“The required section was not found in the INF”
While rebuilding an older HP laptop XP threw me this error upon attempting to install the Texas Instruments PCIxx21 Integrated Flashmedia controller:
The required section was not found in the INF
I had the right drivers… in fact, I had a bundle for the media controllers of which this bit was but a small part of. The rest installed without a hitch. No unknown device appeared in the device manager, but XP would still try – and fail – to install this.
Here’s how to get around it. After allowing the error to generate, open in a text editor this file:
C:\Windows\Setupapi.log
And scroll to the bottom. You should be able to identify verbiage pertaining to the failed installation attempt. Mine looked like this:
#I022 Found “PCI\VEN_104C&DEV_8033” in C:\WINDOWS\inf\oem10.inf; Device: “Texas Instruments PCIxx21 Integrated FlashMedia Controller”; Driver: “Texas Instruments PCIxx21 Integrated FlashMedia Controller”; Provider: “Texas Instruments Inc”; Mfg: “Texas Instruments Inc”; Section name: “FMDriverInstall”.
#I023 Actual install section: [FMDriverInstall.NT]. Rank: 0x00002001. Effective driver date: 06/23/2005.
#-166 Device install function: DIF_SELECTBESTCOMPATDRV.
#I063 Selected driver installs from section [FMDriverInstall] in “c:\windows\inf\oem10.inf”.
#I320 Class GUID of device remains: {4D36E970-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}.
#I060 Set selected driver.
#I058 Selected best compatible driver.
#-166 Device install function: DIF_SELECTBESTCOMPATDRV.
#I063 Selected driver installs from section [FMDriverInstall] in “c:\windows\inf\oem10.inf“.
#I320 Class GUID of device remains: {4D36E970-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}.
#I060 Set selected driver.
#I058 Selected best compatible driver.
[2010/10/02 03:14:03 2728.5]
#-199 Executing “C:\WINDOWS\system32\rundll32.exe” with command line: rundll32.exe newdev.dll,ClientSideInstall \\.\pipe\PNP_Device_Install_Pipe_0.{2D6E77D8-0EB1-460B-A156-76EF5419451A}
#I140 Installing device class: “MTD” {4d36e970-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}.
#E067 Could not locate section [ClassInstall32].
#E142 Class: {4D36E970-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}. Install failed. Error 0xe0000101: The required section was not found in the INF.
The parts we’re interested are highlighted. the data in orange represents the actual .inf file XP is utilizing to attempt the driver installation. The data in green represents the missing section of that .inf that XP requires.
In your handy text editor, open the orange file. Scroll to the bottom of the file and, on a new line beneath the last bit of data in it, put the green information. Save and close the inf and try your install again.
