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MOONLIGHT SONATA

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Everything posted by MOONLIGHT SONATA

  1. Y'day i've to prepare an unattended XP SP3 Cd. After setup finished, to my disbelief i find that my integrated Optional Components add-ons failed to install. Even original portion of SP3 sysoc.inf failed. I looked into my add-on INFs and CABs - find no trace of any error there. In [DefaultInstall] all install perfectly. I then integrated the same set INFs and CABs into old XP SP2 disk and everything installed without fuss. I don't use neither RVM Integrator nor nLite. I always prefer to build by hand. Here comes the question - does Microsoft put any signing verification for SYSOC.INF in SP3? I don't modify SYSSETUP.INF, so never patched SYSSETUP.DLL. Only SFC_OS.DLL is patched in my source. Is there any DLL file needs to be patched so that additional sysoc.inf entries could be integrated? Any help would be appreciated, since installation right now is as good as hitting F3 to quit. Regards. MOONLIGHT SONATA
  2. strel, found the problem, you missed that DISKPART actually finds an active partition as SYSTEM and a partition that's booted into as BOOT. so correct Partition NO. as well as the correct drive letter will be obtained by slightly modifying your code as noted below: :GETACTIVEPART FOR /F "TOKENS=2" %%A IN ('DISKPART /S GETPARTNUM.TXT^|FINDSTR /I "Primary Logical"') DO ( ECHO>PARTSTATE.TXT SELECT DISK %HDNUM% ECHO>>PARTSTATE.TXT SELECT PART %%A ECHO>>PARTSTATE.TXT DETAIL PART FOR /F "TOKENS=4" %%B IN ('DISKPART /S PARTSTATE.TXT^|FINDSTR /I "System"') DO SET PARTNUM=%%A&SET LETTER=%%B&GOTO :EOF ) What you think about the static HDNUM=0? thanks.
  3. Well, strel, actpart.cmd gives following output: Disk 0 Partition 1 is active partition with letter C: Which actually is not. PARTSTATE.TXT contains: SELECT DISK 0 SELECT PART 1 SELECT PART 2 SELECT PART 3 SELECT PART 4 DETAIL PART The correct description would have to be: Disk 0 Partition 2 is active partition with letter D: Probing the script why it failed. inform you latter. REGARDS MOONLIGHT SONATA
  4. Yzöwl, I checked both these scripts. As I said earlier, i've 4 partitions, of which Partition 1(the 2nd) is currently active, though i'm writting this fast reply from Partition 0. output for the earlier script is: Booted to Partition 1 on Disk 0 and assigned to Drive D: output for the last one you posted is: Booted to Partition 0 on Disk 0 and assigned to Drive C: What i understand with my limited knowledge is that the 1st output detects the active boot device and its assigned drive letter, while the 2nd one detects the currently booted partition. In case of a single partition system as we find in enterprises, both the output will be same. One problem that always pinned me is that while WMI returns partitions as 0,1,2,3,..., boot loader reads boot.ini and boots partitions on the basis of Partition(1),(2),(3),(4)... I thought about Get Antecedent and correlating with actual drive letters, but it was beyond my imagination that Get Antecedent^, Dependent could be used in a single query. I never found anything in net like that. You are genius. It's imagination of a genius; Google can search only what is recorded in fine print, it can't guess what genius holds in his imagination. Thanks. REGARDS MOONLIGHT SONATA
  5. Well, Yzöwl, script don't fail if it's pasted into a .cmd file and executed as it is. It only fails if i change it to something like this: ('Wmic Path Win32_LogicalDiskToPartition Get Antecedent^, Dependent^^|Find %dp%') Output is : | is unexpected at this time. meanwhile i'm attaching a cmd script which i made and use for adding a /hal= switch depending upon a specific HAL type. That, though a rudimentary one, still throws light why knowing active partitions' drive letter is mandatory. fixbini.cmd.txt
  6. yeah, that i know. it's useless detecting active partition during install as install probably is running in an active partition, unless it's forced in a non-active one. you perhaps thought my emphasize is on detection during UA install, rather my thought is when i sit pretty in Partition 1 and edit the boot.ini at the root of it, from where we all are getting 100% SURE that this is the boot.ini that will be read when machine restarts? If diskmgmt.msc can guide us then why not all these through Windows XP's native command-lines and probably WMIC? Someone VERY VERY SPECIAL and very close to my heart both in terms of esteem and effort that he generates in me for him read my topic starter when i 1st posted it. I keep my fingers crossed. Perhaps it's my inability that i couldn't drive home the point behind this whole thinking. Sorry, mate. thanks.
