Hysteresis

Anyone tried to create a WinPE 2 build on Itanium using the new WAIK 1.1 (based upon Server 2008)? I've tried to create a test using just these 2 lines (as suggessted by the WAIK CHM file for DVD RAM build): copype.cmd IA64 c:\PE2 ocsdimg -n -bc:\PE2\efisys.bin c:\PE2\ISO c:\Temp\IA64PE.iso This I think just takes the supplied boot.wim and adds the EFI boot file to the image. If I burn this ISO to CD and boot on my test box (Dell Itanium 2 PowerEdge), I get the "Windows is loading files ..." message with the progress bar, this gets to 100%, the screen clears and I get.....a blank screen. If I repeat the same procedure for an x86 build (replacing efisys.bin with etfsboot.com) and just use the same 2 steps I get a working WinPE 2 environment. Do I need to do anything else to get this to owrk on IA64? Any ideas gratefully received.

Look for xCHM. This works pretty well with CHM files in WinPE2.

Does anyone know why services set as "Start at OS Init" in the hives get set to "Demand Start" sometime during the boot process in WinPE 2005. I'm trying to force the Fastfat service to start like this but it always comes up as "Demand Start" even when set to "Start at OS Init" in the Software\System\Currentcontrolset\fastfat hive. Does anyone know how to suppress this? Thanks in advance.

Ok, thanks for the info.

Does anyone have a heads up on whether MS will release a version of the WAIK (i.e. Vista based WinPE) that supports the Itanium platform (IA64). Although it looks like MS intended to support IA64 the current WAIK doesn't support it. Extract from WAIK readme: "Windows PE IA64 architecture is not supported in the Windows Vista RTM release. Current references to building Windows PE IA64 media in the documentation are not valid." I guess it depends a lot on whether Vista ever gets ported to IA64. Thanks in advance.

Hi Br4tt3, Thanks for your input. Hope to do another test today, so let you know how I get on. Cheers

Hi Do you think it would work if I strip out the references to megasas from percsas.inf. As far as I can see that's only used for Win2000 which is not needed for the Win2003 based WinPE build. Also do you need to add the NODRV.INF file (this comes with the other driver files) to the build ? I'm currently doing this. This seems to add a SCSI\Other__RAID___DummyDevice____0001 device/ Thanks

Hi Br4tt3 Thanks for the input. Yeah, I've added the PERCSAS entries as you describe to TXTSETUP.SIF except for the [sourceDisksFiles] entry. Never had to do that before for other drivers, but will give it a try. Note I think you only need one entry in the [sCSI] section - always worked for me. Hadn't realised that the i386\INF files were redundant if TXTSETUP.SIF was updated correctly. Thanks for sharing the knowledge. Good weekend to you to man.

Hi, thanks for the response. I understood megasas.sys was the Win2000 version of the PERC 5 driver ans wasn't required. Anyway I'll run another test with that file included and let you know the results. Cheers

