bookie32

Hi jaclaz Hope you are well mate!! I was thinking of the extended and logical..... Was you thinking of booting from a Linux cd and using gparted or something similar? Thanks for coming by! bookie32

Hi again! Sounds like the to be or not to be ....OK! this is strange! I have my main windows disk connected to Sata 1 on the mobo and the others Sata 2 etc. When I go into windows and check the order of my disks they wont give my Windows as disk 0?!! Am I missing something simple here? I even thought they maybe made a mistake with labeling the Sata connectors...nope?! Windows 7 is working fine...just don't understand why it is classed as disk 0... Please put me out of my misery someone...... bookie32

Hi Tripredacus OK! I have done this several times on my own computers reinstating images without the 100MB System Partition....OK ...daft question....why does windows create it in the first place if we don't really need it? bookie32

Hi again... Asking lots of questions at the moment. When creating backing up your Windows 7 installation it has its own "system" partition as well as the "C" .I am working with PE Boot and can compress. copy and reinstate the wims created..... When you "apply" your wims it leaves the copy on the partition. How does one remove it from the system partion or will it be OK to leave the copy there? Looking at all command and can't see how to delete the file......sure I am missing the obvious here, but can someone help me out. bookie32

Hi allen2 "System" drive "C" "Recovery" and "HP_Tools".......all primary I like your idea and will have a look at that... Thanks bookie32

Hi myselfidem I am grateful for the info...but can't in all honesty recommend to a customer to remove the recovery partition from a new computer....and a little knowledge is dangerous for those who don't know Thanks anyway booke32

Hi CoffeFiend I appreciate your input....but....LOL you are not dealing with customers that have a hard time knowing how to start the computer...this was just a way for me to make it easier for them... The other thing is I can't go removing recovery partitions etc......And most of them wouldn't know how...LOL Thanks anyway bookie32

Hi folks Bit of a general question concerning partitioning a drive. I usually buy to order new laptops for my customers and then if they have just the C: drive and now backup drive I add another partition. This hasn't been a problem, but now in their wisdom HP have decided that a recovery drive isn't enough and that they have used up all primary options for partitioning. Example: On this latest G62 there is the "System" drive "C" "Recovery" and "HP_Tools".......all are Primary There is no extra partition for people to back up their files on?! We all know that you should do backups on backups, but as long asa drive is healthy I like to shrink them to give them some space to back up files in case/when windows crashes... Is there a solution to this? Bit stupid having one drive partition C: that is 500GBS... Can anyone help me out here? bookie32

Hi allen2 Sorry, been busy ...should have put solved on this one yesterday.... OK! I went to device manager and instead of automatically updating driver I chose to do it manually.. I then chose to install device manually and chose printer from the list...it gave me the list for all manufacturers, but I hadn't thought about updating the list...just used what was there... After updating the list my driver from windows was there and it installed no problems......really strange....... Anyway, the long and short of it is that I have fixed it..... Thanks for coming by bookie32

Hi folks! Losing what is left of my hair here....LOL I have the above Deskjet Printer and it usually installs automatically in Windows 7.....I am building a new image and installing all program software, drivers etc before creating my backup image... I have tried removing the USB cable and reinstalling through windows...but I get failed to install...?!! I have tried updating from windows and there is a driver, but that wont install... Have even downloaded that driver and tried manually to install it...no dice.. Has anyone any suggestions as to what I can do? bookie32

Hi Mate Thanks for that....Just realised that I actually have a Windows 7 Inside Out....LOL I must start reading it more often...Just found it and was about to apologise to you guys/girls and you were to quick for me..... I didn't have a password set but I am part of a group, but that shouldn't affect it according to the inside out.. I have changed it now and it works as normal... Thanks a bunch... For those of you having the same problem run netplwiz as cluberti explains and then untick the "User must enter name and password to use this computer".. I am attaching a image showing that, but for our Swedish guys/girls it is "Användarnamn och lösenord måste anges för användning av datorn" Save and then everything is OK again! bookie32

