[jaclaz]

Atari800XL, on 22 December 2012 - 09:49 AM, said:

Please confirm (or deny) that the W7/W8 images I mentioned are more hardware-independent....? (While all you friendly geniuses are not away on holiday yet....) Because if they're not, I'm not sure there's a lot of use to them. Please correct me if I'm wrong! I'm just looking for a way to "inject" my OS install images with updates, and have only recentlry learned about doing this with DISM addpackage, and the Audit mode I mentioned. Now I still don't know which way is best... Audit mode looks reasonably convenient, but only if the resulting image is universal!

You do understand how:

• bound to a given HAL/driver set only (moved or plain sysprepped XP)
  
• offline syprepped XP
  
• Win7
  
• Win8
  
• Universal

lie on a logarithmic scale, don't you?
http://en.wikipedia....garithmic_scale

jaclaz

[wimb]

http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=23553

Quote

2. How to prepare XP Setup Source ? - Prepare XP Setup ISO file with integrated UpdatePack and DriverPacks

First Integrate ServicePack SP3 in your XP-SP2 Source (don't use here nLite).
....
RyanVM Integrator was used to Integrate All Updates until okt 2012 (Dutch Update Pack http://www.ryanvm.ne...opic.php?t=8428)
....
Use DPsBase.exe to Integrate DriverPacks Chipset + Processor + MassStorage + LAN + WLAN DriverPacks
....
You should select to Keep The Drivers for Chipset + Processor + MassStorage + LAN
Then WINDOWS\DriverPacks is about 135 MB which is acceptable and provides a lot of extra driver support
which is useful to make XP Universal and adapt easily to very different hardware.

XP Setup Source according to the described procedure works fine with WinNTSetup2

Additionally after XP Setup then Install (= Sysprep) the extra MassStorage Drivers so that they can be used when booting on diifferent hardware.
Install the extra MassStorage Drivers by using USB_XP_Fix.exe or IMG_XP_Compact.exe or IMG_XP_Restore.exe

http://reboot.pro/to...-36#entry163327

WINDOWS\DriverPacks makes XP just as (or even more) powerfull as C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository is doing for Windows 7

This post has been edited by wimb: 22 December 2012 - 01:31 PM

[click-click]

JFX, on 20 December 2012 - 11:01 AM, said:

click-click, on 18 December 2012 - 04:43 PM, said:

Up to now after installing XP, Vista or win7, I was always able to access each system from the other by not hiding the partitions. Now with Win8, those partitions get hidden every time I boot Win8. If I unhide them, Win8 resets those partitions to hidden when booting. How can I fix this so Win8 leaves these partitions alone?

I have setup quite some window 8 multi boot systems, but I never had such partition hide magic

Is there a registry key called HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices\Offline in your registry?

In the meantime Win8 has stopped doing this. I don't know what the original cause was. I did not have that reg entry.
Something kept changing id=07 to id=17.

[vladislays]

Hello JFX, above all thank you for a great program! But in the latest versions have a problem installing XP after reboot "ntldr is missing" in the "old" versions of all right ... And, to make available for download previous versions please.
Thank you!
(Please forgive me for my english, I'm from Ukraine)

This post has been edited by vladislays: 26 December 2012 - 09:57 PM

[JFX]

Hi vladislays,

there is an older version 2.2.1.1 on mediafire link in first post, but I really don't think that the problem is caused by newer version.

[vladislays]

Yes, you're right, looks like a problem in the BIOS to older laptops "Acer"
Thanks again for WinNTSetup!!!

[JFX]

Atari800XL, on 22 December 2012 - 09:49 AM, said:

Please correct me if I'm wrong! I'm just looking for a way to "inject" my OS install images with updates, and have only recentlry learned about doing this with DISM addpackage, and the Audit mode I mentioned. Now I still don't know which way is best... Audit mode looks reasonably convenient, but only if the resulting image is universal!

Audit mode would be the best solution. If you finished with installing updates, enable the "Generalize" check box and shutdown.
Such image captured with imagex or dism can be used with WinNTSetup without any problem.

