johnhc

Kurt, I installed and ran VMware Server 1.0.5 and it runs great! An install of my nLited disc took about 15 minutes. QEMU takes 1.5 hours minimum. I tried to install 2.0 Beta without success. I will send VMware a note, but it may be that IIS is not installed on my machine. With an Internet connection, I visited a speed test site that uses Java and discovered that my Java does not work. Now I have a platform to debug this issue. Thanks for all your help. This is fun! Enjoy, John.

Kurt, thanks once more. I have a couple of questions but will try to refrain from directing future questions about VMware to you. Why are you not running VMware Tools? Everything I see indicates it will help your guest performance, synchronize your clocks and allow copy and paste from the host to the guest and more. I may be naive but since it is an installed program on the guest, you may be able to extract it and include it with your integration process. I am guessing that it is included in the 491 MB file I am DLing right now (Beta, now 90% complete), but maybe it is not free and requires real money. I have looked all over the VMware site and can't find any info on VMware tools except how to install it. It looks like to install it, simply click VM then click Install VMware Tools. The DL is complete. I extracted it and out came only 7 files/folders, a total of 36 MB?????? I did not find anything that looked like VMware Tools. Versions 1.0.4 and 1.0.5 are only 146 MB Dls. I didn't DL them but I wonder why 2.0 Beta is so much larger - discourage players? I have studied the image you posted and cannot find your name at all - no big thing. Thanks for the tool. I ran the Windows only version from their web site. I am OK but I suspected that since my CPU is family F as shown by CPU-Z. I assume your desktop won't work because the family is too low. I installed Java 6u6 on a minimally nLited disc containing only SP2 and unattended stuff to make it silent and saw the same results. I don't know how to write Java Script or what I might have around to test it, so I'll just wait till I get VMware Server running and see what happens. I assume I will be able to get an Internet connection. I think IIS is installed on your systems unless you specified in the Unattended phase not to install it as I have (will allow install). Update KB942830 (in your hotfix list) is to IIS. Thanks again. John

Thanks again, Kurt. I have DLed the documentation for VMware Server and will probably give it a try. Right now I am on my old 32 bit machine to do some necessary maintenance. So far, I see one worrisome thing about VMware Server. The manual lists only Server 2003 systems for Windows hosts. I know XP x64 is based on Server 2003 and your screen shot looks like XP to me. I hope you are running XP x64 - true? Does your CPU have vitalization support? I have an AMD FX-57, fast for its time (2.88 GHz) but no vitalization support. It takes me 1.5 to 2 hours to install Windows XP x64 via QEMU. The difference is dependent on how much I do on my machine while the install is running. My machine is almost useless during install unless I reduce the priority of the virtual machine. Do you run IIS? It is needed for VMware Management Interface - run this? Did you look at the forum comments about not running VMware Server - comments? I see you are running 1.0.4. Version 1.0.5 is available as is 2.0 Beta. Bad idea to try the beta? I noticed your guest clock was at 5:36 and your host clock at 5:41. When I see this it is because my guest is very busy or hung. I agree I probably will not ever need to remove the updates but was curious. I see that you have Quick Time installed. I had trouble with it when I first brought up my 64 bit system and Apple does not seem to make a version for x64. Is this really Quick Time Alternative? I installed 186 MB of updates and the image increased about 10-12 MB (as best I can remember). I left out two updates, one being KB943729, because I don't use groups. I will run some test with Java. I have already tried using the installer directly, both 6u5 and 6u6, with the same result. Do you think I need to exercise them to get the Control Panel and IE items to show? I have no guest Internet connection (have not tried to do this via QEMU). I have watched Dr Who a few times and I assume that is where the reference to TARDIS comes from. Interesting show but it never hooked me and it is a little late for me here. Thanks again. Enjoy, John.

conuk, Do you have .NET Framework installed? At least version 2.0? Good luck. John

GrofLuigi, Thanks for your reply. I checked with the author and there is no fqemu for 64 bit OSs. I wish there was. I like QEMU fine, except it is a bit slow - takes about 1.5 - 2 hours to do an install. Thanks, John.

