Hi all!

This may seem like a strange post, but please bear with me...

I am trying to build installs for os's; 2000, xp, 2003, but I cannot seem to install them without fatal errors. I use Symantec's Livestate Delivery to install on my clients, which basically is a tool to distribute software to managed computers.

I follow the guides on this site to the letter, using only critical and required patches from Tomcat76's list and ofcourse the latest HFSLIP (60310).

My foremost concern is that HFSLIP does not copy SP4.cab to SOURCESS\i386. How do I verify that all the other SP4 files are copied to the same folder? I have tried to pre-patch SOURCE\i386 with sp4, as well as letting HFSLIP slipstream it, but it gives the same result.

I really love the idea of having this great script to help med in the jungle, but I need some help getting things to work.

Sincerly, Pontus

I am tired so I might be missing something, but here goes.
In HFSLIP, there is an undocumented feature in the program that shows up just before the build process starts... it lets you choose 3 methods of compressing the driver and sp4 cabs via a merge, and three methods without merging them. I am not clear from reading your post that you are selecting options D, E, or F here. SP4.CAB won't be created if you selected to merge driver CABs with choices A, B, or C; perhaps that's what you did?

I have been choosing option 'A' since it should give good overall performance. But even if I choose to merge with 'A', shouldn't the install work? It gives me all kinds of filecopy errors. Also something about missing [files] section of the Setup information file...

Thanks for pointing that out. I thought I understood the meaning of the compression methods, but I missed that. Sorry! Will try that immediately!

Thanks, Pontus

Ok, this time I used option 'E', and recompiled. At install it hung on a copy error of the file mpeg2data.ax. I tracked it down to DirectX so I excluded BDANT.cab and dxnt.cab as well as KB904706. After recompiling again I instead get an error while windows is trying to copy 'spx.cab'... It would seem like a reference to sp4 is missing somewhere?

Thanks for helping me out!

//Pontus

Please attach your error_report.txt.

The latest final version is 60317 (March 17). You can also use the latest test build (60320a) which is stable as far as I'm concerned.

Click to view attachment

Thanks for helping me,

I forgot to mention that I updated to 60317. Sorry for that, I will also try 60320a. I have attached my reportfile. Is there anything besides trying the testbuild I can do in the meantime to help investigate? (I have never attached anything like this before, hope it worked!)

BR, Pontus

Pontus, you need to remove all the punctuation from the names of your folders.

STEP THREE:
Dump your HFSLIP folder into the root of E:\ and your problems should be fixed.

-- Super-Magician

From your previous posts, it's obvious that Symantec's Livestate Delivery uses DOSNET.INF when installing Windows. DOSNET.INF-based installs can't be used when DirectX9 is slipstreamed (because of mpeg2data.ax) and I suppose the same goes for LegitCheckControl (legitcheckcontrol.dll). MSIE6 should be fine but I'm not sure of that.

Please follow Super-Magician's advise and let us know how it goes...

I've got HFSLIP stashed away in: E:\Other Software\nLite\_SlipStream

Since nLite was the first one of these tools I learned about, all my windows-reduction related stuff goes in nLite subfolders.

Hey Tomcat, can you clarify what a DOSNET.INF-based install is for me? I've used the unattended oem-preinstall method of nLite in the past, and if you remove DOSNET.inf it throws lots of errors. I thought all installs required that file, so please clarify what you mean for a newbie.

@Kramy

As far as I know, it is used when the installation is initiated through winnt.exe (floppy disk) or winnt32.exe (installation from within a running Windows).

The errors you get when removing DOSNET.INF and doing a regular CD-based install (boot off CD) are probably due to DOSNET.INF being a "protected file". You need to hack some DLLs to shush Windows setup.

Hi again,

I did as you suggested, and moved the hfslip folder to the root of E: (E:\hfslip). The problem with copying spx.cab still persists though. Just for the sake of investigation, I will copy the source I just built to a cd and make a manual installation... I'll let you know.

What does the fact that windows tries to copy 'SPx.cab' mean?

Thanks, Pontus

Dosnet is only needed if doing winnt.exe or winnt32.exe as TC76 stated. However, it is not a protected file. Layout.inf is a protected file.

If you are running a winnt.exe or winnt32.exe install command and you are getting copy errors with spx.cab, please post your dosnet.inf so we can fix the script. Thanks!

