[Pyron]

@bilemke:
As far as I know, textmode-setup writes all neccessary information to a file called $winnt$.inf. I fiddled with it a bit, but lost interest, although it looks alot like winnt.sif.
I'll attach a zip with two of these files, one of unattended mode, one normal. Maybe it helps.

--
Pyron

Attached File(s)

•  winnt.inf.zip (843bytes)
  Number of downloads: 246

[bilemke]

Thanks for the info Pyron.. It has been a while since I looked in to the files made after the text based portion of setup that the gui portion uses. I suppose there is a chance we could have a batch file (with echo and find string, if they would function correctly so early in setup) change $winnt$.inf to match the needs of each person. This way we could make it seem to windows setup that it was an unattended setup for text setup portion (so f6 can be used if desired, without error) and then still gain the benefits of unattended install (mainly key/serial integration).

[bilemke]

BTW.. googling for $winnt$.sif.. already found something usefull.

here

Got me to thinking, I foregot the file is left in isntall folder after install is done.

Here is mine

[Proxy]
Proxy_Enable=0
Use_Same_Proxy=0

[URL]
Home_Page=http://www.google.com

[Branding]
BrandIEUsingUnattended=Yes

[Components]
msmsgs=Off
msnexplr=Off

[Display]
BitsPerPel=16
Xresolution=1024
YResolution=768

[Networking]
InstallDefaultComponents=Yes

[Identification]
JoinWorkgroup="WORKGROUP"

[GuiUnattended]
TimeZone=20
OemSkipWelcome=1

[UserData]
ProductID=
FullName=""
OrgName=""
productkey=

[Unattended]
UnattendMode=ProvideDefault
OemPreinstall=Yes
OemPnPDriversPath=Drivers\006_storage;Drivers\006_storage\3ware;Drivers\006_storage\3ware\6000;Drivers\006_storage\3ware\7k&8k;Drivers\006_storage\acard;Drivers\006_storage\acard\6280;Drivers\006_storage\acard\6290;Drivers\006_storage\acard\67160;Drivers\006_storage\acard\671x;Drivers\006_storage\acard\6880;Drivers\006_storage\acard\6890;Drivers\006_storage\acard\68x5;Drivers\006_storage\adaptec;Drivers\006_storage\adaptec\aac;Drivers\006_storage\adaptec\aar1210;Drivers\006_storage\adaptec\i2o;Drivers\006_storage\adaptec\u160;Drivers\006_storage\adaptec\u320;Drivers\006_storage\adaptec\u320r;Drivers\006_storage\ali;Drivers\006_storage\amd;Drivers\006_storage\highpoint;Drivers\006_storage\highpoint\hpt366;Drivers\006_storage\highpoint\hpt371;Drivers\006_storage\highpoint\hpt374;Drivers\006_storage\highpoint\hpt3xx;Drivers\006_storage\highpoint\rr182x;Drivers\006_storage\intel;Drivers\006_storage\intel\eide;Drivers\006_storage\intel\sataraid;Drivers\006_storage\intel\u320r;Drivers\006_storage\ite;Drivers\006_storage\lsilogic;Drivers\006_storage\lsilogic\megaide;Drivers\006_storage\lsilogic\mraid35x;Drivers\006_storage\lsilogic\mylex;Drivers\006_storage\lsilogic\symmpi;Drivers\006_storage\nvidia;Drivers\006_storage\nvidia\eide;Drivers\006_storage\nvidia\raid;Drivers\006_storage\promise;Drivers\006_storage\promise\fasttrak;Drivers\006_storage\promise\fasttx2k;Drivers\006_storage\promise\sx4000;Drivers\006_storage\promise\sx6000;Drivers\006_storage\promise\ulsata;Drivers\006_storage\promise\ultra;Drivers\006_storage\qlogic;Drivers\006_storage\qlogic\12160;Drivers\006_storage\siimage;Drivers\006_storage\siimage\3112;Drivers\006_storage\siimage\3112r;Drivers\006_storage\siimage\3114;Drivers\006_storage\siimage\3114r;Drivers\006_storage\siimage\3124;Drivers\006_storage\siimage\3124r;Drivers\006_storage\siimage\649r;Drivers\006_storage\siimage\680;Drivers\006_storage\siimage\680r;Drivers\006_storage\sis;Drivers\006_storage\sis\eide;Drivers\006_storage\sis\raid;Drivers\006_storage\via;Drivers\006_storage\via\eide;Drivers\006_storage\via\ideraid;Drivers\006_storage\via\miniport;Drivers\006_storage\via\sataraid;
TargetPath=\WINDOWS
Repartition=No
UnattendSwitch=no
DriverSigningPolicy=Ignore

