Hi everyone

If you like Windows 2000 please read on

I was very disappointed (but not suprised) to learn, that Microsoft did not release Service Pack 5 for Windows 2000. So I decided to actually do something about it: for the past months I've been collecting Windows 2000 hotfixes from everywhere, and - not counting the security updates on WU - I got a total of 168 hotfixes. Good for me, eh? Not really. Deploying or integrating 168 hotfixes is a nightmare beyond belief. And doing this the documented way, Windows 2000 Pro won't even fit on a CD anymore. So I've spent most of my spare time writing a hotfix repacking tool (code name Hotstream). With this tool I can combine all 168 hotfixes into a single hotfix - fully automated. It's not just a matter of determining file versions, there's much more to it.

Anyway, the 168 hotfixes take up 218 MB, and the combined version takes up only 30 MB.

But I need YOUR help to get the last 32 hotfixes before this Unofficial Windows 2000 Post-SP4 package is complete. (Microsoft are sick and tired of having me on the phone all the time, so I won't be able to get any more hotfixes for some time).

If you wanna help me, let me know in a PM ! It won't cost you anything but a few minutes of your time.

Best,
Gurgelmeyer

It sound interresting. I am interresting in updating my W2K CD & your idea look promising.

but first, I think you have to attach a file in which you state the updates you have integrated in Hotstram Project.

And since I am a french user I hope you explain how did you do that to help us create other languages of Hotsteam

Coool, your Idea is wonderful

I'm not sure but hasn't Microsoft put a roll-up package out for Beta on this? If that is the case then your life should be a lot easier. Of course, the package is probably going to be the size of a Service Pack when it's all over with. Then the trimming can commence.

Microsoft will only do a Security Rollup with very few non-security hotfixes included. If only they would include all hotfixes (making it a non-cumulative SP) I would be very happy.

Well, here's the complete list of hotfixes included in my update:

Edit: no need for this list anymore

I don't want to mention the ones I miss (except in a PM), because I don't want Microsoft to know. Also, together the above hotfixes replace a lot more hotfixes.

I could easily build non-english packages as well - but I only have the english versions of the hotfixes at the moment.

Best,
Gurgelmeyer

www.autopatcher.com,


but nice work tho, keep it up

Thanks

I know autopatcher, but it does not include all these updates. Also, some of the hotfixes in AP have been reposted/refreshed by Microsoft. AP mostly got the old versions. And finally, many of the updates I have are released after AP 2000.

But I did get two (2) of the hotfixes above from AP

Also I don't think AP uses this installer...

Have you checked out my method of integrated the hotfixes? All you have to do is drop the various hotfixes in a folder and run the cmd file. It will slipstream any hotfix you have.

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=32125

Gurgelmayer, this is not dis-courage you or something.....
But I hope you do know of the official Win2k post SP4 update roll-up ?


It has all of these and more, and beta1 is out!

It has all these hotfixes + more?? This is WONDERFUL news to me ! I'll join the beta program right away. Thank you for letting me know this



Best,
Gurgelmeyer

This is extremely interesting! I am definately going to try it.

I am thinking about doing an "Option Pack" for 2K containing IE6, WMP9, DX9C, MSXML2-4, MDAC 2.8, .NET FW 1.1, etc etc.

@Gurgelmeyer
Please don't listen to prathapml

tommyp method for slipstreaming IE6SP1 works great but only replace IE5, OE & WAB but what about the others components update...

Let me know if you need help and some infos. If i could help you, i would be the unofficial number one supporter of your project.

Although M$ should release a rollup package, i prefer to learn by myself with help of others how to update my favorite OS.

@ Bilou: What components aren't updated in my method?

tommyp - I think Bilou is referring to all the hotfixes

As mentioned I'm planning an "option pack" too - but that's a seperate project, although I'm probably going to reuse the update.exe installer and wrap it up as a traditional hotfix.

Apart from using Microsoft's own update.exe I also use the sfxcab.exe. My only problem is the /integrate option. /integrate fails because I include more than one security catalog. But it's more efficient to manually slipstream my Post-SP4 Update 2.0 (soon 3.0) anyway.

Greetings
Gurgelmeyer

My method does ALL the hotfixes and integrates IE6, without using a svcpack folder.

Yes - that's why your method is so COOL

Maybe you can help me "repack" IE6?

