HFSLIP folders. HFEXPERT.

[Oleg_II]

You certanly know about this small red flashing light on your computer

When this light is flashing it means your system works with hard disk - reads something from or writes something on it. And mostly the latter. And Windows just love writing on hard disks! It writes logs, temporary Internet files, temporary system files, temporary program files and so on. And a lot of these temporary files are just cluttering and slowing your system after some period of time.

I have nothing against it, this is your computer but you can reduce this load of work on your hard disk by moving all this (mostly) garbage to the memory and let Windows and your programs use really unlimited in speed access to the memory. And even more of this - seat firmly and fasten the seat-belt please if you have one - if all this garbage is in memory it's gona be disposed of when you turn off the computer! All these recent files, temporary crap and these worms you've just got from the Internet - you won't see it next time you turn on you computer.

This is all about your system security and increasing the speed. Well, of course there are some limitations. But it's worth it

This tutorial was inspired by the posts of Gosh and Bilou Gateux found here 1 and here 2.

I used both methods but prefer Bilou Gateux's one because it uses AR RAM Disk files - freeware, not limited in size, can emulate hard disk (it's important for our purposes) and can be easyly configured through the applet in Control Panel.

I successfully run ramdisk on Windows 2000 Pro but have not tried this method on other versions of Windows. Please post your results if you tried it on Windows XP and Windows 2003.

- = How to get it working = -

What we need for installing Ram Disk unattended with HFSLIP? Please follow these simple steps:

1. Dowload AR RAM Disk from the official site or MajorGeeks site.

2. Run setup.exe for installing the tool on a virtual machine or on your real computer.

3. Use Start>Search>For Files or Folders for getting two files - ramdisk.cpl and ramdisk.sys.

4. Copy this code and past it in a text file, then save this text file as ramdisk.inf. (This INF define ramdisk as disk R:\ with hard disk emulation and the size of 10MB. You can tweak this according to your needs).

ramdisk.inf

[Version]
Signature       = "$Windows NT$"
ClassGUID       = {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}
DriverVer=12/14/1999,5.00.2195.1

[DefaultInstall]
AddReg          = setup
DelReg		= DelReg.RAMDisk

[setup]
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\EventLog\System\ramdisk","EventMessageFile",0x00020002,"%SystemRoot%\System32\IoLogMsg.dll;%SystemRoot%\System32\Drivers\ramdisk.sys"
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\EventLog\System\ramdisk","TypesSupported",0x00010003,7

HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\RAMDISK\0000","Class",0x00000002,"System"
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\RAMDISK\0000","Capabilities",0x00010003,0x00000000
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\RAMDISK\0000","ClassGUID",0x00000002,"{1EFCBBB4-8750-46D8-A754-92D9911DD587}"
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\RAMDISK\0000","ConfigFlags",0x00010003,0x00000000
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\RAMDISK\0000","DeviceDesc",0x00010002,"AR Soft RAM Disk Driver"
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\RAMDISK\0000","Driver",0x00000002,"{1EFCBBB4-8750-46D8-A754-92D9911DD587}\0000"
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\RAMDISK\0000","HardwareID",0x00010002,"RAMDISK"
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\RAMDISK\0000","Mfg",0x00000002,"AR Soft"
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\RAMDISK\0000","Service",0x00000002,"ramdisk"

HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk","DisplayName",0x00000002,"%DISK_SERVICE_DESCRIPTION%"
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk","ErrorControl",0x00010003,1
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk","ImagePath",0x00020002,"system32\DRIVERS\ramdisk.sys"
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk","Start",0x00010003,1
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk","Type",0x00010003,1
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk\Parameters",,0x00000012
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk\Parameters","BootSignature", 0x00010003,41
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk\Parameters","BytesPerSector", 0x00010003,512
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk\Parameters","DiskSize", 0x00010003,10485760
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk\Parameters","DriveLetter",0x00000002,"R:"
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk\Parameters","EmulateLocalDisk", 0x00010003,1
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk\Parameters","ManualOverride", 0x00010003,0
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk\Parameters","RootDirEntries", 0x00010003,512
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk\Parameters","SectorsPerCluster", 0x00010003,2
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk\Parameters","SectorsPerTrack", 0x00010003,32
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk\Parameters","TracksPerCylinder", 0x00010003,2
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk\Parameters","VolumeID", 0x00010003,2147483647
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ramdisk\Parameters","VolumeName",0x00000002,"RAMDISK"

