Windows Driver Kit: Device Installation
Creating INF Files for Multiple Platforms and Operating Systems
By using system-defined platform extensions to INF file sections and directives, you can create a single INF file for cross-platform installations and cross–operating system installations. The extensions enable you to create decorated section names, which specify which sections and directives are relevant to each platform and operating system. For example, you can create an INF file that installs a device only on x64-based systems, only on Itanium-based systems, only on x86-based systems, or on all systems that are supported by Microsoft Windows 2000 and later.
The following table summarizes the system-supported platform extensions that can be added to the names of sections that support extensions.
| Platform extension | Use |
| .ntamd64 | The section contains instructions for installing a device or set of device-compatible models on x64-based systems that are supported by Windows XP and later. |
| .ntia64 | The section contains instructions for installing a device or set of device-compatible models on Itanium-based systems that are supported by Windows XP and later. |
| .ntx86 | The section contains instructions for installing a device or set of device-compatible models on x86-based systems that are supported by Windows 2000 and later. |
| .nt | The section contains instructions for installing a device or set of device-compatible models on all systems that are supported by Windows 2000 and later. |
| (no platform extension) | The section contains instructions for installing a device or set of device-compatible models on all systems that are supported by Windows 98 and later. |
For more information about how to use INF file platform extensions for cross–operating system installations, see the following topics:
For an example of how to use INF file platform extensions to support cross-platform installations, see Cross-Platform INF Files.
For information about how to use platform extensions in combination with section name extensions, see Combining Platform Extensions With Other Section Name Extensions.
For information about how to organize driver files on distribution media when the driver targets multiple operating system versions, see Creating Directories for Driver Distribution Media.