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INF FeatureScore directive

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The FeatureScore directive provides an additional ranking criterion for drivers based on the features that a driver supports. For example, feature scores might be defined for a device setup class that distinguishes between drivers that are based on class-specific criteria.

[DDInstall]
  
FeatureScore=featurescore

The FeatureScore directive is supported in Windows Vista and later versions of Windows.

Warning

The FeatureScore directive is only processed when specified directly in the [DDInstall] section.

Entries

featurescore
This value specifies the ranking score for the driver based on its feature contents. This entry is a single-byte hexadecimal number between 0x00 and 0xFF.

A lower featurescore value specifies a better feature score rank, where 0x00 is the best feature score rank. If the FeatureScore directive is not specified, Windows uses a default feature score rank of 0xFF for the driver.

Note

FeatureScore should be rarely used and only if the device setup class that the INF belongs to provides guidance on when and how to set a FeatureScore for driver packages in that class.

Remarks

If Windows detects multiple drivers for the same device, it must first determine which driver is the best driver to install. To accomplish this, Windows assigns each driver an overall rank based on several factors, or scores, such as the following:

  • A driver-signing score (signature score ), based on whether the driver is signed or not.

  • A driver feature score (feature score), based on how the driver's features rank compared to another driver for the device.

  • A hardware identifier score (identifier score), based on how closely the Plug and Play (PnP) device identification strings that is reported by the bus driver for the device matches a device identification string in the INF Models section of the INF file.

The feature score provides a way to rank drivers based on the features that a driver supports. For example, feature scores might be defined for a device setup class that distinguishes between drivers based on class-specific criteria.

The feature score supplements the identifier score, which makes it possible for driver writers to more easily and precisely distinguish between different drivers for a device that is based on well-defined criteria.

For more information about how drivers are ranked, see How Windows Ranks Drivers (Windows Vista and Later).

See also

INF Models section

feature score

identifier score

signature score