dougiefresh

I never said anything about moving the user profile directories off the user partition. Just the Shared Documents folder..... Guys, I'm not interested in moving the profile, just the Shared Documents and everything under it. I know of several problems that could/would crop up during moving the common profile folder off the system partition. Believe me, if I could get something working, I would use that method. Unfortunately, the only method I can think of involves writing an AutoIt script to junction the Shared Ducments folder to another folder on another partition DURING Windows Setup.... I haven't tried this, mind you, but I would think that it would work exactly like I want. Unfortunately, my work shifts are about 12 hours long these days (I just got off), so it may be this weekend before I try it. If you have a better idea, please feel free to offer it..... Thanks! My reason for doing this is that I don't want to lose the contents of the Shared Documents folder during a PC Recovery operation. The PC/Rec op wipes everything from system part and restores the archived ver to system part. Obviously important data (or at least to me) resides there! How do I keep the data during the PC/Rec op without manually copying/moving the data before the Recovery?

Anyone? Please help if you can!!!! Thanx!

Sorry that I'm a bit off topic, but why do you use junctions points for this when registry tweaks can do it for you? It's much easier and you really get rid of the folders what've been annoying you. I've tried registry settings. Every time I try changing them, things get screwed up. I got tired of things being screwed up, so I started using junction points to redirect the folders to where I want them. They work for me. Registry settings for this modification don't for me. That's why. :-) EDIT: Oh yeah! That and I can't move the Shared Documents folders without screwing something up. Windows either doesn't like me, or doesn't like the changes for some dumb reason.....

Why would you want to screw around with your Windows folder? Screwing up that folder will result in an unbootable system.... Frankly, the only reason I use junction points on my Windows XP is to redirect the user's documents, favorites and email to a different partition. I have a recovery partition, which would overwrite the entire partition, including data. Redirecting the documents to another partition solves the data loss problem. I hope this helps in some way.

Problem solved: Post # 9 ================================================= Problem: I need to move "Shared Documents" from %AllUsersProfile% to the path "D:\Shared". Attempt # 1: I've tried using TweakUI to change the location within the registry, but it never takes.... Attempt # 2: I've manually changed the locations in the registry, but those changes never take either.... Attempt # 3: Tried dragging and dropping to the new location and the computer tells me that the folder is a required system folder and cannot (refuses to) move it. Attempt # 4: I've got a utility called "JUNCTION.EXE". I rename original folder at DOS prompt from "Documents" to "Documents2", then create a junction at the folder "Documents" pointing to "D:\Shared". Navigate to "My Computer" and "Shared Documents" has been changed to "Documents". If I create the junction with "Shared Documents" instead, it disappears in "My Computer" entirely. I've tried this entire routine with and without Explorer running, as well as in Safe Mode. Only Attempt # 4 gives me the desired result with the exception of the naming quirk. Anyone have any ideas? junction.exe

My favorite scripting language is AutoIT: http://www.autoitscript.com. It's very good for this kind of automation, although it won't look like a "silent" install. To somebody looking at the screen, it'll look like the computer is entering the information for you automatically via keyboard strokes.

Yeah, try Windows Update. It will update your system, and the best part is that you can do anytime you want! (sarcasm dripping) No, seriously though: Build a Windows XP cd with RyanVM's Update Pack, then install Windows XP with it. Your system will be up-to-date as of whenever the Update Pack was built. It's not hard. The best part about doing so is that it's quicker than updating from Windows Update from a clean non-modified SP2 XP install. Also, if you burn it to CD, you can update other people's computers to that Update Pack level (if you wanted to).

Considering intregrating the Service Packs overwrites files and does a fair amount of changing to other files, I would guess the answer to be no. And, besides, why would you want to go backwards? Service Packs offer a lot in the way of system security, as well as update some things to function better. EDIT: Oh, what is an "open license"? I've never heard of the phrase before...... I've heard of VLK. Is this the same? EDIT AGAIN: If you're needing a "bare-bones" configuration, why don't you check out nLite? nLite can strip out parts of Windows XP that you aren't either (1) interested in keeping, or (2) going to ever use. But, beware that once component(s) are stripped out, nLite can't add them back.

