JOhnCro13

I love the simplicity and ease of use of Sunbird. However, it is lacking in just one thing -- contact management. I currently use ACT! 2000, which is sadly very buggy when used on XP, and totally worthless when using office XP or later. Outlook 2003 is a pretty good alternative for this, but I can't share it among my other networked PCs without Exchange server, and that just makes the whole process WAY too much work, and WAY too complicated. Does anyone know of a cheap or open-source alternative that has a calendar function like Sunbird and a contact management function like Act, Outlook, or Lotus Notes, that I can still use among multiple users simultaneously? Thanks!

Both look good. However #2 costs almost $80 US for EACH computer. A huge discount from Act, of course. But still way too much for me. #1 only costs $175 US for 5 computers, which is even better, but all it does is allow multiple users to access Outlook. If anyone out there knows of an open-source alternative for Windoes PCs, I'd be grateful!

So, for the couple of you who didn't skip over this post, I use Act 2000. It's basically a program that allows me to manage my contacts and organize my schedule. My boss, and co-workers use it at the same time and that way we can make appointments for each other, etc. Act 2000, however, is old and buggy. Really buggy. The new version of Act costs $600 per user. No way I'm getting that! Outlook can do exactly what Act can, but I haven't found a way to set it up for multi-user access. Is there a program out there that's free or cheap that I can use? Any help is appreciated! Thanks!!

Yeah, it's cool. But, still, you need to connect all the PCs via network anyhow. What's the harm using an actual real KVM switch. You can get them on E-bay pretty cheap now, you know. Or try Provantage. That's a good company - cheapest I've found yet.

Hi, folks! Okay... A fantastic CD Switcher program, available through this very forum, is assisting me in my post-install process. I use RunOnceEx.cmd to call WPI.cmd after I install a few essential programs (Flash player, java runtime, daemon tools, etc...). CDswitcher, however, is not one of those programs that requires install first. It's function is to pause the WPI process so that I can change CDs. That's all. (A lot of Noobs out there are going "OH! So that's what it does!" The rest of us are going, "and your point is?") Well, that in mind, I have set CD switcher as #1 in my install order, and I have almost ALL my programs dependant upon it. It is checked by default. If it were unchecked, no other programs would be able to be installed. Technically, this is solved by making it forced, regardless of whether it's checked or not. That's all well and good. However... Here's the point: The entire unattended installation process, and programs like WPI are intended to make life simpler. I make my custom unattended install disks for old ladies and family members who frequently lose all their CDroms and the little slips of paper with their CD keys and serial numbers on them. With WPI, all they need to do is chose which programs they want to install, and voila! I can't begin to imagine how many phone calls I'll be getting about that simple CD switcher program. "I didn't check it! Why is it installing?" "What is this CD Switcher thingie? Is it a virus? Are you putting a virus on my computer? Is this illegal?" "Why do I have to install a program to change the cds? I can just open the thingie." I hate those calls. Please help! Is there a way to hide programs like this? Thanks!

Just a suggestion. Try using "all users" instead of any specific user. ie. "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop"

Has this been resolved yet? Is there a better compiler that won't give me a little pop-up "buy me" button? Otherwise, what is the switch to silence it? /S? Thanks!

