Installing older versions of drivers over newer versionsWindows 3.1 has version control of software components built into it. It is now a requirement for all Windows software components, including device drivers, to include version information. The File Installation Library includes functions that determine where a file should be installed, identifies conflicts with currently installed files, and performs the installation process. These functions enable installation programs to avoid the following problems:
Installing older versions of drivers over newer versions
Installing multiple copies of a driver in different directories
Copying drivers to network directories being shared by multiple users
A developer can create a version resource that indicates a Windows file's purpose, author, version number, and so on. The File Installation Library also includes functions that enable applications to query this information and present it to the user in a clear format. For example, the Microsoft Diagnostics utility (MSD) uses the File Installation Library to provide a convenient method for product support technicians to identify files that are out of date, non-standard or otherwise mismatched.
The File Installation Library is available for Windows and non-Windows applications, and can be used by third-party software. For more information, see the Microsoft Windows 3.1 Software Development Kit documentation.