[JFX]

Doodoo, on 14 August 2012 - 02:27 AM, said:

So here is what I do. Within XP, I create a virtual HDD image, say XP.IMG (could be VHD as it's nearly the same thing). Mount it as a virtual drive with ImDisk.
Then I configure WinNTSetup to use the virtual drive as a target disk, and to inject the WinVBlock driver ("Add Driver" checkbox). So far so good.

Next, first reboot. Said XP.IMG is now mounted as virtual HDD by Grub4Dos. Chainload NTLDR on the physical HDD to start setup.
TXT-mode setup goes well....till the phase "Windows is Starting". At this point it greets me with something like "the setup temporary files cannot be found and cannot continue".

Any clue what the problem might be ?

Seems the driver integration don't work for a virtual driver like winvblock, it will be skipped and Txtsetup will get a problem.

But if you boot this img with Grub4Dos, why not use a virtual F6 floppy with winvblock files?

This post has been edited by JFX: 09 March 2013 - 10:18 AM

[Doodoo]

JFX, on 14 August 2012 - 04:23 AM, said:

But if you boot this img with Grub4Dos, why not use a virtual F6 floppy with winvblock files?

Yes of course that's always possible and it's been reported to work. I didn't try it because I thought the driver integration would do the job....

JFX, on 14 August 2012 - 04:23 AM, said:

Seems the driver integration don't work for a virtual driver like winvblock, it will be skipped and Txtsetup will get a problem.

Yes I've also come to that conclusion. I'm not an expert, and perhaps I'm not looking where I should, but when I look in $WIN_NT$.~BT on the boot drive, there is no sign of winvblk32.sys although I would expect to find it there....
Is there a fundamental problem to make the driver integration work with WinVBlock ? or is this some sort of bug / incompatibility ? At least can WinVBlock be integrated manually (if yes, how) ?
Would the driver integration work with e.g. SATA drivers for physical hardware ?

This post has been edited by Doodoo: 14 August 2012 - 07:49 AM

[Doodoo]

Doodoo, on 14 August 2012 - 07:44 AM, said:

At least can WinVBlock be integrated manually (if yes, how) ?

In fact it can even be automated: http://reboot.pro/81...400#entry148258
Is that something that could be integrated into WinNTSetup ? Seems like something useful and not only cosmetic.

[JFX]

Doodoo, on 14 August 2012 - 07:44 AM, said:

Is there a fundamental problem to make the driver integration work with WinVBlock ? or is this some sort of bug / incompatibility ? At least can WinVBlock be integrated manually (if yes, how) ?
Would the driver integration work with e.g. SATA drivers for physical hardware ?

MSSTMake can integrate Massstorage drivers, for physically existing devices and so far is the best app to do this.
It just don't recognize drivers like WinVBlock.


IntegrateDrv surely is interesting, but has a few week points:

- it's only thought to integrate 1 single driver, no recrusiv adding of drivers
- no silent automation, it ask my to choose 1 of 23 "drivers" for my Intel Storage
- accepts only one target, but $WIN_NT$.~BT and $WIN_NT$.~LS can be on different partitions

[Doodoo]

JFX, on 14 August 2012 - 12:26 PM, said:

MSSTMake can integrate Massstorage drivers, for physically existing devices and so far is the best app to do this.
It just don't recognize drivers like WinVBlock.

Any idea what it would it take to work around the problem (if possible at all) ? Would a tweaked INF file solve the issue ? Or is it just wishful thinking ?

JFX, on 14 August 2012 - 12:26 PM, said:

IntegrateDrv surely is interesting, but has a few week points:

Yes indeed it's not perfect... but the source code is available ! As usual it's a question of time more than a question of skill... but I suppose it could easily be integrated in WinNTSetup and improved at the same time :-)

JFX, on 14 August 2012 - 12:26 PM, said:

- accepts only one target, but $WIN_NT$.~BT and $WIN_NT$.~LS can be on different partitions

Yes I've experienced it myself... It just doesn't like that....
Perhaps the simplest solution is to keep MSSTMake as the default tool, and only use IntegrateDrv for problematic drivers such as WinVBlock ? (anyone tried FiraDisk ?)

