willpantin

XtremeMaC, Huge favour to ask you: Could you please tell me what your "sfc_os.dll" file does? Despite its hacks, whatever they are, does Windows XP detect it as an Official, Microsoft signed copy? Thanks!

Please forgive me for the "laziness factor", in asking, instead of running a test to see for myself... It's just that I've spent sooo many hours running variations of installations on Virtual PC...! Can't take it any more...! Question: If someone ran their Unattended XP CD from Windows, i.e. using the Upgrade option for the installation, would the batch files still run? If so, then all the programs and Hotfixes would still install? Or would there be a problem if some are already present on the target PC? I ask this because I am now considering a DVD XP installation disk, in which case I would leave all the XP files used for the XP Upgrade Option, Language files, and so on, which I have eliminated (like most people here, I assume), in order to make space for all the programs and hotfixes, and still stay below 700 MB. But I see little point in it if the batch files only load by booting from the CD, as I really do not need any more programs installed (Photoshop would be nice, but have had problems). Whew! My simple question turned out to be quite long...

gosh, Please add me to the list of people that feels tremendously grateful and appreciative of the material you have shared with us. I for one hope you might reconsider, but if not, I would like to thank you for the pearls of wisdom, and wish you the very best... Regards, William (willpantin)

Yep, I had made a BIG, clumsy mistake when I posted that comment. You see, I had placed the whole sp2 Directory in the I386 folder, when it was all the contents of that Directory that needed to be put in there...! Anyway, very happy with the end result. Knocked off about 30 minutes from my original install...!

Should we delete our svcpack.in_ file in the I386 folder, when we place the scvpack.inf file in there? EDIT: Finished my Slipstreamed Rollup on SP1 folders with minimal configuration, i.e. missing all the folders not related to a clean install, as succesfully done before thanks to advice on this forum. OK, Tested everything using just the svcpack.inf file, and did not touch the svcpack.in_ file already in my I386 folder. Everything went very well; it seems Aaron and gosh did a great job with that Slipstreamed Rollup Guide...!

Wow! XtremeMaC, that was a great tip! Thanks...

Yeeeha! Aaaron, you finished the Slipstream Guide...? WHERE can I find that slipstream guide for the Rollup?

I used a simpler approach to get my Favourite Wallpaper installed as Default... All I did was rename my Favourite Wallpaper to BLISS.JPG, then in command promp, in the directory of my file, I typed: makecab BLISS.JPG BLISS.JP_ Then I replaced my old BLISS.JP_ in the I386 Directory of my installation CD with my new BLISS.JP_ Simple, but equally effective.

Excellent! Can't wait...! With a little luck, we'll have a reduction of about 6 MB... After all, there are quite a few new hotfixes that came out in the last 2 days...! Still, really looking forward to having that Rollup Slipstreamed...!

Thanks, GreenMachine. That helps set me on right track...!

Export this key into a .reg file to save all your mail rules and import it anytime into any computer's OE6. It works for OE5 as well. HKEY_USERS\DEFAULT\Identities\{A8D10AF5-32BF-4C2C-BA7B-9F6F38BBC865}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0\Rules\Mail Details of procedure: 1. Export the key to your desktop. 2. Copy it to the new computer. 3. Then, open regedit and find the corresponding key to the one you want to replace. 4. Right click on that key and choose "copy key name", this will copy the entire location of that key to your clipboard. 5. Now open up that key that you exported in notepad. 6. Paste what's in your clipboard on a blank line. 7. Notice the two sections of that location of the key that are different from the ones that are in all of the key locations in the file you have open. 8. Replace them all using the replace command in notepad. Example: ---------------------------------- HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-102393583-815913283-8925910673-500\Identities\{9268C185-9467-4FC2-7931-78A76EC8CD27}\Software\Microsoft\OutlookExpress\5.0\Rules\Mail HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-583902048-817710951-1060284252-500\Identities\{53B8158C-8888-5235-2583-09175818571875}\Software\Microsoft\OutlookExpress\5.0\Rules\Mail So, you would replace the section between "HKEY_USERS\" and "\Identities" and you would replace the section between "Identities\" and "\Software" These are the sections that should differ in every computer. Now, if only we could automate this procedure in a batch file, for an "unattended XP CD - OE Rules" install...!