BTW: here's a wimscript.ini ExclusionList with unneeded files, that I think should not be captured.

[ExclusionList]
\$ntfs.log
\Boot
\BootNXT
\EFI
\Bootmgr
\Recovery
\PerfLogs
\hiberfil.sys
\pagefile.sys
\swapfile.sys
"\System Volume Information"
\$RECYCLE.BIN
\RECYCLER
\Windows\CSC
\Windows\Logs
\Windows\Prefetch
\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
\Windows\Temp
\Windows\WinNTSetup.log
\Windows\WindowsUpdate.log
\Windows\setupact.log
\Windows\setupapi.log
\Windows\setuperr.log

This post has been edited by JFX: 27 December 2012 - 12:23 PM

[Atari800XL]

JFX, quite an unexpected surprise to see you replying to my Audit mode experiments! Thank you.
I'm new to wimscript.ini files, I'll have to look up how they're used, I'll do that tomorrow.
Already found it:
http://technet.micro...y/hh825006.aspx

Now I *did* notice that my "Audit mode - updated" wim files grew quite a bit (30-50%), that was a bit more than I expected from true "integration", but now I'll do the capturing again with the exclusion list. Now you're not saying that /captureimage is so "dumb" to capture the pagefile and swapfile??!
(And yes, I've tested tested the Audit-mode-updated wim files with WinNTSetup, working great. Tested Windows 8 Enterprise, Pro, ProWMC, all in 32 and 64bit).

Today, I did a little experiment with reading HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SystemInformation in WinPESE. It looks like this is only available in PE? It looks like it's not available in "full" Windows. I can use this to check which PC I'm installing on (like the "BIOSVersion" key). Depending on the value, different "drivers.iso" files are mounted (and the driveletter passed on to WinNTSetup). Seems to work quite nicely.

...this is just to let you know that everytime WinNTSetup is surprising me with its power!!

Also, did a little testing on the new DaRT 8.0. JFX, you're probably the best person to ask this: What does DaRT 8.0 have that can't be done with a tool like WinPE_SE, with some nice portable tools?! For one thing, I love having the Diskmanagement GUI!!! (Don't have that my standard WinPE4 yet!).

This post has been edited by Atari800XL: 27 December 2012 - 03:07 PM

[Atari800XL]

Sorry, one addendum:

Could it be that the update files are all kept in:
\Windows\SoftwareDistribution? So it would be save to "delete" them (or not include them in the image). The "update-history" would still be remembered correctly?

Sorry if this might seem offtopic, still, to me it's 100% WinNTSetup related....

This post has been edited by Atari800XL: 27 December 2012 - 03:16 PM

[JFX]

Atari800XL, on 27 December 2012 - 03:06 PM, said:

Now I *did* notice that my "Audit mode - updated" wim files grew quite a bit (30-50%), that was a bit more than I expected from true "integration", but now I'll do the capturing again with the exclusion list. Now you're not saying that /captureimage is so "dumb" to capture the pagefile and swapfile??!

No, it don't capture pagefile, well maybe older imagex captures the new swapfile.sys.
But if you use custom exclusion list you need in include the default one again.
The reason that the install grow so much, is that old components aren't deleted.

Atari800XL, on 27 December 2012 - 03:06 PM, said:

Today, I did a little experiment with reading HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SystemInformation in WinPESE. It looks like this is only available in PE? It looks like it's not available in "full" Windows.

It exist here with usefull data on my full Windows 7, too.

Atari800XL, on 27 December 2012 - 03:06 PM, said:

Also, did a little testing on the new DaRT 8.0. JFX, you're probably the best person to ask this: What does DaRT 8.0 have that can't be done with a tool like WinPE_SE, with some nice portable tools?! For one thing, I love having the Diskmanagement GUI!!! (Don't have that my standard WinPE4 yet!).

Hmm, one special thing of Dart I can think off is the Hotfix uninstaller. Not sure there is any alternative, but actually one very rarely need it.

