How to add drivers to Windows 7 installation DVD?

Question

How I can bundle newer or missing drivers to Windows 7 DVD?

Answer 1

If you’re familiar with Windows XP Service Pack slipstreaming, this is pretty similar.

I’m using Windows XP Professional for this example. It should be similar with Vista etc.

Make ISO image from your Windows 7 DVD with your favorite software. I used CDBurnerXP.

Save install.wim somewhere on your hard drive from that ISO image or straight from DVD.

Download Windows Automated Installation Kit for your OS (Windows 7, Vista, XP).

Start AIK Deployment Tools Command Prompt from Start menu

cd <path where you saved that wim file>

Mount the WIM image with write permissions:

imagex will tell which number is which Windows edition if it’s not found. I tried it first with just number 0. Number 4 is in this case Windows 7 Ultimate Edition 64 bit.

imagex /mountrw install.wim 4 c:\wim

Add as many drivers as you like by using DISM. If DISM says that files are essential for booting but drivers are unsigned, then add /forceunsigned parameter.

Here’s example for nVidia nForce drivers (Installer EXE extracted with 7-zip): SATA/SATARAID/IDE/Ethernet/etc drivers:

cd c:\dl\15.51_nforce_win7_64bit_whql\ide\win764\
dism /image:c:\wim /add-driver /driver:. /recurse

cd c:\dl\15.51_nforce_win7_64bit_whql\smbus
dism /image:c:\wim /add-driver /driver:. /recurse /forceunsigned

cd c:\dl\15.51_nforce_win7_64bit_whql\smu
dism /image:c:\wim /add-driver /driver:. /recurse

cd c:\dl\15.51_nforce_win7_64bit_whql\ethernet
dism /image:c:\wim /add-driver /driver:. /recurse

..and so on for all needed drivers..

You will need to expand unexpanded driver files in some cases. Drivers are not expanded if filenames in driver directory are foo.dl_ and not foo.dll etc.

Here’s NVidia GeForce driver sample for you (Installer EXE extracted with 7-zip)

cd c:\dl\191.07_desktop_win7_winvista_64bit_international_whql
mkdir c:\displaydriver
expand *.* c:\displaydriver

and then

cd c:\displaydriver
dism /image:c:\wim /add-driver /driver:. /recurse

Save the WIM image with new drivers:

Unmount and commit (commit = save)

imagex /unmount /commit c:\wim

Add the install.wim back to the ISO image with your favorite ISO handling software. I used UltraISO. Make sure that the DVD is bootable. Burn ISO as new DVD yet again with favorite burning software (CDBurnerXP).

Boot and enjoy your new Windows 7 with correct and working drivers.

Answer 2

Or use nLite! I mean vLite!

Answer 3

thank you for this very valuable information.

I want just to add a complement, if you need the drivers at the installation time (Ex: storage device etc.), you need to do this procedure for boot.wim too:

boot.wim have 2 installation embedded.

so you do the procedure twice:

imagex /mountrw boot.wim 1 c:\wim
add your drivers
imagex /unmount /commit c:\wim

imagex /mountrw boot.wim 2 c:\wim
add your drivers
imagex /unmount /commit c:\wim

Another info:

Remove the file ei.cfg from the DVD source folder, then you will be able to select the windows 7 version you want to install (Home, Pro, Ultimate etc).

then to be sure that your drivers ares available for each version, you must do the procedure for install.wim for each version embedded in install.wim.

normally X = 1, 2, 3, 4 for the command:

imagex /mountrw install.wim X c:\wim
add your drivers
imagex /unmount /commit c:\wim

and repeat for each possible X number

thank you.