WdfCoInstaller

Hi,

i have a question about co-installer in general and the
WdfCoInstaller<XXX>.dll.

as i'm learning my way through WDF driver installation i read a bit about
co-installer and as i understood, a co-installer should be supplied with my
driver package only if my installation needs to do some operations that the
INF could not supply.

but, as i'm reading the documentation of WDF, it says there that :
"The co-installer for Kernel-Mode Driver Framework drivers is distributed
with the Windows Driver Kit (WDK). Your driver package must include this
co-installer in the same directory that contains your driver's .sys and INF
files." (from wdf help docs).

so i'm a bit confused.
assuming that i'm going to install my driver using DPInst since my driver
does not need to install any application, do i HAVE to use the WdfCoInstaller
? if not, why would someone need to use it ? meaning, what functionality it
gives ?

thanks,
kobi.

The WDF CoInstaller will install the KMDF runtime binaries.

If you dont use the coinstaller, your driver will not work on XP/2003 (no
WDF runtime supplied in box) and may not work on Vista/2008 (possibly the
wrong version of the runtime)



On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:28:04 +0100, kobi n
<> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> i have a question about co-installer in general and the
> WdfCoInstaller<XXX>.dll.
>
> as i'm learning my way through WDF driver installation i read a bit about
> co-installer and as i understood, a co-installer should be supplied with
> my
> driver package only if my installation needs to do some operations that
> the
> INF could not supply.
>
> but, as i'm reading the documentation of WDF, it says there that :
> "The co-installer for Kernel-Mode Driver Framework drivers is distributed
> with the Windows Driver Kit (WDK). Your driver package must include this
> co-installer in the same directory that contains your driver's .sys and
> INF
> files." (from wdf help docs).
>
> so i'm a bit confused.
> assuming that i'm going to install my driver using DPInst since my driver
> does not need to install any application, do i HAVE to use the
> WdfCoInstaller
> ? if not, why would someone need to use it ? meaning, what
> functionality it
> gives ?
>
> thanks,
> kobi.
>
>



--
Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

thanks a lot for the quick reply.

just to be sure, wdfCoInstaller MUST be included with my driver package in
order to work on server 2003 regardless if i use DPINST or DIFX for the
install ??

"Owen Smith" wrote:

> The WDF CoInstaller will install the KMDF runtime binaries.
>
> If you dont use the coinstaller, your driver will not work on XP/2003 (no
> WDF runtime supplied in box) and may not work on Vista/2008 (possibly the
> wrong version of the runtime)
>
>
>
> On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:28:04 +0100, kobi n
> <> wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > i have a question about co-installer in general and the
> > WdfCoInstaller<XXX>.dll.
> >
> > as i'm learning my way through WDF driver installation i read a bit about
> > co-installer and as i understood, a co-installer should be supplied with
> > my
> > driver package only if my installation needs to do some operations that
> > the
> > INF could not supply.
> >
> > but, as i'm reading the documentation of WDF, it says there that :
> > "The co-installer for Kernel-Mode Driver Framework drivers is distributed
> > with the Windows Driver Kit (WDK). Your driver package must include this
> > co-installer in the same directory that contains your driver's .sys and
> > INF
> > files." (from wdf help docs).
> >
> > so i'm a bit confused.
> > assuming that i'm going to install my driver using DPInst since my driver
> > does not need to install any application, do i HAVE to use the
> > WdfCoInstaller
> > ? if not, why would someone need to use it ? meaning, what
> > functionality it
> > gives ?
> >
> > thanks,
> > kobi.
> >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/
>

I've not installed on 2003, but I think you have to include it. You do
have to include it for XP.
I've not used DPINST or DIFX, but used DeviceManager to update drivers and
a custom installer that calls UpdateDriversForPlugAndPlayDevices, and
these both use the CoInstaller.

