Ok folks...

Changelog:
RC8 Final:
1. Fixed a bug where the IDENT files were not created in the unattended pack of the Tri-Pack option.
2. Fixed other small bugs.
3. ReCompiled the old help file into the program so people can at least learn the basics until I get time to create a new help file. This help file is outdated and there have been some major changes since this help file was created... but it should help give you an understanding of what to do.
Beta5:
1. Added new option in Advanced tab for allowing multiple winnt.sif files. Very cool new feature! Just select a 4 character name, a winnt.sif file and something to add to the boot screen. (PowerPacker auto recognises the type of OS you are using.)
2. Custom pack name option now allows you to add an entry into the boot screen.
3. Fixed bug where the tmp folder was left behind when using the DriverPacks. Now the driverpacks settings file is copied to the %temp% directory and deleted after it is finished.
Beta4:
1. Added support for the new DriverPacks Base.

*Note... in order for the DP to work you must first install the new DP_Base.exe and create a mysettings.ini file through the DP Base. Once you have made your settings file you just select that settings file in the DP section of PowerPacker.

Also a major change you will quickly notice is the new "Advanced" tab. A new advanced feature is the "Run file upon completion" area. This feature is allready built into the RVMIntegrator and now is available in PowerPacker as well. It is very usefult to chain link multiple packaging processes of powerpacker together... or even chain linking powerpacker and the RVMIntegrator together. It is made to help simplify the unattended disc creation. Once you have all of your settings files made for all of the programs... you just start the process and the rest is unattended.

Please report any bugs you may find.



Enjoy!

Here is how to use the DriverPacks:

Anybody tried the new Advanced feature to use multiple winnt.sif files yet? I'm curious to know if it works well. Soon I am gonna try to make a new manual since there have been so many new changes. I'm thinking about creating an online manual if anyone is up to helping me with it?

siginet,

First off great idea on the multi winnt-sifs. also my account is not working
properly at: http://siginet.ryanvm.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=2

same login name: choman

i have been trying to use the new multi, but I have been running into a auto-logon
issue and I am not yet sure of what is causing it. I would be willing to assist with
the new manual but my time is limited. Definitely will chime in when I can.

A few things I would like cleared up are:
1) Do I still need to use the Winnt SIF directory option in the Unattended section
2) Can I store the multiple sifs in a single directory, such as

• sifs/computer1.sif
• sifs/computer2.sif

or do I need to split them out into separate directories

• computer1/winnt.sif
• computer2/winnt.sif

Issues, I think I found an issue with the boot name, in that sometimes it will only
take 3 characters (for example: HMOP).

Suggestion, since 1 is the bare minimum of multiple. Wouldn't it make sense to merge or
collapse the multi-winnt.sif with the "Unattened Section"? That would help keep all the sifs
under one directory, provided I can store them in one directory (which would be nice)

I am sure this is clear as mud and hopefully understandable since I am very tired
thanks to the great party I was at.

Anyways let me know.
choman

You can keep all of your winnt.sifs in one directory. The original winnt.sif must be named winnt.sif but all of the ones you use in the advanced tab can be named anything. I am aware that the Boot Name inputbox is kinda weird. It sometimes only allows 3 characters and sometimes it allows 5 characters. Just make sure you put in 4 characters. I will be looking into this and I will try to make it work the way I want which is to force a user to place 4 characters.

The multiple winnt.sif option is great and it works very well... but I will probably be fine tuning it soon and I will be adding it into the next manual.

Just updated to 1.0 RC8 Final.

Compiled the old manual back into it.

I'm guessing you forgot to do this, but ...

1. Title still says "1.0 RC8 Beta5".
2. There is still a button for Properties under File.
3. Your own powpack.ini file is packed in.

Thanks for notifying me so quickly.

I have silently updated the file since they were all minor fixes.

I'm also waiting for betanews to update their page as well.

This program looks awesome and I can't wait to try it out at work tomorrow. I'm just curious about what programming language you used for this? I've been delving into vb.net 1.1/2.0 for a deployment app and im looking for an alternative...

Autoit3 is becoming a very powerful language to code in. I develope all of my tools in it. I think anything you can do in VB can be done in autoit. Also VB and autoit seem pretty simular in code to me.

I have a question, with the new boot menu you've used is it possible to have a picture?

I used to always just replace the boot directory PP created with my own, and had PP do the hex editing for me, but now it doesn't work that way.

Also, what program are you using for the new boot menu?

AutoIT is a good language, seems like someone mixed visual C and perl together (at least thats what it seems like to me)

Also, I wanna say thank you Sigi for this great program. I used to use flyakite's instructions and you're program is obviously a lot easier.

I'll be uploading RC9 soon. I have fixed a couple of bugs and I think it deserves to be released. There won't be any major differences between RC8 and RC9 but it does fix some bugs. I may name it RC8.1.

Any chance of getting away from the .NET framework?

.net framework has never been needed for any of my tools. Think maybe you've gotten my tool mixed up with someone else.

Hi there,

just came across this nice tool when i was looking for how to use the new BTS base. And hey.. it's great.

Some remarks
When there is a winnt.sif in the source it's taken over to the pack instead of the chosen one. This could be a feature, but according to the settings this behavior is more like a bug. It gave me a real headache with my first PP-cd. Anyways, I think it would be better to choose the winnt.sif by file, not by folder. That way one could give it a more meaningful name and there is no problem to keep all the sif-files together in one folder.

With the first cd, one has no idea what the "boot folder name" might be, so it's difficult to place additional sifs. With Tri-Pack the name is ignored at all and the additional sifs are putten in both the folders. Maybe it could have dynamically labeled checkboxes, so one can check the default/custom name. By the way, i would like to use custom names for Tri-packs, too.

With CDImage, I always use -j1 setting. With XP I've never had any issues and in Explorer it looks nicer with no `screaming` names. With the PP settings I got an issue with my OEM folder, some letter was changed to underscore. Maybe there could be an option for the cdimage arguments?

And last, it seems I'm the only one who does it, but I prefer to put text- and gui parts together in one folder (to avoid the root folder) . It's easily done with a cmd-script, but maybe this option could make its way to PP.

Anyways, Siginet, thanx a lot for this fine tool. It's much more fun with PP than to work with my chaotic script set.
Greetz ente

Thanks for the requests. Some of the stuff you requested is allready planned in future releases. The Advanced options for multiple winnt.sifs is still a little buggy. It works but it is gonna be changed a little to make it much simpler to use.

Sorry I haven't been here lately or been able to test RC8. I've had a lot going on.

Are you almost done with RC9?

Actually I have been pretty busy so I haven't had time to code latley. I did have RC9 almost done but lost it in a hard drive crash.

thanx SigiNet
I'm waiting for the PP RC9
I admired the Multiple-SIF feasture
can I use one sif for booting and the other by installation from inside already installed windows

i.e
1- sif from boot having the next value
UnattendedMode=FullUnattended

2- sif from installation by the ordinary autorun having the next value
UnattendMode=ProvideDefault

any idea how?

Why not just use 2 totally different winnt.sifs?

In the next version of pp there will be enhancements to the multi-winnt.sif feature.