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Deployment Properties for Driver Package Projects

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You can configure the automatic deployment of a driver package on a remote test computer in each configuration of your project. From the project property pages for your driver, you have additional control over how you want to deploy your driver for testing. You can choose to deploy the driver automatically whenever you build the driver solution in each configuration. For more information about deployment, see Provision a computer for driver deployment and testing (WDK 8.1) and Deploying a Driver to a Test Computer.

Setting deployment properties for driver package projects

  1. Open the property pages for your driver package. Select and hold (or right-click) the driver package project in Solution Explorer and select Properties.

    Note  If your driver solution does not have a driver package project, you need to add one. See Creating a Driver Package. The deployment properties are only available if you have a driver package.

  2. In the property pages for the driver package, select Configuration Properties, select Driver Install, and then select Deployment.

  3. Select the Enable deployment option. When this option is selected, you can select the test computer to use, and you can configure options for driver installation and deployment.

Project Configuration and Platform

The configuration list and platform list enables you to apply different deployment settings for different project configuration and platform combinations. For example, you can deploy a driver to one test computer using a set of deployment options for debug builds and to a different test computer and deployment options for release builds.

Enabling deployment

You can choose to deploy your driver package on a test computer by selecting Enable deployment. In combination with the configuration list, you could choose to disable deployment for debug builds and enable it for release builds.

To ensure that you are testing the latest version of the driver, select Remove previous driver versions before deployment.

Target computer name

You can choose the target computer to use for deployment and testing. If you have already configured your test computers, you can select one from this list. If you have not configured a test computer, you can configure one using the Browse button. For more information about configuring a test computer, see Deploying a Driver to a Test Computer. Make sure that the project configuration and platform match the target architecture of your test system. A common deployment error occurs when you attempt to install an x86 (Win32) driver on a system running an x64 version of Windows.

For information about working with the debugger, see Getting Started with Windows Debugging.

Driver installation options

Do not install - This is the default option. You can choose not to install if you are importing the driver package to the Driver Store or if you are enabling and setting driver verifier options on the test computer.

Hardware ID Driver Update - To deploy a driver for an actual hardware device, use Install and Verify instead. To deploy a driver for a root-enumerated driver, you can use either Hardware ID Driver Update or Install and Verify. If you choose to use Hardware ID Driver Update, you must enter the same hardware ID that appears in your INF file, and that hardware ID must have the form Root\Xxx. If you choose this option, the files are copied to the %Systemdrive%\drivertest\drivers folder on the remote computer. The Device Console utility, Devcon, installs the driver for that hardware ID and INF file from the package. For example, you can select Hardware ID Driver Update and set the HWID to Root\yourprojectname. Make sure to exclude any spaces in your project name.

Custom Command Line - You can choose to run your own custom command scripts upon installation. If you want to run a custom command script, make sure to add the necessary files under the Additional Files section. The additional files are copied to the %Systemdrive%\drivertest\drivers folder on the remote computer.

Install and Verify - You can choose to test your installation using an automated test script. When you select this option and specify the Default Driver Package Installation Task (possible reboot) or Default Printer Driver Package Installation Task (possible reboot), the test reads the driver's INF file and installs the driver. The test then verifies that the driver is up and running. Upon completion, the test provides detailed information about the success or failure of the installation task.

Optional Device Query - The default value is %PathToInf%. The path to the driver's INF files is substituted automatically. There should be no need to change this value unless you have a need to place the INF files in a different location.

Additional Files

You can use the Additional Files box to specify custom installation scripts or applications that you want to copy to the remote test computer. The files that you specify here are added to the %Systemdrive%\drivertest\drivers folder on the remote computer.