johnhc

shaaan, please attach your Last Session.ini as requested in LARGE BOLD RED letters above and we will take a look. Enjoy, John.

HowdyDoody, without your Last Session.ini, as requested in BOLD RED letters above, we cannot make a guess. Please attach it. Are you reprocessing a source that has already been processed by nLite? Enjoy,John .

I have managed to complete a flat install of W7 Ultimate x64 that is fully unattended, except for partition selection. The problems with not finding my Unattend.xml and RAID driver are resolved. All of my automated installs worked also. I assume since the install was started from my XP x64 system, the drive letter assignments are the same as they are on the XP system. That is, my XP system disk is C but the system disk on the W7 system is F which is the same letter I see for the partition from the XP system. Surprised me at first and I worried I had not been consistent about using symbolic names versus using letters (eg, C:). So far I have found only one in an install. This is a way to clobber some files on my XP system while installing W7. Setup will not allow manipulation of partitions when doing a flat install. In fact, a message on the partition selection screen says that if partition alteration is required, then boot the DVD. This means a partition cannot be created, deleted or formated. It also means that if an OS is installed on the partition prior, then Setup copies all files/folder to a Windows.old folder. My first install resulted in a 16 GB folder being created. My latest install, I used Disk Manager to format the partition to prevent this. Here are the important steps: Formated a small partition so all my install files/folders were on the root. This was needed to preserve compatibility with installing the same source from a DVD or USB stick. Added code to my unattended file providing the path to my RAID driver. See xml code above. Called setup.exe from a command line -> W:\SOURCES\SETUP.EXE /UNATTEND:W:\FlatUnattend.xml This came from Tripredacus - see link above. Virtual Disk Service must be set to at least Manual. Thanks to all who helped, especially Tripredacus. Enjoy, John.

vipin, my quick guess is that you have run nLite more than once against the same source. You should always start with a fresh copy of your CD files/folders and run nLite only one time doing all your work. As requested in BOLD RED above, please attach your Last Session.ini. You can install many applications with and without keys. Please see the forum on AddOns above for many and you can also install others through the Unattended Task RunOnce exit. Above in the Sticky section is a good tutorial and the nLite site has a guide that is very useful. I doubt at this time that you have a hardware problem. If you suspect so, always do a verify when you do your burn. Also look in your System Log for "CDPROM bad block errors". This name may not be quite correct but I saw this once when I copied my CD onto my HDD and had some really strange errors trying to install on VM. I also strongly suggest you use a virtual system to test your ISOs (no burning required). VMware Player, VirtualPC and VirtualBox are free. Enjoy, John. EDIT: See this thread for Nero installer.

Kelsenellenelvian, VMware Server is free but huge (about 500 MB). VMware Player is free and not huge (about 100 MB). I just switched from Server to Player because Server went EOL and had problems with W7. Enjoy, John.

mav, great! A little hacking here and little there and even a blind pig finds an acorn every now and then, and it was fun - teaching me something. Enjoy, John! BTW, DirectX will not be updated by Windows Update.

clivebuckwheat, I think if you add "Del %0", without the quotes, as the last command in SetUpComplete.cmd it will delete itself. I saw some others use this and I use it also. Enjoy, John.

mritter,OK, thanks much, John.

mav, in certain cases there will be a difference with and without the *. My copy of gm.dls is in the C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc folder (XP x64). I suggest you place a copy there and see if that helps. Or better, look in your Registry at key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectMusic for GMFilePath. This will tell you where gm.dls is expected to be found. Have you updated DirectX lately? If not, I suggest you go to Windows Update and get the latest (directx_Jun2010_redist.exe). Glad to help and am glad at least WMP is working for you. Enjoy, John.

mav, thanks for the screen shots but they confuse me. The one on the running system show the same files as on my system but you show none of the files in either the original CD or the nLited one. Where did the files come from - beats me? The idea of searching for *midi* was just a guess by me and may be a bad one. Since your running system has all these files, perhaps they have nothing to do with your problem. One thought I have is to use another application for midi files. A quick Google search turned up many including this free one. You might try this or another one you find. You can at least remove them via Add/Remove if they don't help. I would suggest that you create a System Restore point before installing them. I did notice that you searched for *midi* in one case and midi in the other. Try both again and with both search arguments and if you get different results, please post a screen shot. Enjoy, John. EDIT: If the file midisoft.ini is not too large, please attach it. Thanks.

