The Apply Driver Package task sequence step downloads all the drivers in the driver package and installs them on the Windows operating system. This step is necessary to install boot-critical drivers on pre-Vista operating systems.
The Apply Driver Package task sequence step makes all device drivers in a driver package available for use by Windows. This step can be added to a task sequence between the Apply Operating System and the Setup Windows and ConfigMgr task sequence steps to make the device drivers in the driver package available to Windows. Typically, the Apply Driver Package task sequence step is placed after the Auto Apply Drivers task sequence step. The Apply Driver Package task sequence step is also useful with stand-alone media deployment scenarios.
You should put similar device drivers into a driver package and distribute them to the appropriate distribution points so that Configuration Manager 2007 client computers can install them. For example, you can put all Dell drivers into a driver package, and then assign the package a distribution point where the associated computers can access them. This action can also be used to install boot critical mass storage device drivers for Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows 2003.
This step is useful for stand-alone media and for administrators who want to install a specific set of drivers, including drivers for devices that would not be detected in a Plug-n-Play scan (for example, network printers).
 Note |
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| When deploying pre-Vista operating systems, if the image already has a driver installed for a device on the computer, the Auto Apply Drivers action, the Apply Driver Package action, or any new drivers installed by a task sequence action will not be processed. To ensure the new drivers will be installed, in the sysprep.inf file, set the UpdateInstalledDrivers option in the “Unattended” section to ‘Yes. ’ |
This task sequence action can only be run in the Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) and will not run in a standard operating system. For information about task sequence variables for this task sequence action, see Apply Driver Package Task Sequence Action Variables.
Configure the following settings:
- Name
- A short user-defined name that describes the action taken in this step.
- Description
- More detailed information about the action taken in this step.
- Driver package
- Specify the driver package that contains the needed device drivers by clicking Browse and launching the Select a Package dialog box. Specify an existing package to be made available. The associated package properties are displayed at the bottom of the dialog box.
- Select the mass storage driver within the package that needs to be installed before setup on pre-Windows Vista operating systems
- Specify any mass storage device drivers that are needed for pre- Windows Vista operating system installations.
- Driver
- Select the mass storage device driver file to be installed before setup on pre-Windows Vista operating system deployments. The drop-down list is populated from the specified package.
- Model
- Specify the boot-critical device that is needed for pre-Windows Vista operating system deployments.
- Do unattended installation of unsigned drivers on version of Windows where this is allowed
- Select this option to allow Windows to install drivers that are unsigned on the reference computer.