Gurgelmeyer

@sailorsonic - Thanks a lot - I really appreciate the support from you guys in here B) I spend all my spare time on this project - well, sometimes more - and I'm going to finish it - don't worry. Beta should still be ready this month I hope. The Update Pack has now been tested in corporate production environments for some time - and no errors have been reported. I like that. The MS URP has lots of errors I'm told. Hopefully I'll be able to finish repacking IE6 this week. Also I have to do a slipstreamer, but I just haven't found the time for that yet. Best regards, Gurgelmeyer

Update Pack has been rebuilt, and its internal layout is now 100% correct. Those who are already testing it can obtain the new version the way they obtained the previos version. Please uninstall the previous version before applying the new version. Slipstream guide/program will be available soon. Best regards, Gurgelmeyer

Just found out how the DllInstall entry point actually works - a minor setback (a few days, maybe a week), because I want to get everything right and get rid of the ADVPACK.DLL installer entirely as I did with MDAC. No reason to pollute the registry the way Microsoft do. Also: for those of you trying to slipstream the Update Pack: I'll do a rebuild soon to make its internal layout more "slipstream-friendly". More on this later on. Best regards Gurgelmeyer

Hi, Yes - I had to evaluate it at work some time ago. It is painfully slow, and has a terrible browser based UI only. Honestly, the best tip I can give you, is to purchase VmWare GSX Server 3.1.0 instead. Sry. Anyway, what would you like to know about VS2005? Best regards, Gurgelmeyer

I've always wanted that too - haven't got time to look into this right now, but I'll keep it in mind.

Looks like I have to do that slipstreamer after all. I've carefully examined the way /integrate works with Microsoft hotfixes, and it really isn't complicated at all. But I'm not gonna do it until I've got the whole Option Pack ready for beta testing. Which reminds me: I NEED SOME HELP - does anyone in here have a public FTP server? I'm only allowed to use my own connection for private purposes. There's gonna be a nice homepage too - somewhere else. I just need a place to upload the actual Update Pack and Option Pack. Best regards, Gurgelmeyer

The net use command will just fail if the share is unavailable, and the local drive letter won't even be created.

That silly UPDATE.EXE can only integrate one .cat file by itself. Not good enough - So I'll have to come up with something better - right now I need some sleep...

I'll tell you only if you promise not to kill yourself - deal? Or even better - I'll make that /integrate thingy work... gonna take a look at it right now. Otherwise I'll write a slipstreamer! Basically, I followed the guidelines from Microsoft. Look under the "Earlier versions of Update.exe" section. That worked for IE6 - haven't tried slipstreaming the other packages yet, because I want the process automated. I'll get back real soon on this Best regards, Gurgelmeyer

You'll have to unmount the mapped drives - the script will mount the drives that are available when it's run.

PS - once placed in your Startup folder you can right click it from the Start menu and make sure it always runs minimized. B)

Yes, that is annoying. You could create a batch file and place it in the Programs -> Startup. Could look something like this: @echo off net use x: \\machine1\shared /persistent:no net use y: \\machine2\morestuff /persistent:no Ought to work.

Yep - it slipstreams just fine. Did a manual slipstream "by the book" - I really ought to make that /integrate option work.... Of course this is not as elegant as tommyp's solution.

A quick update: IE6SP1, OE6SP1, WEB, SCRIPT (the whole IE6SP1 package in other words) now installs perfecly. Just gonna write the uninstall part now. Wonder if it can be slipstreamed btw.... B)

Hi, Nothing will be publicly available before the MS URP is RTW. Anyone who wants to test will have to ask me in a PM. Best regards Gurgelmeyer

IIS bugs. I've reported them, so they might be fixed.

Found two bugs in less than 15 minutes...

@Bilou_Gateux - thanks for the info - you saved me some valueable time there Anybody knows if the standard RDP client does RDP 4.0 as well? Happy Easter (for those who celebrate it) btw. Update: okay - Remote Desktop and or Secondary Logon is probably not possible on W2k Pro without a few files from W2k Server and or from XP...