  7. Thank you, strel, for your opinion. what you said is right, but still i request you to imagine the scenario again. 1. Pressed the power button 2. BIOS POST screen 3. Boot Choice Menu displayed, imagine it like below: First harddisk, first partition First harddisk, second partition First harddisk, third partition First harddisk, fourth partition We've two options at this stage - either push one choice from the menu and when desktop loads, start diskmgmt.msc from run box and know which partition is active, or, go back by pressing ctrl+alt+del and push a PE CD, then boot the PE and there again start any compatible application to learn which is active partition. You may agree with me, all these are workarounds to the problem, not the solution. I want to conclusively know which partition is active and what is its drive letter, before I push a script to modify boot.ini - be it to add a /kernel=somename.exe switch, or add a /hal=440volts.dll switch to bind the booting of one OS to a specific hardware abstraction layer. I hope I explained the necessity of my thinking in this regard. REGARDS MOONLIGHT SONATA
  8. Well mates, my problem started because of installing Windows XP into different partitions. I've my home hard disk partitioned into 4 primary partitions. Drive letters are C,D,G and H with letters E and F occupied by my CD/DVD drives. XP is 1st installed on C: and then I made active the Partition D: and installed XP there also. Now, as you all know probably, boot.ini is read by boot loader depending upon which partition is active. Therefore, to boot partition C: I've to incorporate its ARC path into the boot.ini that resides in Partition D:, because D: is the active partition.Here comes my problem. how could i conclusively know which partition is active at any moment and what drive letter has system assigned to it so that the editing of boot.ini could be done through a BATCH/CMD solution and if possible, even during unattended installation. Any discussion in this regard is welcome. REGARDS MOONLIGHT SONATA
  9. Well, resizing is not a problem at all; problem is EasyBoot only accepts 640x480 logos with 256 colors as background and the logo image must be saved as windows .BMP file, with no compression. So, just resizing larger wallpapers and then changing colors from 32-bit/24-bit to 256, invariably murders those images. This is the reason why i'm in search of link to some 640x480 size 256 color images. is there any website which can act as a supply-line? Thanks.
  10. Hi MSFN Friends, I'm currently building a multi-boot CD based on EasyBoot foundation. Problems is i'm not finding websites that can provide a few XP-Style-XP-era 640x480 sized wallpapers. I wish to use those wallpapers as backgrounds for different pages in EasyBoot-based CD. Can someone point me to some websites that stores a handfull of 640x480 wallpapers? Thanks.
  11. @soporific, yes it is! actually i'm not in need of an all-in-1 REG file, rather a set of tweaks from which i can select my desired ones according to specs. BTW, does your tweaks pack explain in detail the changes in registry or some .INI files it applies, or it just applies those tweaks upon selection? anyway, thanks, i'll look into your tweaks pack, for sure.
  12. Well, i don't find any "Registry Tweaks" file/project (.REG Format) for Windows 98 SE after browsing this part of forum, like such available for Windows XP. I know mdgx.com has huge tweaks reported in various formats, yet you've to read and work for enormous amount of times in order to compile a REG file consisting only simple tweaks like those for explorer-shell-start menu etc. just. Can someone pls point out to a link in the forum where i can get Win 98 SE registry tweaks assorted for ready integration. or can someone post the reg file they use everyday? Thanks.
  13. @jaclaz, Thanks. You may not believe, but when i asked i had you in my mind...i was expecting a response from you. Surely, your response settled all doubts. Now, i can really focus on successfull implementation of Plamdis' method and your knowledge. Since i joined MSFN and started browsing forum topics, jaclaz you remain in my memory with a term which whenever comes to my mind, it reminds me of you. "minigoogle" - you're synonymous with this term to whoever visits this site. Everytime we people are short in knowledge and knowledge base articles, jaclaz a.k.a "minigoogle" saves our day by posting those links and URLs. Web doesn't grow without leaving its footprint in your memory. Thanks for great service to learning.
  14. Plamdi, excellent work! However, i've a few questions regarding the thing you achieve. 1. Can the whole thing be done during unattended installation depending on correct detection of File System type? To clarify more, if a hard disk is multi-partitioned and if the deployment media is used to install XP into different partitions, then can we use previously-built BOOTSECT.DAT to avoid running from floppy? 2. If that's possible then how to avoid use of bswrite.bat from floppy? Can we use already saved A:\BOOTSECT into the procedure? I know what i'm asking is mostly improbable, but my query is in line with how Microsoft makes and uses BOOTSECT.DAT when it does local installation of Recovery Console. Your opinion will be highly valuable in this regard. Thanks.
