harkaz

I have downloaded the updates from Windows Update catalog. So now they are checking whether the ProductSuite key =EmbeddedNT as well. You cannot change this, so we have to go manual from now on.

Did you have any problems receiving March updates from WU? I don't seem to be getting them automatically.

They're just for the recovery environment operation. Main OS is not built by those files.

You need to better understand how Windows recovery works. The winre.wim winsxs is a folder for the recovery environment only. It needs to be small, so that the recovery environment can be loaded in RAM. The full OS is copied later to the hard drive from an image, the install.wim. Inside the install.wim you'll find all the original sxs files required for recovery. Install.wim is found in the Windows installation media (sources folder). You need SP1-integrated installation media to repair a SP1 system. You will lose all installed updates and maybe programs/files after the repair.

Not that it matters, it's called bds.exe If you ask me, I don't see this happening anytime soon... Some situations require specific answers. It's like misdiagnosing acute pancreatitis for asthma... And in the request above there was only one answer for an engineer that wants to develop a compatibility layer for closed source software in less than 2 weeks. The specific call is already included in XP. An engineer would know that, or easily find it by looking in the PE header. A troll would ask for the most irrelevant thing like the name of the program. ADVICE: For better trolling next time consult MSDN: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms683560%28v=vs.85%29.aspx Quote MSDN: Requirements for InterlockedCompareExchange Minimum supported client Windows XP [desktop apps | Windows Store apps] Minimum supported server Windows Server 2003 [desktop apps | Windows Store apps] Header WinBase.h (include Windows.h) Library Kernel32.lib DLL Kernel32.dll The InterlockedCompareExchange64 is what bds.exe asks for because it is in Vista or later. I was expecting someone who claims modifying closed-source software to know this before I even told this. I am a hobbyist, I study Medicine in fact, but there are people out here that have devoted their lives to the IT stuff. In my opinion, it is insulting and a mockery of their work to use a historical project's name (KernelEx) to do trolling. It's up to the admins from now on...

I have a program that asks for this call: InterlockedCompareExchange Can you implement it?

How many MBs have been saved? Please be specific. How do you install it to VMs? I'm just curious to know your method. Hope the script files for the drivers are all ok. You could still check the integrity of the PE files offline using standard PE tools. I am still interested in seeing a list of the project files and their sizes.

Can you post some images of the entire directory structure, so that we can assess the damage to the project? I see the kernelex dir size is 0 KB(!) so I'd like to see exactly what has been recovered.

Backing up registry takes some time always. I'd like to see the C:\WINDOWS\svcpack.log file though.

It is impossible to reliably recover the files in this case. Sorry... Btw, excellent posts jaclaz.

https://mh-nexus.de/en/hxd/ HxD is a carefully designed and fast hex editor which, additionally to raw disk editing and modifying of main memory (RAM), handles files of any size.. When you're done creating the clone with tools you will find online, you can use this to search for parts you'd like. When all automated solutions fail, it's time for manual work.

Buy a 1 TB+ external drive and perform a sector-by-sector clone of the HDD to the external drive. You must analyse the external drive then. There are advanced solutions for forensic analysis but I'm not ready to give more info ATM. Search for tools suitable for forensic analysis not merely 'recovery'. I was surprised to learn you haven't kept any backups. But we could help you bring back the project alive, if you share the methods used to build it. The project should be archived online (Cloud) so that it's not lost/accidentally modified.

NOTE: Before installing SP4 on a system with many post-SP3 updates installed, follow the steps described here (do not restart your PC after applying these steps, just run the SP4 installer and then reboot): http://www.rarst.net/software/failed-install-catalog-files/ This will prevent a common error message: "Failed to install catalog files". Although the SP4 installer takes steps to automatically delete these files, it may require manual intervention in some cases.

1. WindowsXP-USP4-v3.1a-x86-ENU.exe MD5: BC9A951B05ACC19C8F2E46A99B689C6F To get the MD5 use a program like Filealyzer.

This, combined with nLite will help you create a DVD for clean installation.

This will slipstream to XP CD-ROM, not a running OS.

You may try to build it by starting from my SP4 and adding all language-specific registry/file information, to save some time, instead of starting from the SP3 package. It's all about understanding the INF files and what registry entries must be present. There are many other secrets about building a service pack, I've told Acheron about some of them. This really could have made a book, but I simply don't have the time to start writing. It's not my profession anyway.

In Live installation you cannot change what is installed by default. Powershell is not installed by default in Live install, neither does .NET Framework 4.0. Microsoft .NET Frameworks 1.1 and 3.5 are always installed in Live installations. In live installation, .NET Framework 1.0 SP3 is installed only if .NET Framework 1.0 for XP is previously present (Tablet PC, MCE). In MCE with SP4 installed .NET Framework 1.1 is not removable. In MCE/Tablet PC edition with SP4 installed .NET 1.0 SP3 is not removable. WGA Notifications are forced to be disabled. Powershell must be removed before installing SP4. It is not installed by the package installer and must be re-enabled manually afterwards. In CD-ROM installation, only .NET Framework 3.5 is installed by default. .NET Framework 1.1 is also always installed in MCE and it's not removable. .NET Framework 1.0 SP3 is always installed with Tablet PC Edition and it's not removable. You can modify the default installation state by using the OC-PATCHES compressed inf files for the respective components (replace the originals in the SP4-slipstreamed media).

It is possible to tweak the package registry so dism can remove the system files. This will: -Revert Explorer to Windows 95 experience -Not remove files in sxs. These will have to be removed with other methods.

Yes, in most cases (except some IE-related stuff for instance), they should be kept as well. (With rebase you can compress most of the base versions to save space).

Before installing SP4 on a system with many post-SP3 updates installed, follow the steps described here (do not restart your PC after applying these steps, just run the SP4 installer and then reboot): http://www.rarst.net/software/failed-install-catalog-files/ This will prevent a common error message: "Failed to install catalog files" Although SP4 installer takes steps to automatically delete these files, it may require manual intervention in some cases.

Version 3.1 has been released today. Release info and download available at RyanVM.net. I will not be supporting SP4 any longer. Thank you for your support all these years!

v 3.1 will delay a bit until a few things are clarified. (Some new reports about 4GB PAE patch failure).

That's exactly right. You can still enable WGA Notifications from Add/Remove Components in Control Panel (it is disabled by default). I mention imply it in the "Windows XP SP4 Default Components Set": Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications – Disabled by default, Live installer will disable it.

I am testing the new 3.1 build right now and will start uploading soon.