[Version] Signature="$WINDOWS NT$" Class=USB DriverVer=04/13/2026,1.2.3.0 CatalogFile=mydevice.cat
To the uninitiated, an INF file looks like a jumble of code. However, it is highly structured, acting as a script for the Windows Setup API. An INF installation doesn't just "install" software; it maps hardware to software.
"An INF file is essentially a recipe," explains a senior systems engineer. "It doesn't contain the ingredients (the driver binaries) inside it; it tells the cook (Windows) how to use the ingredients to build the dish (the functioning device)."