Atari800XL

I have to say this crossed my mind as well, and I was thinking of harkaz' great patching work of the POS updates as well. Too bad you haven't got the time harkaz, of course we all understand. Still, patching the botched update might be our only hope... (So close, yet so far away... )

So, kinda quiet here, don't want to hassle anybody, but www.winntsetup.com has not worked 9 out of 10 times over the last few weeks from here. Just reporting, not sure how it works for others.

Thanks JFX, I was aware of the changelog in the zip (nice touch), just thought you might want to know about the website being a bit "shaky"... EDIT: Just installed the new W10 build 9926 (much more languages this time!), using WinNTSetup and my 8.1 unattend.xml. Still working nicely, fully unattended of course. Thanks again, JFX!

Thanks JFX, looks like a clean download works fine on XP, thanks for clarifying! Winntsetup.com still doesn't work here, though... Not a big problem, but I like to check it for the changelog from time to time...

Sorry, don't want to bother you, but just wanted to throw this in: - Latest WinNTSetup doesn't start in XP, is that "by design"? Doesn't bother me much, but saw it by accident. - Winntsetup.com is down for a few days?

Why not share the source code with me immediately B) So beta4 has the fix? [OK, firing up old laptop, booting with Gena* this time (!!?) - You fixed it again!!!] * Tried Gena again after more than a year. So my testing tools now include Gena [peXP], Win7PESE, Win8PESE, W8.1SE for booting, xp/w7/w8.1/w10 for setup. Who said "overkill"?

JFX, something's "up" with the latest beta. XP apply doesn't seem to work anymore. No error messages, but it looks like it's only creating the empty folders. I've gone back to beta1, everything's fine there. My commandline for drivers also doesn't work anymore: -drivers:L: (is this the old semi colon issue? Must have something to do with the 8.1 DISM changes maybe?) Please note: once I click the drivers button, adding the letter works just fine, I think it's the commandline option only. I've removed the rest of this message, I don't want to bother you too much (again). I hope you can fix it. I have to add that I use WinNTSetup a lot, these little issues in beta versions don't bother me at all, I'm just very happy with this great tools, it's fantastic you still support all its uses, really appreciated!!!!

JFX, it WORKS!!! I'm very very very happy!!! Have a beer on me!!! Well, you ARE patient, because you always respond to questions, and even though I've told you countless times to "shut me up" if you get bored, you never have. I really appreciate that! Now I can go back to my preferred method of leaving the original wim files as original as I can (only add NetFX3, remove appx and let update), then in PESE I check which machine I'm on, mount the correct driver iso (if needed), then integrate drivers with WinNTSetup. Very nice and very clean. I've learned a lot this week about DISM, so that's an added bonus. Just wondering about one thing: why did the download fail? (See, I'm never satisfied...) No kidding, you have my deepest respect, sir, and I wish I could buy you your preferred beverage right now. Cheers!!!

Thanks for being patient with me (again), JFX. I have successfully downloaded the files you described with GWT (brilliant job on that one, as well...!), all files in DISM folder are present. I hope the WinNTSetup download (or other) error can be solved, I tried it again just now and had the same result.

This all sounds really good. I'm not sure I understand the first paragraph completely, but for now I will just try downloading the latest beta, letting it download the tools, and testing it. Otherwise, please tell me one more time if I should put something into the new DISM folder myself, and if so, what exactly. Couldn't test just yet though, the installer crashes right at the end of the first "grow bar" of downloading the tools. Tested with XP, 8.1-64, 8.1-32 (first thought it might be a XP problem at first).

Almost missed this edit... Sorry, I'm confused (again), did you change something in b3, if so: what exactly?

OK, we'll leave it at that for now. Pheww, this is going over my head, so thanks for your patience...

Erm, we were first looking for the files in the iso's sources folder. There's only the api-mswin-downlevel stuff there (no api-ms-win-core). Right now, I'm locating 262 more of these api-ms files in the wim's system32 folder. So I guess I should just try throwing these in the WinNTSetup tools folder as well? OK, I'll try... So once again: At first, you only told me to look in the iso, not in the wim! Hold on...

Vista driver integration went without error (which made me very happy), but on reboot the driver was not available. I think we covered a lot of ground today, maybe we should let it rest a bit, new ideas might come up. I have a set of old laptops on a side table here to do a lot of tests, so I'll try this and that... Thanks a lot JFX! Edit1: Tried Process Monitor, as per your suggestion (win8pese-64). Looks like it can't find api-ms-win-core-libraryloader-l1-2-0.dll It's not in the 8.1 iso \sources folder, so now I wonder where I should get it from (and if there's other stuff needed after this). Will check a 8.1 system... (at least I can see from the Process Monitor log that it searches in the WinNTSetup tools folder, so that's good!)

