Windows 10 has no INFCACHE.1 - How do I delete the driver cache?

Nsowon · 03 Jul 2016

Hi,

I have this persistent driver install issue that this thread USB Driver - General Fix for Problems - Windows 7 Help Forums very much looks like it will solve.

Mine started when a perfectly working USB camera suddenly stopped, presumably after a MS update of unknown origin. .
However, despite various searches, i can't find how to delete the driver cache on WIndows 10.

Any time I try and install a driver, it says it found the driver but then can't find the files specified. Deleting the Cache has been a resolution for many WIndows 7 users.

Any pointers appreciated, please.

lx07 · 03 Jul 2016

You could try pnputil -e > C:\Drivers.txt from an elevated command prompt.

Then open the C:\Drivers.txt file and you'll see something like this

Code:

Published name :            oem15.inf
Driver package provider :   Apple Inc.
Class :                     Human Interface Devices
Driver date and version :   10/29/2011 5.0.0.0
Signer name :               Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher

Published name :            oem25.inf
Driver package provider :   Broadcom Corporation
Class :                     System devices
Driver date and version :   01/10/2014 1.0.0.256
Signer name :               Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher

Published name :            oem54.inf
Driver package provider :   Intel
Class :                     System devices
Driver date and version :   07/07/2015 11.0.0.1157
Signer name :               Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher

Find the one you don't want and uninstall it with pnputil -d oem99.inf replacing the 99 with the number found in the .txt file.

Nsowon · 03 Jul 2016

lx07 said:

... pnputil -d oem99.inf replacing the 99 with the number found in the .txt file.

Thank you so much for replying. There were no webcam or Wi-Fi card drivers listed, but I deleted all drivers not needed. On a reboot, the problem exists.

I've deleted "Ghost" drivers from another thread.

Windows 10 has no INFCACHE.1 - How do I delete the driver cache?-driver1.jpg

This problem occurred a few weeks ago when, for some unknown reason, the perfectly working Cisco VTCamera3 stopped working and I got the error you see in the picture above. Then the WiFi adapter stopped working, with the same error after installing the latest from Realtek. The second VTCamera3 entry appeared after trying to update a second time.

The same error occurs when I try and reinstall any of the flagged devices.
Intel "INF" updates fail.
My ATI Radeon graphics card driver fails to install.

I'm afraid to try and reinstall anything unless that also fails.
Edit: New info

I installed the Realtek driver package and it installed drivers apparently successful as no errors from this:

Windows 10 has no INFCACHE.1 - How do I delete the driver cache?-driver3.jpg

The Device manager persisted, so I pointed to the Realtek driver files with eh "Browse my computer" option, but still got the error, as below.

Windows 10 has no INFCACHE.1 - How do I delete the driver cache?-driver2.jpg

Does this info help to put me against the right tree at which to bark? :confused:

Regards,

David.

lx07 · 03 Jul 2016

So the error is saying "can't find the file specified". I think there are 2 options here - one is you could uninstall the driver (and take the option to remove files) and the other is to try to see if you can figure out where it is getting the path from for the file it can't find.

Based on this (which is for windows 8 and seems a bit different for me on 10) the INFCACHE.1 has moved to the registry.

What I can see is inside HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\DriverDatabase\DriverPackages are subkeys for your installed drivers. For drivers that aren't installed as part of Windows by default these subkeys contain the path to the directory containing the driver (here it is in C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\Name of Driver

Windows 10 has no INFCACHE.1 - How do I delete the driver cache?-capture.png

You could check if you can find your driver in the registry and if so the path it has exists and contains a .inf file - for example for the one above:

I suppose if the key exists but the path doesn't you could try to backup and delete the key. You would presumably need to delete the corresponding key under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\DriverDatabase\DriverInfFiles\ as this key points to the corresponding key under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\DriverDatabase\DriverPackages

That is the DriverInfFiles subkey holds the name of the DriverPackages subkey.