Wonderful (sarcasm dripping.......)!!!!!! Just what I wanted to here (sarcasm gushing.....)!!!! Microsoft really works wonders (dam broke, sarcasm all over the place!!!!)..... Ok, on a more serious note: Thanks for the response. (no sarcasm!) Anyone else having this problem? EDIT: RickSteele: You do know that you can right-click on a hyper-link and select "Copy shortcut" and paste it into the address bar instead of going into Properties and doing so, right? It will save (maybe) a click or three....

I've just installed the newest October 2006 updates from Microsoft via Windows Update, then rebooted my computer. Since then, Internet Explorer won't open a new page by clicking on a link like it did before (i.e.: on RyanVM's Web Site. Anyone have any ideas on how to solve this? EDIT: I should note that nothing has been changed other than what Microsoft has changed via Windows Update. This problem has creeped up both times and I thought before I did my PC Recovery that maybe it was a corrupt install. It did the same thing after the PC Recovery. EDIT AGAIN: PC Recovery is NOT the same as System Restore! Please do not get them confused! Thank you!

Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude. But (at least, for me) the whole point of integrating updates using RyanVM's pack is so that you are completely up-to-date as of the Update Pack's release. (Granted, you have to download everything that came out after the UpdatePack, but that's just the way it goes.......) Critical updates are great, but there are more updates that really should be installed in addition to just critical updates. For more information on RyanVM's Update Pack, go to http://www.ryanvm.net/msfn/updatepack.html. Links to information about all of the included patches are present there.

If you can't find anything useful there, I would suggest scripting the installation using AutoIt v3 to automate the install. It takes some patience but automation is possible!!!! (Hope it helps)

As Homer Simpson likes to say, "doh!!!!" I just didn't look far enough down the page.... how stupid! Oh, well! Thanks, XPero!!!!!

I really love the work that you've done with XPize!!!! However, I'm trying to get it to install unattended and I can't find a list of parameters to get it to install quietly. Can you help me?

Here is the AutoIt script that I've written. Since you didn't reply, I could not add the appropriate window title or Excel output filename to script. I also assumed that since that you stated the following: that it would be safe to assume that the information needed to be entered was seperated by Tabs within the accounting program. I know that the tab delimited format that Excel exports to is set up the same. So, without further ado, here you go: ; User-editable variables $Input = "OUTPUT.TXT" $Title = "" ; Changes the exit function to my exit function to make sure file handle is closed: AutoItSetOption( "OnExitFunc", "MyExitFunc" ) ; Open the file OUTPUT.TXT for read-mode. This file is the expected output file ; for the Excel program and must be present in order for this script to function. $File = FileOpen( $Input, 0 ) if $File = -1 then MsgBox( 0, "Script Error", "Unable to open file """ & $Input & """. File must be present in the same folder as this script!" ) Exit Endif ; Select the proper window in order to start feeding input file to it: if $Window_Name <> "" then MsgBox( 0, "Script Error", "No Windows title specified in order to select the correct window!" ) Exit Endif WinActivate( $Window_Name ) ; Begin parsing each line of the file and feeding it to the program expecting input: while 1 ; Read line into memory: $Line = FileReadLine( $File ) if @Error <> 0 then Exit ; Parse the line using TABs as the divider: $Array = StringSplit( $Line, Chr(9) ) Send( $Array[1] & "{Tab}" & $Array[2] & "{Tab}" & $Array[3] & "{Tab}" & $Array[4] & "{Tab}" & $Array[5] & "{Enter}" ) wend Exit Func MyExitFunc() if $File <> -1 then FileClose( $File ) Exit EndFunc You may have to install AutoIT v3.1.0 (or later - found here) in order to retrieve the proper window title. Also, if tabs are inappropriate to seperate the information going into the accounting program, we may have to alter it some. Let me know if this works for you!

