Error Message: The Drivers Were Not Successfully Installed (298387)

SYMPTOMS

When you click the Change button to change your display adapter driver, you receive the following error message:

The drivers were not successfully installed. You may not have the required privilege to install a new driver

You may receive this error message even if are logged on as a Local Administrator and you have verified that the Local Administrators group has User Right of Load and Unload Device Drivers.

CAUSE

The Display.inf file may be missing or corrupted. The Display.inf file is usually located in the %windir%\inf folder.

If the %windir%\inf file contains a third-party .inf file, you do not receive the error message described in the "Symptoms" section of this article, but only the third-party video drivers will be listed.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

Extract the Display.in_ file from the I386 folder on the Windows NT 4.0 CD.

The Display.in_ file is the compressed version of the Display.inf file.
Copy the Display.inf file from the I386 folder on the Windows NT 4.0 Setup CD to the %windir%\inf folder.

MORE INFORMATION

If a third-party video driver is installed, it is possible that only the third-party video adapters will be displayed when you click Change, and you do not receive the error message described in the "Symptoms" section of this article. This also indicates the Display.inf file may be corrupted or missing. If third-party drivers do not appear, make sure the 3rdparty.inf file for the display adapter is present in the C:\%windir%\inf directory. Both 3rdparty.inf and Display.inf are listed when you click Change. Some third-party video drivers are included with the retail Windows NT 4.0 CD, in addition to those listed in the Display.inf file. These drivers are listed in the Dispoem.inf file.

NOTE: You receive the error message only if both the Display.inf and the Dispoem.inf file are either corrupted or missing from the %windir%\inf folder.