If you're a nub Windows user for long, you lot powerfulness every bit good live on aware that whatever device driver that you lot install on your underlying Windows OS is stored inwards a organisation folder named “DriverStore”. It is a collection of trusted device drivers packages from third-party sources. This collection is used to validate which drivers tin give the axe live on installed on your computer. In this post, nosotros are going to review a freebie – DriveStore Explorer, which helps you lot manage, list, add together or take the device drivers installed on your PC.
DriverStore Explorer
DriverStore Explorer is a gratuitous software that lets you lot manage, listing add, or take device driver packages inwards DriverStore folder of Windows.
Driver Package together with INF File
If whatever device driver needs to live on installed on a PC, it has to accept its driver bundle files copied inwards DriverStore. When nosotros add together whatever driver bundle inwards DriverStore, all of its files are copied along amongst one INF File which genuinely references all the other files introduce inwards the package. As every unmarried ane of these files is crucial for driver installation, INF file must reference all the files that are introduce inwards the package, together with thus that during installation these tin give the axe live on institute easily inwards DriverStore. In the other means round, if INF file references a file that's non available inwards the package, it is non copied to the DriverStore.
Copying the files related to a driver bundle to DriverStore is called Staging. In monastic enjoin to install a driver for whatever device on a PC, it must live on staged inwards DriverStore i.e. all the corresponding bundle files, along amongst INF File must live on copied to DriverStore. However, you lot can't merely alternative whatever driver bundle together with re-create it to DriverStore. It needs to become through a twosome of integrity together with syntax checks earlier the files are copied. Below are the brief stages during staging:
- Verification: Before the driver bundle is copied to DriverStore, it is verified against several safety checks which confirm whether or non the bundle files are corrupted or tampered with. The driver bundle should live on digitally signed inwards monastic enjoin to overstep through this check.
- Validation: This is the side past times side piece of employment where the user permissions are validated together with INF file is checked for all the referenced files inwards the package. In representative whatever discrepancy is found, the bundle shall non live on copied.
Using DriverStore Explorer
Once you lot accept downloaded DriverStore Explorer, extract the files together with run the executable (Rapr.exe) amongst administrator privileges.
The DriverStore Explorer window volition opened upward correct away on your screen. Click Enumerate to listing all the copied (and installed) driver packages inwards DriverStore location. Once all the Driver Package details are listed, you lot tin give the axe select to (force) delete whatever zombie driver that powerfulness potentially live on creating a problem.
Also, if you lot accept a bundle available, you lot can copy its files to DriverStore using Explorer window. Just click Add Package together with select the bundle files to import. Apart from this, you lot tin give the axe also export bundle files from DriverStore Explorer. Right-click whatever driver entry together with select Export to relieve it to your local disk.
That's pretty much virtually it. It is indeed a decent tool to add together or take whatever driver packages from your system. Old drivers continue sitting inwards the organisation consuming retentiveness together with resources together with thus this tin give the axe come upward quite inwards handy to larn rid of them.
You tin give the axe download the DriverStore Explorer from github.com.
Source: https://www.thewindowsclub.com/
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