.inf File Sections

An .inf file has multiple sections to describe the installation tasks, as described in the following table. In an .inf file, sections are indicated by the section name enclosed in brackets. Not all of the sections are required to create a valid .inf file.

Section Required Description
Version Yes The application's creator and version.
CEStrings Yes String substitutions for application and directory names. The string must be in uppercase.
Strings No String definitions for one or more strings.
CEDevice Yes The device platform for which the application is targeted.
DefaultInstall Yes The default installation of the application.
SourceDisksNames Yes The name and path of the disk on which the application resides.
SourceDisksFiles Yes The name and path of the files in which the application resides.
DestinationDirs Yes The names and paths of the destination directories for the application on the target device.
CopyFiles Yes Default files to copy to the target device.
AddReg No Keys and values that the .cab file will add to the registry on the device.
Note   We recommend that installed applications use the HKCU\Software\ branch of the registry to store information.
CEShortCuts No Shortcuts that the installation application creates on the device.

Note   Information about entries for each section can be found on MSDN by searching for the section name.

See Also

.inf Files | Information File Creation

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