Running InfVerif from the Command Line

This topic lists the options that are available when you run InfVerif.exe from the command line.

Note

InfVerif requires that each combined path and file name must be less than 260 characters.

USAGE: InfVerif.exe [/code <error code>] [/v] [[/h] | [/w] | [/u] | [/k]]
                    [/rulever <Major.Minor.Build> | vnext]
                    [/wbuild <Major.Minor.Build>] [/info] [/stampinf]
                    [/l <path>] [/osver <TargetOSVersion>] [/product <ias file>]
                    [/provider <ProviderName>] <files>

/code <error code>
        Display help information for an error code.

/v
        Display verbose file logging details.

/h
        Reports errors using WHQL Signature requirements. (mode)

        This mode uses requirements that always align with the requirements
        to get a WHQL signature, current as of this InfVerif version. These
        requirements may change build-to-build.

        This mode can be combined with '/rulever vnext' to preview proposed
        future requirements.

/w
        Reports errors using Windows Driver requirements. (mode)

/u
        Reports errors using Universal Driver requirements. (mode)

/k
        Reports errors using Declarative Driver requirements. (mode)

/wbuild <Major.Minor.Build>
        For Windows Drivers that have downlevel support, specifies
        the build number where /w should be enforced.
        Defaults to 10.0.17763

/rulever <Major.Minor.Build>
        To use a previous or future version of InfVerif enforcement, specifies
        the build number to use rule enforcement from.
        Defaults to the current InfVerif version

/info
        Displays INF summary information.

/stampinf
        Treat $ARCH$ as a valid architecture, to validate
        pre-stampinf files.

/l <path>
        An inline-annotated HTML version of each INF
        file will be placed in the <path>.

/osver <TargetOsVersion>
        Process the INF for only a specific target OS.
        Formatting is the same as a Models section, i.e. NTAMD64.6.0

/product <ias file>
        Validates all include/needs directives against
        the product definition in the ias file.

/provider <ProviderName>
        Reports an error for INFs not using the specified provider name.

<files>
        A space-separated list of INF files to analyze.
        All files must have .inf extension.
        Wildcards (*) may be used.

Only one mode option may be passed at a time.

For info on error codes, see INF Validation Errors and Warnings

The verbose option adds a line to the output that specifies if the INF is valid or not. Certain arguments are tagged as modes, where only one should be passed.

For examples of TargetOSVersion formatting, see Remarks section of INF Manufacturer Section.

To validate multiple INF files, provide multiple filenames or use a wildcard:

infverif.exe /w test1.inf test2.inf
infverif.exe /w test*.inf

New for Windows 10, version 1703: The info option is especially useful to verify INF applicability. It reports each supported hardware ID along with valid architecture and minimum OS version. You can use /info and /osver together to validate an INF's applicability across OS versions and architectures.

New for Windows 10, version 1809: If you are developing a Windows Driver, use infverif /w (ideally with /v) to determine compatibility with the declarative (D) principle of DCH Design Principles. The /w flag also checks if the INF complies with the driver package isolation requirement of Get started developing Windows drivers.

New Windows 11, version 24H2: The new '/code' argument was introduced to provide expanded details about an error code. The new mode 'infverif /h' is introduced to determine whether the INF file meets the requirements for Hardware Dev Center to WHQL sign a driver package. For additional details about 'infverif /h', see InfVerif /h.

InfVerif and MSBuild tasks

MSBuild runs InfVerif as a task automatically, right after the Stampinf task. It uses the Target Platform in the project properties (Configuration Properties->Driver Settings) to auto-configure as follows:

• Target Platform = Desktop uses InfVerif /h
• Target Platform = Universal uses InfVerif /u
• Target Platform = Windows Driver uses InfVerif /w

It is not possible to change that automatic invocation. If you want to use other settings described above, you can either run InfVerif as a standalone or call InfVerif.exe using a custom target in the .vcxproj file.