How do I install drivers??

[nitrotrike]

I gave up on trying to get ROS to run on a newer laptop. I threw together an old desktop. ROS installed just fine. NOW... it asks me to 'install drivers automatically', or from a 'specific location'. I have the ethernet card driver, chipset driver, etc on a cd. I cannot choose the cd as a source. All of these drivers are in their own individual exe file. Am I overlooking something?

I can see the exe files on the cd through explorer, but can't do anything with them.

When i try to use the 'execute' command, i'm lost as to what to put in the command line. The 'help' button does nothing..

All I want to do is get this thing on the net so I can get the rest of the drivers (once i know how to install them, that is). This is why I am trying to install the NIC driver. The NIC is a standard, no-frills, run-of-the-mill 3com c905b-TX card.

Ready to give up on this PC too.

P.S. If someone (admin, engineer, etc) answers this, please use english / terms that the average computer user can understand. Don't assume that everyone spends every waking hour in front of a computer with a pot of coffee.

[Radhad]

AS ReactOS is still in alpha phase, installing drivers might not work. Look at the roadmap to get more detailed information about when drivers may work

[nitrotrike]

OK, but after looking at all the fancy screenshots with stuff installed and running, etc. How are these people getting this stuff to run? I just sit here looking at the desktop double clicking on stuff until my finger turns red.

This is what I am asking, is there a specific WAY to install them? Do I need the actual .exe files (which I have), or do i need the .inf / .sys files (which i'm sure i can get)? and WHERE would I put / copy them to??

I'm not ready to give up on ReactOS just yet... it will sit in the corner until the answer is found! No use in pulling my hair out and going in this vicious circle.

Patience is a virtue

[FSX]

Their good friend VMWare/QEmu.

[gabrielilardi]

Hi Nitrotrike,
I'm afraid your nic won't work in ReactOS yet, it's a known bug:
http://www.reactos.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=1147

Please read carefully the release news:
http://www.reactos.org/en/news_page_37.html

ReactOS is not ready yet for everyday use, it's growing and improving constantly, but for the moment it's strongly suggested to test it in emulators.

Regarding the drivers issue please bear in mind that most of them won't install right now or will need tricks to get them installed, probably the best way to install a driver is through the files directly pointing the new hardware wizard to the path or copying files and modifying registry settings manually (and not executing its installer).

[aicommander]

Generally, drivers that come in exe's install themselves when you run them. If not, just extract them on another computer, put them on a CD then insert it in the ReactOS machine. The click Next when the wizard comes up and it should install them.

Note: Don't complete the 'New Hardware Wizard' because you'll have to reinstall ReactOS to install new drivers that don't install via setup program.
(Just press Cancel on the wizard)

[Haos]

Or you can just put the extracted drivers to /System32/Drivers directory. Should work as well. Either the drivers will work and will be installed automaticaly, or they wont, then the New Device Wizzard wont do any good by itself.