Atari800XL, on 27 December 2012 - 03:15 PM, said:

Could it be that the update files are all kept in:
\Windows\SoftwareDistribution? So it would be save to "delete" them (or not include them in the image). The "update-history" would still be remembered correctly?

Should be save to delete this folder, it's a temporary download location for updates. Installed updates go into WinSxS folder and are registered in the registry.

This post has been edited by JFX: 28 December 2012 - 04:29 AM

[Atari800XL]

JFX, thanks again, you're the best!!! I promise I will (try to) shut up now, it's just that I've had a few days of vacation, and this was another opportunity to learn a lot of new stuff. For me, WinPE_SE (which of course has a lot of JFX in it!!) and WinNTSetup are among the best tools I ever had the pleasure to use. Just as good or better than my all-time favorites: Semware Editor (used that for almost 25 years now), TCC (/LE, 4dos, 4nt, etc), and "Mini" Office 97 portable (no joke, I still use the 18 exe and dll files, 17,5mb, from 1997, they've produced literally tens of thousands of files over the years, I use Excel and Word only, still works in Windows 8x64). But I digress again...
Have a good 2013, you're my PC-Person Of The Year 2012!!!

This post has been edited by Atari800XL: 28 December 2012 - 06:28 AM

[JFX]

Updated v2.3.3.0 Final

- unattended file selection remembers last location (now command line also)
- better PBR detection
- language detection using default section, instead first found (Thanks wimb)
- if source has EFI boot files, both BCD store are create and used (Thanks wimb)
- Win7 Native USB 3 support check box hidden for non win7 OS installs
- new tweak to disable win8 lockscreen

Happy new year everyone!

This post has been edited by JFX: 09 March 2013 - 10:28 AM

[cy06]

JFX, thanks again,
Let us reach agreement in 2013,Have a good 2013
Happy new year everyone!!！

[wimb]

JFX, on 31 December 2012 - 05:20 AM, said:

Updated v2.3.3.0 Final

Thanks JFX and Happy New Year !

[pytex]

JFX, thank you a lot for the WinNTSetup.

I have an interesting question.
Situation: while preparing the custom Windows 8 wim-image I run the system to the audit-mode by assigning a letter O: (\DosDevices\O: ) to the system-drive (i had to use any letter accept default C: ).
After syspreping all values of the registry key \DosDevices\ were erased.
Now with the normal installation, the system gets the letter C: (as usual).
But if you use the WinNTSetup with this wim-image, the program automatically writes registry key \DosDevices\O: even if an option "mount as" was not used.
Why? Where WinNTSetup reads this letter (used in audit mode) and why it decides to write the value again?
I suppose WinNTSetup does not have to write \DosDevices\ values until it's told to. Or this is like a feature?

Thanks.

vladislays, hi!
it's so nice to meet you here.

This post has been edited by pytex: 03 January 2013 - 06:39 PM

[JFX]

HI pytex,

I don't remember the exact issue without setting DosDevices, but there were some problems.
WinNTSetup always clears the MountedDevices key and calculate DosDevices value for the system drive.
If the user don't specific a letter the last will be used.

It' chosen from registry: Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion, Path

This post has been edited by JFX: 09 March 2013 - 10:29 AM

[vladislays]

pytex, hello! I am also glad to see!
JFX, thanks for the new version!
Happy New Year!

[pytex]

JFX, thanks. I see, it's a feature, WinNTSetup always adds DosDevices value for the system drive (usually \DosDevices\C: )

Now, knowing where it's choosen from, i can manipulate the value.

[pytex]

vladislays,

[click-click]

When I want to install XP I always launch WinNTSetup from Win7 to prepare for the installation on another drive. I noticed that when running C:\Toolbx\WinNTSetup\WinNTSetup2_x86.exe /DisableSFC, it does not set the appropriate flag in the tweaks section. I was under the impression that Disable Windows File Protection would be selected in the Tweaks section.

This post has been edited by click-click: 16 January 2013 - 02:26 PM