Troubleshoot Driver Problems

Jan - 04 | By Tony Northrup | no comments | Related : Hardware, Troubleshooting

If you have random, unexplained computer problems, or you can’t connect to hardware accessories, there’s a good chance you have a driver problem. Fortunately, you can use Event Viewer and the SetupAVI.dev.log file to quickly find the source of the problem.

To view driver problems in Event Viewer, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, right-click Computer, and then click Manage.

2.Â The Computer Management console opens. Expand Event Viewer, Applications and Services Logs, Microsoft, Windows, and DriverFrameworks-UserMode.

3. Click Operational.

Event Viewer displays very detailed information about driver installation, startup, shutdown, and power management. Try to make note of the exact time that you experienced a problem so you can check this log to see exactly what Windows was doing with your drivers at that moment.

If that’s not detailed enough for you, check out the C:WindowsinfSetupAPI.dev.log file. Here’s a small segment of the log added when a new device was installed. Note that this identifies the hardware device GUID, the paths Vista used to try and find a driver, and the driver Vista finally decided to use. If you’re afraid Vista might be using the wrong driver, this will answer your question:

>>>Â [Device Install (Hardware initiated) - USBVID_045E&PID_00F4&MI_016&49d694&0&0001]
>>>Â Section start 2007/01/03 09:35:46.038
ump: Creating Install Process: DrvInst.exe 09:35:46.038
ndv: Retrieving device info…
ndv: Setting device parameters…
ndv: Building driver list…
dvi: {Build Driver List} 09:35:46.194
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Searching for hardware ID(s):
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â usbvid_045e&pid_00f4&rev_0100&mi_01
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â usbvid_045e&pid_00f4&mi_01
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Searching for compatible ID(s):
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â usbclass_01&subclass_01&prot_00
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â usbclass_01&subclass_01
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â usbclass_01
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Enumerating INFs from path list ‘C:WindowsINF’
inf:Â Â Â Â Â Opened PNF: ‘C:WindowsSystem32DriverStoreFileRepositorywdma_usb.inf_9ce240dewdma_usb.inf’ ([strings.0409] )
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Created Driver Node:
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â HardwareIDÂ Â – USBCLASS_01
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â InfNameÂ Â Â Â Â – C:WindowsSystem32DriverStoreFileRepositorywdma_usb.inf_9ce240dewdma_usb.inf
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â DevDescÂ Â Â Â Â – USB Audio Device
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â DrvDescÂ Â Â Â Â – USB Audio Device
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ProviderÂ Â Â Â – Microsoft
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â MfgÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â – (Generic USB Audio)
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ModelsSecÂ Â Â – Microsoft.ntx86
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â InstallSecÂ Â – USBAudio
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ActualSecÂ Â Â – USBAudio
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â RankÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â – 0×0dff2002
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â SignerÂ Â Â Â Â Â – microsoft windows
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Signer Score – INBOX
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â DrvDateÂ Â Â Â Â – 06/21/2006
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â VersionÂ Â Â Â Â – 6.0.6000.16386
inf:Â Â Â Â Â Searched 1 potential matches in published INF directory
inf:Â Â Â Â Â Searched 54 INFs in directory: ‘C:WindowsINF’
dvi: {Build Driver List – exit(0×00000000)} 09:35:46.553
ndv: Selecting best match…
dvi: {DIF_SELECTBESTCOMPATDRV} 09:35:46.553
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Using exported function ‘MediaClassInstaller’ in module ‘C:Windowssystem32mmci.dll’.
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Class installer == mmci.dll,MediaClassInstaller
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Using exported function ‘MediaClassCoInstaller’ in module ‘C:Windowssystem32mmcico.dll’.
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â CoInstaller 1 == mmcico.dll,MediaClassCoInstaller
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â CoInstaller 1: Enter 09:35:46.631
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â CoInstaller 1: Exit
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Class installer: Enter 09:35:46.631
inf:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Opened PNF: ‘C:WindowsINFwdma_usb.inf’ ([strings.0409] )
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Class installer: Exit
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Default installer: Enter 09:35:46.677
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â {Select Best Driver}
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Selected driver installs from section [USBAudio] in ‘c:windowssystem32driverstorefilerepositorywdma_usb.inf_9ce240dewdma_usb.inf’.
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Class GUID of device changed to: {4d36e96c-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}.
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â {DIF_DESTROYPRIVATEDATA} 09:35:46.677
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â CoInstaller 1: Enter 09:35:46.677
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â CoInstaller 1: Exit
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Class installer: Enter 09:35:46.677
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Class installer: Exit
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Default installer: Enter 09:35:46.677
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Default installer: Exit
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â {DIF_DESTROYPRIVATEDATA – exit(0xe000020e)} 09:35:46.677
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Set selected driver complete.
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Selected:
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Description – [USB Audio Device]
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â InfFileÂ Â Â Â – [c:windowssystem32driverstorefilerepositorywdma_usb.inf_9ce240dewdma_usb.inf]
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â SectionÂ Â Â Â – [USBAudio]
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â SignerÂ Â Â Â Â – [microsoft windows]
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â RankÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â – [0x0dff2002]
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â {Select Best Driver – exit(0×00000000)}
dvi:Â Â Â Â Â Default installer: Exit
dvi: {DIF_SELECTBESTCOMPATDRV – exit(0×00000000)} 09:35:46.693
ndv: Driver selected, now performing install…
ndv: {Core Device Install}

That goes on and on for many pages (I’ll spare you). Also, read this article to troubleshoot driver performance problems.

Leave a reply