Method for installing plug-n-play device by copying INF files to a corresponding directory and deleting device ID and all related device class of an original device

• US 6,345,319 B2
• Filed: 01/25/1999
• Issued: 02/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Inventors: Liu, Jun, Lin, Kuang-Shin, Chen, Tong-S
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELAMIN, ABDELMONIEM I
• Application Number:
  US09/236,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20010039611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 710/8, 710/10, 710/15, 710/17, 710/104, 709/222, 709/321, 707/100
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4413 Plug-and-play [PnP]

Abstract

The present invention relates to a setting method for installation of plug and play device by utilizing the set-up file (INF) of a hardware driver to directly read the device ID of a new device and copy the driver file to the corresponding directory. And, deleting the device ID and all related device class of the original device. Then, while the computer being restarted the Windows system will display that the new device is found and will automatically establish the relationship between the new device and the previously installed driver through the new device ID and class in order to let the new device be operated normally.

Claims

1. A setting method for installing plug and play device, said method including the following steps enabling a computer system to be installed with a new device:

(1) opening set-up file (INF) of a hardware driver of said new device;

(2) reading the new device ID from said set-up file (INF);

(3) reading the new device class from said set-up file (INF);

(4) calling for device driver function (DDK) of installation to copy new driver file of said new device and said set-up file respectively to corresponding directories;

(5) searching for the device ID of said new device from a data registry of Windows system and deleting the original device ID;

(6) retrieving a device class from the device classes in the data registry of the Windows system corresponding to the original device ID;

(7) determining whether said device class has been retrieved, if there is no other device class to be retrieved, then going to restart the computer and end up the installation of said new device, and then automatically establishing the accurate connection relationship between said new device and the previously installed driver through the ID and class of said new device in order to let said new device be operated normally;

if there is a device class being retrieved, then continuing the next step;

(8) determining whether the original device ID is same as said new device ID intended to be installed, if not, then returning to step (6) to continue the steps until all device classes have been retrieved;

(9) if the original device ID is same as said new device ID, then deleting the original device ID and returning to step (6) to continue the steps until all device classes have been retrieved.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said new device is a plug and play device.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said new device is a Sound Blaster Card.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said new driver file may be copied to the system directory in the Windows system.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said set-up file (INF) may be copied to the INF directory in the Windows system.