GreenMachine

@Spoke Lee: Any updates? @brelfielfan: That sounds like quite a bit of work! Good job getting it going, and thanks for adding that!

Welcome, voodoodrul, to MSFN! I really don't know about that iaStor driver, as I do not have one to test. The symptoms definitly sound like a driver problem. If you could post your XPCREATE LOGFILES.CAB, and a link to the drivers you are using (or mail the drivers to address below), I can look into it further.

Sorry, Bilou ... I know you aren't going to like this one ... Renaming the files as you suggest requires to much "special case" handling on my part. I really try to keep XPCREATE generic. However, I was having name conflicts using the generated 8.3 names from similarly named files in different directories. My solution has been to rename ALL the hotfixes, using a prefix and a sequential counter. While this works fine for my purposes, it makes the files unrecognizable for subsequent modifications. I told you that you would not like that one. I will, however, consider doing something different for the NEXT release (not the current test release). God only knows when that will be ... Thanks again Bilou, and sorry ... EDIT:: I wanted to add ... Thanks, Bilou_Gateux, for respecting the EULA.

I do believe that you are correct, DisabledTrucker. Due to issues like these, I am only going to be "supporting" the latest updates, e.g. XP SP2.

Thanks, Bilou_Gateux. I just switched to WGET instead of theiOpus Downloader. Though I have not yet solved the Proxy part, I believe WGET will handle this quite nicely. I prefer a Non-GUI, small application, but if WGET does not meet my needs, I will look into the BITS. Thanks again for your thoughts and ideas!

I'm still not sure about the hotfix lists, but I am working on them now. I will first update the Current Hotfixes list on the Web Site.

1.) I'm not sure, but it might improve generally compatibility with those processors.2.) How do you get around the updates showing up on Windows Update with XPCREATE? What annoys me the most is that it makes a copy of every EXE you integrate, so it's essentially doing double time. 3.) Yeah, but I bet you don't get as good of compression either . I will NEVAH be converted .1) I don't think it matters, as a hotfix will use it's own UPDATE.EXE. I think ... In any event, that file is continually updated, and they are always backwards compatible. 2) I don't, yet, get around the GDI+ update showing, and it CANNOT be installed silently. Still, I do not consider it an update: it just sends you to a web page. I'm hoping some that this was just a quick gap-stop, and they come up with something a tad bit more respectable ... soon. For now, I will just use a CMD file with REG to update the registry: I know what XPCREATE installs to the OS (by default), so I know if there are any vulnerabilities. As for "double install", that has always been the Microsoft Company Line. You add the files to the source, and then need to run te hotfix to update the registry and whatnot. Adding the files to the source simply insures that you never have the outdated version. Updating the registry may, or may not, be required depending on the hotfix. It is usually required for tools that search the registry to determine if a hotfix has been installed, as Windows Update has been known to do on occasion. 3) Actually, the compression is quite comparable. Lastly: NEVAH I didn't realize you were from Boston, home of No Mo Nomah! Go Sox Go! See you in October!

I was never able to make IEXPRESS create directory structure, though I do believe that it should be able to. The best solution I have found is to include a CAB file, which I then extract using EXTRAC32.EXE. There really should be a way to have the directory structure, as and IEXPRESS package is basically a .CAB file, and a few commands, tacked on to the end of the extractor (WEXTRACT.EXE, I believe).

I have finally completed the first phase of the next version of XPCREATE! The next step is testing. My inital tests have been positive, so I have now invited some of the XPCREATE userbase to help me in this process. The errors that have been corrected include: Boot Image extraction errors corrected. "File Not Found" display errors corrected. Hotfixes with same short file name (e.g. WINDOW~1.EXE) error corrected. Compressed and Uncompressed versions of files in I386 Subdirectories error corrected. (UNIPROC) Text files in IE6SP1 package creation error corrected. (Some non-English versions only had error.) Post XP SP2 hotfixes now correctly handled. No SVCPACK directory created if empty. Additionally, certain new functionality has been added. This includes: ISOs can be burned to either DVD or CD. DirectX 9C support has been added, thus no longer requiring the OPK version. A User defined FILESCD folder may now be used in conjunction with the XPCREATE FILESCD directory. The User may now define the system language, for the cases where XPCREATE cannot. (e.g. Norwegien.) The User may add SATA/RAID OEM information for SATA/RAID driver integration. SATA/RAID drivers with more than one .SYS file now handled. There have also been a few functional changes: iOpus downloader replaced with WGET, a non-GUI downloader. Hotfix files, other than Type I, are now numbered sequentially to avoid conflicts. I have sent a mail to certain members of this forum, with links to the test version. If you are one of the unfortunate few, please post your findings here. If not, please refrain from adding your thoughts to this thread. Thanks!

MDAC_TYP.EXE /C:"dasetup.exe /q /n" /q:aThat should work in a .CMD file ... "MDAC_TYP.EXE /C:""dasetup.exe /q /n"" /q:a"That should work from SVCPACK.INF...

1) It'll work in SP2, but it don't think it adds anything. 2) I know, that's why XPCREATE doesn't use that switch. XPCREATE does it cleaner. (I really wish they'd talk to ME first ... ) Oh well, it was just a guess ... never run into those kind of problems with IEXPRESS ...

What's that picture? It sure looks to me that your StartX is a program named START.EXE, which conflicts with the Command Statement "START". If you do, in fact, have a program named START.EXE, there is your problem ...

Spend a week with the Cabinet SDK, and you will learn more than you want to know ... that's what I did. http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default..../html/cabdl.asp It is fairly complex, so perhaps not recommended reading for the faint of heart.

XP Post SP2 is moving to the Windows 2003 type hotfix package, described here: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=824994 I think that update is ONLY needed pre SP2, thus does not really belong in this thread.

Which is about the stupidest update I've seen yet. It is not really an update, it just runs a tool that will tell you, via a message box, if you should run an update or not. It definitly throws a wrench in the Unattended Installations unattended aspect. At first glance, it looks like a registry setting can show this update as installed. To be continued ... I just wish they'd talk to me before releasing this kind of stuff ... It also looks like update WindowsServer2003-KB833987-x86-ENU.EXE is needed for Windows Server 2003, and IE6.0sp1-KB833989-x86-ENU.exe for Windows 2000, but I guess that should be in another thread.

From what I see, there are some files that are always extracted (us* for example), and others that are extracted if needed, e.g. if the hardware needing the drivers is found. I think there are more .sys files used then .dll or .exe files, which is why I put them in that order. I played with it a bit, way back when, and it seemed the order tweaks did not make nearly the impact the folder size did. I still believe the best would be to study DOSNET.INF and TXTSETUP.SIF, and see which files are actually (always) extracted from DRIVERS.CAB, and put them uncompressed in the begining. On the other hand, I was assured that Microsoft did not do anything fancy like this, and I, like you, lost motivation to tweak every byte and second out of it. So ... in answer to your question, I don't really know which order they are extracted in, but I am sure it is not sequentially.

****, missed my chance. I don't seem to make it over here much. Glad you found it RyanVM, I suffered very, very much till I changed that. The default value is infinity (or at least way too high), thus everything is compressed into one "folder". Problem is, setup access a few "random" files, at different times. Thus the "hang" when getting a file from the end of the folder. Another good trick, once you get the other stuff off your plate, would be to move the few files that ARE used during setup to the front of the file, possibly uncompressed, and then you could pack the rest tighter. Another Microsoft recommendation is to group similar files together. When creating the list of files to add to DRIVERS.CAB, I use the DIR command, with a qualifier (/O-E) to list files by extension, in reverse order. Thus the sys files come before the exe and dll files.

HMTCDWizard.exe /qn works for me ...

Quick answer: READ http://unattended.msfn.org. A lot faster than waiting for someone to hold your hand. It's all linked to off the first page ...

Anything SCRIPTABLE ?

I wish I could: anyone know how? I believe you can find it somewhere AFTER installation. Install the .EXE with the /QN (or /QB) switch works fine. Still, if anyone knows of a SCRIPTABLE way to extract the MSI, I'm all ears ...

Search the world? Why not Google, search for "PSKILL.EXE" get's you there on the first hit, and takes a helluva lot less time than posting a "thank you". (Gotta love forums where people try to help themselves FIRST ... )

That is required because you added Microsoft's Virtual Java Machine. Behaviour by design!

@MtK: 1) You must have the wrong version. 2) I don't believe it is still "required": I will be updating the 2K Hotfix list soon. 3) There are a few threads here about this: Did you read them? ... Thanks for helping out, BaTLeZone!

Sounds a bit vague ... I highly recommend reading the following link, and posting a tad more information. Help us help you! http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html