[Data]
floppylessbootpath=no
producttype=winnt
standardserverupgrade=no
winntupgrade=no
win9xupgrade=no
win31upgrade=no
sourcepath=\device\cdrom0\
MsDosInitiated=0
UnattendedInstall=yes
AutoPartition=0
dospath=F:\

Note the lack of product id info.. Setup must strip this out at the end of setup process. Depending if we can use commands like echo and something to replace strings in the file (and when exactly setup reads info from this file) it should work... Do you know if echo works that early in setup?

[ovilla2001]

Did someone already test this solution with SP2?
When I tried this solution (that solved lots of problems) I found out that in T-8 Windows detect that setup.exe has a bad signature and try to recover the right file.
Of course that is not possible and Windows just give up after 20 minutes.....

Could be possible the following workarounds:
1- in the HD, swap setup.exe and setuporg.exe before t-8 (maybe in t-12 or changing setup.exe)?
2- change the progrm name that is run in startup (setupchanged.exe)?

Is the source code of setup.exe (the changed file) available?

Thanks
OVilla

[Pyron]

1 - You probably cannot change the setup.exe during installation, because it is in use by that time
2 - Renaming the program won't help, because that is the key to the whole thing. Windows Setup starts "setup.exe" and I don't think we can change that.

I slipstreamed SP2RC2 yesterday and did not have such a problem. I have to check it again, maybe SFC is turned off in my unattended CD.

BTW: I don't have the original sourcecode anymore, I changed it around a bit since I wrote my little guide. Here is my current version:

#include "windows.h"
int APIENTRY WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance,
                     HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
                     LPSTR     lpCmdLine,
                     int       nCmdShow )
{

	SHELLEXECUTEINFO mySHELLEXECUTEINFO;

	mySHELLEXECUTEINFO.cbSize=sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO);
	mySHELLEXECUTEINFO.fMask=SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS;
	mySHELLEXECUTEINFO.hwnd=NULL;
	mySHELLEXECUTEINFO.lpVerb="Open";
	mySHELLEXECUTEINFO.lpFile="cmd.exe";
	mySHELLEXECUTEINFO.lpParameters="/C setup.cmd";
	mySHELLEXECUTEINFO.lpDirectory=".";
	mySHELLEXECUTEINFO.nShow=NULL; // or SW_SHOW;

	ShellExecuteEx(&mySHELLEXECUTEINFO);
	WaitForSingleObject(mySHELLEXECUTEINFO.hProcess,INFINITE);

	return 0;
}

The main difference is that I don't start setupORG.exe directly anymore but from the setup.cmd (formerly presetup.cmd). That gives me a bit more flexibility and helps in producing silent installation packages.

I use mingw for my small compiling needs:

gcc -mwindows -Os -s -o setup.exe setup.cpp

That's it.
--
Pyron

[ovilla2001]

well....I working since 3AM.

The last "solution" that I tried was in presetup.cmd delete setup.exe, rename setuporg.exe and reset de system (setup.exe is loaded in memory but I can delete the file.... weird... but worked fine).

In the next boot system will run the original setup.exe and in t-9, t-8.... (seems that some kind of timeout is acting in this point) don´t will take so long to conclude (and event viewer don´t show that setup.exe has a bad signature and windows can´t restore the original file).

Of course I am working with the OPK RC2 (build 2163).
The things can change in the final release....

Thanks
OVilla

[bilemke]

Perhaps.. can we change what setup.exe loads sooner.. That way we can leave the original setup.exe as setup.exe and have Pyron's work be called something besides setup.exe and just make the boot process start it instead?

I am looking for what calls setup.exe to begin with.. to see if we can change it to a difference file name..

Anyone have any insight on this?

[ovilla2001]

That is what I was trying to suggest with my poor english Bilemke.
But, for awhile, I could to implement the following solution:

1-Run the new setup.exe
2- Setup. exe starts presetup.cmd
3- I run what I need (in fact, I am running an app asking for a 2nd. CD where I have lots of drivers)
4- in the CMD I run:

ren setup.exe setup1.exe (I can´t delete the file but I can rename... very weird)
ren setuporg.exe setup.exe
start /wait setup.exe (that is the original setup)
exit

After that, everything is working fine!

But I am not using the final release version.......
Who knows what more the Microsoft guys will change.

