Allowing non-administrator users to install devices and device drivers

[Christofer]

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Actually the problem that we are facing is that if a user is plugging in a device, the window 7 is not searching for the drivers of that device but if we use the same device with the administrator account then everything goes in a normal way. The problem is that, the users are which are not having the administrator access are only having read access to the Device manager and hence they are not able to install the drivers for any device they are having and I need help for allowing access to Device manager.

[Devasis]

I just want to let you know about some details related to windows 7. Well you are allowed to have users and then add hardware or the drivers that are already in the local driver’s store. But the thing is that if the drivers cannot search the device or it is unknown in the list of device manager then it will only provide the user access to the device manager. As far as I know only the Administrator is having the rights to access the device manager, hence any user you are having other then Administrator will not be allowed to access the device manager.

[MrChris-]

According to me if you are inserting the device then Windows 7 start searching for the windows update for the drivers that can be used for the device you have inserted. If it Windows 7 can find the drivers for that in windows 7 updated then it will install that. But if it cannot find the drivers for that in windows 7 updated then it will start searching for the drivers in the local drive and if Windows 7 finds that in local drive then it install that and the user is allowed to use that device. If windows 7 is not able to find the drivers for the device in local drive also then the administrator has to install the drivers manually hence you need to provide the administrator right for your users for doing that.

[Calvin K]

Providing the administrator rights to local user will be a security risk but if you want to take that risk then you can try this for achieving the thing you need. First you have to run gpedit.msc that is given under the computer configuration. Then go to windows settings then you have to go to Security settings then to Local Policies then to User Rights assignments. There you will be able to see Load and Unload device Drivers. That’s it you have to do, but still I will not suggest you to do this because it is bit risky.

[Christofer]

Thanks for the reply you have given but my friend the solution that you have given is not for the thing that I want to achieve but it is for loading the kernel mode drivers. I need help for providing access to Device manager to non administrator users. Actually the thing is the for the client for whom I am doing this wants the user to install the drivers even if the drivers are not inserted in the system.

[Umberto-Micro]

For that purpose you can use the procedure for staging the device driver package that is in the driver store. But the thing is that by default normal user is allowed to install the driver’s package that are present in the drivers store. For doing that you need to provide the local user access rights to local administrator group or something similar to that. For adding the device driver package to the drivers store you need to type pnputil –a driverpackage.inf. I am sure that will help you.

[Kalanidhi]

You must have the idea that the Power User group in windows 7 that is in the diffident compatibility. A user is allowed to add the drivers that are present in the Microsoft update or that are present in the local driver store. But for the thin you need you must also consider that Administrator or the GPO can add the path for searching any third party tool but for this Administrator has to be involved.