Tripredacus

Does your application run on a true 64bit OS like XP x64, Vista or 2008 or 2003? Make sure your app works in a 64bit OS before you try to make it work in 64bit WinPE.

This is where I started: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=101383

Basically, as you increase your BOOT.WIM file size, your memory requirement on the MININT increases. Right now, our PE image works fine on machines with 512MB or higher. Machines with 256MB RAM do not load the PE properly or generate script errors, anything lower will give this error. Also, I will note I have also received this error when using a PXE server that did not support multicast (ie 2003) and attempting to deploy to more than 4 clients at once. I do not attempt to put everything into the PE image, only what is needed to get the drive ready. All OSes and software are kept on the network.

What is the command that you are running? Invalid parameter usually appears when you make a typo in your command.

You can script mouse clicks using AutoIT, and it is based on screen coordinates, however there are some compatibility concerns dealing with multiple resolutions. If you can confirm that only 1 resolution is to be used (or script for detection first, then action) you can easily create a script. It actually has a macro recorded (like back in the day) where you click record, then click your stuff, and then stop record and it will generate the code for you. http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/index.shtml

I also haven't had any experience deploying any version of Windows beyond XP with ADS. I am probably not entirely getting your request. Your Install source files should be in the Distribution Share you set up. Am I to guess you do not have a Support Agreement with Altiris. I understand they can be expensive. Have you tried contacting your tech rep there (if you have the SA that is) about this to see if they have any leads?

It does not work for all drivers. I've had mixed success, sometimes it works sometimes not, even with the same driver set. I raised this question to MS but they said it should work in all cases. I didn't pursue the issue further but I am sure there is a bug concerning XP WIMs and the PEIMG. When it works, it works fine, when it doesn't, it says "not a valid Win PE Image."

Try looking at this thread. http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=115243 edit: forgot to paste link lol.

If all of your machines are ACPI compliant, use the uniprocessor HAL. It will upscale to support multiple cores. That is XP SP2 and higher. Lower versions or OSes do not support this. If you use the ACPI_APIC_MP HAL on a UP, it is going to think you have a multi-core and you can potentially cause crashes if Windows tries to assign transactions to cores that do not exist. So use the UP HAL for all machines if in a mixed environment, use multiple images, or do something similar to this: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=115243

Since you have Vista installed, you should probably handle all your boot loader actions with the BCD. Can you still boot Vista?

Don't get mixed up like I did! I did this awhile back and found out something interesting. That account that is Administrator.computername is actually the account you are using now, not the old account! The old account is the regular Administrator.

In addition, if you limit the use of web browsers to IE, you can add sites you don't want users going to in the untrusted sites section under security.

What are the errors you are getting? You probably took out a dependency that you didn't know about.

Is this XP here? I am wondering because you have PowerShell in your path var.

LATE RESPONSE. You are going to have to check your Event Viewer to start. Typically, I've found that, rundll32 is used by third-party programs to do *whatever* they need to do. In my experience, as long as no other programs are open (games, apps, installers, etc) killing rundll32 is just fine and it won't affect Windows. As to exactly what rundll32.exe is handling (while it is open) can be determined by using either Process Explorer or Process Monitor, which are available from SysInternals (Microsoft) for free. However, be wary of what other games you have installed before attempting to run them, as simply running these programs can cause some of your games to cease opening, for example Electronic Arts (and EA Sports) games like to use SecurROM, which is a wrapper that won't let the game open if you have run these kinds of apps. I am not sure about MOHAA, but it originally did not have any sort of DRM short of requiring the CD to be present. Not sure about any newer releases or other sources like Steam or D2D. You can also launch ProcMon, then open your game and then look at the results afterwards. Programs will typically close following many FILE NOT FOUND errors, as was the case with a bug I found in Heroes 5. The results might be scary to look at, be warned.

Yes there are actually 2 start up sounds, even XP was like this, or at least mine is. I was also unsuccessful to find the "other" startup sound. Lucky for you then, when you boot up it only plays the one sound, on my computer, it plays both!