MALDATA, I have seen several posts about slowing down the burn speed to prevent disc errors. Have you tried burning at 2x? Good luck. John

Kurt, thanks much for your reply. I can always count on you! I was running on my account created by nLite and don't expect to logon again to the Administrator account. After the reboot the account installation seem to complete. I was worried about the killed processes. I don't know what you mean by this. I did look at "View x86 Control Panel Icons" and there was only an accessibility option. Thanks also for your comment on VMware Server. I looked at it and asked on these forums and got no response as to applicability. I found a WPI thread that mentioned VMware, so I sneaked in a question about VMware Server and was told by two people that was not useful. See here. Have you used VMware Server? - comments. Google tells me Australia time is UTC+8 to +10.5. What time zone are you in? I am in US Central UTC-6 but UTC-5 now due to savings time. I don't see but a few updates in Add/Remove even though I nLited 35. Is this normal? What if I wanted to remove one? Thanks again. Enjoy, John.

I have run some more tests and I DO NOT have a Start menu problem on either my original or the nLited guest systems. I had been running some other windows (IE, etc) and had the guest process set to priority Below Normal. I closed all other windows and set the guest priority to Above Normal and the guest responds much better and the All Programs menu opens much more quickly. It seems obvious now, but most problems are that way after being solved. Thanks to all. John

I just ran some more tests on my original CD install on QEMU and it is having the same Start menu problem. It looks like it is not any kind of nLite problem. I would still like any help on what could cause this problem. Thanks, John.

Chrno, Thanks for your reply. Spaces? Where, in my post? By today's standard, I guess I do have a BS CPU: FX-57 (2.88 GHz), 2 GB DDR500 and RAID0 of WD Raptors. I'm not real sure what you are getting at here. The problem with the Start menu is certainly after the systems are fully booted up. I am using DVD+RW, and I don't worry about a few disc anyway. Installatin times are commensurate. My last look found VMware cheapest license to be $180 and Virtual PC did not support XP x64. I do appreciate your response and I am glad to answer you questions but I think your are a bit quick to judge my efforts and environment. I have looked high and low for a virtual system for running XP x64 as both host and guest (including asking in this forum), finding only QEMU so far. If you have a legitimate recommendation I will be glad to check it out. The main question I am trying to get answered is why does an nLited system with SP2 run so much slower than the original system (only SP1). See my description of the Start menu problem. Thanks again. John

I have run some tests using QEMU for my XP x64 guest on my XP x64 host. QEMU is rather slow (about 3-5 times real time). I started by running my original CD. It installs and seems to run fine. I then made an nLite ISO, employing the same CD as a source and adding only SP2 and unattended options and removing no components. This installed fine, except my computer name had invalid characters which I had to re-enter at install time. It runs slower than the original disk and secondary menus are very slow. Clicking on Start brings up the menu quickly but hovering over the All Program button causes the menu to start appearing very slowly. It remains mostly transparent for many seconds, possibly more than a minute. If I get impatient and try clicking before it becomes opaque, it hangs and becomes unusable. My only out is to send a ctl-alt-delete from the QEMU console and end Windows Explorer (explorer.exe) then restart it. Other menus that come up when I hover over them act the same way. I have built several more nLited versions adding SP2, 35 updates, unattended, tweaks, options and removing components. These preform as the earlier nLited DVD. I hope someone has some ideas. Thanks, John

