DIFx Driver installation Error

Hey Everyone,

I'm using a Dell laptop on which Windows Vista had been installed. I'm trying to install MFC-290C multi-function on my laptop using the installation CD. The installation process stops and it displays the following error "DIFx Driver Package Preinstall ERROR=1610154755". But when i try to canceled the installation process my printer works but the scanner doesn't seems to be working. I had successfully installed the complete package on my laptop. Can any one help me out to resolve this issue? Any information on this would be appreciated.

Thanks a lot.

The DIFxDriverPackagePreinstall function preinstalls a driver package for a Plug and Play (PnP) function driver in the driver store and installs the .inf file for the driver package in the system .inf file directory. If all of the files associated with the driver are in a single component or you can guarantee that all appropriate driver files will be installed when this component's Installed event is called, then the recommended place for calling this function is in the component containing the DIFx driver's Installed event. Otherwise, call this function in the installation's OnMoved event.

If uninstall logging is enabled when this function is called, the driver pre-installed by this function is logged for uninstallation and is automatically removed by the On UninstallingDIFxDriverFile event when the application is removed.

DIFxAPI provides API-level access to support for install, uninstall, repair, and rollback of drivers. It enables the ability to track and maintain application-driver service associations and provide reference counting on drivers and services.

DIFxAPI is a DIFx component that is supported by Windows 2000 and later for driver packages that comply with the DIFx requirements defined in the WDK documentation. The DIFxAPI distribution includes 32-bit components that support x86-based systems plus 64-bit components that support x64-based systems and Itanium-based systems.

DIFxAPI simplifies these capabilities:

• Preinstalling Plug and Play driver packages in the DIFx driver store with a single DIFxAPI function call. After a driver package is preinstalled, Setup automatically installs the driver for a device that is subsequently connected to a computer if the driver is the best match for the device.
• Installing a driver package with a single DIFxAPI function call and uninstalling a driver package with a single DIFxAPI function call.
• Associating a driver package with an application when the driver package is installed and removing the association when a driver package is uninstalled.
• Retrieving a path to the driver store INF file of a preinstalled driver package. A driver store INF file path uniquely identifies a preinstalled driver package. An installation application can use a driver store INF file path to uninstall a driver package.
• Logging significant events to an application that occur during the preinstall, install, or uninstall of a driver package.

DIFx comes with InstallShield. But maybe not the very latest (potentially Beta) release of DIFx. Therefore I recommended to check the microsoft web site for a Vista compatible version of DIFx. DIFx comes with a set of custom actions that you can add to your basic MSI project. InstallShield's DIFx wizard is just a convenient way to do this.