Hi folks I am reinstalling windows 7 Ultimate and I am using a test disk while original is still in use... I am adding all programs etc before creating image..... I have updated windows with the latest service pack 1 and now I haven't automatic login? I haven't set a password, so I am at a loss to understand what is causing this... I have tried looking at control userpasswords2 But that doesn't get me anything on my Swedish based computer...I even checked microsoft Swedish pages and they use same code.. Can anyone tell me how to solve this ....Please bookie32

Hi again! Well, I have sorted it. I ran: CHKDSK C: /R from a repair cd and it cleaned it up and I could then remove the files in the Recycle bin del C:\RECYCLED\?*.*) Now things are back to normal bookie32

Hi Ponch! OK! the hard drive is a samsung and I have run extensive tests on the drive and no problems detected. I ran the fsutil query C: and it is coming up dirty, but I can't seem to clean it? bookie32

Hi again! OK! Managed to remove pagefile.sys and windows created a new one on reboot.... now when compbuter reboots it runs chkdsk endlessly?! No mention of previous problem, but runs everytime computer starts...? I have checked if computer is scheduled to run chkdsk....no? running defrag now and see what happens... any ideas anyone? bookie32

Hi folks Getting strange messages with a customers Acer laptop...Windows XP On start it starts chkdsk and then says post invalid address to pagefile.sys and invalid size pagefile.sys. I have ran chkdsk c: /f /r but no dice... I have tried to fix the pagefile, but can't find info that actually works...... Has anyone suggestions for this problem? bookie32

Hi mate! Sorry,I didn't mean to waffle on like that... Yes, my it seems to work, but has been time consuming... I would still like to do this by using a Autonattend and will work with that as well I have used, as said the Alan Norton method for slipstreaming the service packs into Vista and then basically installed each version and created a new wim with all the updates. At the moment after doing ths with all versions...they don't exede 3,5GB with all the updates available at the moment. Ultimate was finished yesterday. It means that there is still room on a standard dvd för further updates.... Thanks! bookie32

Hi Tripredacus I know this is going to be long winded thread....I am known for rambling on a bit......LOL I have been looking at your example of a Autounattend wihich you linked for me here I like the idea of the Autounattend and will try that with reference to creating a WIM and as you say replacing it in the Sources file and transferring it to a DVD or just saving the WIM on a server for deployment at a given date.. You mention about booting to Audit mode.... OK! I have done as follows…if I have done wrong please tell me…LOL As stated in another thread – I have created the dvd’s with the reverse integration to slipstream sp1 and sp2 into Vista as Alan Norton shows us here. I have followed that and have Dualboot on my drive at the moment. The first partition is currently Vista Home Premium given to me by a customer. I shrunk the partition to allow for the second partition for my “Builds” (I am not saying your method is wrong….will get to it). After adding both service packs I have cleaned the drive as he shows and exported and imported the “MountedDevices.reg” as he goes onto explain… I then rebooted into my main Home Premium and created an iso of the “Build” (Vista Ultimate) which I burned to DVD. I then installed the Ultimate to the partition I had the build using the “Default Key” that I just learned about from you …LOL I created an account as a normal user with password etc and logged into windows as that user. I then proceeded to add all the updates that were available and after checking to make sure there were no more – I ran sysprep in "Enter System Audit Mode", but didn’t generalize. After restarting the computer I then went to system > Advanced Settings > User Profiles Settings and erased my profile. I then went to user accounts and erased my account and files. I then ran sysprep again, but this time as “Enter System Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE)” ticked yes to generalize and then rebooted to my Home Premium again and proceeded to create my iso again, but with all available updates. I have reinstalled using the DVD with all updates to test it…. I know what you are going to say…..help…..LOL Very tedious........ I have tried to integrate the updates using WSIM and something went wrong…. Another very tedious process is downloading all the updates from windows catalog…they all come in individual folders!! I have done it this way to have both options..a DVD with sp1 + sp2 and a DVD with sp1 + sp2 and updates. I like covering my bases.... As you can imagine - this has taken time to perform...usually do stuff like this while working on customer computers...several jobs at once... I bet you are laughing as you read this....me tooooooooooooo bookie32