Kurt, I have run two tests with your procedure using QEMU virtual software. I had a few problems. The most serious was the reboot that came at the end which caught MS busy completing the install. Small dialog windows saying things like customizing IE settings or OE settings were running. Several failed when the reboot hit. The second try, I stuck a rem in front of the shutdown command to make sure it was coming from Run1_XP-64.bat. It fixed the problem but stopped everything. I clicked the x and closed the cmd prompt. The install then completed. I'm not sure what to put in the reboot place but maybe an exit command. There are new versions of both Java and Flash available and I tried to use both. Flash is the most difficult installer to find. Some time ago, I found an archive file on the Adobe site and I used that. It is 99 MB because it contains all versions 9. I also had trouble finding Java 6u5 so I DLed 6u6. It installed fine and appears in Add/Remove but there is no Java Console or ActiveX in IE7 and no Java Control Center in Control Panel. I then found 6u5, removed 6u6 and installed 6u5 with the same results. Perhaps I have to exercise Java to get the items to be installed/activated. The QEMU software is very slow, running 4 or 5 times real time. Thanks for any help/insite you can offer. John

Kelsenellenelvian, thanks for your rely. I assume I should modify the following line in RunWPI.inf ($OEM$): [Launch.WPI] CMD /Q /C CD /D """%01%\..\WPI""" & START /WAIT /B WPI.hta To something like: CMD /Q /C CD /D """%01%\..\WPI""" & START /WAIT /B WPI.hta config=Pre_Complete_2.js This is very important information and I think it belongs in a more obvious place than the change log (such as the manual). Thanks again. John

I tried a second install after correcting several problems and WPI opened (I had set options to Select None, so I could watch) and the wrong configuration file was selected. There was no Config button, so I had to close it and reopen it to get the buttons back. I changed the configuration to the one I wanted and ran it without any problems (real progress from the last time when WPI.hta could not be found). This wrong configuration problem seems to plague me. In Options-Installer I have my desired config (only) specified in the list of configs and have it selected in the 'Check on load' pull-down. There are several config files in the WPI Scripts folder. Thanks for any help. John

Kelsenellenelvian, Thanks for your reply. The only logging I see in Options is for the install phase and it is enabled. I was having trouble with the configuration phase. I looked at the log on my host system and it reflects a successful install of the 7z test I ran. I don't see the install failures when I was testing 32 vs 64 bit versions of 7z, so I assume it logs only the latest event, over the top of the previous. I don't see the ./WPI Scripts, but I do see %WPI PATH% that looks good for April 5. Interestingly the %CD ROM% definition is the same as %ROOT% plus WPI, starting with C:\. My Optical drive is letter is D. I am bringing up QEMU to see what the log looks like on my guest. The guest reflects the correct paths for the last time I ran WPI there, but the %CDROM% still points to C:\. I have used Edit in the past and perhaps should have used it this time. Thanks much, John.

I not sure if my half changed shortcut (did not change 'Start In:' folder name) explains WPI's behavior. Is there a way I can see the value of ./WPIScripts when I execute WPI.hta? Thanks, John.

I think I found the problem. It is the shortcut. If I delete it and recreate it (at the new WPI.hta), things seem to work OK. I had been simply changing the target via Properties. Thanks, John.

Either I am going a little crazy or WPI is doing something very strange. I have a source structure like this: C:\Slipstream and inside this I have several copies of source named like this: XP_x64_Pre_complete XP_x64_Pre_complete_2 I have a shortcut on my DeskTop pointing to the WPI.hta that I am using. When I switched from using the first one to the second one, WPI kept using the files (useroptions.js and my configuration files) from the first one. I am really confused (or crazy) or WPI is strange. Is it possible that my name is too long and the second is getting truncated into the first? I will try an experiment, but I wanted to get this post going so I have a chance of getting an answer before I pull the remaining hair (very little) from my head. Thanks for your help, John.

Kurt, I have been DLing some of the files and ran into a little problem with DirectX. Your Direct link leads to Nov2007 version while the Redistributable link leads to Mar2008. The hashes go with the Mar2008 and the byte count goes with Nov2007. The Mar2008 byte count should be (72,829,472 bytes). Enjoy, John.

