How to edit Windows Driver details During installation?

Question

I am trying to customize some of the parameters of a Windows driver during its installation process by modifying the corresponding parameters. 1. Device/Driver Description 2. Provider 3. Display Name 4. Hardware ID

Here is an excerpt from the INF file I am working with:

[Version]
Signature="$WINDOWS NT$"
Class=Media
ClassGuid={4d36e96c-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} 
Provider=%ManufacturerName%
CatalogFile=SampleAudioDriver.cat
DriverVer= 0.001
PnpLockdown=1

[DestinationDirs]
DefaultDestDir = 13

[SourceDisksNames]
1 = %DiskName%,,,""

[SourceDisksFiles]
SampleAudioDriver.sys  = 1,

[Manufacturer]
%ManufacturerName%=Standard,NT$ARCH$

[Standard.NT$ARCH$]
%SampleAudioDriver.DeviceDesc%=SampleAudioDriver_Device, Root\SampleAudioDriver 

[Strings]
SPSVCINST_ASSOCSERVICE= 0x00000002
ManufacturerName="TestDrv"
DiskName = "SampleAudioDriver Installation Disk"
SampleAudioDriver.DeviceDesc = "SampleAudioDriver Device"
SampleAudioDriver.SVCDESC = "SampleAudioDriver Service"

I have explored using devcon.exe and pnputil to modify these details but have not found any solution.

Could someone please provide guidance on how to modify these driver parameters during installation? Any alternative tools, or approaches to achieve this?

Answer 1

You can't, by-design.

• Windows requires all kernel-mode drivers for PnP devices to be signed with a certificate, directly or indirectly approved and trusted by Microsoft and/or a trusted certification authority.
  • https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/install/pnp-device-installation-signing-requirements--windows-vista-and-later-
  • https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/install/kernel-mode-code-signing-requirements--windows-vista-and-later-
  • https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/install/driver-signing
  • https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/install/kernel-mode-code-signing-policy--windows-vista-and-later-
  • etc
• The signatures are stored in the .cat file (from "security catalog")
• These signatures include the content of the .inf file.

  • https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/install/catalog-files

    Quoteth (emphasis mine)

    PnP device installation considers the digital signature of a driver package to be invalid if any file in the driver package is altered after the driver package was signed. Such files include the INF file, the catalog file, and all files that are copied by INF CopyFiles directives. For example, even a single-byte change to correct a misspelling invalidates the digital signature. If the digital signature is invalid, you must either resubmit the driver package to the Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) for a new signature or generate a new Authenticode signature for the driver package.