But I'm running Win8PESE-64, what happens then (it's based on "old" Windows 8). Is that another complicating factor (sorry!). Like Mo said in The Simpsons: "I'm a stupid moron with an ugly face and and a big butt, etc." I added the api*.* files from latest 8.1 iso to my WinNTSetup tools folders, and used the latest beta2. I'm doing a test right now (boot with Win8PESE-64, install from clean 8.1-32 wim, to make sure there are no extra drivers in the wim already). At the "Integrate drivers" stage now, "Dism.exe - Application error - exception - 0xc06d007e at 0x77794b32). Sorry JFX, if you get fed up with my stupidity, please say so. I thought I was on the right track. There is a Dism_stdout.log now, with version only: "6.3.9600.17031" ...I'll continue trying, next up is boot with Win7PESE-32 instead of Win8PESE-64 and install w8.1-32 and test video driver integration by WinNTSetup --EDIT-- I'm getting another error here: "0xc06d007e". ...after that I'll try boot with Win7PESE-32, install Vista and try same driver. I just hope you don't get fed-up with this, 'cause I feel we're almost there, and it would be so cool if it worked!!

(1) It is a stand alone wim, I never use full iso's anymore (2) So the sources\api... files are not available, this must be the problem. But please clarify: You say that those files are only necessary when applying 8.1 from a win7 PE? But I'm normally using Win8PESE to setup 8.1. Do I still need the files in that case? (3) What are the best files to put in the "api-set" folder? The aps-ms-win*.dll files from a 8.1 iso, or 8? I guess I only need the 64-bit files for Win8PESE-64? (Sorry, I see the separate x64 and x86 folders now). (4) Thanks for beta2 - which Vista problem did you fix exactly? Thanks!

Did a test with Win7PESE now (32bit PE). Same result, it seems. So it must be something else (probably some stupid error on my side, it usually is) WinNTSetup.log: Source: 8.1 Ent x86 nl-NL 6.3.9600.17415 Integrate drivers with DISM 6.4.9600.17031 (winblue_gdr.140221-1952) Wimgapi version: 6.2.9200.16384 (win8_rtm.120725-1247) Driver path: G: Dism return code: -1073741515 This is the normal install.wim from Windows 8.1, I grabbed it quickly because I needed a version without modifications/ updates, and without DISM-added drivers. EDIT: Added Wimgapi info. I don't know what this means exactly, but it looks like some mixed versions?

Dism crashes because the dll is missing? So this has never been a problem before? Am I doing something out of the ordinary, then? (Meaning: Is this the wrong way to go about it?) It seemed like a very handy method: Autohotkey checks BIOS info, then mounts the correct iso with specific drivers, WinNTSetup integrates them in the (applied) source (so the original source can stay "clean", also when new versions are made, there's no need for extra work). So it would be great if it could work! So you're saying my trouble began when I started using Win8PESE-64 instead of Win7PESE-32 before? That could indeed be the case, because in my memory it "used to work"! (Now I'm confused again, because the system I was *installing* was 32-bit, and didn't you say the *target* system's DISM was used?) So for Vista, it will not work. This is no problem at all, for the few cases I need it, manual driver installation is fine. But maybe you know another way of automating a driver install? (I've never done it). For XP, I sometimes set HKLM\s\m\\w\curr\DevicePath to c:\drivers and copy eg. scanner drivers there. Then when the scanner is connected, the driver is automatically installed. But for graphics this is of course "too late" in the setup process. It would be nice if I could use some sort of command-driven "force" install of the video drivers.

OK, at least we know that now. I'll scrap the files now and check out W7 W8.1 next. Hold on... (Didn't even realize that you would normally use the "OS to install" for the tools, I assumed you would use WinPESE8's files. But of course that assumption was wrong, because you can't tell which "host" system people use). EDIT: Did a 8.1-32 apply now with WinNTSetup (In Win8PESE-64 again). I'm at the "pre-reboot" stage again, there's an extra line in WinNTSetup.log now: "Driver path: D:" (this is the mounted iso, with one "vid" folder) Dism return code: -1073741515 Nothing seems to have happened. There's a 0-byte "Dism_stdout.log" Thanks for looking into this, JFX!! (Does it help if I try out some manual DISM command at this point? I can leave the laptop as it is now, or make a .tib backup...)

