jaclaz

Well, than use it instead: http://processhacker.sourceforge.net/faq.php http://processhacker.sourceforge.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=282 What is the actual problem? (besides the actual goal) jaclaz

I presume that the most you can do is to try "becoming" System or TrustedInstaller, see: http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/155910-taking-back-the-registry-from-trustedinstaller/ http://reboot.pro/topic/17501-runassystem-and-runfromtoken/ Though I wonder if it is possible at all to "suspend" Winlogon.exe and what would be the expected goal. jaclaz

Let me think. Need to pay a periodical fee not really linked/proportional to the actual use of the goods/service offered. What do we have that feels like that? Ah...ha! I have it, taxes! That is exactly the way (in Italy, but in a number of EU countries as well) one pays for public television, an actual tax for the possession of any device suitable to receive radio and TV signals. You own a TV, no matter how old it is, or if you never watch it, still you have to pay for this, or, you buy a TV without any intention to ever connect to an antenna and still you have to pay, see: http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/171012-monitor-for-playing-videos-directly-from-an-usb-in-a-loop/ jaclaz

Let's call it "Swamp" instead of Aero jaclaz

This one wasn't that bad , though a tadbit repetitive . jaclaz

Ok, let's see if we can go somewhat forward. Attached is the 14gb.vhd and a copy of the "no code" MBR I used (hand carved, with your F553EAA7 signature, a suitable partition entry with 2048 sectors before and the Magic Bytes, partition is NOT active). I used the following procedure (under XP): Used MakeSparsefile.exe: http://jerome.hode.free.fr/opensource/ MakeSparseFile.exe create 14GB.vhd 14Gto create a sparse file.Used dsfi (part of the dsfok toolkit): http://members.ozemail.com.au/~nulifetv/freezip/freeware/ to inject the MBR in the image: dsfi 14GB.vhd 0 512 MBR_14G_NOCODE.DATConverted the till now RAW image to VHD using Karyonix raw2vhd tool:http://reboot.pro/topic/9715-firadisk-and-vhd-img-images/#entry83781 raw2vhd.exe 14GB.vhdMounted it with Total Mounter:http://www.kernsafe.com/product/totalmounter.aspx Used "normal" Windows XP disk Management to format the partition to NTFS (using quick format). Ran the bootsect.exe from the WAIK 4 (i.e. the Windows 8 WAIK), see: http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/156869-get-waik-tools-wo-downloading-the-huge-isos/ If you want to replicate make SURE to use the "right" drive letter instead of L:. Under my "standards/knowledge", this is to all effects a valid static vhd, with the Windows 8 MBR and VBR code. Locally, you can also try to use directly Total Mounter to create and mount the .vhd, and since you already run 8, you can partition/format it through "normal" Disk Manager. If you want to extract/examine the footer, you can use dsfo: dsfo 14GB.vhd -512 512 14GBfooter.binPlease let me know once you have downloaded the files so that I can remove the "large" .7z, around 2 Mb.jaclaz MBR_14G_NOCODE.7z

@Vinifera @Flasche @bhplt I don't think that post count actually matters. Rule #10: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?app=forums&module=extras&section=boardrules jaclaz

I can make only a "static" vhd (I may make also a "dynamic" one, but it would be more complex and more prone to errors, let's do the static one first). Even a static one, once compressed with 7-zip will take little space. A static vhd is nothing but a RAW image with a single "descriptive" sector appended. This sector is called in jargon "Connectix" for two reasons: the format was originated in VirtualPC, which was made by Connectix before MS acquired it it contains the plain text Connectix Check Clonedisk, create with it a "plain" image, make a copy of it and convert it to .vhd, compare results, see also here: http://reboot.pro/topic/18278-vhd-manager-basic/?p=168934 http://reboot.pro/topic/18740-drive-droid-boot-from-android/page-3 and given links. And yes, the idea is that, IF I can manage to create a "valid" .vhd, I can document the procedure used and you can replicate it on your side and/or understand what is different. So we need to agree to a fixed size. Since the non-working dynamic one expanded up to 13 Gb, I presume that a 14 Gb would do. jaclaz

The point I was trying to make is that "general" use is different from "specific" use, and the "most recent" is better" is often - if not always, a false assumption, and "correct" in this specific case is "vague" (if not downright pointless , as it depends on what you want to get as result). Ideally, as soon as I will have completed my tests, and I will have started a new thread specific to the various bootsect.exe versions and their effects, you could move the last few posts to there, not to clutter this one . jaclaz

