"Inf Driver" what is it? Motherboard drivers

[magoman23]

Im going to format my pc so I was checking the drivers from my Asrock H61-MVS and found "Inf Driver", google it and seems like necessary but dont find what it does?
Why I should install it?
And I can download from intel right? for a updated version https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/20775/Intel-Chipset-Device-Software-INF-Update-Utility-
no compatibility issues between asrock suggest download and intel ? I have a i3-2100
Sorry if not right the sub-forum, didnt find one proper

 

[reedo_43]

They are the same thing

 

[jimmysmitty]

As said, you have the right one. The INF is Intels chipset driver set. It installs the INF files which basically points to the Intel drivers for your motherboards specific chipset.

 

[magoman23]

As said, you have the right one. The INF is Intels chipset driver set. It installs the INF files which basically points to the Intel drivers for your motherboards specific chipset.

It impacts performane somehow? and what happens if I choose not install it?

 

[reedo_43]

You need to install in just like any other driver. Consider it your motherboard driver just like a sound, Ethernet, graphics etc...

 

[jimmysmitty]

As said, you have the right one. The INF is Intels chipset driver set. It installs the INF files which basically points to the Intel drivers for your motherboards specific chipset.

It impacts performane somehow? and what happens if I choose not install it?

Windows will have most drivers for your chipset however, the official Intel drivers will always perform better than the stock Microsoft ones. The INF will include bus drivers, SATA drivers and USB 2.0 drivers among a few others.

As well they will normally have better stability and fixes for possible issues that the Microsoft ones will not.

 

[magoman23]

As said, you have the right one. The INF is Intels chipset driver set. It installs the INF files which basically points to the Intel drivers for your motherboards specific chipset.

It impacts performane somehow? and what happens if I choose not install it?

Windows will have most drivers for your chipset however, the official Intel drivers will always perform better than the stock Microsoft ones. The INF will include bus drivers, SATA drivers and USB 2.0 drivers among a few others.

As well they will normally have better stability and fixes for possible issues that the Microsoft ones will not.

I see, so I will install that driver too, usually I used to ignore it
Thanks to all

 

[odiebugs]

As said, you have the right one. The INF is Intels chipset driver set. It installs the INF files which basically points to the Intel drivers for your motherboards specific chipset.

Please stop posting the WRONG information.

ASrock also has it wrong as there is no such thing as a INF driver. INF are text files, not drivers.

There's no such thing as a INF driver. The Intel chipset utility does NOT contain any drivers, the only thing the installer has is INF files.

Windows has chipset drivers embedded, if it didn't windows couldn't use the chipset and install itself.

The Intel chipset utility, or what was called the Intel chipset driver installer, and Intel had to change the name because it contains NO drivers, is only a INF load to give the drivers identity.

The only thing the Intel chipset utility does is change the name of the chipset driver in properties from Microsoft to Intel.

It has no performance bearing what so ever and there is ZERO reason that the chipset needs to know it's a Intel driver and not listed as a Microsoft driver in Windows versions over win 7.

Please prove your incorrect info, or anyone, show the drivers that are in the setup.exe of the Intel chipset utility, and show the Intel log of how to extract these invisible drivers, and show the work of extracting, and make a folder where they are extracted to so we can see these drivers which are not there. TY

 

[odiebugs]

Im going to format my pc so I was checking the drivers from my Asrock H61-MVS and found "Inf Driver", google it and seems like necessary but dont find what it does?
Why I should install it?
And I can download from intel right? for a updated version https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/20775/Intel-Chipset-Device-Software-INF-Update-Utility-
no compatibility issues between asrock suggest download and intel ? I have a i3-2100
Sorry if not right the sub-forum, didnt find one proper

There is no such thing as formatting a PC. You can format a HDD, but not a PC.

If you want to clean install Windows, you don't format the HDD, formatting from NTFS to NTFS is ridiculous and it's not the correct way to clean a HDD.

You use a wipe tool, you zero out the HDD, you don't format it as a cleaning tool for clean/fresh installs.

For anyone with a SSD, you never format the SSD, you use the MFG tool and secure erase a SSD when you want to clean the drive for new installs.