If you're already running XP, ( not trying to install) simply go to "RUN" and type "control userpasswords2" Again, that's the word "control" (no quotes), followed by a space, then "userpasswords2" (no quotes). Here, you will see "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer. Make sure that's unchecked. NOW, click apply! Here, you can type "Administrator" for the automatic user, then enter your password, if you have one (and you should). When you restart your computer, you'll automatically log on as Administrator! How neat is that?! Here's the fun part. Open your control panel, and go to the users section. Since you're the Administrator, you can delete everyone else! I love it! And if you're trying to do an install so you don't have to do this.... well.... that should be in your winnt.sif file, right? I mean... I forgot how I did it, but I don't need to add a user at all. Ever. Here's what mine looks like: ;SetupMgrTag [Data] AutoPartition=1 MsDosInitiated="0" UnattendedInstall="Yes" [unattended] UnattendMode=FullUnattended OemSkipEula=Yes OemPreinstall=Yes TargetPath=\WINDOWS FileSystem=* UnattendSwitch="Yes" WaitForReboot=no DriverSigningPolicy=Ignore NonDriverSigningPolicy=Ignore OemPnPDriversPath="DP\L\3\1;DP\L\3\2;DP\L\3\3;DP\L\C\1;DP\L\C\2;DP\L\C\3;DP\L\B\1;DP\L\B\2;DP\L\BU\1;DP\L\BU\2;DP\L\BU\3;DP\L\D\1;DP\L\D\2;DP\L\D\3;DP\L\D\4;DP\L\D\5;DP\L\D\5;DP\L\D\6;DP\L\D\7;DP\L\D\8;DP\L\I;DP\L\L\1;DP\L\L\2;DP\L\L\3;DP\L\L\4;DP\L\LI\1;DP\L\LI\2;DP\L\LI\3;DP\L\LI\4;DP\L\LI\5;DP\L\LI\6;DP\L\LI\7;DP\L\M;DP\L\MI;DP\L\N\1;DP\L\N\1;DP\L\N\2;DP\L\N\3;DP\L\N\4;DP\L\N\5;DP\L\N\6;DP\L\N\7;DP\L\NV;DP\L\O\1;DP\L\O\2;DP\L\O\3;DP\L\O\4;DP\L\O\5;DP\L\O\6;DP\L\O\7;DP\L\O\8;DP\L\R\1;DP\L\R\2;DP\L\S;DP\L\T;DP\L\V\1;DP\L\V\2;DP\L\V\3;DP\L\V\4;DP\L\V\5;DP\L\V\6;DP\M\A\6280;DP\M\A\6290;DP\M\A\67160;DP\M\A\671x;DP\M\A\6880;DP\M\A\6890;DP\M\A\68x5;DP\M\AD\aac;DP\M\AD\aar1210;DP\M\AD\i2o;DP\M\AD\u160;DP\M\AD\u320;DP\M\AD\u320r;DP\M\AL;DP\M\AM;DP\M\H\hpt366;DP\M\H\hpt371;DP\M\H\hpt374;DP\M\H\hpt3xx;DP\M\H\rr182x;DP\M\I\u320r;DP\M\IT;DP\M\L\megaide;DP\M\L\mraid35x;DP\M\L\mylex;DP\M\L\symmpi;DP\M\N;DP\M\P\fasttrak;DP\M\P\fasttx2k;DP\M\P\sx4000;DP\M\P\sx6000;DP\M\P\ulsata;DP\M\P\ultra;DP\M\Q\12160;DP\M\S\3112;DP\M\S\3112r;DP\M\S\3114;DP\M\S\3114r;DP\M\S\3124;DP\M\S\3124r;DP\M\S\649r;DP\M\S\680;DP\M\S\680r;DP\M\SI\eide;DP\M\SI\raid;DP\M\SI\raid2;DP\M\V\eide;DP\M\V\raid;DP\S\A;DP\S\C;DP\S\CR;DP\S\CR\LS\WIN2K_XP;DP\S\N;DP\S\R;DP\S\R\HD;DP\S\S;DP\S\SM\A\1;DP\S\SM\A\2;DP\S\SM\A\3;DP