pe21.003 - a Winbuilder Project

[allanf]

UPDATE 20 Apr 2009:

I was hoping to finish a new improved version before expressing my thanks.

Unfortunately, there are some incompatibility issues with winbuilder and its new developer, and the project has been permanently withdrawn.

..........................................

Hi,

It all started here as a simple script to compare the size of a basic WinPE 2.0 when using different imagex switches such as /commit, /capture, /export.

It has now grown, but is not quite the proverbial monster (although becoming somewhat unwieldy).

A new version of the scripting engine, Winbuilder was recently released, and the pe21 project required considerable modification to comply. An alpha, pe21.003a, was released here. The download includes Winbuilder 076 and the project scripts:

http://pe2.winbuilder.net/pe21.003/pe21.003a/pe21.003a.zip

The other prerequisites are a winpe.wim (x86, amd64 or ia64), a WinPE language pack if required (for earlier pe21 series, but not yet implemented in the new series alpha), and the tools - imagex, peimg, and oscdimg. The project will find these prerequisites if they are present in a default directory structure of an installed Windows AIK.

If any of the optional shells or programs are selected, it is necessary to be online to build the project, because the archive/installer for each of those options will be downloaded from the developer's website during the build. A download will occur one time only and the archive/installer will be stored for future use in a sub-directory of the Winbuilder base directory.

The philosophy was that a developer would at least get a hit from every download when the project is being built. I urge you to also pay a visit to the developers' websites and donate.

There is a 'cheat' to avoid a download. An archive/installer for an optional shell or program can be placed in '<Winbuilder Base Directory>\Projects\pe2ArchiveDir\' provided that the file has the exact same name (version number, etc) as the file identified from the hard-coded URL in the script. I sometimes use older versions renamed to the newer versions shown in the script.

ATM, three optional programs require files to be supplied by a user - Symantec Ghost files in '<Winbuilder Base Directory>\Projects\pe2ArchiveDir\ghost', FastStone Capture (free version no longer available from FS) files extracted to '<Winbuilder Base Directory>\Projects\pe2ArchiveDir\FastStoneCapture', and a set of tools listed as 'mking Tools Collection', which need to be gathered together in accordance with this into '<Winbuilder Base Directory>\Projects\pe2ArchiveDir\mkimg'.

Only some of the optional shells and programs are compatible with x64 Windows PEs.

The earlier series, pe21.00xx for WAIK 1.1, was working OK, except that some download links in the script had gone dead. I updated the links, and later discovered that new releases of some programs didn't work in Windows PE! In other words, I kind of broke it, and lost track. Another reason for the new series.

An even earlier series, pe2.00x for WAIK 1.0 was abandoned when the WAIK 1.1 was released with some extra features and a slightly different installed directory structure.

A vb script used to create shell shortcuts within the mounted WinPE, will most likely trigger an AV warning. If the warning is heeded and the vb blocked, there will be no shortcuts for things like reboot, shutdown, regedit, notepad, etc in the booted WinPE.

The final .iso will be found at '<Winbuilder Base Directory>\ISO\pe21.iso'.

I hope someone might find the project useful.

Best Regards

Edited April 20, 2009 by Tripredacus
cleaned up edit

[allanf]

... a screenshot of the config script's GUI in Winbuilder.

EDIT: Trying to get a better thumbnail...

Edited March 15, 2009 by allanf

[allanf]

... a beta. Includes Language Pack installation from the 'winpe_langpacks\' folder supplied on the Windows AIK DVD. startnet.cmd is now started at boot-time by a RunOnce entry in the WinPE registry - avoids the bbLean bug of starting startup-folder items twice in Vista.

http://pe2.winbuilder.net/pe21.003/pe21.003b/pe21.003b.zip

Install Windows AIK v.1.1, download the .zip and extract to a path with no spaces. Double-click Winbuilder.exe, be online and press 'Play'. The .iso will be found at <Winbuillder Base Directory>\ISO\pe21.iso'.

Also included in the .zip is the pePA.com Project for PortableApps.com®.