@tommyp


No, i was refering to "Recommended Updates" to:
directX 7.0
MDAC 2.53
WMP 6.4

Most users always want the latest available version, although it's not necessary needed but they want WU claims: "Woooahhh, your PC is Up2Date and you have 0 recommended update to install".

Not beeing a hardcore gamer, DirectX 8.1b is just perfect for me, and there is better alternative to WMP but i need to run an updated MDAC >= 2.71 on my computer to use a database application.

You're method is nice and i recommend to all 2K users (some of them just discover it after i've posted about it) but in my case, you only apply the HF to MDAC2.53 and i need to upgrade to 2.71 and then apply HF.

If i could achieve the same for MDAC as you've made for IE6, it would make my life easier.

@Gurgelmeyer
Don't see any flag under your avatar.
Wärest du ein deutscher Bürger ?
Ich habe diesen deutscher Universität Internet-Adresse gefunden here
I speak very badly German, please post your messages in English

tommyp - Just for your info I have had your IE6 slipstream post bookmarked long before I even joinen MSFN

Und nein, Ich bin nicht deutsch, aber Ich kann doch ein bischen deutsch sprechen und lesen natürlich. Ich habe jetzt eine Avatar. (Translation pending )

Anyway, repacking or slipstreaming MDAC 2.71 SP1a with latest security update (if any) included is not too complicated at all as far as I can see. Maybe I'll make a guide.

Interesting things they have at the University - I'm waiting for some stuff to finish downloading

Best,
Gurgelmeyer

Hi,

Well, it turned out that the stuff I downloaded was mostly security updates. I got two more updates - but I still miss 30 updates for W2K. Voulenteers wanted

I'll get back on the MDAC/DX/IE6/MSXML/NETFW/WMP component issues, one I figure out how to "repack" them as type 1 fixes

Wow!

HUGE project! Don't loose the motivation!

Thanks

For W2K Pro the Update is almost complete - it's a matter of collecting only a few more hotfixes. My build process is fully automated - that's what my Hotstream application is for - so adding/removing hotfixes is trivial. But I'm gonna "sit" on the update just a little longer - I need to be sure what's in the upcoming Update Rollup, and that it won't cause problems.

Trust me - I am extremly motivated to finish both an Unofficial Post-SP4 Update and an Unofficial Post-SP4 Option Pack

Hmmm.... I've obtained a list of the files in the pre-beta version, and it seemed to have most security fixes (the Type1 ones) and only very few hotfixes (I spotted three). Still it's only a pre-beta, and I haven't got it myself, but >90% of all Post-SP4 files (from the individual hotfixes) are not in the Microsoft rollup. If I had it I could probably add it to my own update rollup. Does it have a filename... anyone!?

what would be nice i think is if someone was able to borrow a few xp features, i'm sure a lot will disagree with me, but i really like system restore, and the picture preview program.

those are about the only 2 things i prefer in xp, and i miss them in 2000

wonder if its possible to take out the security centre and those other nifty sp2 things, well, ok, just the popup stopped and activex stopper thing and put them as unoffical sp5, i thought ie for 2000 and xp was the same?


not that i'm telling anyone to do, just i think it would be neat, if i had hte patience i'd look into it myself, but ware do you get information on these things from?

Stead,
to add things in 2k to take it closer to XP is almost impossible. Also, XP is a better OS under the covers (and over the covers too ). About the only complaint people have is that XP has too many features and an extravagant interface. So now just nLite your winxp to remove all the things you don't want, and strip it down to the slimness of win2k.

nLite can be found from trhis forum's index page...

Well, I did have a very close look at WMP10 once. It appears to use some entry points in KERNEL32.DLL, which are not available in 2k. Two of those entry points seem to be related to WPA-checking, and a third one to obtaining a GeoId (Microsoft could easily have used other API entrypoints to get that info, or at least do a GetProcAddress on it, and skip it if it's unavailable). The sad thing is, that the entrypoints required by WMP10 are not really necessary for the program to operate - they are probably there just to make sure that WMP10 does NOT operate under NT4/2K/9x.

Well, so much about WMP10 - I have not examined SR and IE6SP2 yet. They might not have the same ... err.... "requirements".

What conserns me the most are actually not so much the technical aspects as the legal aspects of redistributing XP binaries. I don't wanna do anything illegal.

if you don't modify the files you don't have nothing to take care. anyway i've read from m$ that they aren't going to pursuit people sharing patched files (like uxtheme.dll), even being illegal. if you use them is at your own risk

Really? COOL

IE6SP2/WMP10/SR just got back on my to-do list

Just a quick update: I got all hotfixes for W2K Professional. Server fixes will just have to wait.