\S\SM\A\4;DP\S\SM\A\5;DP\S\SM\A\6;DP\S\SM\I;DP\S\T\1;DP\S\T\2;DP\S\T\3;DP\S\T\4;DP\S\T\5;DP\S\V;DP\S\Y\1;DP\S\Y\2;DP\W\3C\1;DP\W\3C\2;DP\W\3C\3;DP\W\3C\4;DP\W\3C\5;DP\W\3C\6;DP\W\3C\7;DP\W\A;DP\W\AS;DP\W\AT;DP\W\B\1;DP\W\B\2;DP\W\B\3;DP\W\B\4;DP\W\B\5;DP\W\B\6;DP\W\B\7;DP\W\B\8;DP\W\B\9;DP\W\BL\1;DP\W\BL\2;DP\W\BL\3;DP\W\BL\4;DP\W\BL\5;DP\W\BL\6;DP\W\BL\7;DP\W\BL\8;DP\W\BL\9;DP\W\BU\1;DP\W\BU\2;DP\W\BU\3;DP\W\BU\4;DP\W\BU\5;DP\W\BU\6;DP\W\BU\7;DP\W\BU\8;DP\W\BU\9;DP\W\BU\A;DP\W\C\1;DP\W\C\2;DP\W\D\1;DP\W\D\2;DP\W\D\2\A;DP\W\D\2\B;DP\W\D\2\D;DP\W\D\2\E;DP\W\D\2\F;DP\W\D\3;DP\W\D\3\C;DP\W\D\3\D;DP\W\D\3\E;DP\W\D\4;DP\W\D\4\K;DP\W\D\4\L;DP\W\D\4\M;DP\W\D\4\P;DP\W\D\5;DP\W\D\6;DP\W\D\7;DP\W\D\8;DP\W\D\9;DP\W\D\A;DP\W\D\B;DP\W\D\C;DP\W\D\C\C;DP\W\D\D;DP\W\D\D\B;DP\W\D\E;DP\W\D\E\B;DP\W\D\E\C;DP\W\E\1;P\W\E\2;DP\W\E\3;DP\W\E\4;DP\W\E\5;DP\W\E\6;DP\W\E\7;DP\W\E\8;DP\W\E\9;DP\W\E\A;DP\W\E\B;DP\W\E\C;DP\W\E\D;DP\W\E\E;DP\W\E\F;DP\W\E\G;DP\W\E\H;DP\W\E\I;DP\W\E\J;DP\W\EN\1;DP\W\EN\2;DP\W\I\1;DP\W\I\2;DP\W\I\3;DP\W\I\4;DP\W\I\5;DP\W\I\6;DP\W\L\1;DP\W\L\2;DP\W\L\2\4;DP\W\L\3;DP\W\L\3\2;DP\W\L\4;DP\W\L\5;DP\W\L\6;DP\W\L\6\3;DP\W\L\6\A;DP\W\L\6\B;DP\W\L\7;DP\W\L\8;DP\W\L\9;DP\W\L\9\A;DP\W\L\9\2;DP\W\L\A;DP\W\L\B;DP\W\L\B\1;DP\W\L\C;DP\W\L\C\2;DP\W\L\C\3;DP\W\L\C\4;DP\W\L\C\26;DP\W\L\C\A;DP\W\L\D;DP\W\L\E;DP\W\L\E\A;DP\W\L\E\4;DP\W\L\F;DP\W\M;DP\W\MI\1;DP\W\MI\2;DP\W\N\1;DP\W\N\2;DP\W\N\3;DP\W\N\4;DP\W\N\5;DP\W\N\6;DP\W\N\7;DP\W\O\1;DP\W\O\2;DP\W\O\3;DP\W\O\4;DP\W\R\1;DP\W\R\2;DP\W\S\1;DP\W\S\2;DP\W\S\3;DP\W\S\4;DP\W\S\5;DP\W\SI\1;DP\W\SI\2;DP\W\SI\2\U;DP\W\SI\3;DP\W\SI\3\U;DP\W\SIT\1;DP\W\SIT\2;DP\W\SIT\3;DP\W\SIT\4;DP\W\SIT\5;DP\W\SIT\6;DP\W\SIT\7;DP\W\SIT\8;DP\W\SIT\9;DP\W\SIT\A;DP\W\SIT\B;DP\W\SIT\C;DP\W\SIT\D;DP\W\SU\1;DP\W\SU\2;DP\W\SU\3;DP\W\SU\4;DP\W\SU\5;DP\W\SU\6;DP\W\SU\7;DP\W\SU\8;DP\W\SU\9;DP\W\SU\A;DP\W\SU\B;DP\W\SU\C;DP\W\SU\D;DP\W\SU\E;DP\W\SU\F;DP\W\SU\G;DP\W\SU\H;DP\W\SU\I" [GuiUnattended] AdminPassword=* EncryptedAdminPassword=NO OEMSkipRegional=1 TimeZone=20 OemSkipWelcome=1 DetachedProgram="%systemdrive%\DP.exe" Arguments="-y /q /r:n" [userData] ProductKey=XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX FullName="User" OrgName="none" ComputerName=HAL [Display] Xresolution=800 YResolution=600 [TapiLocation] CountryCode=1 Dialing=Tone AreaCode=847 [RegionalSettings] LanguageGroup=1 Language=00000409 [identification] JoinWorkgroup=HOME [Networking] InstallDefaultComponents=Yes [GuiRunOnce] %systemdrive%\install\install.cmd Works just fine for me.

