The INF folder and the infcache.1 file are 'hidden'. To see them in the
Windows Explorer:
Menu 'Tools', 'Folder Options'
Tab 'View', mark 'show hidden files and folders'
If it still doesn't work after a restart, the files in C:\WINDOWS\inf
might be corrupt. A Windows repair install helps then.

Another thing to check is if the values 'FactoryPreInstallInProgress'
and 'AuditInProgress' are set to '1' under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Factory

They should be 0 or non present. "

--
Joe =o)

Thanks..

It helped, as it looks like I must have been hit by somthing or got my reg
all twisted.

"Elmo" <elmogeek@iglou.invalid> wrote in message
news:OmAXRMLQIHA.6036@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Mark wrote:
>> Found new hardware wizard always fails...
>>
>> I then select Install from Spicific location and select "C:\WINDOWS\INF"
>> and in most cases it then finds what it needs.
>>
>> However as part of some installs the system will hang, unless I restart
>> and then when the wizard pops up I know that I have to manually select
>> "C:\WINDOWS\INF" and all is OK.
>> Where is the setting / reg entry that tells the Hardware wizard where to
>> search? such that I can fix it..
>>
>> Thanks
>
> This is from
> http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbtrouble_...ks_for_drivers which is a
> solution for USB devices asking for drivers, but it looks like it should
> apply to the default location for any drivers.
>
> "The registry key that points to the INF folder is corrupt.
> Start the Registry Editor (Run, Regedit). Check if under
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion the item
> 'DevicePath' points to '%SystemRoot%\inf'. Additional items, separated by
> semicolons, are ok but '%SystemRoot%\inf' has to be one of them.
> Then delete the file C:\WINDOWS\inf\infcache.1 - XP will recreate it.
> The INF folder and the infcache.1 file are 'hidden'. To see them in the
> Windows Explorer:
> Menu 'Tools', 'Folder Options'
> Tab 'View', mark 'show hidden files and folders'
> If it still doesn't work after a restart, the files in C:\WINDOWS\inf
> might be corrupt. A Windows repair install helps then.
>
> Another thing to check is if the values 'FactoryPreInstallInProgress' and
> 'AuditInProgress' are set to '1' under
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup
> and
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Factory
>
> They should be 0 or non present. "
>
> --
> Joe =o)

Thanks for posting this answer! I've had this problem on one PC (windows XP)
for over a year and it was driving me crazy. Far too many hours of searching
turned up nothing. (who knew "hardware wizard does not look in
C:\WINDOWS\inf" would be so rare?)

The Found New Hardware wizard was not looking in C:\WINDOWS\inf unless I
directed it explicitly. Sure enough, under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion,
'DevicePath' was corrupted. A simple edit to make it '%SystemRoot%\inf' did
the trick.

Thanks!

"Elmo" wrote:

> Mark wrote:
> > Found new hardware wizard always fails...
> >
> > I then select Install from Spicific location and select "C:\WINDOWS\INF" and
> > in most cases it then finds what it needs.
> >
> > However as part of some installs the system will hang, unless I restart and
> > then when the wizard pops up I know that I have to manually select
> > "C:\WINDOWS\INF" and all is OK.
> > Where is the setting / reg entry that tells the Hardware wizard where to
> > search? such that I can fix it..
> >
> > Thanks
>
> This is from
> http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbtrouble_...ks_for_drivers which is
> a solution for USB devices asking for drivers, but it looks like it
> should apply to the default location for any drivers.
>
> "The registry key that points to the INF folder is corrupt.
> Start the Registry Editor (Run, Regedit). Check if under
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion the item
> 'DevicePath' points to '%SystemRoot%\inf'. Additional items, separated
> by semicolons, are ok but '%SystemRoot%\inf' has to be one of them.
> Then delete the file C:\WINDOWS\inf\infcache.1 - XP will recreate it.
> The INF folder and the infcache.1 file are 'hidden'. To see them in the
> Windows Explorer:
> Menu 'Tools', 'Folder Options'
> Tab 'View', mark 'show hidden files and folders'
> If it still doesn't work after a restart, the files in C:\WINDOWS\inf
> might be corrupt. A Windows repair install helps then.
>
> Another thing to check is if the values 'FactoryPreInstallInProgress'
> and 'AuditInProgress' are set to '1' under
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup
> and
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Factory
>
> They should be 0 or non present. "
>
> --
> Joe =o)
>

Elmo,
You are my hero too.
Worked like a champ.

If I had figured out better search terms to use in Google I would have found
your answer a day sooner and a headache less.

Thanks for posting the answer!!!
--
I know nothing.


"Elmo" wrote:

> Mark wrote:
> > Found new hardware wizard always fails...
> >
> > I then select Install from Spicific location and select "C:\WINDOWS\INF" and
> > in most cases it then finds what it needs.
> >
> > However as part of some installs the system will hang, unless I restart and
> > then when the wizard pops up I know that I have to manually select
> > "C:\WINDOWS\INF" and all is OK.
> > Where is the setting / reg entry that tells the Hardware wizard where to
> > search? such that I can fix it..
> >
> > Thanks
>
> This is from
> http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbtrouble_...ks_for_drivers which is
> a solution for USB devices asking for drivers, but it looks like it
> should apply to the default location for any drivers.
>
> "The registry key that points to the INF folder is corrupt.
> Start the Registry Editor (Run, Regedit). Check if under
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion the item
> 'DevicePath' points to '%SystemRoot%\inf'. Additional items, separated
> by semicolons, are ok but '%SystemRoot%\inf' has to be one of them.
> Then delete the file C:\WINDOWS\inf\infcache.1 - XP will recreate it.
> The INF folder and the infcache.1 file are 'hidden'. To see them in the
> Windows Explorer:
> Menu 'Tools', 'Folder Options'
> Tab 'View', mark 'show hidden files and folders'
> If it still doesn't work after a restart, the files in C:\WINDOWS\inf
> might be corrupt. A Windows repair install helps then.
>
> Another thing to check is if the values 'FactoryPreInstallInProgress'
> and 'AuditInProgress' are set to '1' under
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup
> and
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Factory
>
> They should be 0 or non present. "
>
> --
> Joe =o)
>

Kevin wrote:
> Elmo,
> You are my hero too.
> Worked like a champ.
>
> If I had figured out better search terms to use in Google I would have found
> your answer a day sooner and a headache less.
>
> Thanks for posting the answer!!!

Great news! Thanks for reporting back.

--
Joe =o)