Yes, but I asked because I seemingly found some differences in the effects of using various versions of bootsect.exe. I'll do a "full" (as much as I can at least) test and report results on a new thread. jaclaz

Wait until you see the actual Rules of Bacon : http://vernon-j.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/rulesofbacon.jpg jaclaz

Is there a difficult part in: http://my.verizon.com/micro/whitelist/ jaclaz

Well, if you go by timestamps, the Wintricks modified driver was published before you made your own, as said these are independently reached SAME effects, and they are not "alternatives to each other", they are the SAME thing, made independently by two different people in two different countries. What I was trying to explain (evidently failing) was that IF someone installs the "Wintricks" driver and for *whatever* reasons it does not work on the specific machine/install, uninstalling it and installing the "RLoew" driver won't change ANYTHING, because the driver is the SAME and "attaches" to the SAME class of devices. As such they are NOT "alternatives" to each other. The "Wintricks" driver is a (partial) alternative to NUSB. The "Rloew" driver is a (partial) alternative to NUSB. They are both the SAME (partial) alternative to NUSB. jaclaz

You see , the real issue with your use of very large fonts, if you use them now for Windows 7, is that the proportionally adequate font size to write idiots" when you will have "tasted" Windows 8 won't fit the screen . jaclaz

@jfx I noticed that the bootsect.exe is present in both the Waik_4 and Waik_4_1 folders, but missing in both the Waik_2 and Waik_3 folders. Is it "by design"? jaclaz

You are seemingly mixing too many things all together without having (yet) a "full" view of the situation. The term "bootsector" is to all practical effects exactly the same thing as PBR (Partition Boot Record) and as VBR (Volume Boot Record). Getting more "picky" there are slight differences: On a FAT12/16 filesystem the bootsector is actually one single sector. On a FAT32 it is usually three sectors (of which only the first one contains "dynamic" data, i.e. what changes on the specific volume). On a NTFS it is 16 sectors (of which only the first one contains "dynamic" data, i.e. what changes on the specific volume, but also the second contains some OS dynamic data: the name of the OS loader, i.e. NTLDR or BOOTMGR). Ove the years there has been a lot of confusions on the terms used. What gets a drive letter in Windows is a Volume. A Volume may be a (primary) partition or a logical volume inside extended. A Partition (extended) does not start with a PBR, but rather with EPBR or EMBR (which is similar to the MBR, and not to a PBR/VBR/bootsector). Volumes are accessed as \\.\LogicalDrive. The disk (which is the "whole" thing that contains Parititons and Volumes) is accessed as \\.\PhysicalDrive and it's first sector is always the MBR. There can be several reasons why a sector is "locked", particularly under Windows 8 or 8.1, it is well possible that you need to use another tool (Clonedisk might do, or, as said *any* hex/disk editor) or that you will need some "trick" to get access to the MBR. What we have not yet talked about is the exact nature of the .vhd, i.e. is it "static" or "dynamic" ( or "fixed" vs. "sparse")? Have you checked the "Connectix" appended sector? Why don't you try leaving (for the moment/tempoorarily) the Paragon thingie you are using alone and try using Clonedisk instead? Clonedisk being "common ground" may allow me to try replicating the procedure (though I don't run any of the 7/8/8.1 OS's featuring "native" .vhd booting) and I may be able to spot something "queer" in the image. As an alternative, non-native .vhd booting, by making use of grub4dos and one among Winvblock and Firadisk, is on the other hand more or less documented and never caused issues of the kind you are now reporting. But again, since I cannot understand what you are actually up to, cannot say if it could be suitable. What I may do for you could be to create a "static" (fixed size) .vhd that works normally, post it and you could try to populate it with the files you see fit. Of the two set of files you sent: The "drive P" has 2048 sectors before and is 123672575 sectors in size i.e. around 63 Gb in size (+1 for the NTFS BootMirr+1 for the "Connectix" footer) and has the $Mft starting "normally" @786432 The "drive Z" has 2048 sectors before and is 25161727 sectors in size i.e. around 63 Gb in size (+1 for the NTFS BootMirr+1 for the "Connectix" footer) and has the $Mft starting "strangely" @87210 These differences should not cause any problem, however, and the partition size/location in the corresponding MBR are valid. If you tell me which size you want a static .vhd (and if you want it with Windows 7 or 8 MBR and VBR code), I can make one for you with my "normal" tools/procedures and post it, so that you can try it in your environment. jaclaz

Fine :, I just baconed http://queensrules.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/bacon.jpg my way to getting the same 974 Kcal you consumed, on average the global entropy has not changed much. jaclaz

