Install Command Missing from .inf File Context Menu

ID: Q187664

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition version 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SYMPTOMS

When you right-click a setup information (.inf) file, the Install command may be missing from the menu that appears.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if an incomplete or damaged entry for .inf files exists in the registry.

RESOLUTION

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it.

To resolve this issue, use either of the following methods:

Method 1

Use Registry Editor to verify that the following registry entries and corresponding values exist:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.inf Value : <default> Value Name: <NO NAME> Data Type : REG_SZ Data : inffile

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\inffile\shell\Install Value : <default> Value Name: <NO NAME> Data Type : REG_SZ Data : &Install

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\inffile\shell\Install\command\%SystemRoot%\System32 Value : <default> Value Name: <NO NAME> Data Type : REG_EXPAND_SZ Data : rundll32.exe setupapi, InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 %1

NOTE: If you modify a registry entry, you must restart your computer for the changes to take affect.

Method 2

Restore the registry using an Emergency Repair Disk (ERD) created before you observed the behavior. For more information about how to use an ERD, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q103280
TITLE : Using an Emergency Repair Disk Created by Windows NT

NOTE: If you use this method, any changes made to the registry after the ERD is created are lost. As a result, you may need to install some hardware and programs again.

Keywords : kbui ntregistry NTSrvWkst
Version : WINNT:4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbprb