DreamworlD

Guys, I've a problem concerning Windows 7 SP1. I downloaded the install image directly from Digital River. It is an official image of Windows 7 from Microsoft with Service Pack 1. What bothers me is the fact that this image have 7600 SxS cache files, not just the indexes (manifests). Because when I do a "Light" version of Win7 ver7600 I got 1.5GB occupied on disk. When I try to repeat the procedure with Win7 ver7601 I got 3.4GB occupied on disk. I am using install_wim_tweak.exe to unhide the packages, and when I remove them to hide them back again. The other glitch is that I am unable to remove the following packages: Microsoft-Windows-Client-Wired-Network-Drivers-packageMicrosoft-Windows-Common-Modem-Drivers-packageMicrosoft-Windows-Printer-Drivers-packageMicrosoft-Windows-Tuner-Drivers-packageBasically these are Drivers packages, but I do not need them. When I try to remove them using DISM i got error: 1168. And have to discard all changes on the image. When i use install_wim_tweak with /r option I have an error message saying File not found. And when I check with dism /get-packages, the questioned ones are still there. Checked the DISM logs, and I got there a lot of E_PATH_NOTFOUND and ACCESSDENIED errors. It seems that a file is missing from these packages. How can I find which one is this file? If I leave the mentioned packages untouched, and try to boot the 3.4GB "lighted" Win7ver7601 I always got: 'winload.exe' Windows cannot verify the digital signature for this file even before the install procedure had begun. Of course I had pressed F8 choose "Disable driver signing" but then I got an error saying that classpnp.sys is not found. Which is not true because the file is located in \windows\system32\drivers\ and in the same time it is in the SxS cache directory. Have you ever had a chance to modify Win7SP1 in any way using DISM and Install_wim_tweaks?

Ok guys, I figured it out!!!!! So here's the link from which I got it how it is working. http://wunger.wordpress.com/2008/12/22/how-to-integrateremove-ewf-in-a-running-xpe-image/ I was very **** close, but not enough as you might see. Anyway, the key was in configuring the FBA registry info and to alocate the fba manager in the right place. Currently the differences between EWF RAM REG mode are the following: a new contents needs to be created: %systemroot%\fba %systemroot%\fba\fba.exe %systemroot%\fba\fbalib.dll %systemroot%\system32\ewfinit.dll %systemroot%\system32\ewfdll.dll and the following registry entries additionally needs to be created: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ewf\fba] "PVConfigs"=dword:00000001 "OVSize"=dword:0112A880 "OVLevel"=dword:00000001 "EwfEnable"=hex(7):30,00,00,00,00,00 "EnableLazyWrite"=hex(7):31,00,00,00,00,00 "PVDisk"=hex(7):30,00,00,00,00,00 "PVPart"=hex(7):31,00,00,00,00,00 "PVOptimize"=hex(7):31,00,00,00,00,00 "PVType"=hex(7):30,00,00,00,00,00 Where: the OVSize is the size in bytes (hexadecimal numbering system) PVType is the overlay type: 0=RAM Reg, 1= RAM, 3=Disk mode If I find anything else, I'll update this thread.

