tarquel

Hi there Check my sig for the model i have btw.. I've had no real problems to speak of. Did lose my partition info at one point but managed to recover it [being a genius and all that lol ] but its been rock solid since last sept. I'd say that if u are thinking of getting one, make sure u get the "3yr warranty and accidental damage" warranty for it - if its an expensive one you are interested in [just to be on the safe side]. Remember that to take a pc to be fixed - u can take it anywhere, but with a laptop, they will charge a fortune so its worth getting the additional warranty so u can take it to a authorised acer repair center. My sister has a cheap one and had to have her HDD replaced [so the guy in pc world said]. I dont think that she needed it replaced, as a simple fresh install of windows would have done the trick, but she did fill the HDD up with stuff - as it was only a 30Gig one - so the 160GB one shes getting is probably worth it lol Anyhow, back on track... EDIT: Forgot to mention that since I got it, i've run it pretty much continually since I had it - thrown many a game at it and reguarly play Final Fantasy Online on it. Lets just say it does everything I need and more - the only thing that isnt great is the video encoding - but that goes with the territory and if you arent likely to do that, then dont worry about it - a model similar to mine you'll treasure Look on the notebook forum link above and check out some of the discussions on the latest models to get an idea of whats hot and whats not Take a look at this very handy site: http://www.notebookforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=135 [this section is for the Acer but go to the root of the forums for lots of different makes and discussion on them] You'll find me make a comment every now and then. All the best. Nath.

Unfortunately, it is necessary to use riprep as I've said before - because we have different applications on different computers around the school. You'll find this is the case in alot of schools [and possibly organisations] where RIS is used. But not being a large school, I'm gonna just go for the simple option After the RIS install, I use batch scripts anyhow to install the apps needed lol so it isnt essential and at least i dont have to waste time with crappy sysprep ;) Thanks again. Nath

The other guy I know uses an older version of AutoRIS - he hasnt said why tho - maybe its something to do with this. Cheers Nath

Right - no problem Tried a install this morning and went in great - managed to download the missing bits for the install from sysinternals and put them via $OEM$ into the right place I have two questions and that should be it (thank god I hear you cry hehe]: 1) At the very end of the install process, I noticed that I was logged in. In my place of work, thats probably not a good idea so how can I change that so at the final reboot, I dont auto login? 2) I get a problem with applications that use ISScript. They say that the InstallScript engine is not installed on this machine. I found a macromedia article on the matter but tried installing the little isscript.msi but it hasnt made any difference. [sorted - never had to do what I did before but at least it works ] EDIT: I have it all setup how i want it but in running RIPprep.exe, and typing in the server name, I get the message: Why am I getting this? I havent changed the AutoRIS created build since installing this machine earlier so I'm not sure why this is happening. Any quick fix to sort this? Any thoughts? Regards Nath

Yep lol I'd forgot about that lol I dont think it will have missed out anything to major right? I'm going to redo it again first thing in the morning with the chipset, cpu & graphics_B and a few tweaks to the nlite config too Many many thanks again - and let me know if you want a hand with anything 2003 specific. Hope nuhi can add some way of allowing nlite to run automated based on the .ini given through some command line, and BTS's script automated [tho your M2 helper worked lovely thanks]. Cheers Nath

I also just got another WSH message [after a reboot]: Regards Nath

Nope - I just altered the script to comment out the restarting process like you said I added a popup to prompt the user to restart it themselves and then to press OK to continue: VMwareEXE = ReadIni(INIFILE, "Paths", "VMwareEXE") VPCEXE = ReadIni(INIFILE, "Paths", "VPCEXE") [b] Dim PauseBINLandVM PauseBINLandVM = ws.Popup("Please restart the BINL / Remote Installation service on the RIS Server. [Hint: Use the services.msc command to do this] You can continue when ready by pressing OK.",0,"BINL / Remote Installation Service Restart Needed",vb script: C:\050_SetNextBoot.vbs Line: 75 Char: 3 Error: The system cannot find the file specified. Code: 80070002 Source: (null) No choice but to click Ok I guess lol Cheers Nath

