caps_buster

Config? Dunno how that should be helping, but this is easy: Asus A8R32-MVP Deluxe, Opteron 148 250x11 (2750MHz), 2x 512MB rams 2.5-3-3-6, PNY 6800 GS 470/550MHz, WD 160G HDD, WinXP SP3. That it is. I would like to hear your suggestions, but everything is on low already. Lowering resolution did not bring even 1MB more. Still 59MB (at start 60, then59, 58 sometimes... 1024x768x16bit)... complete end of Explorer shoudl be much better solution.

WOT like World of Tanks... Resolution is a nice idea, but what about ending Explorer completely? Much better, nope?

Guys, because of some VERY unfortunate evets, I have to play demanding game (WOT) on friend computer, that have only 1G of ram in two sticks and I did not have any ram that can go at 233MHz with 2.5-3-3-6, so... WOT won't run on W2k SP4, it does fail even on XP SP1.0a and therefore I ending up using XP SP3 However I would kindly like to ask for tips, how to lower the memory requirments by even trivial amount - anything goes. For example WOT stoped (mostly) crashing, when desktop resolution is lowered to 16bits (no 8bit choice, bad)... So a batch file that can exit Explorer and start WOT and then start Explrer could be handy too! I started going usual way, by the services and using Autoruns I disabling things, but I need the internet to work, so, that is the only one limitation. Not using DHCP, just direct IP, so a DNS service is enough, etc. Managed to knock the memory requirments down to 59MB (desktop 1280x1024x16bit no background, W2k look) but still need more. Every kBy counts, please! For example I disabled the WFP, but I would like to disable the protection that checking when starting executables... ...and sure there are others to disable. I will post the list of services and the Autoruns screenshot, if anyone cold help to disable everything that is possible. On Win2k I even edited some dll files, that containing the animated bitmaps for windows and replacing that bitmaps with small one frame ones also could help... Yes, it is as desperate, as this. Every kBy is wanted, please! Nothing is too hardcore there, editing system32.dll - I'm not affraid! Just to shave some kBy of ram usage down, please!

jdoe - thank you very much! Your sfc_os.dll (patched) with the original 4k sfcfiles.dll I use on WinXP SP3 (czech) and it does work for me just fine. I didn't need to touch the sfc.dll and it is working fine! Thank you a bunch! Sticky?

I noticed, that the size of the swap file is very dramatically reflected on the size of R-DriveImage backup of the system (Win2k SP4). That clearly indicate, that the data in swap file are not that well compresable and that lead me to idea, that if I can run some utility prior starting R-DriveImage for the backup, and that utility clear the swap file (all zeroes seems to be the best for compression), then I can have a much smaller backup files and much faster the time of restore. When experimenting with Duron class CPUs (even underclocked, sometimes), this could be welcome speed up. So I do wonder, if some utility like that does exist or if it can be done using some Win system functions, like the registers setting that clear the swap on reboot/shutdown. Anyone know, if that could be done "on the fly" and not only on reboot/shutdown?

Guys, I wonder, if there is a way, how to modify the Windows 2000 SP4 install that way, so one can set the size of the pagefile the system will try to use. It usually look for other drive(s), but if there is more, then it fail to find the HDD and at end, the istall fail. Solution is to disconnect these drivers for install... but this is just lame. Is there a way how can I accomplish it?

Since a long time I was wishing to be able to create a batch file, that would stop all the unnecessary (at least for my machine and needs) services. There are two problems. First - I had no idea how to use the net command to change the service config in turn to enable/disable auto startup. Turns out that sc from Windows 2000 Resource Kit can do the job, so a line like this: net stop Alertersc config Alerter start= demand...for each undesired service will work just well. Not the Second thing. I need list of all of those pesky services. Their names are nowhere near to be found, till I stumbled upon this: sc query state= allThat is supposed to show me all the service names. And it does, untill: Enum: more data, need 4286 bytes start resume at index 51 ****! Never expected this one to stop me. Any ideas, what to change and where to get more (preferably all) of the resulting output? I tried: sc query state= all > trodasservices.txt ...but in the 4275 bytes long file it ends with the same cursed message Please help. Ah! Finally I figured out the bufsize and I can fix the problem with just: sc query state= all bufsize= 32800 Hoooray! PS. sometimes one space go a long way, lol. Never managed it to work w/o the space after the "=" ...