[JFX]

Doodoo, on 14 August 2012 - 01:20 PM, said:

Any idea what it would it take to work around the problem (if possible at all) ? Would a tweaked INF file solve the issue ? Or is it just wishful thinking ?

Can't say, as I not sure how MSSTMake works exactly, WinNTSetup only merges the information into the windows source.

Doodoo, on 14 August 2012 - 01:20 PM, said:

Perhaps the simplest solution is to keep MSSTMake as the default tool, and only use IntegrateDrv for problematic drivers such as WinVBlock ? (anyone tried FiraDisk ?)

How to decide what is a problematic driver? Just guessing that a driver rejected by MSSTMake can be integrated with force (as IntegrateDrv does) is OK, could cause other problems.

Doodoo, on 14 August 2012 - 01:20 PM, said:

Yes indeed it's not perfect... but the source code is available ! As usual it's a question of time more than a question of skill... but I suppose it could easily be integrated in WinNTSetup and improved at the same time :-)

Well, if someone is volunteer to create an improved and small app, I would like to integrated it, but personally have no free time at all.

This post has been edited by JFX: 09 March 2013 - 10:18 AM

[Scampy82]

From Google translator...
Sorry maybe offtop.
It is impossible to establish Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate. "Error:2 failed to applying the Systemimage!" In what a mistake? Used different images install.wim. Program version 2.2
Thanks

[JFX]

Hi Sampy82,

Error: 2 usually means that an error occurred while read or write from disk.

Maybe there is a problem with your harddisk or an antivirus software blocking the apply process

This post has been edited by JFX: 09 March 2013 - 10:18 AM

[Scampy82]

Hi JFX,
You are probably right that matter in a disk, but I checked on liveCD Windows. The antivirus isn't established. Everything is developed on version 2.3 beta 4, but setup not started
I will try to test on other disk



With other disk Error:2

This post has been edited by Scampy82: 16 August 2012 - 04:57 AM

[Atari800XL]

OK, so I'm doing a lot of Windows 8 testing, and WinNTSetup is proving once again to be a WONDERFUL tool!!!

Just two things I'd like to bring up:

(1) I guess WinNTSetup is now officially "Windows 8 ready"? So in the upper right corner (on the tab) you can add a "8" so it reads "Vista/7/2008/8"?

(2) I am testing with different ISO's, one is an Enterprise version (MSDN) with only one image in the Install.wim. The other is a Core/Pro version, so I had to add "wimindex:2" to the command line. But I can't get this to work. Now, from past experience, this must be something I'm doing wrong, but still I wanted to ask you if you're aware of problems with the -wimindex commandline switch?

Thanks! I love WinNTSetup!!!!!


EDIT: Did a little more testing with a Win8 All-In-One DVD (usually not my favorite, but this one was interesting for me, because it also has NET35 integrated, which I like. So until I figure out how to do that myself, I'll keep this one). It has these "images" in the wim:

Index : 1 Name : Windows 8
Description : Select to install Windows 8 (32-bits).
Index : 2 Name : Windows 8 Pro
Description : Select to install Windows 8 Pro (32-bits).
Index : 3 Name : Windows 8 Enterprise
Description : Select to install Windows 8 Enterprise (32-bits).
Index : 4 Name : Windows 8
Description : Select to install Windows 8 (64-bits).
Index : 5 Name : Windows 8 Pro
Description : Select to install Windows 8 Pro (64-bits).
Index : 6 Name : Windows 8 Enterprise
Description : Select to install Windows 8 Enterprise (64-bits).

Two things happen when I run WinNTSetup and use the /wimindex: commandline option:
(1) The description of the selected version under "Select location of install.wim file" is not automatically adjusted (it only corects itself after I manually pick the same or a different image in the dropdown box)

(2) /wimindex:1 doesn't work, it selects the 3rd image!? (Enterprise 32bit)
All the others (wimindex:2 through 6) work (except for the description)

This post has been edited by Atari800XL: 19 August 2012 - 02:30 PM

[JFX]

Atari800XL, on 18 August 2012 - 09:03 AM, said:

(1) I guess WinNTSetup is now officially "Windows 8 ready"? So in the upper right corner (on the tab) you can add a "8" so it reads "Vista/7/2008/8"?

