Hello together!


I have currently the problem that my auto-install-CD cannot setup a fully startable Windows 2000 Pro system, it always hangs up when trying to save the settings.

I know that there are logs, but how can i find or read them so that I know the reason why Win setup hangs up?


Regards,

Thilo

You mean Saving Setting as the last part of the Windows setup or during nLite processing?

And please attach the preset for me to try.

I can confirm this issue as happening with both Windows 2000 and Windows XP. Windows setup hangs at "Saving Settings" near the end of GUI setup with the flood bar at about an eighth filled. I am attaching my presets for both XP and 2000.

Just checking to see if anyone else has experienced this issue and if any further help is needed. I have made my presets available for research purposes. Thanks in advance.

I'm having the same error. Does anyone have any idea what might cause it? I'd very much like to have this install

slippykillsticks, I have tried your XP preset but without the addons and it was fine.
Can you please do the same and confirm that it's addons before I download and try them. If you have time, and doing the checks virtually, maybe you could neutralize some. Thx.

I will give it a go.

Hello Nuhi,

I tried to find out what the reason is for the hang-ups, but it seems to be more unclear the time advances.

First of all, I thought the Addons were the reason, and I removed some of them apparently not working under Windows 2000.
Then the system saved the settings, and I changed something.
I added some ELSA ISDN card drivers, and the setup hanged when trying to detect my hardware, then I removed it, and some times later my windows setup stopped again when saving the settings, at 10 percent or less like before...

Some time later, I tried to remove no components, it was possible that the removal of those killed something essential for the saving of settings under W2K.


Like asked, the last_session.ini is added, the settings were named "Neuanfang" in German, or "new beginning";)

Unfortunately, there was no successful beginning...


Isn't there a chance to read the logs unter Windows in general to find out when or why Windows setup hangs up? there are several logs in the windows directory i can export to another drive when pressing "Ctrg-F6" so that the command prompt can be opened...


regards... Thilo

Thilo, that's kinda weird. Don't worry about the hardware detection hanging, that can't be nLite's fault, happens with Windows sometimes, or with some drivers.
About the saving settings, there is no log that I know of, it's a part of setup when Windows checks WFP/SFC, probably filling the dllcache.
Try disabling the SFC, this could be a mistake in the new SFC cleanup.

nuhi,

I have completed a retest using my XP preset on Windows XP, minus addons. I couldn't reproduce the problem. Therefore the problem must be in my addons. My .NET, OpenAL, and InstallShield Addons have not changed recently, but my RyanVM pack/addons have. It must be one of the RyanVM addons.

I will continue my testing with Windows 2000 and report back.

EDIT: I have tested again with Windows 2000 using the same preset but not with addons. Setup locked up at Saving Settings just as before. Additionally, I forgot to mention that I've been getting an error just prior to Performing Final Tasks about "missing sub-component: comsvcs.dll".

Ok now wait until I test the Win2k tomorrow, thx for the help.

Roger that.

I´m quite sure, that it is not an nlite bug.
Using W2K myself, couldn´t reproduce the problem either and tried to help him in the german nlite forum already.
Agi

AgiHammerklau, if I only read your comment before then I wouldn't try it...but I did and it does stop at the saving settings :\

First issue was that the DTC is removed and it's needed for COM+, ok that solved one issue but it wasn't the one causing the hang. I'm on it.

slippykillsticks, I think I got it.
Keep the Network DDE service, that should take care of the hang. If you confirm that component will be hidden in Win2k because it's too much work (involves hacking) for only 60kB. It will stay in XP though.

Also it's very recommended to keep the DTC service if you keep Com+, that will solve that comsvcs error.

Let me know how it goes.

@slippykillsticks
I´m just curious, I saw you´ve got XP drivers in your W2K ini.
Are the nvidia and via drivers W2K and XP compatible ?
Agi

@nuhi,

I retested Windows 2000 keeping Network DDE and DTC services. The COM+ subcomponent error disappeared, but setup still locked at "Saving Settings." I have yet to retest XP. but will do so in the next 24 hours.

Also (and I don't mean to bog you down with problems here), but it appears that nLite does not read preset INI information under the [Options] section (at least when nLiting Windows 2000), because although my typical options are listed in my preset INI, I have to change/enter them manually in nLite each time I do an nLite session.

P.S. I did yet another retest with Windows 2000 just to make sure, and it still hangs at "Saving Settings," despite following your recommendations.

@AgiHammerklau,

The drivers I have chosen work fine in Windows 2000. Sometimes XP drivers work in 2K, AFAIK. Even my Creative X-Fi drivers (which I do not integrate) can be forced via support.cab to install and function normally on Windows 2000.