Its copying the finished image [~500MB] back to the server as I ...er... type hehe so I'll watch it this time and try and see what point it brings up the Blue Screen - hopefully not at all BTW the Requester for restarting the server Remote Installation service works great Cheers Nath

Realtek AC'97 Audio is what I have in the Add/Remove [of one that is as it was from the supplier]. Its a HP DX5150 SFF [the machine that I'm using AutoRIS on is the same btw]. Here's a link: http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/hp...te/64_6154.html The other ones I'll be using this on - later on - will be the HP DX2000 MT series: http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/hp...te/64_6023.html There's a few other models like the D230 and D330's floating about - and most likely some other makes and custom models too :S I'm using the following driver packs - now with your M2 method: - Graphics_A_V6021 - LAN_V6021 - Sound_A_V602 - Sound_B_V6021 Do I need anymore do you think? Thanks Nath.

Glad that made sense to you. Just confused with the file size but if nothing modifies the i386-original folder, then there should be no reason for it [as thats where AutoRIS gets the files from each time]. So long as its not corrupting or duplicating anything then that's ok I keep getting a BSOD when windows is installing - naturally, i cant say at what point, because I dont sit there and watch it hehe, although I didnt on the first run. But on the first run, I hadnt tried different ways of installing the BTS packs. My thinking is that its something to do with the MassStorageDrivers so I'm leaving them out for the moment I hope this works because I really really need it to :S Cheers RogueSpear [as always] Nath

Right. Using RyanVM's stuff now.... Can I put more than just the LAN driverpack file there? i.e. can I put some of the other packs there also? On a different note, nlite tells me everytime I try and redo AutoRIS, that the i386 install [before it does it's magic] is bigger and bigger. i.e. 1st time it was about 450MB 2nd time it was about 650MB Just now it was about 850MB Any idea why this is? Is there something that I'm not doing that is causing this? I havent been playing with anything - I'm only trying to follow what has been said previously. Regards Nath

Well it seems that all the updates are included and installed - guess they've added them to the setup's of the games - nice. Havent noticed any new patch version numbers, but I've hardly looked at mine yet [no HD space hehe]. Regarding the online element, you must not be aware that all the C&C servers have moved over to the XWIS servers [that have been running for quite some time - previously you manually change to change the server addresses - but now EA have changed them over to XWIS] uses some sort of anti-cheat stuff in it and it seems to have worked. At least when I tried it the other week, i was losing - not because of cheaters, it was just because i was out of practice hehe The exploding buildings is documented on the EA Knowledge Base I think you'll find - usually involves something wrong with the serial or something like that [cant remember off hand]. It is a bit of a cash-in, but it does have a bonus dvd [that i havent looked at]. As i said before, its just handy having all the games on one DVD all up-to-date and working nicely. Just wish they'd added TCP networking to the older ones Stupid IPX crap in order to play LAN games is the only annoying thing hehe Regards Nath

@Maleko - have done so

Its just nice to have all the games in one install If you meant Red Alert 2, then you can get something that allows you to play it in higher resolutions The game itself tho is a classic - and remember EA are just the distributors.... or should I say "was the distributors" - westwood [taken over by EA in the end] are the lovely developers ...or something like that lol Regards Nath

I see.... The only reason that I was wondering whether it was ok to use the base image from a already slipstreamed PC, was basically, to cut out the local slipstreaming everytime I run AutoRIS [and used RyanVM] as initially, I just want to get it all sorted and these new pc's installed. Then I can start a new image from a XP SP2 vanila CD, and let RVM, nlite and BTS do its stuff Thats what I was thinking before it worked in the end - that maybe it would be best if I slipstream SP2 onto a XP Gold VOL CD possibly then, and use just that as the image. I was informed differently - or got a bit confused [which is most likely lol] from other sources methinks. The funny thing is that it worked last night - installed XP lovely - alas, no LAN driver installed in windows, but at least it worked and went through the textmode part at the begining - it was a start hehe On a side note, is the nlite [RIS.ini] file meant to run autoamated, because the example one doesnt hehe or is it me? [i'm not usually this thick by the way, its just RIS is new to me and combine that with the stress-factor of getting new computers setup with everything installed in a matter of two days, its making my mind go all over the place lol] Nath.

