Re: Tutorial: How to update a driver that Windows just doesn't want to update

UPDATE: 

I tested the dozen tutorial steps yet another time:
1. The Nvidia HD Audio driver I had was version 1.3.30.1
2. Dumo said the latest is 1.3.38.35
3. Microsoft Catalog only has up to 1.3.38.34
4. Worse, Nvidia's latest puts you back to 1.3.30.1
5. Worse than that, Nvidia's latest adds a ton of crapware
6. So now I have even more drivers than I had started with
7. None of them are the so-called "latest" version of 1.3.38.35
8. But at least _one_ of them is close, at 1.3.38.34

It turns out adding a specific "latest" driver is not at all easy
o And, in fact, you'll likely fail more often than not (IMHO)

But you'll _always_ end up with 'something' (that part is easy)
o But that something isn't necessarily anything you _thought_ you'd get

Take the example of the so-called "latest" Nvidia HD Audio Driver
o I was aiming for the so-called latest version 1.3.38.5
  "Nvidia High Definition Audio" 1.3.30.1 ===> 1.3.38.5

You'd think, especially with Nvidia, that would be easy, right?
o But you'd be wrong.

Guess what happened?
o I ended up with _not_ updating the existing driver (1.3.30.1) 
  <https://i.postimg.cc/VLV19vTz/driver15.jpg>
o I ended up _adding_ a _new_ driver of the same name (1.3.38.34)
  <https://i.postimg.cc/CKjgVNKK/driver16.jpg>
o And, notice, even _that_ wasn't the so-called latest version!

This entire driver situation is a complete nearly random mess...
o If you're aiming for a specific so-called "latest" driver version.

Here's a quick synopsys of what I did, since I followed the tutorial
o Note: Either the tutorial is wrong, or, drivers are a royal mess

A. This is the goal (seems simple, doesn't it?):
   NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Current version 1.3.30.1
    Update available 1.3.38.35

B. We already know none of the standard Windows steps will update it.

C. So let's get that so-called 'latest' driver from MS Catalog, shall we?
   <http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Home.aspx>
   <http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=nvidia%201.3.38>
   They don't have 1.3.38.35 but they have 1.3.38.34

D. Our 1st gotcha is they don't even have the so-called "latest" driver:
   Let's get it anyway... 

<http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/ScopedViewInline.aspx?updateid=b9b474f4-915d-4355-8efa-d45bd1c6b3a8>

<http://download.windowsupdate.com/c/msdownload/update/driver/drvs/2020/09/nvhda.inf_6ab97d6022235bfd16329d99816211199f4f782a.cab
   Name: nvhda.inf_6ab97d6022235bfd16329d99816211199f4f782a.cab>
   Size: 191812 bytes (187 KiB)
   SHA256: CF509D2B59A9BB4E40C911018B33A55F02B3F6C1901640DE313CE8AC7C4D5091

E. We already know installing the cab (e.g., via DISM) will fail.

F. We know by now almost zip extractor extracts cab files (e.g., 7zip)
   So let's extract it with 7zip and look for the INF files.
   nvhda.inf

G. Now let's do the "Have Disk" in "Win+R > devicemanager" dance:
   Have Disk nvhda.inf
   Driver Date 6/8/2020
   Driver Version 1.3.38.34

   That complains that it's the wrong driver. 
   Why? I don't know why. 
   Let's ditch Microsoft Catalog for the Nvidia web site.

H. Surely the Nvidia web site has the latest drivers, right?
   (Well, their version numbers are _completely_ different!)
   <https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us#>
   <https://www.nvidia.com/Download/driverResults.aspx/112596/en-us>
    Version: 342.01  WHQL
    Release Date: 2016.12.14
    Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit
    Language: English (US)
    File Size: 292.47 MB

I. Oh well, even though the version numbers are completely different, 
   let's get what Nvidia says is the "latest" driver for Win10 x64:

<https://us.download.nvidia.com/Windows/342.01/342.01-desktop-win10-64bit-international.exe>
   Name: 342.01-desktop-win10-64bit-international.exe
   Size: 306673592 bytes (292 MiB)
   SHA256: 8B27B32756824F58652523EF7B28FF3BC07765AD3129CF76429C777BD6C81C9D
J. It's easy to install, but it's a crap shoot what you'll get:
   Executing that exe unpacks it and then checks system compatibility.
   It installs Microsoft Visual C++ Redisributable packages for Visual
Studio
   (WTF? Why does it even _need_ Microsoft Visual C++?)
 
   What you get is stuff you didn't even ask for - but you get it anyway:
   o 3D Vision Controller Driver 340.50
   o 3D Vision Driver 342.01
   o Graphics Driver 342.01
   o HD Audio Driver 1.3.30.1 <=== note this is the _same_ driver you
had!!!!!
   o NVIDIA GeForce Experience 2.11.4.125
   o PhysX System Software version 9.13.1220

K. After all that, and you end up with the _same_ driver you already had!
   Win+R > devicemanager
   Nvidia High Definition Audio
    Driver Date: 11/28/2013
    Driver Version: 1.3.30.1

L. Dumo says this _added_ a driver that wasn't there before!
   <https://i.postimg.cc/CKjgVNKK/driver16.jpg>
   NVIDIA Virtual Audio Device (Wave Extensible) (WDM)	
   NVIDIA, 1.2.41.0, Update available (4.16.0.0)

M. Go back to the MS Catalog and at least update to a newer version:

<http://download.windowsupdate.com/c/msdownload/update/driver/drvs/2020/09/nvvad.inf_9f4b82e83145123adfba950a9df2328c1cac5a28.cab
   Name: nvvad.inf_9f4b82e83145123adfba950a9df2328c1cac5a28.cab>
   Size: 67262 bytes (65 KiB)
   SHA256: 46F8259D20843987F43BA917ACE0034C7120817EE6354B033920289E92A8EFB9

N. Let's again do the "Have Disk" in "Win+R > devicemanager" dance:
   Have Disk nvhda.inf
   Driver Date 6/8/2020
   Driver Version 1.3.38.34

In summary, 
a. You can't get the so-called "latest" driver version from Nvidia.
b. You can't get that so-called "latest" driver from MS Catalog.
c. From Nvidia, the "latest" gives you _exactly_ what you already had.
d. Worse, Nvidia adds all sorts of crap you didn't ask for.
e. Back on Microsoft Catalog, you can get _close_ to the latest driver
f. Which is what I got (but now I have _extra_ crap from Nvidia!)

In version number specifics, that boils down to:
1. The Nvidia HD Audio driver I had was version 1.3.30.1
2. Dumo said the latest is 1.3.38.35
3. Microsoft Catalog only has up to 1.3.38.34
4. Worse, Nvidia's latest puts you back to 1.3.30.1
5. Worse than that, Nvidia's latest adds a ton of crapware
6. So now I have even more drivers than I had started with
7. None of them are the so-called "latest" version of 1.3.38.35
8. But at least _one_ of them is close, at 1.3.38.34

Is it just me, or is this updating to a "specific" latest 
driver essentially a random crapshoot of unexpected events?
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