EDIT: Additional information.

I had a similar problem. I made a image and used in in VMWare and it worked well. Then I decided to change a few of the tweak settings so I fired Nlite up again changed a few things and resaved the ISO. Well for some reason that broke it, it would hang on 9 minutes remaining. So I re-extracted XP and put back my addon and drivers, tweaks and components rebuilt it tried it again in VM and it worked flawlessly. Then I tried it on a PC and it worked!

As a side note, I love this program it is awesome. Thanks for making it.

slippykillsticks, what can i say, I tested it and with NetworkDDE kept it works. I will retry again to be sure, then I yell at you for not using clean files or some other tampering
Btw presets are loaded for all windows the same. What do you change manually?

xenon2050, thanks for the compliment.
Do you maybe recall how would I be able to repeat that issue? Any changes 2 times with SFC kept enabled I presume?

nuhi,

Sorry to still have this topic going. Kind of a hard problem to diagnose, I'm sure.

If it works for you, it should work for me (you programmed the darn thing, for god's sake). I'll run through it again just to make sure I didn't mess it up some other way. After all, the problem went away on XP practically on its own.

Thanks for being patient and for continuing to respond.

My OP in this thread (sorry for hijacking it) was not meant as a complaint. I, like xenon2050, fully appreciate nLite and the effort it must take to both program it (on your own time, no less), support a community for it, and take you-know-what from naysayers and crazies. I thought I had discovered a bug and wanted to voice it. As you can see, I post very rarely to begin with.

Thanks again for your work.

Don't worry about it, the proof that it hanged for me too when Netdde was removed is enough to put you at ease.

Just I'm currently busy, I'll get back to you and we'll solve it. If it hangs for you again with Netdde kept then just wait, or try older versions.

nuhi,

I'll keep my eyes peeled. Thanks again for all your help.

I have the same problem too. I already tested it several times and I follow nuhi's advice but still it doesnt work. Windows XP works perfectly fine on me I even put some addon.

I dont know what to do to this Windows 2000. Please help.

Thanks in advance.

What did you use as source and how did you create it ?
´Cause I see lots of integrated drivers but no SP or Hotfixes.

@Nuhi
Tried to reproduce the error again, with dde removed, but still couldn´t get it to hang.

Used the latest HFSLIP to create the source and the nlite 1.4b to integrate drivers and remove components.
Unfortuanately I deleted the CD RW already, so I can´t post the LSini, sorry.

Agi

EDIT
It seems, that at least Thilo´s problem is selfinflicted and not nlite related, due to creating the source with HFSLIP and placing .NET installers in the wrong folder, using wrong hotfixes, using 64Bit drivers, tinkering with files without the slightest knowledge about them,...

I use the original cd to integrate those drivers. I didn't add hotfixes because I havent seen one yet. Im planning to use this windows2000 to my company. If I able to integrate those it will be a very big help for me.

I hope you guys can help me.

This is the licence agreement, that you accepted when you installed nlite :
Look at point 1 and 5 !



So at least my support ends here.

Agi

You are not alone. I have the exact same problem. Just a few drivers added, no hotfixes.

@Ac men
Please post your LastSessionIni.
What do you mean with "exact the same problem" ?
The "hanging" or that you want to use nlite for a company as well ?
Basically, "Just a few drivers added", is not very clear, ´cause depending on the kind of drivers, their sequence and the method of integration is important.
Agi

Same problem here, I've added a ryanvm package, Intel 82915G/GV/910GL driver and a Broadcom 57XX Gigabit NIC driver, burned the ISO twice, no luck.

Gonna try make an ISO without adding any driver tomorrow.

Dear colleagues,


thanks for your motivation...

I cannot say really what the problem was, because now the problem got solved automatically, I killed my Nlite-partition by experimenting with mkbt.exe, and entered the wrong drive letter...
then I had to place all data for new on my partition, and then it worked... seems as if some Addons and some other event caused to destroy some data, so that nothing went at all before...

Thilo

Uh half of you said it works out of the blue, now you see why I'm having trouble confirming it.
Still haven't dig deep, collecting bugs.

newer, you do realize that this topic is for Win2k and that ryanvm is for XP SP2 only?

Ooooppss!! my mistake I didn't read the license agreement (stupidity excuses no one..LOL)
Anyway lets forget about that lets focus on the real issue here.(nice diversinary tactic..LOL)

Right now Im still trying it and trying to look what is the real cause of the problem.

Heh, sorry about that.

It's the hanging problem. Broadcom/Intel network drivers and Dell perc TXT drivers.