Now I'll devote my time to the Option Pack - and when the good Redmonians decide to get their update rollup RTW I'll release the whole thing (again: I don't want to give MS any opportunity to deliberately make their last major update for W2K incompatible with my update). No more chit chat for now - got stuff to do it seems...

autopatcher is only for w2k+sp4
one for sp3 would be good if possible

IMHO: AP is a "monster" - I'm trying to make somthing that appeals to professional users like myself.

Anyway, my Option Pack won't require SP4.

So are you writing an application to update a SP4 clean installed machine? Or a program to slipstream?

OK - just to clarify a bit:

I have also written a large app named Hotstream, which automatically analyzes any amount of Type 1 fixes and creates a new Type1 hotfix that truely combines them all.

1 - Using Hotstream I combine all known Type 1 fixes for W2K into ONE - an Unofficial Post-Service Pack 4 Update x (seen in the screenshots)
2 - I'm working on an Option Pack which will contain all the components usually downloaded from WU (MDAC,MSXML,IE6,WMP etc etc). It will be a single Type 1 hotfix too, and install all components with their latest updates in one operation.

The Post-SP4 Update can be installed AND safely uninstalled on any W2K machine running SP4 - it doesn't have to be a clean install. It can also be manually slipstreamed - but I'll probably write a slipstreamer utility, or make /integrate work.

The Option Pack will require SP3 only and may also be installed and safely uninstalled on any W2K machine. And slipstreamed.

Both the Post-SP4 update and the Option Pack uses Microsoft's own hotfix installer to get the job done right. Another thing - and I'm a bit proud of this - is, that neither the Post SP-4 update nor the Option Pack will break ANY security catalog from Microsoft, nor do they mess with the system file protection. I use the File Signature Verification Utility to verify this.

That's great going Gurgelmeyer!
Waiting for release....

If you need help along the way while making it, do not hesitate to ask!

Thanx, prathapml

So far things are going well - but if anyone are good (and I mean *really* good) at reading/creating .inf files I could definately use a little help to speed up things with the option pack. All the setup .inf's for each component need to be manually rewritten to fit the servicepack-like layout expected by update.exe. This takes time. MDAC 2.7 SP1a has no less than 6 .inf's....

Hmm....
I know that RyanVM is very good with INFs. And I also know that he is being asked to make his XPSP2 update pack manually installable (which your installer could do). Probably the two of you could join efforts? Dunno.... Let's hope he reads this thread.

Update - the Option Pack is coming along fine. I've been in COM Hell for a few days now, but things are clearing up. I now have MDAC ready for the Option Pack and it uninstalls perfectly too - unlike Microsoft's own MDAC package, which cannot uninstall at all.

Also got a few more server fixes for the Update Pack.

wow, uxtheme.dll! you just have to make modification for win2000! Really cool project! Good Luck in that!

Thanks, Shadow_Fi

It's hard to get the Themes service running in 2k. Often thought about it thoug. Maybe I'll make a "Power Pack" too with stuff from XP.

Update: I just received the last missing hotfixes for 2K. Now I have ALL hotfixes for 2000 Pro + Server + Adv Server + Dtc Server + Windows Powered (rare edition of 2K).

I'll get on with the Option Pack now. Got a few hotfixes for MDAC and XML3 SP5 + XML4 SP2 to add, and I also need to handle MDAC 2.6 upgrades.

Hard but not impossible? Windows 2000 is ugly, so it would be cool if you would be able to make new look for it. Anyways, the project rocks, and i am waiting for release. Regards.

Where can i get the sfxcab.exe from M$ or how can i build M$ like SFX.

SFXCAB packaging is not documented by Microsoft, and there is absolutely no information available from Microsoft about it. I had to find out how to build SFXCAB's all by myself. It was not uncomplicated, and required some of the rather obscure information provided on CAB's in a document from 1997 - part of the CABSDK.

I can tell you this much:

1 - The SFXCAB.EXE - the executable hotfix container/expander - is part of every Type 1 hotfix you download from Microsoft
2 - The big difference between SFXCAB (Type 1) and WExtract (aka IExpress) (Type 2) packages is, that in an SFXCAB the actual file cabinet (.CAB) is stored within the PE image itself, and in a WExtract the file cabinet and other information is stored as resources attached to the executable.
3 - The file cabinets - in both SFXCAB and WExtract - are compressed with LZX 21 compression. You can create such a cabinet file with the CABARC.EXE tool. Look here.