Hi Tripredacus OK! I hear you! I will begin with the Autounattend.xml when I have a mo and we can take it stage by stage....bit snowed under at the moment, so be patient with me bookie32

Hi guys and girls I am starting again with my project because I really want to learn from the beginning all the ways of doing this and saving myself some grief.....I HOPE! I know the title will amuse a lot of you and that is OK...really just felt I needed to start again and with your patience I will get this right......... I have a few questions as I get going and please feel free to spell it out for me, BUT I am calling myself a plonka already and don't need anyone ridiculing me for the sake of it... My way of looking at things is I don't laugh at people...I laugh with them and for that I don't mind you laughing.... Down to business: I have all sorts of customers with windows crashes etc and a lot of the time the recovery partitions are just too infected with parasites or have degraded because of problems..either way leads to I can't use the recovery partition and often recommend removing them and doing a fresh install with their basic drivers and then build on that... VERY OFTEN they haven't created their recovery media and that makes my job harder and more costly for them... I have several ideas and will look at them like different scenarios..... Scenario1 This includes using DVD's as my media, but can be phased out.. I would like to create DVD's of all versions whereby they have all service packs included plus the updates...Problem with this scenario is the updates are fast filling up the 4.7GB on a standard DVD. Just a quick way of doing them at the moment. I have looked at slipstreaming the sp1's into the versions and that goes OK with this guys help mentioned before on another thread. But the problem doesn't end there....there are a ton of updates left and I want to integrate them on to the dvd......the best way? Scenario2 This includes distribution of images from a server to the computers...just setting up a server for this purpose, but this is being run on linux...because I like linux and windows server costs too much for a small company like mine. Anyway I would like to create the versions with all updates and then use Clonezilla to capture them onto the server thereby giving me standard images I can deploy in case my customers crash their computers...This would be a quick way of doing things once set up... Scenario3 Is I create an image on a test computer and then run imagex.exe to create my .wim and then back up that onto a network server and then call on the server from the customers computer and copy image back to computer and apply the image to the computer in question? There are probably things wrong with this scenario as well....LOL Now the best way of achieving these scenarios is where I am at a loss to decide the easiest way to do this...... My simplist way is to install the version on a test computer and then just update to today and then capture an image that I can deploy to all hardware? Of course I understand that 64bit is just that 64bit and can't be used on 32bit...sorry waffling I would have to deploy my images back to my test computer at different times to add more updates..this would save the going over the 4.7GB limit.... But I gather there are pitfalls in this way of looking at things? Of course I know that having a Windows server I can capture and deploy at ease..... I really don't mind doing the leg work and I think you that know me know that is true.... Please give me some opinions, ideas, leads, whatever! I really want your expert help on this.. bookie32 Thanks for reading the demented scribbles of a plonka of the first grade....

Hi again! Thanks for the info.....you are on the ball! bookie32

Hi Tripredacus I am listening....... ...just joking. Can you elaborate a little and point me in the right direction. I appreciate what you're saying! booki32

Hi Tripredacus! Yes, I have been looking and there is a lot of info out there. I have already slipstreamed my dvd's for Vista and realised that I can add IE at the same time. To be quite honest - I really enjoy working with the unattended guide....one learns stuff, but I am in the position to just set up a hard drive and divide it up into several partitions and just install Vista...hit ctrl+shift+F3 on getting to the stage where one adds user info and just login to windows add all the upates there are at the moment and run sysprep.. It isn't the most professional way of doing things...just that I can do other things why updates are being installed....I then can boot back to main version and create my iso.... I do appreciate you coming by! bookie32

Hi again! Well, I have slipstreamed a hell of a lot of updates into Vista, so I tested it. As soon as it was installed there were 26 more updates....help These included Internet Explorer 8. Does anyone know how to slipstream this into Vista? bookie32

Hi again! I ran PrepLab.cmd and everything seemed to go OK, but when looking at building folder structure I can't see the environment variables that should be showing when looking at file structure in VistaWork... bookie32