Tripredacus

My computer was set up by my old company. Windows update does not work because it tries to look for a SUS which doesn't exist. However I have no problems with it and apply fixes only if i need to.

Boot up with the F8 key to get the boot menu. Choose the option "disable automatic restart on system failure" and then choose XP. When you get the blue screen, the computer won't reboot. If it does you are in trouble. ANYWAYS, write down the message it gives you, post it here and we can better direct you to a cause and hopefully a solution.

That's the problem with "imaging" a set piece install - any updates to the base image, and you have to rebuild to accomplish this (well, almost always ). We moved to a flat-file based installation a long time ago, meaning we do NOT preinstall the OS, drivers, or any applications, and our images truly are universal for hardware. Also, because we make all tweaks and installation of any software post-image, changes are far quicker to make (and undo in the event of a negative side-effect). Does this take longer per install to push down? Yes, it does. Does it mean I can simply modify my scripts or SMS packages that install apps or make tweaks and not have to reimage? Yes, and that means I get the same installation every time, just like the image approach, but without the hardware/driver limitations and the requirement to redo the image when I need to change something. Again, just my .02¢. This was always my recommendation for RIS images, and with WDS+WIM it's no different (more options for the base image, but the same principles apply). @cluberti Yes your method is also viable. Its all about how you want to do it, and as long as it works then its fine to use it. When our accounts manager (the guy who handles who we are a customer of) had our regional Microsoft rep come to visit, he recommended that we follow a set of rules for Vista that pertain to the creation of images with WDS. So while your method is also viable, my company wants me to follow the directive of our Microsoft rep. @surfertje Which leads me to you. So you can either do it the way I do, or how cluberti does it, or make up your own way to do it. Here is a basic rundown of how we do Vista with ghost. 1. Install Vista using a DVD that the OPK/SIM creates for us. 2. Install the drivers needed for that system. 3. Install DVD software 4. Check the box for generalize in the Sysprep program and sysprep. 5. When the computer reboots (the default setting for Vista is reboot instead of XP/2003 it was Shut Down) we boot into Ghost. Then upload the image. Now if we need to add something, for example my original images didn't have DVD software on it, so I had to image a machine, install the software, generalize and sysprep and upload the image again. Basically, you sysprep with the generalize when you want to upload your image. After we image new machine, we do not step through the sysprep process, we accept the OEM agreement instead. We are also likely using a different version of Vista than you are, since we are an OEM we use Volume License. We put information into the BIOS and that handles the activation process as well. We are not actually allowed to (in most cases) run sysprep ourselves because we are not allowed to accept the End User License agreement. So I can't really tell you about the process or running sysprep on Vista because I do not actually do it myself. We also do not set up our Vista to automatically join a domain because that information is not ever provided to us by our customers.

I don't need a test! I already know I am not a true guy because of a genetic anomaly!

Today I was getting the STOP c000021a error when I tried to boot a computer into the WinPE. I have resolved this issue as I looked in the Event Viewer on the server and found this: Source: WDSServer Type: Error ID: 769 Desc: An error occurred while trying to create the UDP endpoint for WDSPXE provider on interface 192.168.0.5:67 (ed: also 68) This can happen if the network interface was disabled or changed or some other application is ... blah blah blah Error Information: 0x2740 Basically, I determined that I couldn't boot (SOME) computers to the PE while I was uploading a large image (with fast compression) on a machine that was already booted. It would start booting the PE, copy the files to the ramdrive, etc, but the port would get taken over by the machine uploading the image, causing the file transfer DOWN to stop to the new client and create the STOP error. Now, the computer we currently have WDS on is a 2003 server and I know it only supports unicast. Since 2008 supports multicast, will this issue be resolved when we upgrade? Is this issue caused because 2003 can't handle both connections?

Does anyone know of any Intel CPU based (not necessarily chipset) that has 2 AGP slots in it? It needs to support 2x AGP. I need this board for my Windows 98 computer since it's motherboard is basically dead. Anyone ever heard of such a thing?

