Extract Win7 Windows Update installed drivers

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soewhaty

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Apr 1, 2014
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On an android phone one can install an app from say Play store and then extract an apk of that app, which is basically the executable file to install the same app again in the future. Difference is that this time it can be done offline, without needing internet or google play.

I would like to know if something similar can be done with DRIVERS, I repeat DRIVERS (not programs or apps, but drivers) which Windows Update has installed on my Win7x64 sp1 machine? Ofc I have the local *.exe install files of most of my drivers such as the GPU, etc. but I'd like to have the install files of ALL drivers either as an *.exe [which I guess is unlikely to find] or as an extracted set of files in a folder (which is the more likely thing to be able to find). I need that cos there are some drivers which I cannot find the install exe files for and even if I do Windows Update finds newer version of the drivers and updates correspondingly. The exe install file of that newer version is what I would like to have, but currently don't have it. Any 3rd party tool that can extract drivers or sth? I need to have those install files for offline use because 1) I'm going to reinstall OS on that machine and 2) the machine is going to be used only offline. So while I currently still have the correct installed drivers I'd like to have them to be able to install them offline after the OS reinstall.

Now - in Dev manager there's this https://imgur.com/a/YP8sV
YP8sV
(dunno if u can see the image or the admins/moderators have to approve it) Question is - is it as simple as just doing a local backup of those files and simply replanting them back in the same directory after the OS is reinstalled?

EDIT: I'm on a notebook - HP Pavilion dv7-6b76eo
 
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did you look in to the windows update catalog thing

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/323166

thing is Microsoft got real funny on like 7 updating they got smart and tired of folks declining all there GWX and telemetry updates and all and now went with the windows update rollup connivance updating [more like roll over with butt lifted ]

you accept all updates at once or nothing at all no more pick and choose the updates you want or need if one in the ''rollover'' update does harm well too bad so sad you cant just remove it

''The downside/While that is bad enough, it gets worse.'' .. for example

http://www.ghacks.net/2016/10/10/say-good-bye-to-individual-patches-on-windows-7-and-8/
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Oh, rats! You are right. I knew there was sth fishy with that strategy. But isn't there a workaround? Been digging the whole day to find some 3rd party tools to extract drivers, but to no avail so far ... 🙁
 
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Yes, I know...that's what I want to do. Win Update [WU] will be off, it won't update any of my drivers. I just wanted to have an offline copy of the current well-working drivers as they are before I initiate the OS reinstall. As I said some of them were installed by me but others by Windows, cos some drivers (e.g. generic) come shipped already with Win7 and Windows starts searching for drivers when e.g, you plug in a new device. On top of that I thought WU installs some other drivers as well and it's for those drivers I wanted to make a backup. Basically I thought an overall backup of all installed and currently well-working drivers would be a good idea to have as a plan B, but ... hm- is it psbl?

I'm also aware of the 'Device Installation Settings' which I keep at 'No, ... and Never' after I've made sure I have installed drivers that run well. And since I currently have those drivers right now, it is all of them I want to backup somehow...
 
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For mobo, GPU and other add ons you can get the downloads direct from the manufacturers and save copies. For things from MS once uninstalled you can run Win update and find what you need, then download invidually by looking up the the drivers number and do so through MS
 
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I get your point! I was hoping to be able to extract an exe or msi or some executable file, as I outlined in the OP with the comparison with Android, but i guess it is a long shot.

Been thru this - http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/197561-found-new-hardware-balloons-enable-disable.html and this http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2803-device-installation-settings.html and I know that when you search for newer drivers windows pops up with this dialog box -
qgj1n
and as it says there 'Window would search your pc AND the internet for the latest driver software ... unless you've disabled this feature (which I only do after I nail down the right driver I need)'. So as it says it first looks locally in the pc to see what drivers are available from within Win7 itself and only then resorts to the internet. So in 1 way or another some drivers are also found locally - whether or not they are found as an executable file or already executed/extracted ... that I don't know but fear that it is the latter. Well, in any case those driver executable files do exist somewhere but tough to track them down and find em.
 