no time for a full reply - i've technically finished work as it is hehe As per your AutoRIS.ini settings above, you have OEM set to No. You need to set it to Yes in order for the $OEM$ folder to be copied over. RIS does not use a WINNT.SIF file per se. It uses anyfilename.sif files. You can have a half dozen of them if you like, they just need to be placed in the \Templates subdirectory of your RIS image.hehe I was refering to the $OEM$ folder that I had on the XP CD - not the $OEM$ folder in AutoRIS I take it that the RIS server/setup itself doesnt care whats inside the winnt.sif file in the i386 folder on the base XP CD a person uses to create the base image? [nothing to do with AutoRIS but i'm just curious lol] g2g [thanks for all the help so far] Nath

Thats what I'm a thinking - might be something to suggest to BTS perhaps - instead of having to have to put the file in the path etc Yep - I understood that previously - I just made a new RIS image because I thought it might help to nlite & BTS the RIS image first etc But alas when making that new image, it doesnt put the $OEM$ folder along side the i386 folder, not add the changes in the winnt.sif file to the new ris-created one in templates [i discovered hehe] A fair point regarding using RyanVM's stuff - but i didnt mean that it would have any "voodoo" lol - I just thought that the packs were designed for home UA CD's, not domain-filled XP suites that you wouldnt want to have to redeploy all over again if there was some error in the RVM pack or something I think the lad is a genius - puts me to shame and I've been in this job for 8 years [with no training or hardly any resources may I add hehe]. It might be best practice should this not work out, for me to advise people to use RyanVM's packs when using RIS builds, and XPCREATE for UA CD's At least, thats what I'm gonna try in a minute should this not work. My only thought is at the moment - has the AutoRIS script added the NIC adaptor drivers and will they work for me? hehe Also, should I only restart the BINL service on the server or is there more things to do afterwards? Cheers Nath Like this? ' For Each objService in colServiceList ' errReturn = objService.StopService() ' Next ' WScript.Sleep(30000) ' For each objService in colServiceList ' errReturn = objService.StartService() ' Next I see that it does some more processes afterwards. Unfortunately I dont really know vb - only the basics of very basic syntaxes [i'm a batch file man myself lol] so I'm slightly unsure how to just execute the rest of the script without doing all that again [its getting close to finishing work time and I need this to be working tomorrow lol ...But thats my prob tho - not yours hehe ] Nath

Just gonna post the "Restarting the BINL service on <snip>" vb script: C:\dist\Tools\AutoRIS\AutoRIS V1.52.vbs Line: 290 Char: 2 Error: Permission denied: 'GetObject' Code: 800A0046 Source: Microsoft VBScript runtime error [ OK ] -------------------------------------------------------------- Not sure what it means by permission - as I am the administrator lol Incidentally, I'm creating this from a XP SP2 client - which I would have thought would be fine i.e. you dont have to do all this [AutoRIS] on the actual server do you? Cheers and hope that helps. Nath.

Hey - thanks for the quick response No problem and I understand. Its not that I've got anything against RyanVM's work - far from it - its just that I prefer to know exactly what is going into a slipstreamed XP CD etc etc. Nothing against him at all *bows* Just noticed that the file appears to get deleted during the process somewhere - it isnt me deleting it hehe Possibly the BTS RUN_me.bat file maybe, as I dont recall it happening when I didnt use it - but i cant be exact [mainly because I've tried SO many things during the past two days - and still getting nowhere fast *sighs*] Righty-o. I'm creating a new RIS image on the server using the initial unattended CD i made early this week [the one that I tested on a client by installing using the CD and it works] so once this has finished copying the files, I'll be able to start afresh. The domain 'Administrator' account should work it shouldn't it? Currently, I wouldnt use anything less - mainly because I want to get the darned thing to work first lol Guess its not helping that these new HP DX5150 SFF's use broadcom lan cards - should be ok just to integrate the ones you have in AutoRIS right? I dont want to use BTS this time around - great tool but get BSOD during XP installing from the CD made using BTS [and nlite]. With nlite, I'm actually removing less than your list so I doubt its anything wrong there. Any more thoughts would be very very welcome Cheers Nath.