  15. Well, if you attempt to open Device Manager, or Computer Management window, you receive an error similar to: "MMC cannot open the file C:\WINDOWS\system32\devmgmt.msc." This behavior may occur if one or more library files used by the Microsoft Management Console are missing or corrupted: 1. Msxml.dll 2. Msxml2.dll 3. Msxml3.dll 4. Msxml4.dll What you've to do is to use a batch file amendmmc.bat which contains: @echo Off setlocal enableextensions for %%v in (Msxml.dll Msxml2.dll Msxml3.dll Msxml4.dll) do call :reg_dlls %%v goto :eof :reg_dlls @echo Registering %~nx1 . . . regsvr32.exe %~nx1 /s if errorlevel 0 @echo %~nx1 Registered Successfully. if not errorlevel 0 @echo/DllRegisterServer in %~nx1 Failed. goto :eof endlocal & goto :eof Hope it helps your cause.
  16. Nois3 - Thanks for your support. What i find in the extracted RAR archive BusMaster_v37.rar are 2 different INFs for Windows XP. uata_xp.inf (for RAID) and uata_xph.inf (for IDE). Both the INFs support huge number of controllers. One example of what i'm finding in uata_xp.inf is like: %PCI\VEN_1078&DEV_0102.DeviceDesc%=uniata_Inst, PCI\VEN_1078&DEV_0102 Where 1078 is 4-digit hexedecimal VendorID of controller and 0102 is 4-digit hexedecimal DeviceID of controller. The archive also contains a format for txtsetup.oem with every section described in detail. However, my question is two-fold: 1. The INF as i found in the archive is best suited for "devcon install" type command-line processing, and not for integration as early as txtmode setup. 2. Can uniata.sys be used to replace pciide.sys(the latter in-built into Windows XP source)? Looks like not all experts of massstorage driver integration has looked into this aspect.
  17. Universal ATA driver for Windows NT3.51/NT4/2000/XP ---by Alter aka Alexander A. Telyatnikov ---Last updated on 01.04.2007. Overview(as explained in Alter.Org.UA Official webpage) ...It is worth installing UniATA if vendor of your new motherboard do not want to supply you with drivers for your old OS. Or vice versa, you have old motherboard and want to install new Windows with it. Of course, it is possible to use standard (generic) drivers those most probably supports this hardware. But what about performance ? You will have PIO mode with 0.5 - 3 Mb/sec transfer rate. UniATA shall use DMA or UltraDMA and have up to 10 times better performance. There is still one common problem with modern hard driver of more than 128 Gb capacity (also known as LBA-48 or BigLba). Old OSes do not support such drives at all, new ones require latest Service Packs. UniATA has built-in support for large drives....UniATA supports numerous IDE controllers and in addition is capable of driving all standard (onboard primary/secondary) controllers. Features DMA/UDMA support (up to ATA-133) on known and generic DMA on unknown controllers LBA48 (large drives greater than 128Gb) support SerialATA support (SATA, SATA-2) NT3.51 (i486+), NT4, 2000, XP, 2003 support (may be 2005 - not tested) support of contiguous set of modes UDMA0-UDMA6 (ATA-16/25/33/44/66/100/133) Support of numerous IDE controllers and generic ATA/ATAPI no reinstall required when migrating to different IDE controller or motherboard. internal command queueing and optimized execution order of read/write requests user-mode device management utility atactl.exe. You can change data transfer mode (PIO/DMA/UDMA) on the fly. tuning Read/Write cache, transfer modes and many other things via Registry settings Latest Release To get latest stable version - v0.37 Click Here Now, what i want is somehow integrate this SATA driver into Windows XP Service Pack 2 installation source so that this driver is available during txtmode stage. The driver.inf is not allowing me to adhere to the integration guide available here, because of my limited experience with such a complex working INF. Can someone provide me any clue regarding this? Thanks.
  18. @adrianbodor, well, i'm apprehensive if erasing parttion, preferably C:\ is possible at that stage being already working from C:\. However, erasing mbr or editing mbr may be possible thanks to some 3rd-party command-line tool and of course thanks to GOD! With that script you can think for deleting some vital Windows resource directories and even Documents and Settings (though, about latter i'm not too sure), so that loading Windows next time is hardly possible. About mbr edit/delete - i'll start searching net from now on. Thanks.
  19. I've a few customized administrative templates. For example, services.adm => Administrative template for controlling Windows services startup types startmenu.adm => Enable changing the start menu locations in Windows 2000 and possibly XP. inetsett.adm => Internet Settings Policy Template File Now, i want to implement these templates during unattended deployment silently. During, post setup phase, which is the command-line that could help me add these templates so that before any user starts using the machine, policies are already set right-through the unattended installation. Thanks in advance.
