"Unable to Find the INF Source File" Adding Print Drivers (198668)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
This article was previously published under Q198668

SYMPTOMS

When you are adding additional driver support for Microsoft Windows NT 3.5 printer clients, you may receive the following error message:
Unable to find the .INF Source File. Check the /i switch on the Setup command line.
Your only option is to click OK, which then displays the Setup switches available. Clicking OK again generates the following error message:
Unable to install "printer", Intel, Windows NT 3.5 or 3.51 driver. An unexpected error occurred.

CAUSE

The Printer.inf file is a compressed file on the Windows NT 3.5 CD-ROM.

RESOLUTION

Use either of the following methods:

Method 1

  1. Copy the files from the I386 folder on the Windows NT 3.5 CD-ROM to a hard disk location (such as Winnt\Inf).
  2. At a command prompt, switch to the folder containing the files you copied.
  3. Expand the Printer.in_ file to Printer.inf. To expand the Printer.in_ file, type expand printer.in_ printer.inf.

Method 2

Use the Windows NT 3.51 CD-ROM, which does not contain a compressed Printer.inf file.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

Windows 2000 can add printer drivers for other clients that connect to the shared printer. In addition, Windows 2000 has many drivers for Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 Alpha, and Windows NT 4.0 Intel (x86) printers already on the Windows 2000 CD-ROM. If you need a driver that is not included on the CD-ROM, you must place the driver on a hard disk in a form that Windows 2000 can recognize when adding additional printers.

For more information about this process, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

154291 Installing Cross Platform Print Drivers in Windows NT 4.0

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/13/2003
Keywords:kbenv kberrmsg kbprb kbprint KB198668
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