Yes, it's time to add "8" and "2012" to the tab, as fully supported OS.

Atari800XL, on 18 August 2012 - 09:03 AM, said:

(2) I am testing with different ISO's, one is an Enterprise version (MSDN) with only one image in the Install.wim. The other is a Core/Pro version, so I had to add "wimindex:2" to the command line. But I can't get this to work. Now, from past experience, this must be something I'm doing wrong, but still I wanted to ask you if you're aware of problems with the -wimindex commandline switch?

Oh, could reproduce it. Must have happed while I changed the WIM stuff. Combo box starts with 0, but wim index start with 1.
Seems I put that vice versa again

Booth should be fixed now in RC1.

This post has been edited by JFX: 09 March 2013 - 10:19 AM

[Atari800XL]

JFX, on 19 August 2012 - 01:19 PM, said:

it's time to add "8" and "2012" to the tab, as fully supported OS.

Now with 25% more OS Support!

JFX, on 19 August 2012 - 01:19 PM, said:

Booth should be fixed now in RC1.

The correct index is now used. THANKS!!!

....but the description of the index (under "Select location of the install.wim file") still doesn't correspond to the selected image (right after launching with the /wimindex: switch)!
[I mentioned it in my edited post above]

I guess the last one's only cosmetic, so once again: Thanks!

This post has been edited by Atari800XL: 19 August 2012 - 02:29 PM

[JFX]

Okay fixed now, no version changed this time.

This post has been edited by JFX: 09 March 2013 - 10:19 AM

[Atari800XL]

JFX, I really don't know how to thank you anymore!!!!

Now I can use the Windows AIO ISO to select from 6 editions, with just one keystroke (in WinPE_SE).
Thanks to your latest adjustments, the correct image from the ISO is selected (and properly described)!

AMAZING!!! All OS's, Apps, backups etc. etc. on just **one** bootable USB. Pure magic, thanks to JFX!!!

This post has been edited by Atari800XL: 20 August 2012 - 04:49 AM

[Atari800XL]

JFX:
I know I'm pushing my luck here, but as you are already on "Release Candidates", I have 1 more cosmetic thing to ask:

As I was using the Windows AIO ISO I mentioned above, this is what's displayed in the "Edition" dropdown"

Windows 8
Windows 8 Pro
Windows 8 Enterprise
Windows 8
Windows 8 Pro
Windows 8 Enterprise

The first three are 32bit, the last three are 64bit. The description on top of the WinNTSetup screen then shows you more details. But would it be possible to add the "bitness" also *inside* the dropdown? This would be very clear, and avoid selecting the wrong version. Something like the standard Windows setup list? (You know, where it says "Operating System | Architecture | Date modified" - even though I don't think we'll need that *date* column). Maybe only 32-bit or 64-bit, to prevent the "double/ identical" names like the list above?

Thanks!

[JFX]

Good idea

If there are different architectures inside a wim file, they now marked in the dropdown box.

This post has been edited by JFX: 09 March 2013 - 10:19 AM

[Atari800XL]

Thanks!! WinNTSetup=Perfect!

[BTW: Nice touch to only diplay the "bits" when there's actually two different types. No need to "clutter" the list when they're all the same... Hadn't even thought about that. Shows us who's the genious....]

This post has been edited by Atari800XL: 22 August 2012 - 11:04 AM

[JFX]

Update: Version 2.3.0.0

- full Windows 8 support
- rewritten command line parsing
- rewritten WIM file operations (up to 10% faster NT6.x install)
- System Reserved partition now hidden in new installation
- added system menu tools
- automatically creates a pagefile if not enough RAM available
- new file patching engine, 5 times faster
- UEFI support

Thanks to Atari800XL for reporting so many bugs

This post has been edited by JFX: 09 March 2013 - 10:19 AM

[wimb]

Thanks and Congratulations with the Release of the FINAL Version.

This post has been edited by wimb: 20 September 2012 - 09:32 AM

[Atari800XL]

Thanks JFX, I use WinNTSetup often (several times today), and as you know by now, I really love it!