"A service installation section in this INF is invalid" in Windows: how to fix it

"A service installation section in this INF is invalid" means Windows could not set up the driver service that a driver's INF file asks for. Most often it appears when an Android phone connects as MTP Device and the built-in MTP driver fails to install. Start by picking MTP USB Device by hand in Device Manager.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What "A service installation section in this INF is invalid" means

Every Windows driver comes with an INF file: a plain text file that tells Windows which files to copy and which driver service to create. The part that creates the service is the service installation section. When Windows cannot carry out that section, setup stops. The Update Drivers wizard then shows: "Windows found drivers for your device but encountered an error while attempting to install them." The line under it reads "A service installation section in this INF is invalid."

The wording blames the INF, but the INF itself is rarely broken. On a phone, the built-in Windows file wpdmtp.inf points to Windows Portable Devices parts that are missing, damaged or not yet chosen. With other hardware, the package often asks for a service that this Windows version does not accept.

Error codes

0xE0000217 in the setup log, 0x800F0217 in Windows Update and some installers; the name is SPAPI_E_BAD_SERVICE_INSTALLSECT

Built-in phone driver

C:\Windows\INF\wpdmtp.inf, shown in Device Manager as MTP USB Device under Portable Devices

Failed phone shows as

MTP Device (sometimes the phone's name, such as Galaxy A31 or Redmi 13C) under Other devices with a yellow sign

Setup log

C:\Windows\INF\setupapi.dev.log

Same family of messages

"The INF file you selected does not support this method of installation", "The install class is not present or is invalid", "Invalid INF passed as parameter"

Why the INF service installation fails, from most to least common

Most often Windows picks the wrong or incomplete driver for an Android phone and the MTP setup fails. Less often the PC runs an N edition of Windows, which ships without the Windows Portable Devices parts. Rarely, the driver package does not fit the Windows version, or system files are damaged.

How to fix "A service installation section in this INF is invalid"

Fix 1 solves it for most phone owners and takes five minutes. Keep the phone plugged in and unlocked while you work. Readers with a Wi-Fi card or another device can go straight to Fix 5.

Fix 1. Pick the built-in MTP USB Device driver in Device Manager

5 minutesLow riskAnyone whose Android phone or tablet shows as MTP Device with a yellow sign.

Windows already has the right driver for phones. Choosing it by hand stops Windows from using the generic match that failed, and it is the fix a Microsoft Q&A moderator confirmed for Windows 11.

1. Unlock the phone, swipe down from the top and set the USB connection to File transfer (some phones call it Transferring files or MTP).
2. Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
3. Expand Other devices or Portable Devices and find MTP Device or the phone's name with a yellow sign.
4. Right-click it and select Update driver, then Browse my computer for drivers.
5. Select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer. If Windows first asks for a device type, select Portable Devices and Next.
6. Select MTP USB Device and then Next.
7. Wait for the success message, select Close and open File Explorer > This PC to find the phone.

The general Update driver steps, with Windows 11 screenshots, are in Update, roll back or reinstall a driver.

Fix 2. Install the MTP driver straight from wpdmtp.inf

5 minutesLow riskPhone owners for whom MTP USB Device is missing from the list or Fix 1 failed.

Installing wpdmtp.inf itself registers the MTP driver package again in Windows, which repairs the service section the phone driver depends on.

1. Press Win + E to open File Explorer.
2. Windows 11: select View > Show > Hidden items. Windows 10: open the View tab and tick Hidden items.
3. Go to C:\Windows\INF.
4. Type wpdmtp.inf in the search box in the top right corner.
5. Right-click wpdmtp in the results (on Windows 11 select Show more options first) and select Install. Select Yes if asked.
6. Unplug the phone, plug it in again and repeat Fix 1.

Fix 3. Install the Media Feature Pack on Windows 11 N or Windows 10 N

15 minutes with a restartLow riskPCs whose Windows edition ends in N, such as Windows 11 Pro N or Windows 10 Home N.