I don't have this computer yet. My computer right now runs XP on a system I can't upgrade the CPU on. The ram would cost nearly the price of the system I outlined above if I were to go to 2GB. Here are my current specs: Intel D850MV (3rd rev) 512MB (2x256) 168-pin RAMBUS (first gen) @800MHz (Samsung) Intel Pentium 4 2.0GHz CPU (max supported by rev, no hyper-threading support) ATI Radeon 9600XT 256MB AGP 4x (card is 4x8x but board is 2x4x) It is still possible to upgrade the video card, but paying $900 to get 2 sticks of 1GB PC800 RDRAM... I'll start with 2GB just to get started, and increase later up to 8GB, as well as add the second video card. Now I'm just waiting for that Economic Incentive check to come in... and I gotta prepare me a Vista Business x64 install with vLite.

Using separate WIMs defeats the purpose of using WIMs altogether. You are best to use a separate WIM for each OS, so one for XP and one for Vista. This is decrease your storage requirements. Look into the command for appending images. The drop down menu shows images on the share in alphebetical order, although you could re-script it to show in another way. It also doesn't travel through directories, but you can have access to them via the browse button. I have not seen an SOP from Microsoft on WDS that says you should use subdirectories in your network share.

I believe the recommendation for OEMPnPDriversPath is to not have so much stuff. ie use \drivers\TYPE where type is NIC, Video, etc. Here is the one I use for example: UpdateInstalledDrivers=yes DriverSigningPolicy=ignore OemPnPDriversPath=\drivers\nic;\drivers\1394

My computer at home doesn't have any service packs installed... but I do have USB 2.0 functionality.

This is kind of a general question really. The first thing is that you need to recreate the issue in a lab environment because users don't think like techs do. You need to eval their systems, find out what processes are running, if they are going online for things or they have a custom screensaver set up, or their disk space is running out, or they need a defrag. There are way to many reasons you are getting this event.

You don't need the registry to do it. You just use the ASCII code to type illegal characters. I used to use this in Windows 98 to create folders. People wouldn't be able to open the folder, delete it or anything. It would give a file system error. But in XP it can still open the folder even if you give it a non-standard "character" so I don't see the point really. You might want to look up that trick of embedding a JPG onto a RAR or ZIP file to make it act like a picture but you could open it with WinRAR or whatever and get your files out.

If you have the classic start menu enabled, you can customize the desktop to not show the My Computer icon, or any of them except the Recycle Bin. By default if you switch to classic, all those icons from the XP menu move to the desktop. You can also use the classic look with the XP style. I forget how its done but you can use that if you don't like a green start button.

I've never had any problems installing software. Drivers on the otherhand can be tricky. Usually video and sound drivers don't stay after a generalize. We don't do many Vista orders so we don't even use a sysprep.inf. And yes you don't need a HAL or Mass Storage Controller specified for Vista, it figures that out for you. For example, I've dropped the image, installed Nero and resealed it again without a problem. Of course after we image it with the generalized image to another machine, when we get the welcome screen we accept the System Builder's license (CTRL+SHIFT+F3) and do not go through the actual sysprep. When the machine is ready then we do a final sysprep but do not generalize it. Then you can set up the machine as you'd like it. I am sure there are way easier or better ways of dealing with Vista and Ghost but we haven't done enough volume to work with it that much. Something like 99% of our customer opt for Downgrade Rights so we install XP on their machines. Also with XP, there is no generalise option. You want to create your XP image with an ACPI_APIC_UP HAL. This image can only be used on machines that have ACPI enabled, and can work on single and multi-core/CPU machines.