I don't know what this does mean, could you explain me exactly what i have to do? Thanks for helping mav, I ran the dxdiag - please see the attach screen shots. I heard music for all three of the options - did not remove midi. I assume you hear nothing from any. I also assume that other audio works on your machine. If not true, please let us know. I do not know if removing midi is causing your problems. A screen shot is attached of a search for *midi*. Right click the folder containing your source files/folders and click Search. Type *midi* as in the screen shot and click search. You should get results similar to mine (at least on the original source). Please do both the original and the nLite modified one. Post a screen shot of both. From your Last Session.ini it looks like you have run nLite multiple times against the same source. This is not a good idea and sometimes leads to strange symptoms. Always start with a fresh copy of your CD files/folders and run nLite only one time doing all your work. Enjoy, John.

urie, yes I have and even into boot.wim#1. Thanks, John. EDIT: By adding the following code to my Unattend.xml file, I appear to have gotten past the request for the RAID driver. I am no longer asked for the driver but I did not allow Setup to continue and will try the complete install later. I placed this code in the WindowsPE pass: <component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpCustomizationsWinPE" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <DriverPaths> <PathAndCredentials wcm:action="add" wcm:keyValue="1"> <Path>E:\W7_Components\Build_Components\Unsigned_Drivers\3Ware</Path> </PathAndCredentials> </DriverPaths> </component>

ricktendo64, thanks but as I stated in my first post my AutoUnattend.xml is in my boot.wim (#2) - learned this in your video for USB. My USB stick install works fine. I will try renaming to Unattend.xml. Thanks, John. EDIT: I have tried several things but continue to be asked for my RAID driver. Setup does seem to be using the Unattend.xml when I run the setup.exe in the Sources folder (no asking for EULA accept) and have the Unattend.xml file in my boot.wim#1. I went ahead and did a brute force and placed it in the boot.wim#2, at the root of the main folder and in the Sources folder (I used the command line from Tripredacus). I suspect the fact that the RAID driver is not being picked up indicates that all my drivers are missing. I have some more work and trials to do. Thanks all. EDIT again: After further inspection, I see that the drivers are present. I still do not know why Setup cannot find the RAID drivers (3Ware-LSI). These drivers are unsigned and they were injected with the ForceUnsigned switch.

mritter, I have attached my config.js. I am using the Windows 7 theme from the latest DL. Do you have any suggestions for me on the full screen versus EXIT button? Thanks, John.

Tripredacus, thanks much! I need to do some more research (don't even know what WinRE is) but it sounds like I should rename AutoUnattend.xml to Unattend.xml and place it into my boot.wim (#1, WinPE). I did try AutoUnattend.xml into the boot.wim(#1) and was still asked for my RAID drive, so I quit. Thanks, John.

mav, restoring removed components is a tough one. In general, removed components cannot be restored. Please do this: Search your original source files for *midi* and post a screen shot of the results. Do this also for your nLited source folder. And please attach (not paste) your Last Session.ini. I know of no way to escape reformatting if we cannot help, maybe someone does. Enjoy, John.

I have successfully installed W7 x64 Ultimate from a flat(from a HDD partition). Unfortunately Setup ignored my AutoUnattend.xml. I was asked to accept the EULA, provide PW, computer name, key, etc. None of my run at first logon executed. The files placed into $OEM$ did get copied to their proper locations. None of the drivers that were injected (including the RAID) were present. For some history of my trials on flat install, please see my older thread. I am thinking I must place the AutoUnattend.xml some other place for a flat install. Currently I place it into the main folder and into the mount folder when boot.wim (#2) is mounted. These same set of files installs and runs just fine from a USB stick. I would much appreciate any ideas and help. Thanks and enjoy, John.

bgMiKe, I am not able to say exactly what can be done on an already nLited source except that adding SP3 in one run then doing other actions later in a second run is OK. I do all mine in one (and only) one run and is what I recommend. So, if you like, integrate SP3 into a fresh copy of your CD files/folders and save it. Then always start with this. The problem nLite gets into is the file nLite.inf which uses a utility called nhelper.exe. The last step is to use nhelper to delete nhelper. When certain things are done on an already nLited source, additional code is added to the end of nLite.inf using nhelper and bad things occur. I would suggest you not add drivers to an nLited source but cannot say for sure it will fail. Enjoy, John.