Not sure if this help but it appears to be where the INFCACHE.1 has gone.

Nsowon · 03 Jul 2016

Thanks again IX07, but how is anyone without a MS certification in the OS meant to decipher this:

Windows 10 has no INFCACHE.1 - How do I delete the driver cache?-capture.jpg

I swear I was never a Mac fan until I bought my MacBook Pro 2 years ago, but being forced into a windows 10 upgrade and having to work with Windows again has not been a nice experience.

There must be a reason why MS make this so complicated! All I want to see is "Webcam/Video/Camera" or some other word that might just tell me which driver I need to delete.

Can I delete them all?

More and more I see "Refresh Windows" or "Reinstall Windows" and I'm almost at the stage where my stress levels are such that I'll do it, while looking at how I can do away with Windows for good. The frustrations I've had trying to find answers over the last three weeks, going round in circles, seeing people with similar problems etc. What's so difficult that they can't have descriptive names, or a routine to select and delete the device and *all traces* of drivers etc? Why can't it tell you where it's looking, because it sure as hell knows!

On that note, I've seen reference elsewhere to your comment "(and take the option to remove files)" - but I see no option in device manager, as admin or otherwise, Where is it?

Sorry to rant, but I'm pretty technically proficient as a long-time windows user, and can follow the registry, instructions, use the shell etc., but sometimes things get the better of me.

I really should not have to reinstall the OS and all my applications because the OS can't find a a file, and can't even give me a hint of the filename and location that it already knows.

Again, I appreciate your time, and any help anyone can give.

[Edit - additional question]
Could this be a permissions issue? I'm admin, but don't have full access to write to C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\

Regards,

David.

Nsowon · 03 Jul 2016

Solved - I'm reinstalling Windows 7.

Windows 10 is garbage. I liked Windows 7 and will take time to make sure MS don't force me to update.

Thanks for all your help, but I'm familiar enough with Win7 to debug and I regret the nagging that made me upgrade.

David.

lx07 · 03 Jul 2016

Nsowon said:

Can I delete them all?

No - only delete the ones installed yourself - these have a name oem*. The easiest way to find what oem refers to what is the pnputil report but it isn't very clear - it only gives the manufacturer and a brief description like "Human Interface Device" which could be a mouse or a keyboard etc.

Nsowon said:

On that note, I've seen reference elsewhere to your comment "(and take the option to remove files)" - but I see no option in device manager, as admin or otherwise, Where is it?

When you go to device manager and right click to uninstall it should come up with this box...

Nsowon said:

[Edit - additional question]
Could this be a permissions issue? I'm admin, but don't have full access to write to C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\.

No I don't think so - I have read only access.

Nsowon said:

Solved - I'm reinstalling Windows 7.

Not a bad idea if you are happy with it.

If you activated 10 on your machine you can do a clean install at any time in the future and it will be activated.

Perhaps there is an easier way to deal with these driver issues but I don't know it if there is - sorry about that.

Nsowon · 03 Jul 2016

lx07 said:

Perhaps there is an easier way to deal with these driver issues but I don't know it if there is - sorry about that.

I really appreciate the time taken helping me. I have windows 7 back and am installing software. Not a glitch.

As for drivers, I know it's windows as the camera has no OEM drivers and relies on windows. This makes it more frustrating as they always worked in Windows 7, and for months in 10 until an update. That update broke all USB driver installs, and the camera not working was the first sign. I should have jumped on it that day and checked which updates were done.

[EDIT] - To mention that I never had a "delete the driver software for this device" option.

However, my DIY system has a motherboard with no Windows 10 drivers and, despite passing the MS "Ready for Windows 10" I firmly believe they know that this means generic and often unstable/feature reduced functionality; in their bid for 10 to be successful, they have shot themselves in the foot - the nagging and later forced-by-trickery upgrades points to desperation have moved me, a long time windows supporter, to appreciate alternatives.

This is not to say Windows is not the best option for many.

Again, your help and support was much appreciated.

David.