johnhc

leozack, the reason I keep talking about XP x64 is with respect to Kurt_Aust's thread. It is for XP x64, but the principles apply to XP. You can see there how he defines the various commands and how the %Source% works in the batch file. Please spend some time looking at his thread - only need to look at page 1. If I was writing the copy command (remember, I stated that I was far from an expert), I would write something like this (an no MD command): Xcopy "%Source%I386" "C:\MY_I386" /Q /S /E /H /K /C /YEnjoy, John.

@ DJPro & -X-, someone please tell me why multiple people are advising the OP (and others) to pause nLite and edit Winnt.sif before creating an ISO, when facilities are available in nLite to accomplish the same same thing. @Ponch, I do not have "Skip OOBE" ticked in my nLite and don't get the Welcome screen. My Last Session is posted for all to see. Enjoy all, John.

leozack, I do know what T-13 is, I just did not understand what you meant by 'installed at T-13'. If you are using an AddOn for .NET then most of the work is done at nLite run time and some is done at T-13. If you will look at nLite.inf (NLITE.IN_), you will see a large file created by nLite. This is run at T-13 and takes some time. I don't think it is a good idea to get your .NET as extracted from an AddOn. I would suggest you DL it from MS Download Center. Again, see Kurt_Aust's thread for the switches he uses to install .NET and its updates. You cannot place the .NET updates in the hot fix section of nLite. It is for XP x64, but the switches will be the same. You can use /quiet switch instead of the /passive switch to have a totally quiet install vs one you can see running. Kurt_Aust prefers seeing things running and I usually leave them that way. I think you should use AutoLogon. I assume you did start with a fresh copy of your CD files/folders? Windows Updates are fine in the hot fix section - I see you have an Update Pack. I see you are installing IE7. Have you considered IE8? 7-Zip is up to 4.65 - yours is down level. I am no batch file expert, but I don't understand yours. I think your xcopy needs to specify a source using the %Source%. Please see Kurt_Aust's thread to see how he copies files (he uses Copy). Once you get running, we can look at some of your errors if you will post screen shots. Enjoy, John.

coucou, here is my US two cents worth (1.43 Euro cents). Running two different processes (RVI and nLite) is begging for trouble. Sorry, I do not understand what you are saying or asking here. Enjoy, John.

leozack, since I have not seen your Last Session that shows how you are integrating .NET and I am not sure what you mean by 'installed at T-13', I cannot tell you what effect will occur. I am not suggesting for you to move anything. I am simple pointing out how I do it, so you can see the options. That is also why I posted the link to Kurt_Aust's thread. In my install, after the last reboot, AutoLogon starts my defined account and then the RunOnce called batch file runs. After this my account initialization completes and I then run WPI (Windows Post Install, see forum a couple below) to install more programs, tweaks and etc. This Last Session missing the drivers/hot fixes is just another consequence of running nLite multiple times, now you have multiple Last Sessions to keep up with. I have only one, so when I want to make a few changes and run nLite again, I have a safe starting point (my one and only saved Last Session). Enjoy, John.

coucou, thanks much for removing the pasted stuff. Again, you do not need to edit winnt.sif to do the things you are trying to do. I have attached my Last Session.ini. I have removed Tour from Operation System. I am not sure if this is what kills the Windows Welcome. I also use AutoLogon. My install is completely unattended after I select the partition and format. I don't see where this is, but maybe that is because I don't understand RVI things. Where is IE8 integrated? Are you running nLite more than once against the same source, if so, that may well be the source of your problems. Enjoy, John.

g-force, the 'Color 4F' sets the background to red and the foreground (characters) to white. I just got tired of the black command dialog. As I stated in my last post, I am not sure why the Timeout is required. The /R is the same as /C, execute the command and terminate. Kurt_Aust can answer more definitively. Enjoy, John.