I tried to describe it as well, as I can there: http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/162523-winxp-sp10a-czech-setupapidll-hack/ ...but if the ksecdd.sys is really required (it was not in W2k file, so I removed it) as part of the core, then it might explain all the issues I having. Hence new test must be done with the ksecdd.sys back in the Filesystems.Load section of TXTSETUP.SIF. So, back to testing - thanks for the first sight! Now I removed also the "_x" to prevent checking the files, so we see, if the install can work with modified files - that is the goal.

So, jaclaz, there are the Win XP SP 1.0a czech files LAYOUT.INF and TXTSETUP.SIF. Both with their original state and my modified state. What I did wrong? I just cleaned out the files, removing empty lines and stuff and removed many of the ".Load" files to get the install rid of many of the unwanted files. Is this that big crime, so the install should crash, as it does? WinXP SP1.0a CZ layout+txtsetup files.zip

jaclaz - you are quite possible right. I'm a novice in the windows modification and a stubborn one, so I have to learn all by myself. Usually a trial&error (or terror?) However I would not refuse to accept some help out there, lol. For example I was fairly sucesfull in the Windows 2000 SP4 install modification - now it support the LBA drives AND I did not need to enter the CD key. That is IMHO great (at least for me) and there is only a very slight annoyance - and that it that I failed to disable the FireWire 1394 driver to be loaded in the whole beginning of the installation of W2k. This is really a minor thing, yet the last thing I wanted to accomplish. If you can check out these Win2k SP4 LAYOUT.INF and TXTSETUP.SIF files: layout+txtsetup.zip ..and please tell me, what can I disable to kill the unnecessary loading of the FireWire 1394 driver on the install initialization to make it faster, that would be great. Because I can attempt it myself, but that probably not end up well, like the WinXP SP 1.0a case. I'm going to meddle with the XP later, lol. I never give up on the mods, till they are done. PS. It probably is quite easy (not to load the FireWire 1394 crap) - in TXTSETUP.SIF, there is the "[busExtenders.Load]" and there is the "sbp2port = sbp2port.sys" and this is later defined as "sbp2port = "... IEEE 1394 SBP2 Storage Port", files.sbp2port,sbp2port" ... so just removing this line cause this bus extender are not being loaded on the Win2k SP4 install startup. Gotta test this idea in reality PS2. And indeed it work! So using quite simple WINNT.SIF file (without any Unattended.txt file!) it give me all I wanted: not need to enter the CD key, skip EULA and default network components installed as well, as not waiting for many keys during install - hooray! [Data]AutoPartition=0MsDosInitiated="0"UnattendedInstall="Yes"[Unattended]OemSkipEula=YesFileSystem=*DriverSigningPolicy=Ignore[UserData]ProductID="xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx"[Networking]InstallDefaultComponents=Yes[Components]msmsgs = Offmsnexplr = Offfreecell = OffAutoUpdate = OffCertsrv = OffCertsrv_client = OffCertsrv_server = OffChat = OffDeskpaper = OffDialer = OffDtcnetwork = OffFax = OffFp_extensions = OffFp_vdir_deploy = OffHearts = OffHypertrm = OffIEAccess = OffLicenseserver = OffMedia_clips = OffMedia_utopia = OffPinball = OffPop3Admin = OffPop3Service = OffPop3Srv = OffRootautoupdate = OffSpider = OffTemplates = OffTerminalServer = OffTSWebClient = OffZonegames = Off...now is time to look on the WinXP SP 1.0a

My windows crashed and are unable to boot after I used this patcher. I won't recommend ANYONE use it. Back to dos, put the old original file back and Win XP SP 1.0a are kicking fine again. Ufff! Bad idea! Sorry, I was wishing it to work, but it does NOT work Still no idea what to change in the comdlg32.dll file... I'm willing to do ANYTHING to get the normal view into the dialogs! ResHacker or binary hacking - whatever it takes! It worked just fine in Windows 2000... why M$ had to screw it up?!

