Driver Staging and Installation Process

The driver staging and installation process alternates between user mode and kernel mode as follows:

1. The files in the driver package are copied to a temporary secure location within the user profile as Configuration Management Interface (CMI) objects. The driver store then validates trust for the driver package under the LocalSystem context.
2. If verification succeeds, the driver package is copied from the temporary location to the driver store under the LocalSystem context. After the driver package has been added to the store, its INF file is parsed to determine the names and locations of the required driver files. This information is added to the index files for the store. The driver package in the temporary location is then deleted.
   In addition, during the staging process, a system restore point is created to allow for quick rollback to an earlier state in case installing the driver destabilizes the system.
   (You can use Group Policy to disable the creation of automatic restore points when drivers are updated or installed. See the section titled "Managing Device Installation Behavior" later in this tutorial for more tutorial.)
3. If the driver package needs updating later (for example, if a new version of the driver is released on Windows Update), this is initiated under the User context but takes place under the System context. (This step is optional.)
4. When the PnP service detects the presence of the device, the driver is installed from the driver store under the LocalSystem context. Installation takes place silently and transparently from the user's perspective because no additional prompts for files are needed.
   Note that a Found New Hardware message balloon may appear above the notification area as the device is being installed, and a second balloon notifies the user after the device is installed. However, you can use Group Policy to disable these notifications. See the section titled "Managing Device Installation Behavior" later in this tutorial for more information.
5. If the vendor-supplied driver requires the installation of support software (for example, a control center for a display driver) in addition to the core device driver, a Finish Install page is displayed and runs under the User context (requires local administrative privileges or elevation) to allow the user to install the required support software for the device. (This step is optional.)

For more information about driver staging, see the section titled "Managing Driver Packages" later in this tutorial.