Generally SFXCAB's are only useful if you know how UPDATE.EXE works, and if you know about cryptography. Also, you will need some programming skills to help UPDATE.EXE overcome some of its limitations

It's not a problem if my SFX is not digitally signed. I don't edit the inf file and neither break the digital signature. What i want to achieve is just extracting 30x Windows2000-KB<number>-x86-<language>-express.exe, keep the needed files in ROOT (empty.cat spmsg.dll spuninst.exe) and in UPDATE folder (eula.txt spcustom.dll update.exe) of the extracted HotFix and build a single SFX which i can extract where i want. then i will write a batch file which take each update.inf update.ver and KB<number>.cat files from the HotFixes, copy the three files in UPDATE folder and launch UPDATE.EXE /Q /U /O /N /Z

I have already checked this method to install HotFixes from SVCPACK using extrac32.exe and cab files with a batch, just having to deal with some delay between each command.
but i would like to use a "Microsoft" SFX for the first part of the process.
It can help me saving space because it 's stupid to:
having 30x SFX containing the same 6 files + 3 different files and launching 30x SFX to install HotFix
If we can extract the 6 files one time from a single SFX, and then issuing a command (batch file) that put the 3 files from each Hotfix in UPDATE folder, launch UPDATE.EXE, then delete the 3 files, put the 3 next, and so on...

I already know the GreenMachine method with cabarc.exe and looks as an alternative if i can't find another solution.
If you can put me in the right direction to create such single SFXCAB...

So, as i understood, no one will even try to make uxtheme.dll for Win2000? Anyways, can you Gurgelmeyer, think about how to make all Win2000 icons look antialiased? Then, it would be pretty fun if with your pack would install shell32.dll with WinXP icons, or something like that. Then would be cool, if some one would make small util, that would came with your pack.. I mean something like TuneXP, coz there is very handy option, " ultra fast booting ". Would be cool to have this function in Windows. Just ideas

Bilou_Gateux - check your PM's

Shadow_Fi - I'll look into it - but I can't promise anything, ok

Great Well how far is your project right now? I can be you beta tester

Hi

Just a quick update: MDAC 2.71 (aka 2.7 SP1 refresh) + Q832483 + MSXML 3.0 SP5 + WSCRIPT 5.6 are now in the Option Pack. MDAC was complicated beyond belief - especially doing a safe uninstall. Next on my list are MSXML 4.0 SP2 + KB832414 + a few more base components of the same kind, but I've got the hang of it now, so it probably won't take more than an hour or two. The real fun starts soon, because I'll try to add IE6SP1 + OE6SP1 + .NET FW 1.1 SPx + WMP9 + DX9c + KBwhateverarethemostrecentonesforthosecomponentsthesedays. Any more suggestions for the Windows 2000 Option Pack are welcomed - but I'll not add anything from XP, because those things belong in a Windows 2000 Power Pack (which I'll probably do later).

Shadow_Fi - if you want to test the Option Pack for me just send me a PM with a g/email address

soldier1st - the Option Pack only requires SP3. Happy?

The actual Post SP4 Update Pack (the one with the hotfixes) is not part of the Option Pack, but it is already being tested thoroughly (not by myself).

Hi all

I've changed my standpoint on XP components. Basically because I really miss some of the XP stuff not in 2k. So please post whatever you'll like to see in the upcoming Unofficial Windows 2000 Service Pack 5, and I'll look into it.

XP components that I've already looked into include: WMP10, Themes Service, SHELL32.DLL, and EXPLORER.EXE. They don't run, I know why, and I don't have the time to do anything about it just now. Sry - I might make a generic middle layer for XP applications so they'll ALL run - but that's quite a project itself.

I definately want remote desktop myself - I sorta can't live without it for much longer.

any news about a release date?

Hi,

The complete unfficial SP5 (which includes all the non-security hotfixes) won't be out until Microsoft's own Update Rollup is RTW, because they have to be 100% compatible. Also I need to work on the /integrate option.

Hope to have the Option Pack with all Security related hotfixes ready next month. Beta period will not be long, so hopefully it's final no later than May.

I'm working like crazy on this project - but it is very important to me to get everything right.

Best regards,
Gurgelmeyer

it will work with nlite?