[DelReg.RAMDisk]

[Strings]
;
; Key Descriptors
;
DISK_SERVICE_DESCRIPTION = "AR Soft RAM Disk Service"

5. Place these three files in appropriate folders of HFSLIP (you may need manually create them first):

- ramdisk.inf goes to HFEXPERT\HIVEINSTALL;

- ramdisk.cpl goes to HFEXPERT\WIN\SYSTEM32;

- ramdisk.sys goes to HFEXPERT\WIN\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS.

HFSLIP will take care of the rest and after running it all the files will be slipstreamed and integrated into Windows 2000 installation source.

- = Samples of using RAM Disk = -

First of all I should say that I don't use Internet Explorer but if you are happy user of this program I recommend you to check links above to get some usefull settings for IE cache files.

1. Moving FireFox Cache folder for temporary Internet files to ramdisk.

Type in the address bar about:config and enter these settings:

[Version]
Signature=$CHICAGO$

[DefaultInstall]
AddReg = Reg.Tweaks

[Reg.Tweaks]
; system temporary files
HKCU,"Environment","TEMP",0x20000,"R:\Temp"
HKCU,"Environment","TMP",0x20000,"R:\Temp"
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment","TEMP",0x20000,"R:\Temp"
HKLM,"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment","TMP",0x20000,"R:\Temp"

Limitation: it should be done only after you install all needed programs because some of the programs may just unpack to temporary location and install only on next boot. With temporary files set on ramdisk such programs just won't be installed.

4. You can also explore if you can move LOG files for your programs and windows components on ramdisk too (if you don't need LOG files of course).

If you have some more home-made recepies for using ramdisk and want to share please do it here for us all!

Edited November 2, 2005 by Oleg_II

[Crash&Burn]

Good stuff Oleg

Kinda makes you wonder though, why MOBO manufacturer's haven't come out with designs that incorporate both regular (volatile) ram and non-volatile RAM Disks... or perhaps one of those 3 in 1 floppies with a RAMdisk could be used for this as well, something to try next year when the cash flow is a little better perhaps

Hehe, move the swap to some NVRam...

Edited November 2, 2005 by Crash&Burn

[kalo]

Hey Oleg; have you used Super Speed? I'm pretty amazed at what the trials of this program can do..Very expensive though.

Excellent guide Oleg!! Thanks!

[Oleg_II]

kalo

I can't open the page you are talking about. I opened only one index page from Google's cache. Don't think there is something new with the ramdisk itself. They probably have ideas how to use it for security purposes. Now when you've got ramdisk you can explore its possibilities yourself and share your ideas with us

Edited November 5, 2005 by Oleg_II

[RBCC]

Where do .cat files go? Do they go in the hfexpert folder too? John

[tommyp]

No cat files are needed.

[RBCC]

Tommy:

So alls I need are inf and sys files? What about the cat files that the chip drivers come with? John

[tommyp]

Inf, cpl and sys files. No cat's required. Oleg_2's tutorial works great I must add. I use it all the time in my installs.

[RBCC]

Thank you very much, Tommy! You were a great help!

[Tomalak]

Hello,

out of pure interest: where to get the knowledge from to create such a ramdisk.inf as presented by OlegII in the first post - how can I learn that and find appropriate documentation?