I keep some shortcuts aligned vertically on the far right of the Desktop, because they are related to my work. The rest are aligned vertically on the far left, where they are usually placed by Default. On my unattended batch file, I place all my Desktop Shortcuts (or any other files for that matter) on my Desktop by adding this line: (whereby any files or Shortcuts I want on Desktop are place in the "$OEM$\$1\Install\Applications\Desktop\Shortcuts" folder). How does Windows remember the position of the shortcuts on the Desktop? Is it posible to automate the EXACT placement of each shortcut? If so, can someone provide some samples of the necessary (Registry?) tweaks...?

Just a question about that... I keep some shortcuts aligned vertically on the far right of the Desktop, because they are related to my work. The rest are aligned vertically on the far left. How does Windows remember the position of the shortcuts on the Desktop? Is it posible to automate the placing of each shortcut? If so, can someone provide some samples of the necessary (Registry?) tweaks...?

Thanks for replying. Well, I know how to change the registry settings and Disable file protection. No problem there. Still got the message though. So, where can I get a hacked "sfc_os.dll" file? And is this really the solution? I would feel a little better with a 2nd opinion...! :/

My wife and I both use the same computer, logging in usually into our own user settings, both of us set up with Administrator priviliges... We both like the "Apple OSX Visual Style", and have it set in both our user accounts. The problem is, ever since we installed the hacked UXTheme.dll (in "Safe Mode"), we have had problems with a window coming up requesting we insert our XP CD SP1, which I would do, but I noticed that after this, our "Apple OSX Theme" (Visual Style) would stop loading properly. So, I made an XP CD with the hacked SP1 UXTHEME.DL_ (provided by "gosh") in the I386 folder, and after asking for the CD, everything seems fine, with no more windows coming up UNLESS you then switch users, in which case it will come up again. I am including a copy of the window message. Any solutions? (I did already replace all instances of UXTheme.dll with the hacked one, in both the "System32" folder and the "dllcache" folder, to no avail). By the way, how can I center justify an image like the one above, in a forum post?

Thanks, gosh! Realized after I posted that this subject had been covered. UXTHEME.DL_ is a digitally signed file, but I suppose your version is the hacked one that gets past this problem. Thanks again!

This is just an idea, not tested. Would it work if we deleted UXTHEME.DL_ from the I386 folder, placed the patched UXTheme.dll in there, and from the command prompt typed: and then deleted UXTheme.dll from the i386 directory? This way, no entry needed for UXTheme in the batch file...!

WHOOOAH! Does this mean that this method is prefered over just DELETING the original SVCPACK.IN_, and placing svcpack.inf in the I386 Directory? In other words, should we just place our new, modified SVCPACK.IN_ INSTEAD of svcpack.inf in the I386 folder? Thanks for all your help, AaronXP. I WAS using Virtual PC in my tests, so I am glad to know that real installations won't hang as long at the 13 minute wait point!

Followed all the new instructions for the hotfixes, but when I tried my XP CD, it seemed stuck at the "Setup will complete in approximately: 13 minutes" for about 45 minutes. Well, there was Hard Drive activity, but it seemed to be going through an endless loop... Then, after 45 minutes or so, it continued installing. Any idea about whether this is normal? I had deleted the SVCPACK.IN_ file from I386 folder, and am wondering if maybe I should makecab my svcpack.inf file like rstryker suggested, and place that copy in I386 folder...?

Thanks, AaronXP...! Ok, last question: why was Q321884 left out? In this case, is it because it weighs too much? (Over 6 MB). Thanks for help...

I am wondering why KB823980 (Blaster Worm patch) was left out...! Is there a more recent Hotfix in the list replacing it?

If I add users on the logon screen after fully installing everything, will everyone have full access to the programs I installed? e.g. I noticed with Paint Shop Pro 8 that even though I gave everyone administrative rights, it seemed only the original user could run the program properly...!