Okay. Here we go. Ready? Everything you have here looks great, as far as I can tell. However, PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR KEY!!!!! Oops, too late. Now, I have it and I will exploit you with it somehow!!! Actually, I wouldn't do that. But it's frowned upon here. So, for future reference... don't. But for right now, I think you're good.

I just got a machine with pretty much the same specs as yours, John, but I noticed that you have a dual-boot setup with Win XP Pro and Pro-64. Do you have pro 64 because you want to try it out and see if it's any better than pro, or do you have pro because 64 just isn't cutting it? Is it true still that most of the best software out there that was made for XP isn't compatible with 64 yet? I ask because I use Alcohol and Daemon tools ALL the time. If I can't use them or programs like them, I see no point in installing 64 as long as XP Pro works just as well. So, unless there is marked improvement in the OS, is using 64 a complete waste? Should I just wait until Longhorn to change things up?

Well, this is really something of interest to some of us, so i'd like to re-open this thread. Here's what I've got for you. I created a custom slipstreamed XP cd that installs XP just fine and once complete, autoexecs to the runonce program so I can install multible progs afterward at my discression. I don't want complete automation at this point. If I did, I'd set the runonce timer to 1 sec and make all my programs default. Are you with me so far? To recap: once the XP install is done, it opens the install command that was copied over to the C drive and runs it through the clever use of [GuiRunOnce] %systemdrive%\install\install.cmd in my winnt.sif file. (from the \$OEM$\$1\ folder on the CD) NOW, what I also did was copy the contents from the WPI subfolder in that very same folder directly to my CD root. (before burning, of course.) I then edited the config.js file in \$OEM$\$1\Install\wpi\wpiscripts and added: prog[pn]=['Windows XP'] uid[pn]=['WINDOWSXP'] desc[pn]=['Install XP'] ordr[pn]=[1] cmd1[pn]=['%cdrom%\\SETUP.exe'] cat[pn]=['Install'] pn++ Then I edited autorun.inf in the CD's root to look like this: [AutoRun] open=run.cmd icon=setup.exe,0 and created a run.cmd file that looks like this: @ECHO OFF rem The following line hides the command window ... common\cmdow @ /HID ECHO. ECHO Calling WPI ECHO. start /wait WPI.HTA exit SO, long story short, when burn the CD and pop it into a computer already running, say, windows 98 or ME, I get that awesome custom Windows Post Installer prompt instead of the generic windows setup prompt. The PROBLEM, however, is that above, in the config.js file, where I put cmd1[pn]=['%cdrom%\\SETUP.exe'] What do I have to put there instead to customize the install. I already have my winnt.sif file, and the unattent.txt file is exactly duplicated, save the GuiRunOnce section. running winnt32.exe /? under cmd gives me this: "/unattend[num]:[answer_file] Performs a fresh installation in unattended Setup mode. The specified answer_file provides Setup with your custom specifications. Num is the number of seconds between the time that Setup finishes copying the files and when it restarts your computer. You can use num on any computer running Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Windows XP." Does that mean my WPI should read: cmd1[pn]=['%cdrom%\\i386\\winnt32.exe /unattend5:unattend.txt'] ?