I couldn't see myself to stop using my current (XP) computer as my main storage computer just because of how I have everything organised. Unfortunately, it is an accident waiting to happen. It has 3 HDDs in it. 20GB for OS and a 120GB partitioned into two parts for file storage are both on their first format and from 2001. I have an additional 40GB drive that is the storage drive from my Windows 98 computer, and it was purchased in 1999. The newer ones are ATA133 and the older one is a ATA100. I'll probably go for the 2 drive data storage on the new computer, but it isn't a priority right now. If all else fails, I can always burn data off to DVD if I need to if I run out of space. I will be primarily use the new computer for games, but I am not foolish enough to try to get games that aren't supported in Vista to work unless I want to MAKE it work for whatever reason. I plan on keeping the XP computer around for development purposes because it has everything on it I need as far as productivity software goes. It would take way too long to get all that onto the Vista PC, not counting finding compatible versions, etc. But as far as the memory goes, I'd rather not be limited by the OS for the amount of memory, which was why I considered using a 64bit version instead.

Make sure you choose to run it as administrator, install it via add/remove programs or disable the UAC first? Also your anti-virus may be blocking it.

I'm not sure which one you will exactly be getting, but for example, here are the PSU requirements for one of eVGA's 9600 GT models: 400w PSU for 1 card 450w PSU for SLI When you find which card you want to get, check the manufacturer's website for the PSU requirements. Most companies have this information on their website, sometimes you have to dig awhile to get it. I used EVGA as an example because it is the only video card manufacturer site in my bookmarks. I'm not recommending them in any way and I've never used their cards.

I don't know why Intel doesn't list it for the DG965RY and DG965SS boards, but the CPU support page for the DQ965GF states support for Core 2 Quad CPUs. The 965 series chipset supports Core 2 Quad CPUs so Intel must be specifically disabling support for them on those boards through the BIOS. More than likely since it's a mATX motherboard they're using a lower spec VRM and/or less power phases to reduce the cost, which would mean the components on the board itself probably can't support the power requirements for a quad-core CPU. Well we've never had a customer order a board with that CPU in it. Originally, our sales guys were special-ordering new boards to support the Quad-Core, and I had to tell them that the G33 supported it. Since then its just been G33 with the quad-core, although most of our sales have a Celeron or Core 2 in it instead. Intel did release new BIOS updates for the 965GF and RY/SS boards recently, perhaps they were given the support for that CPU with those updates?

I still use an old version of CDeX for CDs. It has support for local and online CDDB access, and you can submit new entries with it, although they sometimes get rejected.

When you say you are booting the ISO, I presume you mean you are booting the files that you would put into the ISO, since an ISO file by itself is not bootable.

What about the Picture and Fax viewer from XP/2003?

That was premature I cannot get the task to accept the password I used on the old PC! -- Terry, East Grinstead, UK Is the account on the new PC you copied the task to using the same username and password combination? That won't matter unfortunately. Even if you had the same computer name and user account set up on the new computer as the old one, you are still going to have a different SID. You need to recreate or update the existing tasks using a batch file. We do this for a couple customers because they have tasks in their drive image, but then we run the SID changer. After this happens, the tasks do not run because the SID changer (or even Sysprep SID regen) does not update the information in the scheduled task properties. The command you need is SCHTASKS.EXE. Here is an example: schtasks /CHANGE /tn TASK_NAME_1 /ru Administrator /rp password; schtasks /CHANGE /tn TASK_NAME_2 /ru Administrator /rp password; schtasks /CHANGE /tn TASK_NAME_3 /ru Administrator /rp password; schtasks /CHANGE /tn TASK_NAME_4 /ru Administrator /rp password; After this, your tasks should then run properly.

So, in either case, are you needing to close Firefox altogether, or are there instances where only 1 Firefox window needs to be closed and the other left open? In the first case, I would recommend using AutoIT, you can script a program that kills the process firefox.exe.

