[Mandy]

I have a problem. My first problem is that I do not know how my former colleague created the PE-CD that we are using. Unfortunately he is on vacation and cannot be reached.

When I boot the servers with the PE-CD it says "Loading Ramdisk Image"
After that, for about 1 sec, you can see "Loading Windows PE" flashing and then a .cmd script starts. in this case ghost8 (32bit version)
If I abort the script I can see that the CD label is "BART PE"

This behaviour is not like BartPE or WinPE CDs. Does anyone know what this bootable CD is?

The reason I have to change this CD is that I need different drivers for some new servers. I've tried both WinPE and BartPE to accomplish this and my major problem is that I cannot eject the CD and insert another one. With the Bootable CD my colleague made, I can do this.

If I look at the CD in explorer I see the following:

i386 folder
restore.iso file
winnt.sif file

The restore.iso file contains:
label BART PE
i386 folder
programs folder

My first option is to build the same CD with different drivers
Second option is to build a similiar PE-CD with different drivers

The CD must be bootable
A .cmd script should autostart
Must be able to eject CD and insert another one

How can I accomplish this?

I know it is many questions a the same time but I really need this to work and I only have a few days

All ideas and info are most appreciated!

[paxamime]

That is a Barts PE and is a older version (probably 1.5).

As far as needing to modify it I would discourage you from doing so with that version. The best (and legal) way to do it would be to upgrade to the new PE 2.0 and customize it your self. Microsoft has some issues with Bart PE being used for commercial usage.

[Mandy]

paxamime, on Apr 12 2007, 05:37 PM, said:

That is a Barts PE and is a older version (probably 1.5).

As far as needing to modify it I would discourage you from doing so with that version. The best (and legal) way to do it would be to upgrade to the new PE 2.0 and customize it your self. Microsoft has some issues with Bart PE being used for commercial usage.

Ok, thanks for the info.

Is it possible to do what I want to do with WinPE 2.0?

• A .cmd script should autostart
  
• Must be able to eject CD and insert another one

[jaclaz]

Just for the record:
1) There is NO known way in the world, setting aside tarots and crystal balls, to determine from the info Mandy posted which version of Bart PE it is, not even approximately, however "recent" (meaning since 2003) history of BartPE starts at 3.0.0 :
http://www.nu2.nu/pe...der/changes.txt
There were however a WinPE v1.5 and a WinPE v1.6 before current WinPE 2.0 (Vista based), but if the label saus BartPE it should actually be BartPE

2)

paxamime said:

Microsoft has some issues with Bart PE being used for commercial usage.

The above is a generic and apodictical nonsense.
Microsoft has NO issues over the using of BartPE for Personal or Commercial usage if the corresponding XP or server 2003 licenses are legal and valid and if there is NO concurrent usage of the SAME licensed OS.
See this:
http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/#licensing

3) What Mandy wants to do is perfectly possible (and legal, within the provisions of the license terms above) with BartPE, UBCD4WIN, Winbuilder AND WinPE 1.5/1.6/2.0.

Funny enough, licensing of WinPE 1.x has been for years "reserved" to Microsoft partners and OEM and only recently became publicly available, under the presumption that a "normal" customer building his own system is a OEM of sorts:
http://www.msfn.org/...showtopic=10315
http://www.msfn.org/...showtopic=56488

@Mandy
The real problem seems to me that it is NOT a wizard type procedure in which you press "Next" a number of times and you have your CD working as you want it, nor something that can be explained in a few lines post.

It involves understanding the basics of the innards of a PE build, then proceed by trial and error until you get what you want....
...you will need to search, read and understand a number of posts, here on msfn.org, on 911CD forum and possibly on boot-land.net before being able to even start a build.

Since you want to be able to eject bootCD and insert another one, what you are looking for is RAMDISK or SDI/VDK booting , but as said you have a long path before you.

Maybe, just maybe the easiest projects for newbies (no offence intended ) like you would be the ones based on Winbuilder, which however is still in Beta stage:
VistaPE:
http://www.boot-land...istaPE-f51.html
or PicoXP/NativeEx:
http://www.boot-land...LiveXP-f52.html

Both "standard" BartPE and WinPE have been developed as "bare" Pre-installation Environments or emergency recovery, and, while being without "bells and whistles" need some work to add features, if you need/want a more "XP like" bootCD, Reatogo:
http://www.reatogo.de/REATOGO.htm
or UBCD4WIN:
http://www.ubcd4win.com/
are better and they are more "mature" than the projects on boot-land.net, which on the other hand, have the advantage that, being newish and as said experimental, might provide better support....


jaclaz

[twalk482]

Quote

Is it possible to do what I want to do with WinPE 2.0?

A .cmd script should autostart
Must be able to eject CD and insert another one

Yes,

The startnet.cmd is the name of the file that autostarts (which you can customize)

Also, the default behavior of WINPE 2.0 is to load a "WIM" file into RAM, so CD Swapping is allowed (by a human of course, WINPE 2.0 doesn't swap the CD's for you ).

This post has been edited by twalk482: 12 April 2007 - 02:51 PM

[Mandy]

Thanks for the info jaclaz and twalk482

I will do some reading tomorrow!

[jaclaz]

twalk482 said:

Also, the default behavior of WINPE 2.0 is to load a "WIM" file into RAM, so CD Swapping is allowed (by a human of course, WINPE 2.0 doesn't swap the CD's for you )

FYI, this can be solved as well , as long as you have some Lego pieces, some plywood and a few more surplus parts around, and quite a bit of time :
http://www.redfrontd...cd-changer.html

and there is even a solution if the CD does not work as expected :
http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-ga...lego-cd-thrower

jaclaz

[twalk482]

And since we are completely off thread topic now, I can't think of anything better than loading CD's into this Lego PC

We should start work on "Lego PE"

[Mandy]

Ok, problem solved.

I created a new Bart PE iso which I customized to suit my needs.
When the bootcd starts, the whole iso image is loaded as a ramdisk.

Works like a charm!

[jaclaz]

@Mandy

Happy everything is fine.

@twalk482

Quote

And since we are completely off thread topic now, I can't think of anything better than loading CD's into this Lego PC

Well, that is really nice , I wouldn't dare attempting building one like that, expecially mouse, monitor and keyboard !
However something like this is simpler and more playful, very good as a PC for a kid:
http://www.mini-itx....ojects/legobox/

Cheers,

jaclaz

[betamax]

Mandy, on Apr 13 2007, 11:08 AM, said:

Ok, problem solved.

I created a new Bart PE iso which I customized to suit my needs.
When the bootcd starts, the whole iso image is loaded as a ramdisk.

Works like a charm!

Wait wait wait wait wait wait!
Wait........



Wait.

How did you load the cd as a ramdisk? Can you post your startnet.cmd?