bgMiKe, IE8 and WMP11 are not part of Windows or SP3 and must be installed either via an AddOn or after install. Please look into WMP11 Slipstreamer for integrating WMP11 or remove all the updates to it. The fact that your restarts (probably a very quick BSOD) are happening on VM, then it is not a driver problem. There are some updates that do not integrate in nLite. I am running XP x64, so do not know the ones in 32 bit XP. I use Automatic for ComputerType and most use that just fine. Since you are testing on VM, try removing all your drivers (not needed on VM and not this problem) also remove all the updates to IE8 and WMP11. If that works, go to the Windows Update site and check for updates. You will probably see several you have integrated. Please let us know the results. Enjoy, John.

Kelsenellenelvian, thanks for your reply. I have 47 items in my config file. Some are not used and I could try removing them. My concern here is that 8.0.3 takes much longer that the last one I was was running (probably 7.7.0). I should point out that I have a 4xVelociRaptor RAID5 and an AMD 965 (4 core 3.4 GHz), so most things go really fast for me. I tried disabling the "Allow check for Internet connection" with no help. Disabling "Verify before installation if started from a hardrive" also helped none. OK, I understand the X (upper right), but I still want to be able to see my Task Bar and be able to use the EXIT button on the WPI window (lower right of Windows 7 theme) . So, how do I do that? Now I can either see my Task Bar or EXIT from WPI, not both. BTW, I did not have a networkoptions.js file in my old copy of WPI, so perhaps I need to set something in the Network wizard. Please let me know how to make sure it is not active at all. I have set my NIC adapter via the AutoUnattend.xml. Thanks, John.

bgMiKe, since there are so many potential problems and we do not know what the BSOD code is, I can only suggest some things. I see you have included updates for IE8 and WMP11 but you have integrated neither. WMP11 Slipstreamer can be used to include WMP11 and its updates. There are several IE8 AddOns available for IE8. I also suggest you look into an Update Pack (see RyanVM Forum). I think the most serious problem is your included drivers. I suggest you determine what drivers are needed my your HW and include only those. Including so many drivers is only begging for problems. Have you tested your ISO on a virtual system? VMware Player, VirtualPC and VIrtualBox are free. A VM will not test your drivers but is very useful. A minor problem is Tweak "Explorer-Launch folder windows in a separate process". This exposes a Windows problem and should be removed but has nothing to do with your problem. Enjoy, John.

I have just started using 8.0.3 regularly and am wondering why it takes more then 20 seconds to open WPI and end a process (eg, Options)? All I see during this time is a full white screen. I see no CPU or HDD activity. If it is doing Internet stuff, then please tell me how to stop it. This is way too long to wait for a screen change. I would also like to see the Task Bar and be able to Exit. I seem to have the choice of one or the other but not both. I have tried Thin, Thick and Dialog borders with no answer to my need. Perhaps I am missing something obvious. Thanks much and enjoy, John.

I'm sorry. I'm kinda new here. How do I change the title then? spades0001, to change the title, Edit your first post, using "Use Full Editor". Above in the Sticky portion of the Forum is good tutorial for nLite if you have not seen it. Also on the nLite site is a guide you should read. Enjoy, John.

After starting over with a fresh copy of the DVD files/folders, I was able to install from a USB stick. All other files (AutoUnattend.xml, $OEM$, etc) remained the same. When I tried from a flat, I got the same problem as shown in my last reply. Setup does not find my RAID driver even though I injected it into the boot.wim (#2). I also received a request to accept the license terms. It looks like it is not seeing my AutoUnattend (<AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>). I clearly do not understand something basic and hope someone can help. Thanks, John.

gokule, thanks for the report. Glad you are running and you are welcome. I guess you do not want to pursue the CD problem, but I also use ImgBurn and have no problems booting the DVD. I suspect something is going wrong there. If you wanted to try it again, I would suggest you try using nLite to burn your CD. Enjoy and great, John.