A the left, major part of the image, is shown up the Open - Save dialogue that show the cursed Icons by default in Win XP SP 1.0a... I do wonder, if I can modify the comdlg32.dll somehow (or registry?) to FORCE the Open-Save dialogue to open always default with the list view, as shown in the right part of the image: I tried hard searching on Google for the comdlg32.dll internals, but did not found anything usefull. I think that it will be something in the dialogue no. 1547 (when one have disabled the places bar, witch places it will be the no. 1552) in comdlg32.dll file: 1547 DIALOGEX 0, 0, 537, 334STYLE DS_MODALFRAME | DS_CONTEXTHELP | WS_POPUP | WS_VISIBLE | WS_CLIPCHILDREN | WS_CAPTION | WS_SYSMENUCAPTION "Otevřít"LANGUAGE LANG_CZECH, 0x1FONT 8, "MS Shell Dlg"{ CONTROL "Oblast &hledání:", 1091, STATIC, SS_LEFT | SS_NOTIFY | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 3, 4, 49, 8 CONTROL "", 1137, COMBOBOX, CBS_DROPDOWNLIST | CBS_OWNERDRAWFIXED | CBS_HASSTRINGS | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_VSCROLL | WS_TABSTOP, 53, 1, 149, 300 CONTROL "", 1088, STATIC, SS_LEFT | WS_CHILD, 211, 1, 88, 16 CONTROL "", 1120, LISTBOX, LBS_NOTIFY | LBS_NOINTEGRALHEIGHT | LBS_MULTICOLUMN | WS_CHILD | WS_BORDER | WS_HSCROLL, 1, 18, 535, 284But all these dropdown lists show only 4 numbers, witch is basically their position and size... Not what is pre-selected by them. So, maybe I have to edit the dialog this way? I don't know, but any ideas are more that wellcome! Thanks!

Not need the course on how to navigate thru the internet, just need a course on how to make the WinXP SP1.0a accept modified TXTSETUP.SIF and LAYOUT.INF files. It does refuse to accept these modified by me.

Unfortunately, the answer (that the file not need patching) is likely to be a FALSE one. When installing, it keep getting stuck on the message that the Win install file is wrong and it's signature is missing. It give this code of error: 800b0100 ... So perhaps the file really does not need to be patched, but the install does not work when the files are modified So I presumed that they had to be patched in order to make it work... Especially that I did not find anything special (like a signature) in the end of the file LAYOUT.INF. In the file TXTSETUP.SIF, there is, at the very end, something that the Notepad2 "translate" as "SUB" - a one pace char with there letters and inverted... And even I copy and paste it exactly from the original file, it still come up with this error message and at it the whole install end. Or should I say get stuck? That led me to believe that something shall be done with the setupapi.dll file. This way it look:

Well, it is true, that when I get into it, I started changing the install CD some more... that is true. The fail with the ProductKey vs. ProductID was apparent. I did not complained about the screeenshots, I just described what happend when the install is going on. In fact, the network is trashed and not working right now, witch is far more serious problem that the entering of the product key, lol... Well, I did not wanted to bring it on, but look how the doc file look there: So, as much as I want, I can't read that file at all. Oh, old good WordPad does work, asn can save the file as rtf, great Now I can look at some of the options there, hooray I quickly realize, that the network does not work, because I use wrong option: [identification] JoinWorkgroup=xxx ...with is wrong, the right is: [identification] JoinDomain = "xxx" Hope this will work. Also added the UnattendMode=GuiAttended into the [unattended] and we see if I get the network working again The "YOU only wanted ProductID "nothing more"" excuse if kinda lame :-) Meanwhile I realize I could tweak the install to my liking :-D Wrong on my part, it actually works (*surprised*) Not for windows, so, no alternative at all. Fine, I settle for "not possible on W2k", okay. Any what is wrong with that? In theory, the ReadOnly will make that work:

I have no idea, what do you mean by the AntiWGA, however all that is not related at all of the original question, and that it - how to make the Win XP SP 1.0a czech version of setupapi.dll file work with modified install files. So either you have something to say about this, or you don't.

Of course there is a reason why I do prefer Win XP SP 1.0a - because they did not overrule the hosts files for M$ servery, for just one example out of many. However the problem is the impossibility to make a altered install CD. And reading this thread make one wonder, why people that are asking are expected to know already the answer And when finding and pointing out the wrong suggestion they are bashed even more, lol... PS. should be worth to mention, that I tried to fix the reboot during install with such modified DLL by modifyRE -e on the hacked dll, so it did not appear corrupted to the OS itself. But no luck. Perhaps better will be to combine both hacks...?