GamerDude, I tend to agree with the other two repliers, but PM TranceEnergy. If he can't help, then I am at a loss to help. Enjoy, John.

coucou, in general you do not need to mess around in Winnt for these things. Windows Welcome does not appear in my unattended install. Since it is too difficult to look at your pasted Last Session, I have not determined what might be going on. So, please delete the stuff you have pasted and, please attach (not paste) your Last Session.ini. Make sure to always start with a fresh copy of your CD files/folders, do all your work in one nLite session and integrate only one SP. Please report when you have a solution, so others can benefit. You can also attach your winnt.sif - use the Browse... and UPLOAD buttons. Enjoy, John.

leozack, here is what my RunOnce code looks like. TimeOut /T 40 CMD /R %Source%Run1_XP-64.batThis comes from Kurt_Aust's excellent guide for XP x64. He insists that the timeout is required. I do not know - I don't question. But do notice there is no backslash between %Source% and the name of the batch file. This means that the %Source% contains the trailing backslash. My installation is completely unattended after text mode, of course. I select the partition and the format, then leave and when I get back my system is on the Desktop of the Autologon user account I created and all that I am going to do is completed. It takes about 20 to 25 minutes on my VM under VMware Server. I am not really concerned about having the fastest install because in the final analysis, I will install very few times when I finish my next system build. I attach my Last Session (only one!), so you can see what I am doing. Along with what you see here, I am installing a number of items (but not nearly all) as shown in Kurt_Aust's post. I use AddOns, hot fixes, drivers, tweaks etc in nLite and the batch file to do the remainder. I use the $OEM$ to place files/folders as I need. I get no logon box because I set up AutoLogon. My ISO is huge, about 2.6 GB. This is fine with me since it is a little more than half a DVD and contains all the code I know I will need on my system. Since at this time I am still testing (Using VMware), the time to install does not bother me. Sometime, when I am chasing a bug, I may do several installs in one day. You ask if running nLite in a certain sequence is the same as running it once. I cannot answer this question - only nuhi (owner/author) can. The nLite web site points out some sequences that work, but it does not show any (and especially not all) that don't work. I have seen plenty, including my own, cases where strange symptoms crop up and are cured by simply running nLite one time. I know of no compelling reason not to do it this way. But, you are the one building ISOs and can do it the way you prefer. I would just ask that you state that you are running nLite in multiple runs in the future if you have problems, so that repliers can help you better. Enjoy, John.

leozack, you did not present a list of problems/questions, so again, I don't know what you are asking. I am not suggesting that you move .NET from AddOns to RunOnce in Unattended (the same as my reference to RunOnce exit - your reference to RunOnceEx confused me because that is something else again). I was only pointing out that I use RunOnce to install .NET and updates and get no errors. I will strongly advise you to run nLite only ONCE as I pointed out in my last reply. Running nLite multiple times against the same source can only lead to grief. There is no reason you cannot have a completely unattended install - I do. The $OEM$ folder, as detailed in the link I provided, can be used to copy files/folders into various folders without using copy commands. I use it to place stuff into the Windows, System32 and other folders. If you will attach (not paste) your Last Session.ini, perhaps we can determine why your batch file does not run. Enjoy, John.

spinjector, well, not directly. I think you need to look at the AddOn subforum above and do a search on the particular toy(s) you are interested in, since someone may have already made an AddOn for it. AddOns are easy enough to make and the instructions and maybe a builder are available on the forum. Enjoy, John.

leozack, I use RunOnce out of nLite's Unattended section - guess that is what you are talking about. It runs right after my user account logs on but before the Theme is installed. I see it run, but I do not have '@Echo Off', and would suggest you remove it. I also install .NET and its updates (from the RunOnce exit) with no errors in the System Event log. The latest .NET update is for Firefox support, but I assume MS has no way of detecting if Firefox is installed on your computer. I installed it just to keep WUD quiet. I am not sure what you are asking, but you might try using the $OEM$ folder. See this. Please restate your question(s) and, please attach (not paste) your Last Session.ini. Make sure to always start with a fresh copy of your CD files/folders, do all your work in one nLite session and integrate only one SP. Please report when you have a solution, so others can benefit. Enjoy, John.

