INF File Installation Error: 'The system could not find the file specified'

Question

I'm trying to install a print processor using an INF file on Windows, but I'm encountering the error: "The system could not find the file specified." Below is the content of my INF file:

Signature="$Windows NT$"
Class=Printer
Provider=%ProviderName%
DriverVer=01/01/2024,1.0.0.0

[DestinationDirs]
DefaultDestDir = 66000;

[SourceDisksNames]
1 = %Disk1%

[SourceDisksFiles]
WatermarkPrintProcessor.dll = 1

[Manufacturer]
eSense.Company = PrintProcessor,NTamd64,NTARM64

[PrintProcessor.NTamd64]
"Watermark Print Processor" = WATERMARK_X64, WatermarkPrintProcessor.dll

[PrintProcessor.NTARM64]
"Watermark Print Processor" = WATERMARK_ARM64, WatermarkPrintProcessor.dll

[WATERMARK_X64]
CopyFiles= @WatermarkPrintProcessor.dll
AddReg= AddPrintProcessor_X64

[WATERMARK_ARM64]
CopyFiles= @WatermarkPrintProcessor.dll
AddReg= AddPrintProcessor_ARM64

[AddPrintProcessor_X64]
HKLM, "System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Environments\Windows x64\Print Processors\Watermark", "Driver", , "WatermarkPrintProcessor.dll"

[AddPrintProcessor_ARM64]
HKLM, "System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Environments\Windows ARM64\Print Processors\Watermark", "Driver", , "WatermarkPrintProcessor.dll"

[PrinterInstall]
CopyFiles = @WatermarkPrintProcessor.dll

[Strings]
ProviderName="My.Company"
Disk1       = "WatermarkPrintProcessors"
MfgName="My.Company"

Here are the steps I followed: I created the WatermarkPrintProcessor.dll file and placed it in the directory C:\WatermarkPrintProcessors. I ran the following command to install the INF file: rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /if /b "Watermark Print Processor" /f "C:\WatermarkPrintProcessors\PrintProcessor.inf" /r "FILE:" /m "Watermark Print Processor" Despite this, I receive the following error message: The system could not find the file specified.

I've double-checked the paths and filenames, and everything seems correct. Can anyone help me identify what might be wrong with my INF file or the installation process?

Additional Information:

The operating system is Windows 10, 64-bit. The WatermarkPrintProcessor.dll file is present in the C:\WatermarkPrintProcessors\ directory. Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Answer 1

This is my first answer, so sorry in advance!

First off, double-check that your INF file is in the right location and the command you’re using to install it points to that exact path.

Another thing to consider is where your WatermarkPrintProcessor.dll file is being copied. Your INF file is set to move it to the System32 directory, but if that’s not happening correctly, Windows won’t find the file. You could try manually copying the DLL to the C:\Windows\System32 folder to see if that makes a difference, it's worked for me before.

The rundll32 command you’re using might not be the best fit for installing a print processor. You might have better luck doing it a different way, like using the printui.dll command for printers but make sure it’s pointing to where the DLL is actually located!

Also, make sure you’re running everything with admin rights, Windows can be weird like that.

Give these a try and if you’re still stuck... I have no idea!

Edit:

So, it looks like your driver installed successfully, but the print processor isn’t showing up in the printer settings. Here’s what might be happening:

First off, while the pnputil /add-driver command added the driver to the system, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the print processor is fully registered and ready to use. It’s just placed in the driver store.

One thing to check is whether the WatermarkPrintProcessor.dll actually made it to the C:\Windows\System32 folder. If it didn’t get there, Windows won’t be able to recognize or use it as a print processor.

Also, the INF file you used should’ve added a registry entry to make the print processor available. You can check the registry to see if it’s listed under:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Environments\Windows x64\Print Processors

If you don’t see your Watermark print processor there, that’s probably why it’s missing in the settings.

You might need to manually add the print processor if something didn’t go quite right. This involves copying the DLL to the System32 directory and making sure the registry entries are in place.

Once you’ve done that, try restarting the Print Spooler service to see if it picks up the new processor. You can do that by running:

net stop spooler
net start spooler

If it’s still not showing up, you might want to uninstall the driver with pnputil /delete-driver oem42.inf and then try reinstalling it, just to make sure everything is set up correctly.

Let me know how it goes!