O. Villa

[bilemke]

@ovilla2001

Sounds close, renaming the exe will nearly be impossible.. Once it is loaded in to memory renaming or moving it will be impossible. If it could tell you at this point. it would say something like "File in use".

I am looking for what makes the call to setup.exe... The special something that would normally call the stock setup.exe, and make it run a different file name. That way we never have to rename setup.exe to begin with.

[ovilla2001]

Yes Bilimke, I know that... but believe me... the rename command worked (and I really don´t know why I can to do that). When I try to execute delete command I got a denied access error message but it accept the rename operation. I AM NOT CRAZY!

I agreed with you that a better solution is find who is calling setup.exe and where (and how) I can change that. But.... if I know Microsoft... thats can be wrotten in code amd not in a inf/ini/sif file.

OVilla

[bilemke]

@ovilla2001

ah-ha
No harm intended.. Rename command worked.... weird... After sp2 is release for xp in the coming days (i hope) I will finish digging into this. I am currently trying to get setup to see a product key using Pyron's little gift by tracking down where the key gets stored (if anyware beyond winnt.sif/$winnt$.sif). My primary goal is to get away from using a unnattended .sif file all together but still have drivers and such. The prodcut key is the only one I can see being a problem without putting it in a unattended setup file. Everything else can be accomplished using the other key moments int he setup time line.

[Alanoll]

ovilla2001, on Aug 4 2004, 05:26 PM, said:

That is what I was trying to suggest with my poor english Bilemke.
But, for awhile, I could to implement the following solution:

1-Run the new setup.exe
2- Setup. exe starts presetup.cmd
3- I run what I need (in fact, I am running an app asking for a 2nd. CD where I have lots of drivers)
4- in the CMD I run:

ren setup.exe setup1.exe (I can´t delete the file but I can rename... very weird)
ren setuporg.exe setup.exe
start /wait setup.exe (that is the original setup)
exit

After that, everything is working fine!

But I am not using the final release version.......
Who knows what more the Microsoft guys will change.

O. Villa 

just curious why you didn't just copy setuporg.exe instead of copying and then calling?

[ovilla2001]

Alanoll

Well, how I worte before, in T-8 (or sometime close), my OPK build 2163 seems be checking for Windows XP signatures (maybe trying to avoid hacks). If Windows XP doens´t find the original SETUP.EXE in the HD, it takes almost 20 minutes trying to recover the original SETUP.EXE. After that, I have lots of events in the event log regarding the bad signature and sigverif also indicate a bad signature.

Renaming the file before, Windows will think that everything is right....

Is it clear? Maybe the final release will have another behavior.



OVILLA

[Alanoll]

no no, I understand the renaming (i believe I'm running into that problem as well) but I didn't understand why you then executed the new SETUP.EXE?

You rename setuporg.exe to setup.exe, and then execute. It kinda of redundant as teh original setup.exe (from this thread, no fromCD) will call setuporg.exe after presetup.cmd has finished. So wouldn't just copying over setup.exe be enough?

[Pyron]

After renaming setupORG.exe to setup.exe it cannot be started anymore, as its name is not setupORG.exe anymore...yes it is confusing...
Maybe he is using the code I posted a page ago.
I think I will update the guide when I get home. (EDIT: Probably later. A nice little box just arrived for me. It is labeled "DOOM3"... )

--
Pyron

[Alanoll]

it may be neccesary. Atleast for me....
I still haven't gotten it working.

When i try the renaming thing, and then calling start /wait setup.exe, I get error saying "Go to Control Panel to add/remove components". When I make a copy of it, setup still hangs.

[Pyron]

BTW: It has to be started like this:

setup.exe -newsetup

Maybe you missed the parameter?

--
Pyron

[Alanoll]

I shall add that.....
And yes I did miss that. Atleast, untill I read it this morning at 10am here. I was just reading the previous renaming thing, and didn't think to look back at the first post I did see it (-newsetup) in the logs this morning and was going to try it. Thanks Pyron.

[Pyron]

I attach the exetutable I am currently using.
It is still called setup.exe, it still runs presetup.cmd, you just have to include the call to the original setupORG.exe yourself.

It would work like this:
presetup.cmd

%systemdrive%
cd %systemroot%\system32
if exist setup.exe ren setup.exe setupold.exe
if exist setupORG.exe ren setupORG.exe setup.exe
start /WAIT setup.exe -newsetup

--
Pyron

Attached File(s)

•  setup.zip (2.62K)
  Number of downloads: 399

[sezz]

does it work with sp2 (final) now?