Akte-X, I was able to DL the SP3 pack and extract it with 7-Zip. I guess you could take the updates and place them in the hot fix section of nLite. Have you looked at the RyanVM forum? I believe there may well be Update Packs in German language there. You should also check the German nLite site. g-force, posts here and is the owner of the German forum. PM him if you can't get anywhere. I doubt anyone will be interested in converting another form of update packs. Enjoy, John.

Akte-X, I do not understand what you are talking about. I would suggest you look at the RyanVM forum for nLite compatible Update Packs. In the future, please post a link to the things you are talking about and, please attach (not paste) your Last Session.ini. Make sure to always start with a fresh copy of your CD files/folders, do all your work in one nLite session and integrate only one SP. Please report when you have a solution, so others can benefit. Enjoy, John.

utkarsh.bisht, please attach (not paste) your Last Session.ini. Make sure to always start with a fresh copy of your CD files/folders, do all your work in one nLite session and integrate only one SP. Please report when you have a solution, so others can benefit. Enjoy, John.

majax79, I don't think OEM Preinstall is your problem - please read the Help text next to the option. Save your CD. You need text mode drivers. The driver files on your current machine are not going to help. You need to go to the Dell web site and find the F6 (text mode) drivers and DL them. If after you find the drivers for your machine you'll post a link to them, we will help you determine how to get nLite to use them. Enjoy, John.

Kurt_Aust, I noticed that MS has released a Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable. Should we be using this rather 2005? Enjoy, John.

skierpage, mine has no such problems. I did notice that your font is uniformly larger than mine and don't why this is. I have heard no one else complaining about these format problems. BTW, you will very likely have problems installing/running an XP ISO built running nLite under Vista. Enjoy, John.

stevemet, great idea - have stuck a batch call into my RunOnce file. BTW, the label can be up to 32 characters for NTFS volumes and contain many special characters that the FATS restricts. Please see the Help and Support on Label. Thanks, John.

majax79, I also suspect it is a driver problem. Did you include text mode drivers for your SATA and/or RAID drives? If not, find these drivers and point to their .inf files with nLite Driver task. In the future, please attach (not paste) your Last Session.ini. Make sure to always start with a fresh copy of your CD files/folders, do all your work in one nLite session and integrate only one SP. Please report when you have a solution, so others can benefit. Enjoy, John.

guypiasecki, don't know, of course, what the Dr. thought the solution was, but the answer is in the order that MS released them. The oldest at the top and the newest at the bottom. If WUD is working correctly, it should DL them in the correct order. Another solution is to go to RyanVM forum and look at the Update Packs available. Even if you don't use them, they each have a list of the contained updates in the correct order. Enjoy, John.

nik, your Last Session has no hot fixes added, so that is why they are not in your installed system. The other problem, I suspect, is because you have probably run nLite more than once against the same source. So, make sure to always start with a fresh copy of your CD files/folders, do all your work in one nLite session and integrate only one SP. Please report when you have a solution, so others can benefit. Enjoy, John.

Richard Arkless, there are several things that concern me. I would suggest that you put Internet Explorer, DHCP Client and Wired AutoConfig back in and see if that corrects the problem. If it does not, then I suggest you start replacing batches of things to see what is causing the problem. Since you can test under VMware, this should be fairly straight forward. Your old Last Session files can be a starting point. Can you get an Internet connection at all? Make sure to always start with a fresh copy of your CD files/folders, do all your work in one nLite session and integrate only one SP. Please let us know what you learn. Enjoy, John.

-X- and EvveLover, if -X- misunderstood, then I am really confused. Is EvveLover running legal Windows and can get comments or not???????????????? Huh, John?