Vista - Vista x64 installs incorrect drivers

Recently took delivery of a brand new system with Vista x64 and it seems Vista repeatedly installs the incorrect drivers each time a peripheral device is attached. When i connect new hardware, the new hardware wizard never runs and windows automatically proceeds to install its default drivers.

- Disconnecting from the internet has no effect as the basic drivers are presumably included in the OS file repository.

- I have tried updating the drivers from within the device manager with the correct drivers downloaded from each manufacturer's website, but Vista's update wizard indicates that the most current driver is installed and prevents the correct driver from being accessed and installed.

- i have enabled the option to ask each time to check for drivers when a new device is attached in the advanced system settings>windows update driver settings; and have even tried setting the option to never check for drivers. I have also tried disabling autorun for all devices and media; yet, adjusting these preferences does not affect any changes on the system.

- I even have an older system running vista x64 and have had no such problems

- I am running the new system as an administrator and the problem continues to prevail.

Any assistance would be much appreciated. At a loss for what to do.

- unless I'm mistaken, a driver cannot be installed from within the device manager - after the incorrect driver is deleted/uninstalled - until the device is recognized and visible; for this to happen the device must be reattached at which point vista installs its default drivers without prompting me to search for the correct driver files.

Download the drivers manually.
Go into device manager.
Select the item you want to update.
Click on properties.
Click on driver.
Click on update driver.
Click on Browse my computer for driver software.
Select the driver you downloaded.

tried this previously. vista simply indicates the correct driver is installed and will not install the downloaded, more current, driver.

What drivers and hardware are you talking about?

Go to the website of the device and download the driver manually to your hard drive.. Dont use the update wizard. This is why I stated to search for the driver from the device manager screen.

Hi,

Vista looks in here automatically for drivers:

"C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository"

You could move the offending ones ( or all of them ) somewhere else.

Uninstall the offending drivers in Device Manager- install your preferred ones - then move the driverstore contents back.

I keep them on a separate partition in .zip folder - in case I want to move some of them back. It's 950mb on x64.

rive0108

basically anything new that's added: in this case, the drivers for hardware and peripherals added once the system was received from the box manufactuer:

highpoint 2224 controller card
highpoint sata to sas adapter
hp laserjet 1320
wacom cintiq 12wx tablet
NEC multisync LCD 2690wuxi display
epson v300 scanner
XRite i1display 2 calibrator

roy69

all of the most current drivers were previously downloaded manually from each manufacturers website. when I searched from the device manager screen, I attempted to select the driver that I downloaded manually but vista is indicating that the most current driver is installed on my system and simply will not update the driver.

siw2

thanks for the suggestion.

have you tried downloading and installing the drivers? as opposed to trying to update through Device manager?

Can you be more specific?

As these are system files rather than executable files, I'm only familiar with installing the drivers from within the device manager, via the driver update dialogue box, or via the found new hardware wizard which normally allows you to select the driver of your choice. I've tried the first 2 options with no success and the 3rd is never an option since vista autodetects the device and installs the drivers by default. Once the driver and device have been uninstalled, unless I'm mistaken, the system would need to be rebooted or the device unplugged and replugged into the system to get the device manager to recognize the device.

Is there any other method to uninstall, install or otherwise overwrite the incorrect drivers?