Well, "seperate modules" means one Type1 "hotfix" .EXE for each component - to me and to the end user. But merging them is no trouble at all; they are just temporarily seperated for my personal convenience Some folks don't like WMP9, some don't like IE, etc. As for WMP9 they probably don't like the fact that it supports DRM. As for IE they probably believe it's less "safe" than Mozilla based browsers. But those specific components are on their machines anyway in older versions since they are part of W2k, so they might as well be upgraded. They are not very hard to hide away. Messenger is one of the few components I don't want to add - mostly because it's annoying for those who don't use it or don't want to use it. I'll keep .NET 1.1 on the list. A short update on the Option Pack: 1) MDAC 2.7 SP1 - done. 2) MSXML 3.0 SP5 - done. 3) JET SP8 - done. 4) KB824151+Q832483 - done. 5) KB837001+KB829558 (DAO 3.60) - done. 6) JET40REPL update - done. 7) Script 5.6 - done. 8) IE6SP1+OE6SP1+WAB + hotfixes - almost done. 9) MSI 3.0 + hotfixes (any?) - tbd. 10) WMP9+WMP9 Codecs + hotfixes - tbd. 11) DX9c + hotfixes - tbd. 12) .NET 1.1 + SP1 - tbd. 13) RDP Client - tbd. 14) RDP "Server" - to be researched (NetMeeting). 15) MSJVM 3810 - tbd. 16) Various runtimes (VC, VB, etc) - tbd. 17) ...all the stuff I forgot in the above list (except MDAC 2.8 SP0 + Messenger) - tbd. 18) Shell icon update - to be researched. Note: the above are not seperate components - 1-6 is one component (DA - data access), 7 is one component (SE - script engines), 8 is one component (IC - internet components). But they will all be merged into one - the Option Pack. Update on the Hotfix/Update Pack: 1) all KBxxxxxx/Qxxxxxx for W2K Pro/Server/Adv/Powered - done. B)

Hope it worked? Btw autoexec.nt is - despite it's name - for DOS emulation only.

@Seijuro & @prathapml - thanks alot for your support - really appreciate it @prathapml & @Electrician - at the moment all things are kept in seperate modules. Rebuilding stuff is just one command. (Neat, huh? ) I'll probably keep the Post-SP4 updates in the Update Pack (which will require SP4), and join all the other updates (once all single components have been tested thoroughly) into one - the Option Pack (which only needs SP3 - but the requirement is just a number in an .INF file to me - I'll just increment it if there are any problems). A colleague of mine actually demonstrated remote control between 2 Pro versions with NetMeeting - but that's two years ago or so. I'm still busy with IE6 (taking one component at a time), so I haven't found the time to investigate this yet. First beta should be ready sometime next month or so. I'm not sure I want to add .NET 1.1 - should I? Well - gotta get back to work now

It just struck me, that NetMeeting actually provides Remote Control (in its own strange way). Does anyone know how it works? Does it use TS? Is it RDP 5.0? If so, it means that all components necessary for Remote Desktop are actually already present in 2K Pro.... doesn't it? Well, just thinking out loud - but any nfo would be appreciated At the moment I'm wrestling with IE6 Post-SP1 ... kinda complicated - worse than MDAC Best regards, Gurgelmeyer

I386\WINNT.SIF: ----- begin copy ----- ;SetupMgrTag [Data] AutoPartition=0 MsDosInitiated="0" UnattendedInstall="No" [userData] ProductID=XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX [identification] [Networking] [TapiLocation] [branding] [Proxy] [GuiRunOnce] ----- end copy ----- Happy?

One exception though: MCE/Tablet (2005 and earlier) does exist as non-OEM for companies which subscribe to MSDN. B) They do require activation btw.

It's not just the serial - it's might also be the "PID" files (those that do most of the number crunshing) and probably the SETUPP.INI. The PID files on MCE 2005 and Tablet 2005 might accept a Pro key if you modify the SETUPP.INI. I think...