I have a WinPE 2005 (based on Win2003 SP1) build which is being used on a Dell 2900. This system contains a Dell PERC 5i RAID disk controller so I have added driver support for this device by copying the percsas.sys file to i386\system32\drivers and percsas.inf file to i386\inf and updated appropriate sections in i386\TXTSETUP.SIF. This technique has worked fine for many other Mass Storage devices, but not the PERC 5. According to setupapi.log the controller is detected during the WinPE PNP device detection phase, but fails to start with a CM_PROB_REGISTRY error (see extract from setupapi.log below). The longshot of all this is that the disks don't get recognised. I suspect this driver requires some registry keys to be set before it will work, but I'm not sure what. Anyone had experience with the PERC 5 and WinPE ? Thanks in advance. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- #-019 Searching for hardware ID(s): pci\ven_1028&dev_0015&subsys_1f031028&rev_00,pci\ven_1028&dev_0015&subsys_1f031028,pci\ven_1028&dev_0015&cc_010400,pci\ven_1028&dev_0015&cc_0104 #-018 Searching for compatible ID(s): pci\ven_1028&dev_0015&rev_00,pci\ven_1028&dev_0015,pci\ven_1028&cc_010400,pci\ven_1028&cc_0104,pci\ven_1028,pci\cc_010400,pci\cc_0104 #-199 Executing "X:\i386\system32\factory.exe" with command line: factory.exe -winpe #W389 No [sTRINGS.0409] or [sTRINGS.0009] section in X:\i386\inf\ANSMXP.INF, using [sTRINGS] instead. #W389 No [sTRINGS.0409] or [sTRINGS.0009] section in X:\i386\inf\ANSPXP.INF, using [sTRINGS] instead. #W389 No [sTRINGS.0409] or [sTRINGS.0009] section in X:\i386\inf\D1E5132.INF, using [sTRINGS] instead. #W389 No [sTRINGS.0409] or [sTRINGS.0009] section in X:\i386\inf\E1000325.INF, using [sTRINGS] instead. #W389 No [sTRINGS.0409] or [sTRINGS.0009] section in X:\i386\inf\E100A325.INF, using [sTRINGS] instead. #W389 No [sTRINGS.0409] or [sTRINGS.0009] section in X:\i386\inf\E100ANT5.INF, using [sTRINGS] instead. #W389 No [sTRINGS.0409] or [sTRINGS.0009] section in X:\i386\inf\E100B325.INF, using [sTRINGS] instead. #W389 No [sTRINGS.0409] or [sTRINGS.0009] section in X:\i386\inf\E1E5132.INF, using [sTRINGS] instead. #W389 No [sTRINGS.0409] or [sTRINGS.0009] section in X:\i386\inf\IXGB325.INF, using [sTRINGS] instead. #I022 Found "PCI\VEN_1028&DEV_0015&SUBSYS_1F031028" in X:\i386\inf\PERCSAS.INF; Device: "DELL PERC 5/i Integrated RAID Controller"; Driver: "DELL PERC 5/i Integrated RAID Controller"; Provider: "DELL"; Mfg: "DELL"; Section name: "percsas_Inst". #I023 Actual install section: [percsas_Inst.NTx86]. Rank: 0x00000001. Driver date: 12/15/2006. Version: 2.8.0.32. #W389 No [sTRINGS.0409] or [sTRINGS.0009] section in X:\i386\inf\YK51X86.INF, using [sTRINGS] instead. #-166 Device install function: DIF_SELECTBESTCOMPATDRV. #I063 Selected driver installs from section [percsas_Inst] in "x:\i386\inf\percsas.inf". #I320 Class GUID of device remains: {4D36E97B-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}. #I060 Set selected driver. #I058 Selected best compatible driver. #-124 Doing copy-only install of "PCI\VEN_1028&DEV_0015&SUBSYS_1F031028&REV_00\5&22FD9970&0&700028". #-166 Device install function: DIF_REGISTER_COINSTALLERS. #I056 Coinstallers registered. #-166 Device install function: DIF_INSTALLINTERFACES. #-011 Installing section [percsas_Inst.NTx86.Interfaces] from "x:\i386\inf\percsas.inf". #I054 Interfaces installed. #-166 Device install function: DIF_INSTALLDEVICE. #I123 Doing full install of "PCI\VEN_1028&DEV_0015&SUBSYS_1F031028&REV_00\5&22FD9970&0&700028". #I163 Device not started: Device has problem: 0x13: CM_PROB_REGISTRY. #I121 Device install of "PCI\VEN_1028&DEV_0015&SUBSYS_1F031028&REV_00\5&22FD9970&0&700028" finished successfully.

Ok, established how to do this myself via a lot of experimentation. For future reference: You need to create an El Torito boot image containing this directory layout: EFI-- | --BOOT-- | BOOTIA64.EFI The BootIA64.efi file is a copy of setupldr.efi as found on the IA64 folder of the Windows 2003 install CD. Note directory/file names must all be forced to uppercase when you create the WinPE ISO. Doesn't look like WinPE Itanium supports 32-bit apps (i.e. no WOW64). All files in the data section of the CD must be in uppercase. With this layout the CD will autoboot from the EFI Boot Manager menu when CD/DVD is selected. Hope this info helps someone else. Cheers.

No one with experience of WinPE 2005 on Itanium ?

I've been building 32-bit versions of WinPE 2005 for some time now, so understand the basic techniques. However, I now need to build a version for an Itanium target. I have a couple of basic questions about this. The WinPE help is a little confusing about 64-bit builds, so perhaps someone could clarify. 1. Do I make my reference build an X86 version of Win2003 or IA64 Win2003 ? The help talks about using a 64-bit version of XP (which would be X86 'cos there isn't an IA64 version of Windows XP for Itanium). If its the x86 version does this imply the Itanium has an x86 compatibility mode ? 2. I understand the Itanium WinPE boot process requires the setupldr.efi file to create the El Torito boot sector file. Is this supplied as part of the basic WinPE 2005 package or does it live on an Itanium already running Win2003. I can't find it in either place. Thanks for your help in advance.

Thanks for your input. Anything on this topic is welcome. Wondered though if the default pagefile is configured to be on C:, then what happens if C: doesn't exist ?

Just wondered if you good folks could clarify the use of Pagefiles within WinPE. 1. The CHM indicates that for WinPE version 1.6 a pagefile will only be created if system RAM is below 64Mb. Where will this be created ? On a local disk ? Which disk ? 2. Can WinPE be forced to create a Pagefile at will during boot and if so how and how can the location/size be specified. 3. If when WinPE boots a Pagefile already exists on a local disk would WinPE use that (automagically). Thanks for your help in advance.