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That seems like an interesting idea but 'do so through MS' as in? Where in MS's homepage or wherever can I find driver based on a precise driver number or Harware Ids. I mean ... googling is what comes to mind, but since you mentioned it I thought I'd ask.
 
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Oh, thaaaaat! The KB number, totally forgot about that ... yes, that is indeed a very good idea. That is definitely 1 working strategy! 10x man! :)
 
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i have overwritten drivers in System32 by first taking possession of them, ie removing the permission obstacle, and then installing a fresh copy of the same driver. Once you take ownership of them, there's no reason you can't copy them but i'm not that literate in software

procedure i used to take ownership of the driver's files detailed here http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/7168/how-to-overwrite-system-files-in-windows-7/

scroll down till you see the cmd instructions
 
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Thank you for the reply! Yes! I'm on a notebook - HP Pavilion dv7-6b76eo and yes I have downloaded all the drivers from HPs home page, but I think they are not enough. They cover most of the important devices but if you compare with all the items listed under Device Manager then you see that there are a lot more drivers than just those HP offers for me notebook.
 
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Thank you for the reply! With this strategy, though, doesn't one run into the problem, which ko888 outlined earlier, namely - The registry entries for some of the driver installs will be missing.

 
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Wow, good to know! Thanks for the warning. So what you are saying, as regards the link from The Original Ralph, is to NEVER use the takeown command on C:\, but instead only on subfolders in C:\ or directly on files, as his link suggests, or did I miss sth?
 
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Ah, I see now! Thank you for the reply! This thread is becoming more and more beautiful!
 
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However, simply backing up all those folders and then replanting them after the OS reinstall isn't gonna do the job, I feel, cos as ko888 said the registry entries for some of the driver installs will be missing as well as other changes which happen during a driver install. As far as I see the C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository directory contains the drivers already extracted and unpacked, but not any actual install files. It primarily contains SYS PNF and INF files. So simply backing those up and then pasting them anew in the new OS seems like it is not gonna do the job for me.
 
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As I said with this strategy, though, doesn't one run into the problem, which ko888 outlined earlier, namely - The registry entries for some of the driver installs will be missing?

And also after I take ownership of any system folder and do the needed edits MUST I then return the folder to its previous security level and if yes how?
 
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quite frankly, i can't address that - as i said earlier i am not that literate in software or windows

i did use it to install new copies of the same driver or overwrite them, and assumed copying them would be sufficient, but ko888's concern about registry entries didn't occur to me
 
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I would think that any thing that comes in uner windows update would be listed under its ''installed update '' list and from there you find the update you want to remove right click on it and select uninstall update

then turn off / uncheck recommended updates from settings change important updates to ''check for updates but let me choose weather to download and install '' that way you can screen and hide for the ones you dont want or need before the download and install

http://www.ghacks.net/2014/12/11/how-to-remove-installed-windows-updates-and-block-them-afterwards/
 
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Thanks for your replies guys! As to your suggestion of how to manage WU - yep, that I already have a hold of. I was more looking for a way to narrow down and filter out things so that I can get my hands on some offline driver install files and as far as I understand you, your suggestion points pretty much in the direction Tradesman1 outline. You still deserve a thank you! :)
 
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did you look in to the windows update catalog thing

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/323166

thing is Microsoft got real funny on like 7 updating they got smart and tired of folks declining all there GWX and telemetry updates and all and now went with the windows update rollup connivance updating [more like roll over with butt lifted ]

you accept all updates at once or nothing at all no more pick and choose the updates you want or need if one in the ''rollover'' update does harm well too bad so sad you cant just remove it

''The downside/While that is bad enough, it gets worse.'' .. for example

http://www.ghacks.net/2016/10/10/say-good-bye-to-individual-patches-on-windows-7-and-8/
 
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