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Should I separate x86 and x64 drivers in Out-of-Box Drivers after import?

Answered Should I separate x86 and x64 drivers in Out-of-Box Drivers after import?

  • Monday, February 25, 2013 5:16 PM
     
     
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    Hey guys,

    I'm using selection profiles to separate my various OS flavors by name and architecture in MDT. For drivers I have separate folders named like so:




    What I have been doing is downloading the drivers from the vendor websites (like HP for example) and importing them in a model folder under the relevant OS type/architecture. As I've been going through my imports I've noticed a recurring issue. Continuing with HP as my example; I’ll go to HP’s support site, select my model, select Windows 7 64-bit, download the drivers listed for Windows 7 64-Bit, extract them and import them into my model-named folder under “Windows 7 x64” under “Out-of-Box drivers”. When I inspect the drivers after import I've noticed that (in man y cases) even when the driver pack is supposedly 64-bit-only MDT will also import a 32-Bit driver like so:



    I'm assuming this must be cause even through the driver is listed as 64-Bit it must also support a 32-Bit architecture as well. My question is what should I do when this happens? Will just leaving is “as is” cause problems? If my selection profile that contains that folder is intended to support only 64-Bit OSes should I be removing the 32-bit drivers? Maybe instead of removing them should I just move them under my Windows 7 x86 folder? What’s the best practice here?

     

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  • Monday, February 25, 2013 5:47 PM
     
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    Personally I seperate them.

    Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread. ” How to ask a question that is fixable.

    • Marked As Answer by ZeusABJ Monday, February 25, 2013 10:34 PM
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  • Monday, February 25, 2013 8:50 PM
     
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    Leaving the x64 and x86 drivers in the same folder can cause problems. Usually, I'll just sort by architecture and delete all x86 from my 64-bit folder, and vice versa.

    -Nick O.

    • Marked As Answer by ZeusABJ Monday, February 25, 2013 10:34 PM
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  • Monday, February 25, 2013 10:35 PM
     
     
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    I suppose I could wait for a third person to cime in here, but you both give good cases for separation of the driver files. I'll just go ahead and do it. Thanks for your input! 
     
  • Friday, March 01, 2013 7:42 PM
     
     
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    What if the drivers don't like to separate?





     
  • Friday, March 01, 2013 8:30 PM
     
     
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    Depending on what driver package you download from manufacturer, you should get little mixing of x86/x64 bit drivers. I cannot recall the last time I downloaded a specific x64 driver package, and when imported showing any x86 drivers.

    I do know that some manufactures put both x86/x64 in "sccm" ready distributions, which personally I think is a bit of a mess :/

     
  • Saturday, March 02, 2013 3:24 AM
     
     
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    I agree.  I always choose x64 when downloading from Dell but get a mix.
     
  • Saturday, March 02, 2013 11:32 AM
     
     
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    Extract the Driver Pack, it will contain a x86 and x64 folder.

    The package you download will be the same, no matter which architecture you selected at the Dell website.

     
  • Saturday, March 02, 2013 8:54 PM
     
     
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    I am aware but with this specific driver set they get clumped into a folder named Win7