To be able modify the Windows install CD files, one need to hack the setupapi.dll file. There are well explained and documented where and what to modify for Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP3 and Windows 2003 SP2, thanks to fdv: http://www.vorck.com/windows/edit-setupapi.html However the guide cover only the there mentioned Windows versions, not the one I want to use. Searching for the "90 90 90 90 90 8B FF 55 8B EC 8B 45 2C 33 C9 3B C1" as Fred Vorck suggested turn out of no result in my version of the file. So, what I need is some help how to do this. I cannot find the byte sequence for the XP SP3 version - 8B FF 55 8B EC - but I can found the byte sequences (4 cases of them) as for the Windows 2000 SP4 setupapi.dll file = 55 8B EC FF 75. When I changed the second one of them (as in Win2k SP4 version of the file), at the offset 4F17D (not same as for Win2k SP4 version of the file) it does not work at all. The install went file, but hand on on network components, at about 60% forever. I did use the modifyPE -c on the file after I modified it to make the setup working... When I pushed harder to make sure it is the modification fault, then I tried remove the "_X" that cause the setup to check the files: ...the setup immediatelly, after the first reboot, started to complaining about modified files that are "serious problem" and setup "cannot continue". That means the patch I made to the setupapi.dll is not working So, I asking if anyone know the correct byte sequence or have some ideas to try this version of the file. Thanks! I got recommended this: ...however it only make the install crash. The install with the original file complained, when I used modified LAYOUT.INF, syssetup.inf, TXTSETUP.SIF and WINNT.SIF files. And did not continue. When I used the patched setupapi.dll file, then it just (at the moment when with the original setupapi.dll it just complained about the files - after the copy and the 1st reboot, in the nicer WinXP install GUI) crash. Sadly. Anyone can help?

Winnt.sif files really do differ from XP SP1.0a to Windows 2000 SP4... for example on XP SP1.0a the "WaitForReboot=0" is working, while for W2k I have to yet find the proper way/value... Perhaps "WaitForReboot=No" will be the proper one? But the network problem is far bigger and more urgent. I need to put back the network options to the install... ****. However my Win XP SP1.0a install, as I mentioned earlier, did not work, because the patching of the setupapi.dll does not work (eg. there is no guide for Win XP SP 1.0a and what I tried, failed - when placing the original setupapi.dll file to the install, then after the reboot stop and complaining about modified files and want "mode things" in them.... ) ... so I can just try a very little with the XP install, sadly.

Sucess! The problem was, that as recommended, I tried enter the CD key as "ProductKey" (see second post or the links where this is wrongly posted), while as submix8c posted, the correct value is "ProductID"....!!! So, instead of telling me what to read and where, people should better read what I did posted, see my examples that does NOT work and find out that ProductKey is wrong and ProductID is the right option! Interesting example of not-reading, lol. Anyway, it is all not at good, as I hoped. Win install go smoothly, yet: 1) "WaitForReboot=No" does not work, will "WaitForReboot = "No"" or "WaitForReboot = 0" work? 2) "JoinWorkgroup=xxx" does not work, will "JoinWorkgroup = "xxx"" work? jaclaz - Yep, wrong is the ProductKey, right is the ProductID - but you hardly can blame me for using the guide, huh? Now where are your reading skills to not point that flaw out sooner? As far, as *.chm files goes, where is the Windows download there? http://xchm.sourceforge.net/download.html I failed to see it, but my failure can be corrected... submix8c - easy on the cofee, mate. Problem found and fixed, now I just nitpicking the rest Wrong, I never seen the CD key screen once again Wrong again. Doing it my way, I never seen the EULA in DOS or in Win mode again. This is great :-D Wrong also. I did not have it in my Winnt.sif file and the install went happily w/o that... So maybe for SP4 it is not need anymore? Who knows/care as long, as it works. Not to worry, I cannot read *.chm files, so... also the problem was not in my reading, just in the ProductKey/ProductID mistake (see posts and links above)... What I wonder is, that some options you have in double quotes, and some dont: AutoPartition=0 OemSkipEula=No MsDosInitiated="0" UnattendedInstall="Yes" What is correct way? Mine example: [Data] AutoPartition=0 MsDosInitiated="0" UnattendedInstall="Yes" [Unattended] OemSkipEula=Yes FileSystem=* WaitForReboot=No DriverSigningPolicy=Ignore [UserData] ProductID="xxx" [Identification] JoinWorkgroup=xxx [Networking] InstallDefaultComponents=Yes [Components] msmsgs = Off msnexplr = Off freecell = Off AutoUpdate = Off Certsrv = Off Certsrv_client = Off Certsrv_server = Off Chat = Off Deskpaper = Off Dialer = Off Dtcnetwork = Off Fax = Off Fp_extensions = Off Fp_vdir_deploy = Off Hearts = Off Hypertrm = Off IEAccess = Off Licenseserver = Off Media_clips = Off Media_utopia = Off Pinball = Off Pop3Admin = Off Pop3Service = Off Pop3Srv = Off Rootautoupdate = Off Spider = Off Templates = Off TerminalServer = Off TSWebClient = Off Zonegames = Off - working: OemSkipEula, ProductID, InstallDefaultComponents, msnexplr not installed and such... -not working: WaitForReboot, JoinWorkgroup PS. found not working network, so the "InstallDefaultComponents=Yes" is either not working or wrong...