Hello everyone, I am trying to build Windows7 Lite Ultimate edition using DISM and vLite. In the attachment is the recipies that I am using as follows: L110612m.ini -> vLite Preset Settings removal.bat -> DISM Package removal script cleanup.bat -> Installation Cleanup script ------------------------------------------- commit.bat -> Commit changes script discard.bat -> Discard changes script mount.bat -> WIM mount script setupcfg.txt -> Scripts Setup file With DISM I am removing the following packages: Microsoft-Hyper-V-Common-Drivers-Package Microsoft-Hyper-V-Guest-Integration-Drivers-Package Microsoft-Windows-Anytime-Upgrade-Results-Package Microsoft-Windows-Backup-Package Microsoft-Windows-BLB-Client-Package Microsoft-Windows-Branding-Professional-Client-Package Microsoft-Windows-BusinessScanning-Feature-Package Microsoft-Windows-Client-Wired-Network-Drivers-Package Microsoft-Windows-ClipsInTheLibrary-Package Microsoft-Windows-Editions-Client-Package Microsoft-Windows-Gadget-Platform-Package Microsoft-Windows-GPUPipeline-Package Microsoft-Windows-IE-Troubleshooters-Package Microsoft-Windows-Links-Package Microsoft-Windows-LocalPack-AU-Package Microsoft-Windows-LocalPack-CA-Package Microsoft-Windows-LocalPack-GB-Package Microsoft-Windows-LocalPack-ZA-Package Microsoft-Windows-LocalPack-US-Package Microsoft-Windows-MobilePC-Client-Sensors-Package Microsoft-Windows-NetworkDiagnostics-DirectAccessEntry-Package Microsoft-Windows-OfflineFiles-Package Microsoft-Windows-OpticalMediaDisc-Package Microsoft-Windows-PeerDist-Client-Package Microsoft-Windows-RecDisc-SDP-Package Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP-Component-SKU-Professional-Package Microsoft-Windows-Shell-HomeGroup-Package Microsoft-Windows-Shell-MultiplayerInboxGames-Package Microsoft-Windows-SnippingTool-Package Microsoft-Windows-StickyNotes-Package Microsoft-Windows-TerminalServices-Publishing-WMIProvider-Package Microsoft-Windows-TerminalServices-RemoteApplications-Client-Package Microsoft-Windows-VirtualPC-Licensing-Package Microsoft-Windows-VirtualPC-USB-RPM-Package Microsoft-Windows-VirtualXP-Licensing-Package Microsoft-Windows-WinOcr-Package Microsoft-Windows-WindowsMediaPlayer-Troubleshooters-Package Microsoft-Windows-Xps-Foundation-Client-Package Networking-MPSSVC-Rules-UltimateEdition-Package Microsoft-Windows-ShareMedia-ControlPanel-Package Microsoft-Windows-CodecPack-Basic-Encoder-Package Microsoft-Windows-PhotoPremiumPackage After installing and configuring, I am having the following problem: When I open Devices and Printers, nothing is showed in the window, and a indicator is showing constant loading. When I stop it and try to add a device using "Add A Device" button. I am having error with the following code number: "Windows cannot complete the current operation. The following error code occurred [80004002]". This error code usually is for missing interface. In this case the interface is DDORes which is not registered properly as a COM object model, and I suppose that some of the packages that I've manipulated had unregistered this module. Another problem is with the wireless wizard. Windows in unable to scan or connect to a WiFi network. It is not showing any information about the found networks, nor the "manual add network" function is wokring. Also the try-bar notification icon for safety removal hardware is not working at all. What I'm doing wrong here? P.S.: in the vLite preset you'll se that I've checked the WinSxS cache for removal. It turns out that this is insignificant for the current task, because I compiled two versions, one with WinSxS checked, and without it. And it is still showing the same problems. recepies.7z

Ou.. thanks about those.. Didn't know about. Personally I am using WinVblock since this year, so didn't know that it is so recent.

Once again MS reinvented the wheel, and once again they're banging in chest that have saved us miserable users with a brand new shining technology. Talking historically *NIX solutions can do this from before `90s. Now any linux kernel do have the support to boot from image files. Apparently, using plain VHD is complete loss of time. You can use a normal raw snapshot partition image with the same success, and with less complication. Using differential one is something else. But here comes the problem: Differential VHDs are big pain in the a**. After couple sector rewrite, the differential file is with the same size as the original VHD image... so pointless. Better create couple of image backups instead using VHD. No, that's not possible. The operating system needs a special disk driver which redirects the access from the virtual disk to the real disk. XP (and Vista) doesn't have this driver. This is not true at all. You can boot whatever you like from VHD image file using Grub4DOS or even Grub (yes, my friends, open community once again will save the day). However if you like to load OS from a differential VHD, which is something much more interesting you may use this tool from VMLite (http://www.vmlite.com/index.php/products/vboot), which is based once again on Grub. In this case VMLite do have a driver for WinXP7Vista2k. If you need the first option, using without differential VHD, once again you may use an Open Source driver for WinXP7Vista2k (look&search for WinVBlock). Linux distros doesn't even need such drivers. They're implemented as a planned support since Kernel version 2 (Long, long time ago)

I can find only one reason to use Win7PE as a thin client for MS TS, and it is a hardware support of the video card for new Linux kernels or NT5.1 kernel.

Managed installing SQLMSDE using snapshot technology, by migrating created registry hives and files of the installation to a clean windows installation. Managed also to populate the DB with the XPe components. Now I've tried to build and deploy XPe image. No success. Tried to do it in a Qemu and VirtualBox ... nothing. Just a blank screen. Tried to boot the image on a real hardware. It simply reboot constantly the machine even before it is starting loading any component as a device driver, or what so ever. However, I am able to enter ntdlr, because I am able to choose between Normal and Safe mode. I did the build with an EWF Disk Overlay, and surprise... in the FBA record I found a new entry: "PVDiskType"=hex(7):30,00,00,00,00,00 Unfortunately when I imported this entry into my current XP SP2 Pro build, and tried with ewfdll.dll, ConfigureEwf. the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ewf\Parameters\Protected\Volume0 entry was still empty, even after reboot. So I guess I am missing something here. Maybe there's another routine which actually takes the FBA records and then creates from them something useful for the driver itself. However, I do confirm that ewfdll.dll, ConfigureEwf actually is creating a partition.

Have no idea why I can not install MS SQL DBE component from the installation media. Maybe the media is wrong or with corrupted sectors, or I don't know. Will try today in couple of Virtual Machines. At least I am sure that it should work in VM environment.