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 15:04:05 +0100, kobi n
<> wrote:

> thanks a lot for the quick reply.
>
> just to be sure, wdfCoInstaller MUST be included with my driver package
> in
> order to work on server 2003 regardless if i use DPINST or DIFX for the
> install ??
>
> "Owen Smith" wrote:
>
>> The WDF CoInstaller will install the KMDF runtime binaries.
>>
>> If you dont use the coinstaller, your driver will not work on XP/2003
>> (no
>> WDF runtime supplied in box) and may not work on Vista/2008 (possibly
>> the
>> wrong version of the runtime)
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:28:04 +0100, kobi n
>> <> wrote:
>>
>> > Hi,
>> >
>> > i have a question about co-installer in general and the
>> > WdfCoInstaller<XXX>.dll.
>> >
>> > as i'm learning my way through WDF driver installation i read a bit
>> about
>> > co-installer and as i understood, a co-installer should be supplied
>> with
>> > my
>> > driver package only if my installation needs to do some operations
>> that
>> > the
>> > INF could not supply.
>> >
>> > but, as i'm reading the documentation of WDF, it says there that :
>> > "The co-installer for Kernel-Mode Driver Framework drivers is
>> distributed
>> > with the Windows Driver Kit (WDK). Your driver package must include
>> this
>> > co-installer in the same directory that contains your driver's .sys
>> and
>> > INF
>> > files." (from wdf help docs).
>> >
>> > so i'm a bit confused.
>> > assuming that i'm going to install my driver using DPInst since my
>> driver
>> > does not need to install any application, do i HAVE to use the
>> > WdfCoInstaller
>> > ? if not, why would someone need to use it ? meaning, what
>> > functionality it
>> > gives ?
>> >
>> > thanks,
>> > kobi.
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/
>>



--
Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

thanks again.

i have another question regarding the supplying of the WdfCoInstaller.

so, as i understood , supplying of the WdfCoInstaller is a MUST for any WDF
driver
installation. but, in the ddk source examples , like the toaster, i can't
see a section
in the INF that describes the WdfCoInstaller even though it is a WDF driver
and that should be a MUST as described. so my question is - how come ?

the only place i can see it is in the INX files of the examples
if i don't use INX files, should the section of the WdfCoInstaller in the
INF should be exactly as described in the INX ?

thanks,
kobi.



"Owen Smith" wrote:

> I've not installed on 2003, but I think you have to include it. You do
> have to include it for XP.
> I've not used DPINST or DIFX, but used DeviceManager to update drivers and
> a custom installer that calls UpdateDriversForPlugAndPlayDevices, and
> these both use the CoInstaller.
>
> On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 15:04:05 +0100, kobi n
> <> wrote:
>
> > thanks a lot for the quick reply.
> >
> > just to be sure, wdfCoInstaller MUST be included with my driver package
> > in
> > order to work on server 2003 regardless if i use DPINST or DIFX for the
> > install ??
> >
> > "Owen Smith" wrote:
> >
> >> The WDF CoInstaller will install the KMDF runtime binaries.
> >>
> >> If you dont use the coinstaller, your driver will not work on XP/2003
> >> (no
> >> WDF runtime supplied in box) and may not work on Vista/2008 (possibly
> >> the
> >> wrong version of the runtime)
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:28:04 +0100, kobi n
> >> <> wrote:
> >>
> >> > Hi,
> >> >
> >> > i have a question about co-installer in general and the
> >> > WdfCoInstaller<XXX>.dll.
> >> >
> >> > as i'm learning my way through WDF driver installation i read a bit
> >> about
> >> > co-installer and as i understood, a co-installer should be supplied
> >> with
> >> > my
> >> > driver package only if my installation needs to do some operations
> >> that
> >> > the
> >> > INF could not supply.
> >> >
> >> > but, as i'm reading the documentation of WDF, it says there that :
> >> > "The co-installer for Kernel-Mode Driver Framework drivers is
> >> distributed
> >> > with the Windows Driver Kit (WDK). Your driver package must include
> >> this
> >> > co-installer in the same directory that contains your driver's .sys
> >> and
> >> > INF
> >> > files." (from wdf help docs).
> >> >
> >> > so i'm a bit confused.
> >> > assuming that i'm going to install my driver using DPInst since my
> >> driver
> >> > does not need to install any application, do i HAVE to use the
> >> > WdfCoInstaller
> >> > ? if not, why would someone need to use it ? meaning, what
> >> > functionality it
> >> > gives ?
> >> >
> >> > thanks,
> >> > kobi.
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/
> >>
>
>
>
> --
> Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/
>