I reread the previous messages just now and I think what you're looking for, now that I'm not half-asleep! What you're looking for is a Recovery partition, similar to what the Dell and HP and Comtrash computers have!!!!! My method of partitioning a system is to create a partition about 4GB in size, next partition is 30GB for operating system (rest of drive is HD is only 40GB!), third partition rest of drive (if any space is available) Use a ordinary MS-DOS disk to put the system files onto the partition you create. You'll have to use a different MBR if you want to hide the partition from your operating system. You'll also want to come up with a user-friendly interface for DOS, preferably graphic interface (GUI)...... What I've done is customized my Dell's PC Recovery partition for my own use. It works very well for me. On second thought, let me see what I can do to help you with this little project....... (give me a little while....)

Never seen a DOS-level driver to make a virtual drive bootable..... and besides, the MBR would have to be completely rewritten in order to even make an attempt at booting off such a drive. Windows XP would have to have support for the virtual drive, because it don't by default. I don't think that what you want is even remotely possible. I've never seen DOS software supporting a virtual drive (except by SUBST - and that's definitely not what is being discussed here!) If you know something I don't (and I suspect you do since you made the statement), please direct us in this forum as to where such software can be found! Sure! Use Ghost to duplicate the partition onto another partition that you create under the 8GB partition boundary! Just make sure that the partition is below the 8GB partition boundary, because if you don't, your partition may not be bootable! (Hint: use Partition Magic to move your current partition to 2GB higher than where it currently is! You will have to modify your BOOT.INI in order to point it to the correct partition!) Hold on, just had a thought: Do you mean as in a partition to make a PC Recovery partition, like what's on the Compaq's and HP's and Dell's? Entirely different, but kinda the same......

Logging off the system may provide the answer you're looking for.

The only suggestion would be System Restore in Add/Remove Programs. This is probably not exactly what you're looking for, but it will help you to re-install System Restore on your computer (definitely less time than reinstalling XP). The only other way of reinstalling the files is to upgrade over your current installation of Windows XP, which will probably take about 1 hour of your time. EDIT: Stupid me.... I reread the quoted part and it looks like exactly what you requested!! Doh! I completely agree. Definitely run a virus scan and a malware/spyware/adware scan on your computer. It sounds like something is foo-bar-ing with the files on your computer! I would agree with your statement regarding System Restore, TheFlash428. I've had a problem where files were removed from my system due to user stupidity (yeah, that's me!). I tried using System Restore to bring them back and got only the settings and shortcuts. The program files were still gone. (I don't remember how [or even if] I got them back

Hi! I would like to help you. I need some information first. If you type something in (let's say) Notepad and cut some text, can you paste into the accounting program? I'm also assuming that you have the ability to run external programs or install programs onto the machine, correct? EDIT: 3 days have passed since my reply..... Anyone there? EDIT2: Since 5 days have passed and no reply, I will write the AutoIT script for you, but you must edit it so that it selects the correct window. It will be later today before I can write it.

I don't see how deleting a non-system folder from the C:\ has any impact on the MBR. It won't have any effect on the Master Boot Record (MBR). The MBR is stored at sector 0 of the hard drive (think: sector 0, cylinder 0, head 1). Partitions start beyond cylinder/head where MBR is stored at (about 64 sectors later). And, besides, this isn't even a system folder we're talking about here!

You can run it for about 30 days before XP starts being a bear about activation. For XP CD testing purposes, I would't bother with getting a license, you're not using it long enough to care.... If you're using for a long-term purpose (read this as: longer than 30 days), YEAH!! You NEED a license because after 30 days, you HAVE to activate!

If you're that annoyed about integrating 50+ hotfixes into XP, go to RyanVM's web site. He has developed a method to integrate all publicly-released hotfixes into the Windows XP source files. Worth a look (but only if u're interested!)

If you go to the command prompt (CMD) and type in DIR /T:C \, it will give you the date and time that the Windows folder was created on the system. Can't help on which service pack and uptime, though!

Very interesting tool!