Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (
More info?)
Richard, your concern appears to be with printer drivers only. Are you aware
that XP comes with a very comprehensive database of printer drivers? Which
means, if a "new" printer is connected, and you don't/cannot insert the
installation CD, the correct (or generic) driver is usually already there,
and installs automatically.
I don't know any way to circumvent the "self-extract" routine of a
downloaded driver, which automatically installs where it's actually needed,
(described in original reply) in order to extract to a user-defined location
(which is what you seem to want). Nor do I understand why you would need to
(unless it's last para below).
I have 5 different printers set as printer options, all correctly loaded
from installation CD's (and drivers updated automatically from either XP
automatic update, or (active) printer mfr website. Any one of the 5 can be
set as active, without need to re-install drivers.
My understanding is you want flexibility of choice between printers - if so,
just connect and install them one by one (using installation CD's if poss,
to get all the individual printer utilities), after which it's just a case
of making the currently connected printer "active" in the "printers" folder.
Just occured to me, which might explain why you want to over-ride XP - if
you have USB printers, ALWAYS use the SAME USB port to connect the printer
lead. Changing connection port "fools" XP into thinking it's new hardware
installation, since each USB port has a different address which is integral
to installation set-up.
Hope this helps! Sincerely, Len (wide open to correction from more
knowledgable contributors)
"Richard Mills" <RichardMills@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A6221466-8B3D-47B4-B9FE-1B88AEC5F92E@microsoft.com...
> Ah, now realising that I didn't explain myself very well previously. I
> want
> to be able to download the drivers and extract them to a folder called
> c:\drivers\lj1300 for example. Add the printer so that it's available in
> the
> list of printers, but when XP looks for the location for the drivers, get
> it
> to look at the this folder, not the cd rom etc. Not sure that it's take
> easy
> to pre-define the install source location if it's not one of the four that
> XP
> uses by default. (cd rom, hard disk (search paths only I guess) floppy or
> windows update.
>
> Thanks for the feedback though, much appreciated.
>
> Cheers
>
> Richard
>
> "yabbadoo" wrote:
>
>> XP has a default folder "DOWNLOADS". Within that folder, create a
>> subfolder
>> "DRIVERS" then within that, another folder "HP"
>> When you download a driver, you are asked where you want to download it
>> to -
>> you do not have to accept the default. Use "browse" to select where you
>> want
>> it to go (in this instance, the folder C:\Downloads\Drivers\HP)
>>
>> Alternatively, from within "browse" you can go to the parent folder, and
>> create a new folder there (see the little icons) i.e you could browse to
>> C:\Downloads\Drivers, then create a new folder)
>>
>> Most drivers come in selfextracting form. The general idea is that you
>> click
>> on the downloaded driver to automatically update your system. This avoids
>> the need to get XP to go looking, which can be a pain. Should
>> re-installation be necessary - delete the corrupt driver, re-install by
>> double-clicking the download.
>>
>> Hope this helps - Len.
>>
>> "Richard Mills" <Richard Mills@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
>> message
>> news:4B6E9AC8-1492-4B0A-900A-3BB9D6E5D696@microsoft.com...
>> >I would like to be able to download drivers (from hp for example).
>> >Place
>> > these files into a folder of there own, and get windows XP to know that
>> > it
>> > needs to look at this folder when you install the driver. Any idea how
>> > to
>> > do
>> > this?
>> >
>> > Cheers!
>>
>>
>>