  20. currently, there's no tool that compares txtsetup.sif(s) in particular. you can settle for winmerge, a good program. There are two alternatives to winmerge, both are very good file comparer. Use either ExamDiff or CSDiff. I've two advices for detecting errors in txtsetup.sif: 1. arrange every file name in txtsetup.sif in alphabetical order. my txtsetup.sif has 17696 lines after erasing all the blank space blocks in txtsetup.sif of xp service pack 2. This alphabetically insetrted file names saved me from duplicate file name entries. 2. whenever you compare txtsetup.sif(s) in winmerge or examdiff or csdiff, always check for the number of commas in entries, e.g, imapi.sys = 100,,,,,,,4,0,0 fips.sys = 1,,,,,,,4,0,0 Your custom inclusions mainly will have syntax like given above. always check for whether more or less than 7 commas have been used somewhere or not. this saves a lot of headaches. Good luck.
  21. Dear Bilou Gateux, Can Windows server 2003 SP1 RAMDISK.SYS and RAMDISK.INF be used to replace the same set of files in Windows XP? Replacing these two files would produce any better results? QSoft RAMDisk still is not providing the desired results, so i thought if Win2k3 sp1 RAMDISK could help in this scenario. At the same time, as used for USB stick, can setupldr.bin of 2k3 sp1 be used to replace that of 32-bit xp setup. What i know only that server 2k3 sp1 setupldr.bin can boot an .iso as added benefit. how this advantage can be tapped in a xp 32-bit setup cd? waiting for your suggestions... @MOONLIGHT SONATA
  22. REQUEST TO ALL BATCH EXPERTS@MSFN.ORG I've a few batch related questions for which any search around the net and inside MSFN couldn't give me solutions. As few of them are related to DetachedProgram & Setupparams,I wish to have your experience and advice in my side. Here're the questions: Q1. Can I execute a .CMD file from DetachedProgram or I've to settle for .BAT only? If I can use .CMD file as DetachedProgram @T-39, then which command operations from the following list could be used at that stage? |----> Enabling and disabling command extensions |----> Localization and delocalization of environment variables by setlocal and endlocal |----> Enabling and disabling delayed environment variable expansion |----> Setting and removing environment variables |----> Substituting environment variable values |----> Running multiple commands using conditional processing symbols |----> Pushd popd Q2. I've complete success, like others, in determining system specs by wmic from RunOnceEx. Now I want to go even backwards. Can wmic be invoked during any exploitable stage within the T-39|T-13|T-12|T-9 timeline? I know it's impossible from @T-39 and probably the same even @T-13 or @T-12;but is there's a chance @T-9 from [setupparams] ? My target is that i want to gather machine specs only during the 100% certain usage of unattended install, which fortunately or unfortunately is only available between T-39 to T-0. Q4. Is there any chance to use a .cmd/.bat in disguised .exe from DetachedProgram? Q5. I couldn't find any dedicated discussion upon use of DetachedProgram and Arguments section. Could you point me to one? I sincerely expect your responses. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
  23. @The Glimmerman, Well, probably you may not know of another excellent product that could amaze you with its registered version(of course!). Its nBinder. I just briefly outline its powerfull features: With nBinder you can: 1. Compress executables (or any other file type) without affecting their direct functionality, so you don't have to unpack them before run. 2. Transform any type of file into an executable without affecting their direct functionality. 3. Password protect any kind of file without the file loosing its direct functionality. 4. Bind dlls and other resource files to your executable so you can distribute your application as a single (smaller, protected) executable. 5. Protect your application by binding it and selecting the self delete option so that a user can use your application (output) only once, the file deleting itself after one run. ( Ha Ha Self-Deleting executables, How do you like, mate?) 6. Make an silent installer for your application that will be able to install your application and its needed files to a certain directory and run your application when the install process is complete. ( You can select during packaging that the folder of your choice in which you want to extract the content, can be protected from Read/Write Operations.) 7. Password protect your executables or any other file Password protect your images, pictures, documents, projects, music ...etc. and at the same time compress them. 8. Hide files inside an application and have them silently extracted to a certain directory. 9. Change executables icons 10. Accepts command-line arguments for Password and the packed executable needs no presence of the nBinder Program in any machine to do its job. 11. You can really select the password either for extraction only or also for execution. I hope you will love its features set. Currently in 4.0 and costs only 30 $ And if you search around the net for the way you searched for ASE 2.0, I must say you'll not be morosed after the search. Thanks. ----MOONLIGHT SONATA
  24. @Nepali, one question still remains though. Does ExeScript compiled EXE(<--- .BAT) can run successfully in pure DOS Mode, like from CMDLINES.TXT or from DetachedProgram @T-39? From your post it looks like it can, just enquiring if you've had any success with it. Regards.
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