It looks like you have an awful lot of updates. You should apply only updates after the installed SP. Since you have SP2, I don't think there should be so many updates. Again, look at WUD or an update pack. SP3 should be released soon (according to several posts in this forum), then you will need even fewer updates. Enjoy, John.

I have used QEMU to install an nLited Win XP x64 DVD under Win XP x64. It is slow, taking almost three hours. The bad news is there is no accelerator. A 32 bit accelerator (kqemu) is available but there is no 64 bit version. This means that instructions are emulated by QEMU, while with kqemu, the underlying CPU executes the instructions. I suspect it makes a huge difference and I hope someone will upgrade kqemu for 64 bit. Since QEMU is a command line process, I used QEMU Manager, a graphic shell. I tried the latest version (5.0) but I could not get it to work. The DVD would boot and as soon as the text mode drivers were installed and the screen said 'Setup is starting Windows', it hung. Version 4.0 works - it's a little over a year old. With version 5.0 I tried QEMU versions 0.9.0 and 0.9.1. Manager 4.0 came with QEMU Version 0.9.0 and it worked fine. One funny thing happened when my installed system came up. I click on the Start button and the menu opened, but when I tried to clicked on any thing, nothing happened. I had to open the QEMU console and type quit. I then booted the Windows guest and it came up and seemed to work fine. I did not spend much time. I did have one stop during my 'unattended' install. I had entered an illegal computer name into nLite. Only A-Z, 0-9 and the hyphen is permitted. All numbers is also not permitted. Perhaps nLite could catch this and prevent others from hitting this stop. When I first tried to burn my DVD, Nero refused. My version (6.6.0.15) of Nero won't burn a DVD+R/W but nLite burned it and it worked fine. Enjoy, John.

Well, I am really confused! First I think you are doing WAY too much for your first nLite experience. I started by including SP2 and two hot fixes. I suggest that you do the same thing (you won't need SP2 if it is on your CD). I had asked to see the file names of your updates because I suspected that you were using 64 bit updates on your 32 bit operating system. The names you provided don't help much and do not indicate the version of the update. Let's not do that anymore. You do have a 32 bit (x86) OS and should be trying to install only x86 updates. It also looks like you are installing updates to Media Player 11 which I don't think is on your CD. This could cause the error message you are getting. You should use the tool WMP11 (booogy) here in this forum. It will install WMP11 and its updates. Also consider using WUD (jcarle) also in this forum to DL your updates. There is also something called update packs for your OS. I use a 64 bit version of Win XP and there are no packs available, so I don't know anything about them. Do a search on these forums to find out about them. My main suggestion is for you to start smaller, MUCH smaller, and see if you can get an understanding of the process. Good luck, John.

You said you were having trouble integrating updates via nLite. Only list the updates you were trying to add with nLite, in particular the one(s) that failed. Look at the CD that you read into the folder you are using with nLite to build your image. It will say on it what version it is. Also, if you are running the copy of Windows on the CD, then right click on My Computer and click on Properties. The General tab will indicate the version of Windows. There is a utility called Windows Update Downloader (WUD by jcarle) to be found in this forum and via Google. It can help you identify and DL your updates. Best of luck. John

You need to select the updates that go with your operating system. You said it was XP SP2, this usually means the 32 bit version. You can be running the AMD 64 bit processor in 32 bit mode by using Windows XP (Home or Pro). If you are running Windows XP Pro x64 Edition, then you need the 64 bit updates. If you will tell us exactly what Windows version (including Home or Pro) you are running and the file names of the updates you used, perhaps we can help you sort it out. Good luck. John

I looked at the update articles and they all apply to multiple versions of Windows. Therefore, there are several copies of each update for specific Windows. Since you only included the KB number and not the DL names, I can't tell if you have the correct updates. The error message seems to indicate you are trying to update something that is not in your source. Are you sure you have XP 32 bit versions of all updates? Good luck. John