SDI Problems

[HCHTech]

I try to keep my SDI Origin updated and always use the correct download URL. Twice in the last week, running SDI after a fresh Win10 install has rendered the system unbootable. We do a few installs a week and most are fine, but when this happens, it definitely slows down the process.

In both recent instances, SDI completed without error, but the reboot after the SDI run produced the auto repair screen. The first time it happened, I tried running system restore, but that did not complete. A system refresh worked, but I decided not to tempt fate and run SDI again, I just finished up leaving the MS drivers.

The 2nd time it happened, I just started over, formatting the disk and doing the install again, but again, just continued without running SDI. BTW, the first problem machine was a nuke & pave on an HP desktop after an impressive malware infection, the second problem machine was installing a new SSD in a Dell Inspiron. Both machines passed hardware diagnostics. One was running SDI over the network, the other was running it from an attached external drive. So, nothing much in common between the two incidents.

So, now I'm getting a little gun-shy about SDI. Is this a common problem (we certainly haven't noticed until recently)? Is it grabbing the incorrect drivers? I know it's bad form, but I didn't really have time to spend troubleshooting about the problem, we've been slammed with work, so it was more important to get the machines out the door. If it happens again, I'll try to get more details.

 

[Porthos]

I have had that happen several times. I double check and make sure system restore is on and I create my own restore point to be sure. Never had system restore fail after one of these issue.

I have seen it on AMD systems and many Toshiba laptops. Dontrecall it happining on a Intel system but I dont take notes and just move on.

 

[phaZed]

I don't know if this will help, but the symptoms are relatively the same... I had a bout of SDI installing bad Intel RST drivers and posted how I recovered from it:

https://www.technibble.com/forums/t...n-inaccessible_boot_device.74593/#post-594130

 

[Krynn72]

Way back when I first started using SDI, and USB 3 was pretty new, that exact same thing would happen if I used SDI to install the USB 3 drivers. Every time on a Win 7 machine after a reboot when SDI finished, I'd get a BSOD and have to reload the OS again.

Had nothing to do with SDI itself, but the driver packs which included a bunk driver. Eventually the driver was updated, but it took several months. I just continued using SDI and skipping that driver, getting it manually when needed.

I'd say get a machine that isn't time sensitive to get fixed, and install drivers one at a time until it happens and just avoid that one (and post it here so we know too )

 

[GTP]

Had a number of occasions where the computer would not boot after running SDI.
Also had a few issues with SDI installing the wrong driver causing blue screens.
A minor annoyance that's easily fixed but chews up time having to fix it.
Been a little wary since.

 

[glennd]

Difficult to comment without specific information. Despite the impressive size of the driver collection, it is not complete and never will be. All it can do is offer up it's best match which, in certain situations, may not be appropriate. It's not that "it's grabbing the incorrect driver", it just doesn't necessarily have the "right" one in every situation.

The other thing to keep in mind, which I repeat on a regular basis, is newer is not always better. Sometimes, a specific version of a driver is written for a specific version of the hardware and later versions of the driver may not be appropriate for that specific version of the hardware. And I'm sure you know that even the best programmers occasionally get it wrong (thinking of Windows updates over the last little while).

You should be wary of installing "newer" versions of a device driver unless you know that device is misbehaving and you're willing to experiment with different drivers.

The other thing I picked up on this week is that the latest Windows 10 has System Protection switched off by default and SDIO wasn't catching that and notifying.

 

[HCHTech]

You should be wary of installing "newer" versions of a device driver unless you know that device is misbehaving and you're willing to experiment with different drivers.

Well, yes - of course. I agree that this should be the modus operandi on working systems. In the case of an initial install or a N&P, the whole point of SDI is to supply drivers in an automated fashion, and what other choice would it have except to provide the newest one?

I'm not blaming the software at all here, I'm just saying that it may be painting us into an unavoidable corner. With Win7 & previous, when your installation would almost never produce a complete set of drivers, we had no choice but to install them one way or the other. SDI was and is an invaluable tool in this instance. Now that Win10 is here and many times the initial installation finishes with a complete set of drivers, I'm wondering about the facility of even trying an SDI run. It seems the risks are higher than the benefits, leading to the potential conclusion that unless you have specialty hardware where you need the latest driver to get the best performance (discrete graphics cards, etc.), you might want to skip SDI altogether if device manager looks happy after the OS install.

Note - I realize I haven't provided enough information to diagnose the actual problem I had - If it happens again, I'll carve out some time to provide more details.

 

[sapphirescales]

Personally I always rely on Windows Update first, then the manufacturer's website, and then finally SDI. SDI is invaluable when it comes to installing an older operating system on newer hardware where the drivers don't quite exist. I just installed Windows 7 on a tower server that one of my clients got for free. Unfortunately there weren't any official Windows 7 drivers for the machine, so I used SDI.

Driver update programs should be your last resort, and you should only install drivers that are missing, or misbehaving. It isn't a good idea to just update every driver that a driver update program recommends you update. It's better to go with a generic driver than an improper one.

 

[nlinecomputers]

The other thing to keep in mind, which I repeat on a regular basis, is newer is not always better. Sometimes, a specific version of a driver is written for a specific version of the hardware and later versions of the driver may not be appropriate for that specific version of the hardware. And I'm sure you know that even the best programmers occasionally get it wrong (thinking of Windows updates over the last little while).

The TL : DR is if it ain't broke, don't fix it. LOL

 

[Altster]

Personally I always rely on Windows Update first, then the manufacturer's website, and then finally SDI

^^^^^^^ THIS!

 

[nlinecomputers]

Personally I always rely on Windows Update first,

 

[sapphirescales]

I'm almost exclusively a Windows 10 shop now and with Windows 10 you can either take their driver updates...or you can disable Windows Update completely. There's no other choice. You can instruct Windows not to download driver updates, but it does them anyway. And if you install the version from the manufacturer, Windows Update will overwrite it. Thankfully botched drivers from Windows updates are rather rare with Windows 10. But I would prefer if there was a way to turn them off without neutering the entire Windows Update service.

 

[glennd]

the whole point of SDI is to supply drivers in an automated fashion, and what other choice would it have except to provide the newest one?

You'll notice among the filter options there are two filters called "Newer" and "Better Match". These are not the same thing. The matching algorithm will often give very different results. It knows that newer is not always better. With Windows 10 in particular, I recommend you switch off the "Newer" filter and go with the "Better" (and "Not Installed") results.

In fact I'm considering adding some logic to detect Windows 10 and switch off the "Newer" filter automatically or at least a prompt.

I'm not blaming the software at all here, I'm just saying that it may be painting us into an unavoidable corner. With Win7 & previous, when your installation would almost never produce a complete set of drivers, we had no choice but to install them one way or the other. SDI was and is an invaluable tool in this instance. Now that Win10 is here and many times the initial installation finishes with a complete set of drivers, I'm wondering about the facility of even trying an SDI run. It seems the risks are higher than the benefits, leading to the potential conclusion that unless you have specialty hardware where you need the latest driver to get the best performance (discrete graphics cards, etc.), you might want to skip SDI altogether if device manager looks happy after the OS install.

All valid points and I don't necessarily disagree with any of them. As a tech, you and I (and them) have to make a judgement call on a case by case basis.

I see lots of people complaining that SDIO trashed their system and the reality is these people would have trashed their system anyway, SDIO just gave them a faster gun to shoot with.

"If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is."