Maybe that is the reason, why every nLites after certail very old version 4 years ago, never worked again with Win XP SP 1.0a install...? That is why I will not even try nLite, because it is tested and never work. All I wanted is to insert the CD key into the Win install CD. All. Nothing more, nothing less. It is great to know, that there are parameters how to make the Unattended mode probably behave like I want it, eg. this way: [Data] MsDosInitiated=0 UnattendedInstall="Yes" [Unattended] OemSkipEula = Yes FileSystem = * WaitForReboot = No DriverSigningPolicy = Ignore But it is all useless, when the main thing, the CD key (product key) option in Winnt.sif file does NOT provide the CD key, nor that I can leave the question empty, nor that it pre-fill it with the number, nothing like that. All the times it just behave as nothing had ever changed (the entering of the CD key, other things DO change)... So your suggestion to use known not working nLite is like adding another problem, when I'm far off from understanding what to put in the Winnt.sif file to make the CD key go away. That it is. Nothing more, nothing less is the question right now. What the fact, that there are more options for the unattended mode have to do with the not working Winnt.sif CD key entering? BTW, no, I cannot read *.chm file, these files aren't readable (eg. working) for me, it probably have to do something with disabling the help services or such, but such nonstandard files are impossible to read. Regardless, when the option does not work, then it is kinda useless to know, that there are more options. I did not want more stuff, I do want this one to work, that it is. Clearly, Winnt.sif file way failed - or I do something wrong.

This looks interesting, thanks -X-, sadly it does not work again. On top of that, it remove the optional format of the drive where Windows is getting installed, witch is undesirable... I just wanted to get there the CD key, but looks like this is impossible to achieve. Windows 2000 SP4 czech just again and again ask me for the CD key again.... I did not yet tried it w/o the double quotes, however I dubt that this could give me any better results, apart from the lost of the formatting, witch is far, far worser problem that entring CD key ever was. For fun, I tried the Win XP SP1.0a, but they crash during the install after the first reboot. Could be related to patching of the setupapi.dll file, tough. There was never anything about this version of Win, so I asked there: http://forum.exetools.com/showthread.php?t=12523 ...and got recommended changing the 68 34 09 00 00 to 33 C0 C2 30 00, but looks like this patch is unsucesfull after all.

Well, if you look up, I did not even used the UnattendMode option, I just wanted to use the product key... So insteead of complaining that I did not read it, you better should concentrate on the pure and simple question - will it work? From my testing it seems that NO is the answer... So the only way to make it work is actually use some of the Unattend Mode switch? Gotta check on that one... Fine, it does not work. Trying the WINNT.SIF file with these: [Data] MsDosInitiated=0 UnattendMode=ProvideDefault [UserData] ProductKey=xxx or these: [Data] MsDosInitiated=0 UnattendMode=ProvideDefault [UserData] ProductKey="xxx" content (+ the rest from the above example) and it ask for the production key each time, where "xxx" is, double or triple checked the production key with all caption letters, as it appears to be printed... So, it does not work this way, sadly. Is there any other way to supply the production key to the install CD?

I tried changing the settings "Assign IRQ for VGA" and "Assign IRQ for USB" from Yes to No, but no difference. Not even another install of Windows behave any way differently. The idea that I should tweak the PnP OS settings not crossed my mind yet, I have to try it... But I get just another old mainboard that run better and did not share the IRQ in such massive fail way

LOL... thanks anyway. Your spoiler is funny. Somehow I did not believe someone could sustain so much injuries for one simple fall But looks like we never know After all, the wordings "conspiration theoretic" are suggested to be used by CIA, right after public have hard time to swallow "the magic bullet" theory, where one single bullet can do sever different injuries to two men's One fell = many injuries. One bullet = many injuries. Looks like these guys learned well, how to spin what happend... and who can blame them, true. But it is not the truth, not even a tiny fraction of it