Microsoft lists the Windows Portable Devices infrastructure, which talks to devices that use the Media Transfer Protocol, among the parts N editions leave out. Without it the MTP driver cannot install its service.

1. Open Settings > System > About and read Edition under Windows specifications. Continue only if it ends in N.
2. Windows 11 N: open Settings > Apps > Optional features and select View features next to Add an optional feature.
3. Windows 10 N: open Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Optional features and select Add a feature.
4. Find Media Feature Pack, tick it and select Next, then Install (Windows 10: Install).
5. Restart the PC when the install finishes. Windows does not ask you to, but Microsoft says the restart is required.
6. Connect the phone and repeat Fix 1.

Fix 4. Remove the failed device and let Windows detect the phone again

5 minutesLow riskReaders who tried several drivers and get the same message after every reconnect.

Each failed install can leave a half-made device entry that Windows reuses. Removing it gives the MTP driver a clean start on the next connection.

1. In Device Manager, right-click the failed MTP Device and select Uninstall device.
2. If a box Attempt to remove the driver for this device appears, leave it clear for a phone; the MTP driver is part of Windows. Select Uninstall.
3. Unplug the phone and restart the PC.
4. Plug the phone into a USB port directly on the PC with a data cable, not a charge-only cable, and choose File transfer on the phone.
5. If the yellow sign comes back, repeat Fix 1 right away.

Fix 5. Install the maker's driver built for your exact Windows version

10 minutesLow riskWi-Fi, Bluetooth, Arduino or other devices whose own setup ends with the message.

Outside phones, the message usually means the package asks for a service this Windows does not accept. Users report it for Intel BE200 Wi-Fi drivers on Windows Server 2022, a system that package is not made for.

1. Press Win + R, type winver and press Enter. Note the version and whether it says Windows 11, Windows 10 or Windows Server.
2. Open Settings > System > About and read System type: x64-based, or ARM-based processor.
3. On the device maker's support page, or the PC maker's page for a built-in card, download the driver listed for that exact Windows and system type.
4. Uninstall the failed driver first, as in Fix 4, ticking Attempt to remove the driver for this device this time.
5. Run the new setup with Run as administrator, or point Update driver > Browse my computer for drivers at its unpacked folder, and restart.

Fix 6. Repair Windows system files with SFC and DISM

20 minutesLow riskPCs where several devices fail to install, or wpdmtp.inf is missing on a non-N edition.

The MTP driver relies on Windows Portable Devices files that ship with Windows. If those files are damaged, SFC and DISM restore them from a clean copy.

Run DISM first and SFC after it, then restart and repeat Fix 1.

1. Open an elevated command window. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin), or type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.

   

2. Run DISM first. Type the command below and press Enter. DISM downloads clean copies of damaged components from Windows Update, so it can take several minutes. Wait until it says The operation completed successfully.

   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

   

3. Run System File Checker. In the same window, type the command below and press Enter. Do not close the window until the verification reaches 100%.

   sfc /scannow

   

4. Read the result and restart. Compare the last message with the table below this guide, then restart the PC so that repaired files are loaded.

   

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files

Still "INF is invalid": the log to read and when it is the hardware

Windows writes every driver install to C:\Windows\INF\setupapi.dev.log. Open it in Notepad, press Ctrl + End, then search upward for 0xe0000217 or for wpdmtp. The lines just above name the INF and the service Windows tried to create.

• The log names a third-party INF, not wpdmtp.inf: a phone suite or old driver has taken over the phone. Uninstall that phone software in Settings > Apps and repeat Fix 4.
• The phone never appears in Device Manager on any port or cable: the cable is charge-only or the phone's port is faulty. Test with another phone or cable.
• Wi-Fi card on Windows Server: ask the maker whether the card supports Server at all; many consumer cards do not.
• ARM laptop (Snapdragon): only drivers built for ARM64 install. An x64 package cannot.

Prevent the error next time you connect a phone or install a driver

Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025. The fixes above still work on Windows 10 22H2, but a PC that stays on it gets no more security fixes.

Frequently asked questions

What does "a service installation section in this INF is invalid" mean?