There is no reason to format a SSD, to change formats like Fat32, which has limitations is not needed, unless you have a specific purpose to change format..

P.S. There's no such thing as a INF driver.

 

[magoman23]

As said, you have the right one. The INF is Intels chipset driver set. It installs the INF files which basically points to the Intel drivers for your motherboards specific chipset.

Please stop posting the WRONG information.

ASrock also has it wrong as there is no such thing as a INF driver. INF are text files, not drivers.

There's no such thing as a INF driver. The Intel chipset utility does NOT contain any drivers, the only thing the installer has is INF files.

Windows has chipset drivers embedded, if it didn't windows couldn't use the chipset and install itself.

The Intel chipset utility, or what was called the Intel chipset driver installer, and Intel had to change the name because it contains NO drivers, is only a INF load to give the drivers identity.

The only thing the Intel chipset utility does is change the name of the chipset driver in properties from Microsoft to Intel.

It has no performance bearing what so ever and there is ZERO reason that the chipset needs to know it's a Intel driver and not listed as a Microsoft driver in Windows versions over win 7.

Please prove your incorrect info, or anyone, show the drivers that are in the setup.exe of the Intel chipset utility, and show the Intel log of how to extract these invisible drivers, and show the work of extracting, and make a folder where they are extracted to so we can see these drivers which are not there. TY

Thanks for the info. But if there is no benefit of that "inf driver", why it exists?

 

[odiebugs]

Because it was needed before Microsoft evolved it's embedded drivers, and also if windows doesn't load it. Most times in win 7 you'll notice the SmBus host has no identity, so it gets flagged, when you run any Intel chipset installer, the SMBus host gets it's identity, but if you look at the driver that was loaded, you'll see there is no driver loaded. In win 7,8,8.1, 10. There is no real driver for the SMBus host. It's controlled by windows.

You should also notice that in win 7, 8, 8.1, the Intel chipset installer only changed the SMBus host to show identity and never changed the driver identity of any of the PCI-E root ports or the LPC controller, they stayed as Microsoft even after installing the INF text files.

Now with the 10 series Intel chipset installer, they are all changed to show as Intel and not Microsoft.

Windows 10 is loading the identity to the SMBus so it shouldn't get flagged.

Either with or without this installer, there is no performance issue as windows has the PCI.sys loaded .

Just to give you an understanding of Intel. They have made MEI which is suppose to have windows communicate with the UEFI and allow remote IT communication for updating. For the consumer you don't need it.

I pointed all of this out due to the same fact that Intel was forced to change the name from chipset driver installer to utility.

The point being, there are no drivers in the Intel chipset installer. But everyone is looking for the driver or calling them INF drivers, when there is no such thing.

 

[magoman23]

Because it was needed before Microsoft evolved it's embedded drivers, and also if windows doesn't load it. Most times in win 7 you'll notice the SmBus host has no identity, so it gets flagged, when you run any Intel chipset installer, the SMBus host gets it's identity, but if you look at the driver that was loaded, you'll see there is no driver loaded. In win 7,8,8.1, 10. There is no real driver for the SMBus host. It's controlled by windows.

You should also notice that in win 7, 8, 8.1, the Intel chipset installer only changed the SMBus host to show identity and never changed the driver identity of any of the PCI-E root ports or the LPC controller, they stayed as Microsoft even after installing the INF text files.

Now with the 10 series Intel chipset installer, they are all changed to show as Intel and not Microsoft.

Windows 10 is loading the identity to the SMBus so it shouldn't get flagged.

Either with or without this installer, there is no performance issue as windows has the PCI.sys loaded .

Just to give you an understanding of Intel. They have made MEI which is suppose to have windows communicate with the UEFI and allow remote IT communication for updating. For the consumer you don't need it.

I pointed all of this out due to the same fact that Intel was forced to change the name from chipset driver installer to utility.

The point being, there are no drivers in the Intel chipset installer. But everyone is looking for the driver or calling them INF drivers, when there is no such thing.

good to know, Thanks for taking your time to correct the info