Dell support can get you a driver update for the 6to4 adapter, or you may be able to get the latest drivers for your NIC to handle that one. http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winvista/t1190414616 And, unless you are using a hybrid IPv6 (mid-migration from IPv4) network, you can safely ignore the ISATAP flag. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932520

Please list your hardware, also if your hardware is Vista x64 certified.

The new RAM is Corsair 800MHz 4GB (2 X 2GB) DDR2 The OLD RAM is Acer branded 667mhz 4GB (2 X 2GB) DDR2 Both score the same low 4.8 in windows experience score. I am not entirely familiar with CPU-Z, but notice your first picture it says Channel# Single. Is this to mean you aren't using your RAM in dual channel mode? Wouldn't that be preferred?

I'm sure you will. I sure have.

I am currently working on modifying WikiMedia and I am having issues. For example, I have a PHP script that attempts to get the title of the page, and then looks to see if there are images with that page title in a certain folder. If they do not exist, it loads the default images. This script works fine but I can't seem to get any Wiki vars to return anything but 0 or NULL. Is there a place anyone can recommend regarding modifying Wikimedia? I am still not familiar with their built in support system, so I haven't tried posting directly into their site. As an example, a lot of people use scripts that reference wgPageName, which should return a value, or the title of the page. In my case, it is not returning anything. I am simply trying to echo that value right now and I'm not sure why it isn't working. Here is some example code: $PageTitle = $wgPageName; <?php echo "Title: " . $PageTitle . " 1"; ?> For other detailed information, if it provides useful, I have this code sitting in the skin file. My goal is if a user is using my custom skin, it pulls different skin images based upon the page you are viewing. Another example, the page I am testing on appears in the URL as such "http://intranet/wiki/index.php/0x80070002", so I would imagine that wgPageName should return a value '0x80070002' but it isn't. I've also tried wgTitle and others, including trims and without using $, and multiple ways to echo the data within. I will concede, however, that if I change my code to the following: $PageTitle = "my value"; It also does not echo the variable. Perhaps I am just not doing something right?

I've tried Joomla and Mambo and played around with integrations, but I couldn't get the desired design aspects I need out of them. They are great applications but do not meet my needs. I am currently working on another integration project where a CMS isn't going to be required.