Thanks JFX, just did a Vista apply (I think it's the same with 7/8, though), with drivers from a mounted iso, I quickly cancelled the final "reboot" screen, so I can take a look at the log files. There is no Dism_stdout.log, only a WinNTSetup.log. Please tell me which steps I could take next. At the bottom of the WinNTSetup GUI, after the apply I can see the words "Integrating drivers", but it looks like nothing has been added? In my Tools\x64 folder are: bcdboot, bcdedit, bootice, bootsect, msstmake, offreg.dll, wimgapi.dll. Do I need more? I'm using Win8PESE-64, DISM is available (use it for capture, too). Version 6.2.9200.16384.

One more question, if I may, about adding drivers. I'll try to be short and concise. For XP setups, I always use the WinNTSetup add drivers feature (from the command line). In PE, I use an Autohotkey script to determince which PC I'm on, it then mounts the needed "drivers.iso" as L:, then passes L: as driver folder. Works every time. For W7/8.1, I don't use this method, because it didn't work for me. Instead, I add some drivers to the .wim with DISM. Works fine as well. For my new Vista wim, it seems integrating the (i965 video) driver with DISM is not supported for Vista install.wim images. So I was wondering if there's something I can do to get the first ("XP") method working for Vista (or even for 7/8.1). Am I doing something wrong? Here's my command line (for W7 in this example): run,q:\winntsetup\WinNTSetup_x86.exe nt6 -source:y:\os\w7.wim -syspart:c: -unattend:"autounattend_w7.xml" -savedriveletters -sysletter:c -reboot -disableuac -drivers:L: -runafter:"CopySetupScriptsW7.exe" Is there a way to check the integration of the drivers just before the final reboot (= start of setup)? Thanks!

OK, just a final "thank you" for helping me create my new Vista.wim. I will save all three versions (1=standard, 2=captured from stadard install with sys=C: for install with WinNTSetup, 3=fully updated 20141219). I would never have figured out "the C:\ thing" by myself. I've added the wim to my Win8PESE usb, which holds "all" operating systems now (all unattended). I've also adapted my PostInstall to Vista (pretty much the same as 7, with a few exceptions), also unattended. Let's hope new Vista installs will not be needed often, but once my PostInstall takes care of an OS, you can hardly tell the difference between any of them from a distance, anyway (they all have a completely empty blue desktop)... It's all about productivy here Thanks JFX, have a happy Chritmas...

Thanks for explaining, steve6375! It will take a few rereads to fully understand what you just explained, but for now I will remember to make sure the destination/ install partition for WinNTSetup will always be C: (as I usually do). For OS install, I always boot with Win8PESE, then use diskmanagement to prepare the partition (I always use 3 primary partitions to be able to use 3 operating systems on 1 hd): remove the partition first, make sure driveletter C: is available, then create new one -automatically set to C: in that case-, make sure it's active). Then use WinNTSetup to install any OS I want. (Afterwards: use Bootice to install grub4dos, menu.lst hides partitions from eachother, just my preference) EDIT: steve6375: Not sure if you catch this edit, but is there any way to explain why the original install.wim (when used with WinNTSetup) would assign D:, and the newly captured one assigns C:?

This is what I did: (1) Create standard Vista setup USB (diskpart) (2) Clean test laptop: install to only (new) partition (3) System drive is C: (4) Sysprep: generalize - shutdown system (5) Boot with Win8PESE (6) Capture new setup to new wim This new wim then seems to work fine with WinNTSetup (why?) Tested new wim on a different laptop, partitions 1 and 2 already in use (hidden, Grub4dos multiboot), installed to partition 3 (so partition numbers etc. are not critical at all, it seems). It has the correct C: letter! Hooray!! (again, why?) Next, I will do an "updaterun" and create another new .wim. If everything works, this is going a lot smoother than I expected! Last step after that is modify my PostInstall for Vista (already runs on w98, xp, 7, 8, 8.1, 10). Thanks JFX, your tips were invaluable once again!!!!

OK, will try that. Thank you very much for replying! I must admit I can't "get my head around" how this is supposed to to work, but I will test it as soon as I get home. What I mean is this: I can't understand (without actually trying it) how a normal setup would use C:, while WinNTSetup would create D: as system drive. But of course, you will be right and I'm looking forward to "playing around" with that. The update, sysprep/generalize and capture steps I always do anyway to create an updated wim, so that would stay the same. And than again, I can't yet understand how a new install of the new wim would then ("suddenly") **DO** work correctly with WinNTSetup (and why this time the drive letter would be C:). So I'll try the whole shabang, hope I won't have to bother you with my stupidity too much :-)