It means Windows could not create the driver service that the driver's INF file describes, so the install stopped. The INF is the text file that comes with every driver. With Android phones, the failing file is usually the built-in wpdmtp.inf, and the real cause is a wrong driver choice or missing Windows Portable Devices parts. With other hardware, the package often does not fit the Windows version. Fix 1 solves the phone case for most readers; Fix 5 covers other devices.

How do I fix the MTP device INF invalid error on Windows 11?

Open Device Manager, right-click the MTP Device with the yellow sign and select Update driver. Choose Browse my computer for drivers, then Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer, and select MTP USB Device (Fix 1). If it is missing, install wpdmtp.inf from C:\Windows\INF (Fix 2). If your edition ends in N, install the Media Feature Pack and restart (Fix 3). The steps are the same on Windows 10.

Why does my Samsung, Xiaomi or Redmi phone show this error?

The phone itself is not at fault. Samsung Galaxy phones such as the A31, and Xiaomi or Redmi phones such as the Redmi 13C, all connect to Windows through the same built-in MTP driver. When that Windows driver fails to install, every brand shows the same message. Set the phone to File transfer, then follow Fix 1. Phone maker suites are not needed to copy files, and an old suite driver can even cause the failure.

The message is in Spanish or another language. Is it the same error?

Yes. Spanish Windows shows "Una sección de instalación de servicios en este INF no es válida", and Russian Windows shows "Неправильная секция установки службы в этом INF-файле". Users who search in Vietnamese, Arabic, Thai, Hindi or Indonesian for how to solve it see the same dialog in their language. The fixes on this page apply unchanged; only the menu names are translated. The key choice in Fix 1 is the driver named MTP USB Device, which keeps its name in most languages.

Why do I get this error installing a Wi-Fi driver?

Usually because the package does not fit your Windows. Users report the message with Intel BE200 Wi-Fi drivers on Windows Server 2022, which that consumer package is not built for. It also happens with a 32-bit or x64 package on an ARM PC, or an old package on a new Windows. Check winver and the system type, then download the driver listed for exactly that from the card or PC maker, as in Fix 5.

What is wpdmtp.inf and can I download it?

wpdmtp.inf is the Windows file that installs the MTP USB Device driver for phones, cameras and media players. It lives in C:\Windows\INF and comes with Windows, so you never need to download it. Copies on download sites are unsigned outside their package and can be unsafe. If the file is missing, your edition probably ends in N (install the Media Feature Pack, Fix 3), or system files are damaged (run SFC and DISM, Fix 6).

What does "the INF file you selected does not support this method of installation" mean?

You right-clicked an INF file and chose Install, but that INF has no section for this kind of install. Many device drivers are made only for Device Manager. It is not damage and not the same failure as the service section error. Install the driver through Device Manager instead: right-click the device, select Update driver, then Browse my computer for drivers, and point it at the folder or pick the driver from the list, as in Fix 1.

What do "invalid INF passed as parameter" and "the install class is not present or is invalid" mean?

Both are related SetupAPI messages about a driver package Windows cannot use. "Invalid INF passed as parameter" usually means the file is not a valid driver INF for this device or was changed. "The install class is not present or is invalid" means the INF names a device class this Windows does not know. In both cases the fix is the same as Fix 5: get the maker's package built for your exact Windows version and install it through Device Manager.

Is this error caused by a virus?

Almost never. The message comes from Windows setup and points to a driver package or missing Windows parts. Malware can damage system files, though, so if wpdmtp.inf is missing on a normal edition and SFC finds damage it cannot repair, run a full scan with How to scan for malware with Microsoft Defender. Do not download driver fixers that claim to remove this error; they are not needed for a driver Windows already includes.

Does the error mean my phone or adapter is broken?

No, the message itself is about software. A broken phone port or charge-only cable shows different signs: the phone does not appear in Device Manager at all, or it appears and disappears. If Device Manager shows MTP Device with a yellow sign, the hardware talked to Windows and only the driver failed. The same applies to Wi-Fi cards: the card is detected, but its driver package will not install.