I wrote this up, but I don't have a name for it. Its highly incomplete, but if you have skills in AutoIT, you may be able to use it as well. Goal: To be able to automate software installations in Windows XP after imaging with Imagex. Our WinPE environment is a Vista Servicing 1.1 edition of WinPE 2.0, and uses Geezery's COM based ImageX HTA. Upon startup, the WinPE maps a drive to the WDS Server (z:) and a drive (v:) to the file server. It then registers the DLL for the HTA and then loads the HTA. Geezery's Imagex.HTA http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=97512 I have modified the HTA by rewriting the functions for some of the buttons at the bottom. The Capture Image button now runs an app that remaps the network drives (as there is an issue with certain Intel controllers where the startnet.cmd mapping does not work). The Append button now runs the XP App installer. Here are those changes: Changed the following function: '**************************************************************************** '* Append Image '**************************************************************************** Sub Append Dim Answer Answer = window.confirm("Click OK to install XP apps") If Answer Then objshell.run("xp_pe_selector.exe"),0 Else End If End Sub This is to replace the Append function. We do not let regular software deployment people do things like captures and appends, at least so they don't screw it up, but also to give us a better sense of image control. Anytime images are captured or appended, we use the command prompt, so I replaced this function. Xp_pe_selector.exe is the app install program. I have also replaced the graphic for the button that launches the Append() function. As a test, my program will install Nero 8 Essentials Suite 2 without a serial number. There is a folder on the file server that contains the install, and there is a CMD file which actually does the install process. I had created this way before hand, but Nero is one of the programs we most install. Here is the AUTOIT Code for XP_PE_SELECTOR. #include <GUIConstants.au3> Local $Msg, $button1, $Checkbox1 $Form1 = GUICreate("Form1", 633, 454, 187, 113) $Label1 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Select a Program to install", 32, 48, 126, 17) $Button1 = GUICtrlCreateButton("Start", 48, 304, 129, 25, 0) $Label2 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Nero 8 Essentials Suite 2", 112, 96, 122, 17) $Checkbox1 = GUICtrlCreateCheckbox("Checkbox1", 80, 96, 17, 17) GUISetState() While 1 $Msg = GuiGetMsg() Switch $Msg Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE Exit Case $button1 if GuiCtrlRead($Checkbox1) = $GUI_CHECKED then RunWait (@ComSpec & " /c md c:\temp\nero8ste2") RunWait (@ComSpec & " /c xcopy v:\software\nero\nero8ste2 c:\temp\nero8ste2 /e" ) RunWait (@ComSpec & " /c xcopy v:\software\installer.exe c:\docume~1\alluse~1\startm~1\programs\startup" ) RunWait (@ComSpec & " /c xcopy v:\software\cleanup.exe c:\pnpdrvrs\net" ) Else MsgBox(0, "error", "Nothing was selected!") EndIf EndSwitch WEnd As you can see, it doesn't do much. It also only has one option right now and has a lot of empty space in it. It also does not exit by itself after doing anything, but these are things that can be added later. I have already received a request to make it reboot after copying the files. Either way, when it is done, you close it and restart the PC. When it restarts to Windows, it will launch the INSTALLER.EXE that is in the Startup Folder. #include <File.au3> Sleep (1000) If FileExists ( "c:\temp\nero8ste2\installnero.cmd") Then $nero = 1 RunWait (@ComSpec & " /c c:\temp\nero8ste2\installnero.cmd") Else MsgBox ( 4096, "Status", "There are no programs to install!") EndIf MsgBox ( 4096, "Complete", "The installer is finished. Click OK to reboot") RegWrite ( "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce" , "1" , "REG_SZ" , "c:\pnpdrvrs\net\cleanup.exe" ) _FileWriteLog("c:\temp\rem.bat","taskkill /f /im installer.exe") _FileWriteToLine("c:\temp\rem.bat", 1, "taskkill /f /im installer.exe", 1) _FileWriteToLine("c:\temp\rem.bat", 2, "del c:\docume~1\administrator\startm~1\programs\startup\installer.exe", 1) _FileWriteToLine("c:\temp\rem.bat", 3, "del c:\docume~1\alluse~1\startm~1\programs\startup\installer.exe", 1) _FileWriteToLine("c:\temp\rem.bat", 4, "c:\windows\system32\shutdown.exe -r -f -t 0", 1) MsgBox ( 4096, "Debug", "Verify that the batch file is written" ) Run ( "c:\temp\rem.bat" ) The installer.exe checks to see if the Nero install CMD is present before trying to run. This will fix any issues of the files not copying, although it will still require the reboot at the end. I had known that I wanted the installer to run a cleanup program, but I couldn't figure out how to delete the program from the startup folder. Or else on the reboot it would try to run the installer again. I solved this issue by having the installer write a batch file that it could then execute. The batch file kills and deletes the installer and reboots. Prior is a registry entry that runs the cleanup. Note how the batch file deletes from Administrator and All Users. Through testing I had found that sometimes the installer will not be found in All Users but in Administrator. After the reboot, the RunOnce runs cleanup.exe Sleep (1000) If FileExists ( "c:\windows\nerosetuplog.txt" ) Then MsgBox (4096, "Clean Up", "Now Cleaning Up installers", 3) RunWait (@ComSpec & " /c rmdir c:\temp\*.* /s /q") MsgBox (4096, "Clean Up", "Clean Up Process complete" ) EndIf It is real simple, however it does not always delete the temp folder, and sometimes it does. It does, however, always delete everything INSIDE of the temp folder. Note that it only does this after confirming that NERO is installed by looking for the log file. The log file is created by installnero.cmd. Well that's it!

Ah, perhaps this is a problem, there is no WMI functionality in the Win PE? At least not in 2+, not sure about your version. A similar topic: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=125562

Yes, F10 is the default setting for SoftThinks. Also, don't worry about whats in the DMI. That has nothing to do with the recovery partition. We use that same method of putting stuff in the DMI as well, but the recovery partition does not read from there, as evident that I can take an image to totally different hardware and run the recovery just fine. If you are interested in the DMI stuff, check out the Intel Integrator Toolkit. As far as other manufacturers, we get custom BIOS versions to get stuff in the DMI.