About the files you posted: The MBR_HardDisk1.dat contains Windows 7 code. The MBR_HardDiks2.dat contains Windows 8 code. I am less sure about the code in the VBR. The Bootsector_DriveP.dat contains boot code that is similar to Windows 7 code, but which is seemingly partially different. The BootSector_DriveZ.dat contains Windows 8 code. Cannot say if this is "by design" and/or if it is connected to the issue at hand. jaclaz

x86=32 bit x64=64 bit See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86-64 jaclaz

There are several "Orangeware drivers", these are "chipset drivers": http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/69192-usb-2-sis-chipset/?p=517622 I cannot remember of "Orangeware" drivers for "generic" USB Mass Storage. Are we going to re-invent the NUSB from scratch? Just in case : http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/143253-windows-98se-with-98se2me-and-a-recent-usb-composite-device/ jaclaz

For NO apparent reason, a bottle holder . http://www.homewetbar.com/images/prod/w-wine-holder-parrot55470.jpg jaclaz

Yep, what I am perplexed is the lack of any error, BSOD or whatever on the failing image. What about running Bcdboot and/or bootsect.exe? Till now we have not reviewed if the actual CODE is there (both in the MBR and in the VBR). You could make a backup of the MBR and of the VBR of both .vhd's, compress the four files together in a .zip archive and attach them to your next post, so that I can have a look at them. Clonedisk should be able to do these backups, just in case, an easy GUI tool is Hdhacker: http://dimio.altervista.org/eng/index.html Or, if you are more a command line oriented what you cannot miss is the dsfok toolkit: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~nulifetv/freezip/freeware/ see: http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/162668-make-a-proper-dual-boot/?p=1037471 for some usage examples. Anyway for the Disk Signature, *any* hex/disk editor would do, I am "partial" to good ol' Tiny Hexer (with my viewers for it): http://reboot.pro/topic/8734-tiny-hexer-scripts/ but since you only have to play with the Disk Signature (as Clonedisk that you are already using has provisions for the Label and volume serial, besides exact CHS/LBA creation of the partition) MBRFIX would do nicely: http://www.sysint.no/nedlasting/mbrfix.htm http://www.sysint.no/products/Download/tabid/536/language/en-US/Default.aspx see also: http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/30378-fixmbr/?p=387013 (the current version of MBRFIX has more commands, and my pseudo-GUI was never updated, but fuwi's one should be): http://reboot.pro/topic/4530-gui-for-mbrfix/ (that is if you actually want a GUI) jaclaz P.S.: erwan.l has just kindly added a "Change Disk ID" feature to Clonedisk: http://reboot.pro/topic/8480-clonedisk/?p=183813

: jaclaz

Sure . But you have to ask yourself (and post here the answers) these questions: How much did it take in research, and applying tweaks, and *what not* to get to the current satisfying result? How much did it take in 2006 (or so) to have Vista run *as smooth* as the previous XP? <- Warning, this is a tricky question How much did it take in 2009 (or so) to have Seven run better/smoother than Vista and/or as smooth as (or better/smoother than) the previous XP?Please add some considerations on how in the period between 2006 and 2014 the actual hardware has evolved and the possible effects of this evolution on performance.... jaclaz

Sure , what I said is that the driver on your page is not a "full" alternative to the NUSB (which as said is more complete and complex and prone -in my experience - to install issue on localized non-english Windows), and that it is also in NO WAY different for all practical purposes from the already posted "alternative driver". in BOTH the "Wintricks" and the "R.Loew" packages, JDUSBMS.SYS and JDUSBPD.PDR are the SAME Lexar drivers. in BOTH there is an edited .inf: First posted has a .inf edited by Sergio Neddi to become "generic", i.e. USB\Class_08&SubClass_02&Prot_50 Second has a .inf edited by Rudolph Loew to become "generic", i.e. USB\Class_08&SubClass_02&Prot_50The end effect to the user is exactly the SAME, the only difference being that on one it may be seen "WinTricks Generic USB Mass Storage Driver Disk" and on the other either of "Generic USB Mass Storage MS" or "Generic USB Mass Storage PD", and the "Provider" is in one "Wintricks" and in the other "RLoew". BOTH are - being essentially the same thing - an alternative to the "full" NUSB, but evidently they are not alternatives to each other, they are two slightly different versions of the SAME driver and BOTH are "generic" and will "attach" themselves to USB\Class_08&SubClass_02&Prot_50 And that is exactly the same work that Sergio Neddi did independently, as you can see in the (rough) translation of the original article here: http://reboot.pro/topic/2411-universal-win98-usb-mass-storage-driver/ jaclaz