I never had problems with AR Ramdisk and the method presented here, but now I'd like to try another ramdisk, mentioned on this website (it's based on the original MS ramdisk driver):

Gavotte RRamdisk

Of course installing it the regular way after Windows setup is completed is totally out of scope

I guess I could also simply put the .sys file in HFEXPERT\WIN\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS (and add the .exe tools to HFEXPERT\WIN\SYSTEM32), but how to build an appropriate .inf file for HFEXPERT\HIVEINSTALL? Copying the unaltered file to HFEXPERT\CODECS won't be enough I think...

OlegII is a rare visitor nowadays, but perhaps one of the other experts here has an idea and can give some hints and tipps on how to get started on this topic. Thanks a lot!

Regards,

Tomalak

[Oleg_II]

Interesting app

Frankly speaking that time I mostly copied and pasted the methods described by Gosh and Bilou Gateux I often have some ideas but I don't have enough knowledge or skills myself.

I'll try this app in a couple of days (I hope to have a few days off nearly). You can compare included INF file with the INF from the first post - the meanning is the same but in other words (apps INF installs service on the fly but INF from the first post writes the keys of already installed service). I think it should be easy to convert apps INF to INF working with HFSLIP.

PS By the way, there is one more very interesting virtual disk that may be of some interest for you - ImDisk. It can be installed easily and turned on/off at any time. Not sure it can be used for placing temporary files (not tried yet) but it's very handy for mounting all kind of disk images (ISO, IMG, NRG and many more including images of virtual machines).

Edited September 30, 2007 by Oleg_II

[Tomalak]

You can compare included INF file with the INF from the first post - the meaning is the same but in other words (apps INF installs service on the fly but INF from the first post writes the keys of already installed service). I think it should be easy to convert apps INF to INF working with HFSLIP.

Yes, I considered this and will do it as soon as I find some time (Christmas seems feasible ). But it's still plain copying, not understanding - and I'd like to understand at least a little bit of what is going on here. Didn't find a really good and comprehensive inf tutorial yet, explaining also the TXTSETUP.SIF (which is used for the HIVEINSTALL contents according to hfslip.org).

PS By the way, there is one more very interesting virtual disk that may be of some interest for you - ImDisk. It can be installed easily and turned on/off at any time. Not sure it can be used for placing temporary files (not tried yet) but it's very handy for mounting all kind of disk images (ISO, IMG, NRG and many more including images of virtual machines).

Wow, great, thanks for the link! That driver seems to be even better - only a few files, ramdisk functionality (already tested it), and its 2-in-1 functionality allowing to mount image files would additionally replace the virtual cdrom driver and GUI from Microsoft I'm using right now.

The only problem here is the scarce documentation for ImDisk - there is no list of the registry paths and entries used by it (finding out with a snapshot tool before and after installation is possible but tedious). And I'd like to have the ramdisk drive started automatically on system boot without relying on batch files etc. (which I'd consider to be an "ugly" solution).

So the next step for me would be to adapt the inf file from the first post to ImDisk, and then to test it (requiring several installation attempts I guess...) Nothing for today

Tomalak

[Oleg_II]

No need to use INF from the first post - ImgDisk has simple settings, should be much simpler

By the way, it also can handle floppy disks images

[Tomalak]

No need to use INF from the first post - ImgDisk has simple settings, should be much simpler

Yes, already assumed that. But just copying the files of the installer (one .sys, two .exe, one .cpl) to their appropriate locations with the HFEXPERT feature is not enough (first test install yesterday)... The service does not get registered and does not run so I had to use the installer afterwards. Any idea on how to achieve this?

And using my simple (naive?) approach the entries in the context menues (file handlers) are also missing of course.

By the way, it also can handle floppy disks images

Yeah, great - it gets better and better, another tool (vfd) replaced. Thanks again for the hint on ImDisk!

Tomalak

[fenyo]

Hi.

Can a RAMdisk be applied at windows setup time?

It would be good, because i could extract my .NET installers to RAMdisk instead a temp folder on HDD, (from svcpack.inf)

and the installation would be much quicker.

Any ideas for that?