Actually I've played a bit with those values, and figured out that: 1. EWF Driver is not interested in FBA entry, that entry is just for the FBA process and configuration 2. ConfigureEwf does not touch any entries in HKLM\System\<controlSet>\Services\Ewf 3. After disassembly of ewf driver, the only entries it is interested in are HKLM\System\ControlSet001\Services\Ewf\ Parameters Protected and it is gathering those by using reverse calls in msvcrt and ntdll. 4. After playing allong with those parameters: "OVSize"=dword:0x00000400 (This equals 1MB, although ConfigureEwf creates 63kb partition) "OVSize"=dword:0x000fa000 (This equals 1GB, and ConfigureEwf again creates 63kb partition) "PVType"=hex(7):31,00,00,00,00,00 (This one is creating just RAM partition) "PVType"=hex(7):30,00,00,00,00,00 (This one is regarding previous parameters and creates partition with the size of OVSize, but still not in Disk mode) Anything greater than PVType=1 is dismissed and putting automatically in RAM reg mode. If we change HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ewf "Type" entry, then driver cease to respond and ewfmgr is giving error code 87. If we change HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ewf "Start" entry, then we have BSOD no mather if ewf is "enabled" (HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ewf\Parameters\Protected\Volume0 "Enabled"=1) or "disabled". If we change HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ewf\Parameters\Protected\Volume0 "Type" again we have error in ewf manager. Tried to install MSSQL DBE 2000 from XPe CD's. Not successfull. On a Dual Core processor it hangs continiously. According to the logs there're DLLs missing but does not saying which ones. On EeePC1000H it simply does not install, logs saying that there were an error occured. On AMD Athlon it is telling me that is unable to create "sa" user. If I install MSSQL2005, and try to populate it with XP Embedded DB, it is complaying that I do not have proper MS SQL DB installed. So far installing XPe is no go.

To be honest, to build a XPe Env will take me forever. I should start looking for the packages, spare PC, because on mine there's no space left..etc, books for the process, one thousand servers and services like MSSQL and an environtment where I'll be able to run XPe. By the way, according to other people, the configs are the one that I am using. It simply does not put itself in any other mode than RAM Reg. There's no official dev documentation, only click here, click there, and voilla.. it should work:) The corporate way:) and ofcourse it is not working:) surprise!! I am not a MS Windows fan. This is something I am doing for a client. I've created this thread to ask if some one, somewhere is using EWF in any other mode than RAM Reg. Windows SteadyState is not an option. Don't have 4GB of spare disk on the image, it is running from a flash drive. DeepFreeze is not working with WinVBlock. The other option which I've is to use Differential VHD boot with VBoot, which is paid, and with s***ty support.

Actually when I commit "rundll32 ewfdll.dll, ConfigureEwf" I am able to find a new small 63kb partition after the main partition. According to M$, this is the EWF config partition, and that's all. Again according to them it should be <32mb, well mine is 63kb, and after it there's no overlays or anything. Tried also with "rundll32 ewfapi.dll, EwfMgrEnable" Nothing. Still in RAM (reg) mode. Starting to think that EWF Disk mode is only possible in XPe, and EWF is not able to recreate disk overlay, only FBA can do it. Inspected this 63kb partition. It is empty.. only Zeros (00).

Yes, But this is for WinXPe, I am trying to deploy this on WinXP Pro SP2. According to the disassembly of that particular method, there's a lot of Strings meaning error messages, but i've not found where is their output. Like for example: "Failed to save EWF configuration to reg" "Failed to create EWF partition." "Can't load EWFINIT.DLL" "Can't create EWF partition on disk0/par" "GetFBAParameters failed, error=%d." They're not present in the System Log, nor in the cmd where I do call this method. When I call it, it's not outputting any messages. I was also unable to find any routines, or methods, that are reading the FBA record from the registry. That's odd.

Hello guys, I'm struggling with this subject since a long time now. The goal is to run EWF (Enhanced Write Filter) not in "RAM (Reg)" mode, since for small amount of RAM it is useless, but in disk overlay mode. Which it turns out to be something very different and a dificult task. As far as I know, there should be a FBA reg entry somewhere and then the ConfigureEwf() method in the ewfdll.dll will read this entry and will configure an overlay partition. So far this is not working for me. According to other forums and what I've found online this FBA should be located in the [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\<controlSet>\Services\ewf\FBA], with this parameters: (Overlay config volume parameters) "OVSize"=dword:0x00000400 (set this to either 0 or 1Mb (0x400) for the EWF config partition size. Play with this size.) "OVLevel"=dword:00000001 "PVConfigs"=dword:00000001 (EWF initial state) "EwfEnable"=hex(7):31,00,00,00,00,00 (or set to 00 if you don't want the EWF to be enabled right away) "EnableLazyWrite"=hex(7):30,00,00,00,00,00 (Protect Volume parameters) "PVDisk"=hex(7):30,00,00,00,00,00 "PVPart"=hex(7):31,00,00,00,00,00 "PVOptimize"=hex(7):30,00,00,00,00,00 "PVType"=hex(7):31,00,00,00,00,00 When I set this up, run the API call (rundll32 ewfdll.dll, ConfigureEwf), nothing is changed. The EWF is still in ram reg mode. Any clues?