Aside from the "free" issue with WDS, etc, the other reason why people would use Ghost is if they (like we are here) in a transition period. Also, Microsoft's recommended process is to use WDS with WAIK or OPK because it is more powerful and more efficient. Plus Microsoft doesn't make Ghost so they typically wouldn't recommend that software anyways. And you don't have to deploy and capture an image every time you want to make changes to it. Using the PE Tools Command Prompt, you have access to all the commands you get in the WinPE, and you have the ability (like Ghost) to do offline image editing. But yes, if you use Sysprep with the generalize switch (or button) you can deploy a single Vista image onto multiple hardware schemes. If you don't generalize it, you can only use that image on the same hardware it was captured from. Typically, you should only be using Ghost until you can do everything with WDS, it is the better solution.

Alright, I've gotten feedback on this cfg before from a couple different sites, but I want to get the following out of the way: Intel BOXDX38BT LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX DDR3 - Retail Sapphire 100225L Radeon HD 3870 512MB 256bit GDDR4 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Crossfire Supported Thermaltake Purepower RX W0144RU ATX12V/EPS12V 600W Power Supply - Retail Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - Retail G.SKILL 2GB (2x1GB) 240-pin DDR3 SDRAM 1066 (PC3 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-8500CL7D-2GBNQ - Retail Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600AAJS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM Vista and DX10+ I started out with this idea because I am at the limit of upgrades (monetary concerns) with my current computer. I also wanted to be able to make use of DirectX 10. And since I wanted to use DX10, I needed to use Vista. I have looked into a couple different options. I have already vLited a copy of Vista Business 32bit, but then I started to think of using more RAM... Memory I wasn't too keen on being limited to 3.2GB of RAM on my new computer, and would rather be able to use the max that the board supported. This meant using 64bit Vista. I am also not sure about RAM timings. With my current computer, I was an early adopter and there was only one type of RAM available. No multiple timings or tons of different bus speeds. It was easier to handle. The RAM I chose was based purely on price and bus speed rating of the chip. I am also not sold on the particular brand either, I just need something that lasts. Q1: Am I going to run into any compatibility issues if I use 64bit instead of 32bit? Q2: What can you tell me about the memory I chose? Motherboard I chose the motherboard based on a couple reasons. I wanted to use an Intel board again since that is what I am using now. I also wanted the ability to have more than one video card, and support a quad-core CPU. At the time, there was only two available, the X38 and a 975. This was before the G33 was updated to support it. At the time people said the 975 wasn't a good choice, but the X38 wasn't for sale yet. I also looked at the fact that DDR3 was out, new and really expensive, but by the time the X38 was being sold, the prices had dropped a lot. Video Cards It is not only fortunate that the X38 supported ATI Crossfire, but also that ATI's Vista drivers and support seems to be a lot better than nVidia's at the moment. The video card I chose will be a single card purchase, and when I go through stage 2 of building, I may either buy a second card of that type, or 2 cards of a higher end model. Drives My original idea was to have a 160GB C Drive and add Data drives later. I also don't have a DVD or CD Drive in my config because I already have those drives in my old computer. I may end up getting a Phillips or Matsus***a SATA DVD drive at some point in the future but we will see. I am also wondering if RAID on the storage drives (not the C) would be a good idea or not. I am not too sure about the actual long-time benefits of RAID. Q3: What HDD configuration do you recommend? Sound Card While the X38 comes with built in sound, I would still wish to use a Creative card that supports EAX. I don't know if EAX is still big or not, but I currently use it. I also know that Creative cards support in Vista is pretty shoddy, but I am not sure of alternatives. The last (or only) non-Creative card I bought was a Guillemont 128bit PCI back in the day. My major concern is that I already have a Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound system, and want a card that would work well with that. The system is the second model Creative Inspire (5300?) if that helps. Q4: What sound card is best or should this be a wait and see what the future brings type of decision? If you have any other comments, let me know. This CFG price dropped about $600 in the past two months so I am thinking of getting it very soon. I didn't list the case because I didn't think it was important. I also already have a monitor, keyboard (Apple Pro USB) and a mouse.