Regards

Edited February 28, 2009 by allanf

[allanf]

... a delta. Actually should be alpha 1, alpha 2, alpha 3, etc. because not everything has been tested. Anyway, 'delta' it is! What's next? gamma or epsilon?

Added to the Program Selection Menu:

wimb's U_XP_SET Install from USB

Holger's PENetwork GUI Configuration

lee's ViSplore Amazing Explorer (Thanks to Medevil)

Don Ho's Notepad++ Source Editor (with Context Menu, total notepad.exe Replacement, and Explorer and Hex Editor extra Plugins)

Thomas Kolb's jkDefragStarter GUI. (@Filip - x86 and x64 - No more PA.com! ... ...)

Enabled BGInfo and damian666's Random Wallpaper in the xoblite and bbLean Shells

Slightly modified bbLean's menu

Moved a lot of Registry Settings from Build-time to Boot-time

The Selected File-Manager and Web-Browser are automatically added to emergeDesktop's Launcher

And a few other things ... ...

New Users. Install WAIK 1.1 (release for Vista SP1). Download the following .zip, and extract it to a path without spaces. Double-click Winbuilder.exe and Press 'PLAY'! ... ...

http://pe2.winbuilder.net/pe21.003/pe21.003d/pe21.003d.zip

Old Users. Use Winbuilder's Download Center - pe2.winbuilder.net

EDIT: Forgot to mention that emergeDesktop Development Shell was added for x86 and x64 PEs.

Regards

Edited March 15, 2009 by allanf

[Nuno Brito]

Hello, would it be possible to post a few screenshots?

This would help to give readers a quick idea of what this project is all about, it worked very well out of the box without need to install anything if the WAIK is already installed.

Just a suggestion, you're doing a great work. Keep it up!

[allanf]

Hello, would it be possible to post a few screenshots?

This would help to give readers a quick idea of what this project is all about, it worked very well out of the box without need to install anything if the WAIK is already installed.

Just a suggestion, you're doing a great work. Keep it up!

Thank s Nuno,

I was hoping to post a project update to address an issue with Vista's UAC. Testing simultaneously on Win 7 beta has slowed things down, although WinBuilder is performing very well under the new OS beta.

Here's a screenshot of the WinBuilder Interface showing some of the options that can be selected when building a customized Windows PE 2.1.

Regards

[allanf]

Hi,

A new version compatible with XP and Win7 beta - pe21.003g! (gamma is the third letter. oh well!)

Added to the Programs Selection List:

wincontig Defragmenter

* Double Commander File Manager (has a small error when starting.)

New Users. Download the .zip, extract it, double-click winbuilder.exe and press 'Play'! ... ...

.zip Package including WinBuilder 076

Old Users. Winbuilder's Download Center - pe2.winbuilder.net

More Credits added:

Credits=www.boot-land.net Community, Nightman for VistaPE, damian666 for the Wallpaper, Filip Hasa for x64, wimb for U_XP_SET, Holger for PENetwork, TheHive for the sheep, nikzzzz for cmd tips, ludovici for the Thanks, jaclaz and script-writers everywhere, all the Open Source and Free Program Developers, Microsoft and Nuno Brito.

Thanks

Edited April 8, 2009 by allanf

[varun037]

Great Job!!!

[allanf]

Great Job!!!

Thanks. That means a lot.

I was hoping to finish a new improved version before expressing my thanks.

Unfortunately, there are some incompatibility issues with winbuilder and its new developer, and the project has been permanently withdrawn.

@tripredacus

This thread is now fairly pointless. At your own discretion, you may delete it. I won't bother you again ... ...

Good luck

[Tripredacus]

I will leave it here for now. I do recommend instead of directly linking to a download file, such as your zip previously, that you link to a page that can download your zip instead.

[allanf]

I will leave it here for now. I do recommend instead of directly linking to a download file, such as your zip previously, that you link to a page that can download your zip instead.

OK. But as previously said, the project has been permanently withdrawn. There is no link to post.

BTW. I updated the first post so that readers don't waste their time. I hope it's clear.

Regards