INF file is auto generated using INX. INX is an architecture independent
version of an INF. When you build the driver, you instruct the build utility
to run a tool called stampinf that replaces the tokens in INX file with the
architecture dependent value and puts the resulting INF in the output folder
with the driver binaries.

-Eliyas

"kobi n" <> wrote in message
news:97719FF8-2FFA-4D1C-A89B-...
> thanks again.
>
> i have another question regarding the supplying of the WdfCoInstaller.
>
> so, as i understood , supplying of the WdfCoInstaller is a MUST for any
> WDF
> driver
> installation. but, in the ddk source examples , like the toaster, i
> can't
> see a section
> in the INF that describes the WdfCoInstaller even though it is a WDF
> driver
> and that should be a MUST as described. so my question is - how come ?
>
> the only place i can see it is in the INX files of the examples
> if i don't use INX files, should the section of the WdfCoInstaller in the
> INF should be exactly as described in the INX ?
>
> thanks,
> kobi.
>
>
>
> "Owen Smith" wrote:
>
>> I've not installed on 2003, but I think you have to include it. You do
>> have to include it for XP.
>> I've not used DPINST or DIFX, but used DeviceManager to update drivers
>> and
>> a custom installer that calls UpdateDriversForPlugAndPlayDevices, and
>> these both use the CoInstaller.
>>
>> On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 15:04:05 +0100, kobi n
>> <> wrote:
>>
>> > thanks a lot for the quick reply.
>> >
>> > just to be sure, wdfCoInstaller MUST be included with my driver package
>> > in
>> > order to work on server 2003 regardless if i use DPINST or DIFX for
>> > the
>> > install ??
>> >
>> > "Owen Smith" wrote:
>> >
>> >> The WDF CoInstaller will install the KMDF runtime binaries.
>> >>
>> >> If you dont use the coinstaller, your driver will not work on XP/2003
>> >> (no
>> >> WDF runtime supplied in box) and may not work on Vista/2008 (possibly
>> >> the
>> >> wrong version of the runtime)
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:28:04 +0100, kobi n
>> >> <> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > Hi,
>> >> >
>> >> > i have a question about co-installer in general and the
>> >> > WdfCoInstaller<XXX>.dll.
>> >> >
>> >> > as i'm learning my way through WDF driver installation i read a bit
>> >> about
>> >> > co-installer and as i understood, a co-installer should be supplied
>> >> with
>> >> > my
>> >> > driver package only if my installation needs to do some operations
>> >> that
>> >> > the
>> >> > INF could not supply.
>> >> >
>> >> > but, as i'm reading the documentation of WDF, it says there that :
>> >> > "The co-installer for Kernel-Mode Driver Framework drivers is
>> >> distributed
>> >> > with the Windows Driver Kit (WDK). Your driver package must include
>> >> this
>> >> > co-installer in the same directory that contains your driver's .sys
>> >> and
>> >> > INF
>> >> > files." (from wdf help docs).
>> >> >
>> >> > so i'm a bit confused.
>> >> > assuming that i'm going to install my driver using DPInst since my
>> >> driver
>> >> > does not need to install any application, do i HAVE to use the
>> >> > WdfCoInstaller
>> >> > ? if not, why would someone need to use it ? meaning, what
>> >> > functionality it
>> >> > gives ?
>> >> >
>> >> > thanks,
>> >> > kobi.
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/
>> >>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/
>>