Click to view attachmentI made a bootable cd and installed my build manually with winnt.exe, and the same copyerror was still there. I have attached my dosnet.inf. Would this mean that DX9 could work this way also?

Thanks guys! Pontus

I don't see anything wrong with the DOSNET.INF file. Do you still get copy errors when booting off the CD (ie, do a regular install)?

BTW... The "x" in "spx.cab" doesn't stand for a random number; it's an actual "x".

When you integrate SP4, SP4.CAB is created in the i386 folder. This package contains newer versions of files in DRIVER.CAB but MS didn't feel like updating DRIVER.CAB for you directly as it may use quite a bit of CPU power to do so. SPX.CAB contains newer versions of files in DRIVER.CAB and SP4.CAB which came with the hotfixes that you include.

I have no idea if it's related, but os2fan2 says you need a line added to dosnet.inf for installs done under windows...I think.

Ok, I really have no idea, but it's worth a shot.

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=69937

If only that line needs to be added, try the latest test release (60322a).

Yes, I still do have the copyerror... As I mentioned above I made a 'regular' install from cd built with 60317. I will rebuild with 60322a and retry.

I didn't know that about spx.cab...

I still have the same error using 60322a, installing from cd.

Just to be extra clear; I get to accept the license and chose to convert to NTFS, and in the following filecopy phase the error occurs...

Thanks for your help so far!
Pontus

Is spx.cab present in the SOURCESS\I386 folder?

Could I have your latest DRVINDEX.INF and TXTSETUP.SIF files (SOURCESS\I386)?

A few things were changed in the latest test release (60324c) which may fix the problems you are having. If they don't, I will have to conclude that HFSLIP is not compatible with Symantec Livestate Delivery at this point. I don't have that program so it's difficult for me to pinpoint the cause of the issue(s).

I'd still like to have a look at the DRVINDEX.INF and TXTSETUP.SIF files from the SOURCESS folder after running 60324c. Maybe I overlooked something...

Hi,
There seem to be a little misunderstanding... When I get this error, I do a regular (manual) CD installation - thus Livestate is not involved at all.

BUT, using 60322a (last week) and compress option 'B' I had success!! I finally could install from CD, so I tried with Livestate as well and - It worked ! The only problem is a minor; WU reports kb823353 not to be installed.

However,
using 60326f and option 'E' does still not work, installing from CD. The copy error is persistent and the files you wanted is attached.

Thanks, Pontus

Click to view attachment

You said: "I made a bootable cd and installed my build manually with winnt.exe"

I wanted to know if you still got the error when booting off the CD (ie, no floppy or winnt.exe involved)


Just to be sure: the copy error during Windows installation is one for SPX.CAB?

Do you install Livestate after Windows installation completes or is it integrated on the CD?

Pontus--

Please try the new "special" test release. There are two versions in one package. Please follow the instructions (right below the download link) and report back. Thanks.

Sorry, my mistake. I will try what you suggest. I haven't made the iso before since I don't need it, but will for testing. And yes, after removing dx9 I just have the spx.cab copy error (using compress opt E)

Thanks and sorry for the confusion.
Pontus

These scripts (60327a-spx) both failed in the first filecopy on file 'wind_w.chm'.) I used compress opt 'E'.
I installed from the isos created by HFSLIP. I just wonder where I'm supposed to put smartdrv.exe??

//Pontus

You know... I changed one specific thing in each of those spx releases and they couldn't have caused this new problem.

Are you using CDIMAGE.EXE or MKISOFS.EXE? If the latter, is it a release that needs CYGWIN1.DLL?

Other than that, I'd say try a CHKDSK /R on the drive you're using for HFSLIP.

I used mkisofs.exe without CYGWIN1.DLL.

What seems odd is that if I use option 'B', everything works fine from both iso and Livestate. The disk checks out fine and this installproblem is reproducable on other machines as well (which would indicate the disk is not the issue).

But anyway, I am perfectly happy with the 'B' option. This script is awesome and is a great help in any case!

Thanks for your help!

//Pontus

I once had mistakes on the partition I ran HFSLIP on. I got copy errors during installs and on different computers. A CHKDSK on the drive showed the problems and fixed them (some of the "damaged" files resided in the SOURCE folder). Then I deleted the SOURCE folder and copied the files from CD again. The problem was gone.

I only changed the handling of SPX.CAB in those spx test releases. "wind_w.chm" isn't part of SPX.CAB so a copy problem with this file couldn't have been introduced with those releases.