what does uninstall really mean?

[nite_monkey]

I have been trying to use my usb wireless dongle as an access point, and I found a way to use it to run ds roms on my ds through the ds download and play, but I have to install edited drivers. I am ok with doing this, but windows sure isn't. Which brings me to my question, what does uninstall mean?
last I checked uninstall ment:
Uninstall: To properly and completely remove a program from the computer. This is usually done via the programs' own uninstall utility, or by using Add/Remove in Control Panel.
Or in my case to COMPLETELY REMOVE a driver from the computer.
I uninstalled the drivers for my usb dongle, but whenever I do that and then reinsert the dongle, it puts the drivers back on. I want to install the edited drivers, how do I do that? I can't push update driver, because windows says the drivers that it is forcing me to use are newer than the ones I want to use.

[gjehle]

first and foremost it means what the programmer who wrote the installer meant and made it to be

now, when it comes to drivers, this is another story.
usually your driver is a combo of .inf and .sys (once you get rid of all the installer usability candy)
windows puts the .inf somewhere in \WINNT\ (or \WINDOWS\, depending on your windows version) and the .sys into \WINNT\system32\drivers\
besides those windows tends to hold old versions of the driver under different file names in other places (yes, it's kinda vague like that)

what your windows device manager does on top of that, is report the version number it finds in the .inf file (just a text file) and not necessarily the version number of the driver itself (right click on the .sys file, properties, version-tab)

now just imagine this scenario i found myself in at work just recently:
we're using a 3rd party USB device with a specialized driver and firmware made for us by said 3rd party.
as it always goes, it's not perfect, so there will be new driver versions.

windows is also kinda stupid when it comes to plugging the same usb device into different usb ports (yes, even if the usb-serial is properly implemented in the device).
so windows thinks (even so it's the same device) that each time you use a different port, it's a different device.
each time installing or requesting the driver.

you can 'update driver' from the device manager. ok. does not always work.
i even went so far as to delete the .sys file from \winnt\system32\drivers\ only to find a very old version of the driver
suddenly appearing out of thin air the next time i plugged the device in.

here's the (kind of work intensive but successful) way to get rid of a driver:
- plug device in
- right-click / properties on the device @ device manager
- remove driver (or uninstall, not sure what's it called)
- unplugg device
- delete .sys file for the driver from \winnt\system32\drivers\ (and if you can find them, all .inf files)
- restart pc
- plug in device
- install new driver when asked

[nite_monkey]

Windows sure does suck. I removed the sys file, but I couldn't find the inf file, and I restarted the pc, and when I plugged in the device again, it put back the drivers again.

[Ralf Maximus]

How did you 'edit' the drivers?

If the edited drivers' .inf file isn't updated with a newer version number, Windows will shrug and use the existing drivers since it thinks they are the same.  Conversely, if the edited drivers appear to be older than what Windows has, you will have a fight on your hands.

What happens if you go to device manager, select the USB device, then manually force a driver install, pointing explicitly to the desired files?

[nite_monkey]

I just downloaded some drivers from a website that were suported by my card that would let my send stuff to my ds.
I've never manually forced a driver install, how would I do that?

[Ralf Maximus]

XP?

1. Right-click My Computer / Properties
2. Hardware tab / Device Manager Button
3. Find your thingie
4. Right-click / Properties
5. Driver Tab / Update Driver
6. "Install from specific location"
7. "Search for the driver in these locations"
8. Turn OFF removable media
9. Turn ON "Include this location in the search".
10. Enter (or browse for) the path to where your edited drivers are located.
11. Click Next
12. ...
13. Profit!

[nite_monkey]

oh, ok, I've done that a couple of times, it says the one currently installed is newer then the one I want to put on it.

[Ralf Maximus]

It probably is.

You should be able to override that and install the one you want.  Can't you?

[nite_monkey]

nope, I'm stuck with the drivers that are already installed on it. I can't use the edited ones

[Carol Haynes]

You need to change the sequence above to items 7-10, instead choose the "Don't search I will choose the driver to install" option. You can then manually specify the drivers you need.

If this doesn't work do the sequence again but click "Uninstall" rather than update drivers.

I would guess if uninstall doesn't actually remove the drivers then they are supplied by MS as part of Windows - in which case unless you can find a version that is dated newer than the ones MS supply you are stuffed because Windows keeps copies of its own drivers so that if they get deleted they automatically copy a new copy and reinstall. If the new drivers have an INF file can you not edit the file and change the date to a a more recent value (don't know if this will fool windows but it might be worth a try)?

Also the Driver Details button will show you the file names associated with the driver - you could try doing a global search across your hard disks (make sure you allow System and Hidden files to be shown in Control Panel > Folder Options first). After uninstalling make a note of where these files are and move them somewhere out of the way (say a folder on your desktop). That should stop Windows reinstalling them automatically! If you have a problem you can always put them back where you found them!

[kimmchii]

you can try unload the driver using Advanced Process Manipulation, then delete the file and replace it manually.

[nite_monkey]

I'm about ready to just forget about it.
I've uninstalled the driver, deleted all the files for it that I could find, tried updating the driver with the one I want to use, and several other things that I can't remember right now, and nothing is working, windows just sucks!

edit: ok, I got it to uninstall. I installed the software that came with the dongle, and then uninstalled the software, and it took the drivers off with it.

[J-Mac]

Wow - this is really an informative post. The kind I always seem to find here at DC.  I learn more here just by reading the forum posts!

Glad you got it all sorted, nite_monkey.

Thanks to all!

Jim