@efrain
Sorry, since I´m not sure, how it´s handled in this forum, I have to stick to my statement.
Because in the german-nlite forum, we have the strict rule, not to give any support, if nlite is used commercially or run on a corporate edition.
If Nuhi or another admin/ mod says, it´s o.k. to give further support, I will do so.

@Ac men
Even though some people say, the sequence doesn´t matter or they never encountered any problems, that´s the one that worked best for me :
RAID/ SATA/ Conrollerdrivers via textmode
chipsetdrivers via inf-method
networkdrivers

The OEMSETUP.inf definetely does NOT belong in the driversection.
What driver does it belong to ?

Agi

Forgot to mention I was making a XpSP2 installation CD, sorry about that, just dont wanna make a similar topic to bother everyone..

I've burned another one without any dirvers and it worked, I'll try nlite1.35 see if there is something wrong between the dirver and the new version.

Its still the same... After I add some drivers and tried installing win2k the saving settings hangs up. I dont know what to do.

Back to the original topic...

I am still getting a hang on "Saving Settings" with both Windows XP and Windows 2000. The strange thing about XP is that the hang is not strictly reproducible, and seems to happen at random. I tested an ISO in Virtual PC and had no hang, but when I burned the same ISO to cd and tried it on my computer I did receive a hang. Very strange, and for the time being I will be using an old ghost image with an nlited (1.3) installation.

After so maaaanny trial and error on nLite v1.4 Beta I decided try the lower version of nLite which is nLite v1.3.5 I use the same presets that I used on nLite v1.4 Beta and guess what it actually works... I think there is a problem on nLite v1.4 Beta. Because every time I remove a components specially on Services and Operating System Options on win2k the saving settings hangs up.

Thanks, efrain.

I had the exact same issue and went back to nlite 1.35 with the exact same settings to complete the installation succesfully.

I have wasted hours and many cds trying to get 1.4 beta to work.

Been a while, just checking to see if any progress has been made on this issue. Still have the problem with nLite 1.4 Beta.

It hangs for me if I remove NetDDE in 2k, that's why it's removed in next version.
Please try next one from tomorrow (1.4RC) and attach here your preset if it still hangs.

Roger that

Nice one!!! Ill try it right away!!!

**UPDATE**

Using the latest non-RC version of nlite resolved the 9-minute install hang. Not sure what the problem is in 1.RC2, but that was definitely the problem.

I am having the EXACT same problem in Windows XP Home SP2 using NLite 1.4RC2. I do NOT have any of the same addons as were shown in the .ini files linked in the first post.

Any resolutions to the Windows XP bug mentioned here?

Just as a refresher, the install runs completely fine until 9 minutes. Then the install hangs while trying to save the settings.

Here is my .ini, just for the record.

Click to view attachment

I am reverting back to nLite 1.3.5 and crossing my fingers that this fixes whatever the problem is.

Again I test all four versions of nLite which is 1.35, 1.4Beta, 1.4RC and 1.4RC2 with the same presets I found out that 1.4RC2 still hangs up during saving settings but not on v1.35.

@efrain
Does this sound familiar :

NEVER use an nlited source again ?

NEVER EVER !!! :
...use an LSini, made with a former Version, to make a new nlite CD !!!


Agi

My oh my.. What I meant is I use the same presets or setting on each version of nlite. Of course I use a un-nLited or VIRGIN I386 source.

Wasn´t meant offensive, if it was, I apologize.

Nuhi announced, that the new Version will be out tonight.
Hope, that will remove your problem

Agi

Not really..

Yeah! Im sure this one is perfect.

Well... I see I'm not alone with this problem... that's a comforting feeling, at least.

Here's my story. Windows 2000 Server SP2. I first tried with the beta, and experienced the hanging at Saving Settings-problem.. Then it was updated to the latest RC2 so I tried that version, same problem.

I spent a full weekend trying to narrow down the cause of the problem, changing a setting at a time, reinstalling (in Virtual PC 2004) again and again and again.. slowly but surely losing my sanity...

I never touched the Network DDE service btw.

But I created a working cd, then changed one , two or three more settings, created another working cd and so on. All was going well, and then BAM.. hanging at saving settings.

So I just recovered the previous cd that I knew was working and decided to label that one "final" and just go with that one... but then what do you know.. hanged at Saving Settings...

So I recovered the cd I made before that one.. and it hanged at Saving Settings... even though it worked then I tried it before!!

So I recovered a very early cd with very few changes, just a few applications removed (Paint etc) and the bonus folders (VALUEADD, BOOTDISK etc).. and hey, it hanged at Saving Settings.

So I just decided it was completely random and gave up.

Is there any point in trying the final version of nLite, is any fix in that one?

Best regards,
a desperate Nebol.