Backup and Restore Device Drivers in Windows 10

cereberus · 07 Oct 2021

netalyst said:

@Brink,
Fingers crossed hoping we have not lost you (yet) to Windows11!

I'm also hoping you can easily spot my obvious mistake - I've been trying all day to use your DISM tutorial to export my 3rd party drivers to my NAS.
I've mapped the network drive in Explorer as the default option (Z:). I can login to the NAS via a desktop link using it's IP address - I can also ping the nas - all from this PC.

Bottom line, I successfully exported the drivers to a bootable USB (as L:drive) and yet anytime I try to use DISM for the network drive - same command just a different path, I get "Error: 87, Path does not exist", as in caption below:

Attachment 348038

As I mentioned earlier, I just hope this is a simple error on my part and I've gone screen blind & can't see it. And in case I forget, the error needs to be simple as I'm reasonably (very) PC illiterate and fast becoming a numpty.

Fingers still crossed,
Best wishes & keep safe,
Mike

Why not just backup to a usb file, and then copy to the network?

netalyst · 07 Oct 2021

@Brink,

I did try that, as I noticed examining the tutorial more closely, you showed it with quotes in place. Same result I'm afraid, error87: path does not exist. Thought it was a big mistake on my part, so I did not post the clip with the quotes - who's to say if I had the quotes in the right place!! But I have manged to recover the clip from recycle bin (my memory these days!):

Backup and Restore Device Drivers in Windows 10-cmd-admin-window-021-10-07.jpg

Hopefully the quotes are in the wrong place

Thanks for your time,
Best,
Mike

- - - Updated - - -
@cereberus,

I'm heading in that direction. It's just with my Macrium backup's on the nas, I was looking to keep things all in one place. No better reason really and a better chance I'll find them when things hit the fan!

Equally, thank you for reading & your suggestion - as an old-age IT person I just want to know what I did wrong! That said I am from a different age, even given the age of some of the contributors.....or at least I've stopped progressing! Make that-> I'm incapable of progression! Brain ache wins,

Best to All you folks,
Thanks,
Mike

Try3 · 07 Oct 2021

netalyst said:

… error87: path does not exist.

Mike,

The destination path syntax is wrong. That's why it does not [and cannot] exist.

Z:\\DS...

Double \

Denis

netalyst · 07 Oct 2021

@ Try3,

Do you think it should be a single \ as per a normal path? Because it is a networked NAS I was using \\. I shall give this a go immediately.

Thanks for suggestion,
Best,
Mike

- - - Updated - - -
@Try3,

Denis,
I tried the single \ and got the same result. Also tried it as per Brink's suggestion & wrapped it in quotes - sadly, still no joy.

I hope I interpreted you correctly using the single \ ?

Backup and Restore Device Drivers in Windows 10-denis-cmd-2021-10-07.jpg

And thanks for taking time to read & respond, much appreciated.

Best,
Mike

hsehestedt · 07 Oct 2021

Mike, just a little clarification of when to use the double-backslash syntax and what it means...

When you want to access a network path WITHOUT MAPPING A DRIVE TO IT you let the computer know that you are accessing a network share by starting the path with the "". The syntax takes this form:

\\ServerName\ShareName

So, let's assume that I have a Windows system called "Desktop". On "Desktop", I create a share called "MyStuff". To access that from another machine you could reference "\\Desktop\MyStuff". Note that you can go down into subfolders, so if that share had a folder in it called "TheImportantStuff" I could reference that as "\\Desktop\MyStuff\TheImportantStuff".

Now, let's say that you map a drive letter to the share. Assume that I map "E:" to "\\Desktop\MyStuff". Once mapped, "E:" takes the place of the location to which it is mapped. As a result, "E:\TheImportantStuff" is the same as "\\Desktop\MyStuff\TheImportantStuff".

Note that this works for a really long path as well. Suppose I map "F:" to "\\Desktop\Share\SomeFolder\AnotherFolder\YetAnotherOne". Now, if I have a "readme.txt" file in that "YetAnotherOne" folder I can simply reference it as "F:\readme,txt" because "F:" takes the place of all the rest.

I hope that helps a little bit!

Try3 · 07 Oct 2021

netalyst said:

it is a networked NAS I was using

Mike,

Please post a screenshot of File explorer showing the path in question.

Backup and Restore Device Drivers in Windows 10-image.png

Denis

netalyst · 08 Oct 2021

@Try3

Backup and Restore Device Drivers in Windows 10-mapped-network-drive-2021-10-07.jpg

@hsehestedt

I'm feeling a little intimidated by so many clever people becoming involved,

But thank you ALL for being there......otherwise I'd be lost!

Best,
Mike

Try3 · 08 Oct 2021

Mike,

Not that. Please show us the

folder.
- Browse to it in File explorer and select it so that its path can be seen in File explorer's address bar.
- I suspect that its path might well be Z:\Drivers and that's why you have been having problems.

No need to be intimidated. We all started out with our first post at some time.

All the best,
Denis

netalyst · 08 Oct 2021

@Try3, Denis,

Appreciate what you say about not being intimidated......but you people know what you are doing & why you are doing it!
That said, people like me could not cope without you in this world!!!

I'm just hoping I am now posting what you need in order to assist......or at least it's something that will allow you to see where I'm messing up

Backup and Restore Device Drivers in Windows 10-try3-folder-2021-10-08.jpg

Best,
Mike

Try3 · 08 Oct 2021

Mike,

That was what I expected.

If you paste
Z:\Drivers
into the File explorer Address bar then I think you will get to the same place.

- To paste a path from the clipboard into the File explorer Address bar then just click in the blank area to the right of its current contents [i.e. to the right of the word Drivers in the current case] & press Crl-V {or right-click & select Paste}
- You can copy a path from the File explorer Address bar into the clipboard in the same manner - click in the blank area to the right of its current contents [i.e. to the right of the word Drivers in the current case] & press Crl-C {or right-click & select Copy}.
- This technique can often be useful when discussing folder paths in TenForums threads such as this one.

If I am right then you should use
Z:\Drivers
instead of

in that Dism command you are trying to use.

Your backup policy is up to you but please do consider making your backup on a local drive [and only then copying it to your network if you want an additional backup copy].
- You might have third-party network adapter drivers and, if they go wrong and you want to reinstall them from the backup, you want to be certain that you will have access to them in such a fault condition.
Just a thought.

All the best,
Denis

Backup and Restore Device Drivers in Windows 10

Fingers Crossed

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