@RogueSpear: Hi. Lovely looking script you have here - alas, cant quite get it to work. been having a few problems with the part when it comes to restarting the BINL service - "Remote Installation" [bINLSVC] on 2003 - it just throws up a vb error. When i run it again shortly, I'll update the post. Also had a bit of trouble in that if i try to run AutoRIS with the following options: IntegrateNIC=No DelDefSIF=Yes RunRVM=No RunNlite=Yes RunBTS=No Optimize=No OEM=No when it starts to send the image back, i get a vb error regarding missing file "Line 276 Ch 2" as I recall. I'm wondering whats causing the latter. The XP source is a slipstreamed SP2 with hotfixes and updates - made using XPCREATE and works perfectly if run locally on a machine from the CD. Fully automated but it doesnt contain anything else except the updates [dotnet, etc] and hotfixes in the process, and a winnt.sif file. I'm sort of running out of time at the moment so sorry if this post appears to be a bit rushed hehe Trying to remove the images off the server but cant seem to get rid of them - I've stopped the 3 RIS services hoping this might help but they dont wanna go Guess this stuff isnt as easy as i first thought hehe. Cheers Nath

Already tried that.... - extracted the mp10setup.exe - repacked it with IExpress - using: SETUP_WM.EXE /Q /R:N /NoPID /DisallowSystemRestore/[code]- and placed the resulting file in SVC-PRE [runs before hotfixes] I turned off System Restore on the test machine I'm using and tried it out - works fine - no requesters or anything. I still got the same error during the UA XP CD install however I'm thinking it must be a hotfix thats being run after the Media player 10 is installed - that does the same popup requester. All the media player 10 hotfixes documented in the thread http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=31886 seem to be the normal ones so its gonna be tough to work out. I've said no to the requester and let the install continue to see what hotfix is left at the end. Cant think off the top of my head how to check a "log" of what happens during the install of xp - surely it would mention the "cancel"ing of the requester I'd have thought in the log. I should know this answer and this is seriously wasting my time at work but what is the tool i can run on the machine to find out whats missing - or is there some way i can find out the troublesome hotfix? [u]Update:[/u] It looks to be the old 891122 hotfix according to the KBxxxxxx txt files I'll try a build without that one and see what happens [u]update2:[/u] It installed lovely now - just need to install the lan drivers to see what Windows Update reports Cheers Nath

Is this still acurate Mr Hulk? I'm slightly confused as to which hotfixes to include, plus one of them is giving me the System Restore is turned off message during the UA install and I cant pin point which hotfix it is Thanks for the list tho - it is appreciated Regards Nath

I know your gonna laugh but remind me how to extract the svcpack.in_ to a .inf file again ...and then how to put it back how it was i.e. compressed ?? I've not long got up so still abit tired at the moment hehe Nath

lol yeah I got it this morning and I had a blast at installing it on a fresh [work] PC Good installer! You can choose the whole lot or just selected games [i believe you can add/remove which games are installed later on also]. It asks for all the codes [lol yes, theres still the old codes needed] and then it installs the lot with no questions along the way. Total install is around about 9Gig which isnt too bad considering the amount of games being installed, and all the games are installed in one directory in the Program Files\EA Games\ folder [same with the Start Menu also]. You run a launcher to start, and choose one of the games and away you go, All-in-all, its nice not to have to do the old - install [multiple questions along the way] > patch > install exp pack [more multiple questions along the way] > patch > finally play. Its choose them - drink a coffee - start gaming ...Just in case anyone was interested hehe

Another thing to try - which I'm sure you have done - is check for a updated bios. Something I had to do in order for a Shuttle I had to "calm down". I also changed the RAM [to kingston ValueRam from some other cheap brand]. Check their site for bios updates I'd strongly advise Also, is the target machine capable of supporting the CPU you have? [in a HSF sense also that is] and have you got the momory timings as relaxed as possible? Regards, N.