[Error] WinXP - winnt.exe - several files not found when installing

[Ponch]

Then maybe IcemanND had the explanation. The option is "Components/ Operating System Options / Manual Install and Upgrade"

You 'd have to redo the CD with a fresh set of XP files, this time not removing the option. Depending on the fact the cd was made by yourself or not and if it was made in one pass or more and if you have the last_session.ini and all addons and drivers used... it might be easy or not.

[footswitch]

Then maybe IcemanND had the explanation. The option is "Components/ Operating System Options / Manual Install and Upgrade"

You 'd have to redo the CD with a fresh set of XP files, this time not removing the option. Depending on the fact the cd was made by yourself or not and if it was made in one pass or more and if you have the last_session.ini and all addons and drivers used... it might be easy or not.

Is it?

You mean that, if one disables that specific component, filenames can be different?

Well, I'll consider that the problem has been detected. Just not sure if avoiding removal of that component will solve.

I think I'll just keep trying to have a chat with the maker of the CD, then!

In the meanwhile, if someone could confirm this 'component removal' info... it'd be great.

thanks all for your thoughts on this. really

[tomzi]

Old thread but interesting, at least for me because I'm having the same problem. I'm trying to install XP Pro with slipstreamed SP3 on a desktop pc without a cd drive, launching winnt.exe from a DOS (Win98SE) partition.

Here are my experiences:

• I had the same copy error messages for files when I included IE7 and WMP11 updates with NLite. I immediately thought of the possibility of an LFN problem, though I have no proof that it is really the cause. I checked the directory where the setup program copied these files and noticed that their name was truncated to 8+3. Maybe the setup was complaining when it tried to verify these files and didn't find them at the destination? The errors disappeared when I removed the updates.
  
• After skipping the copy errors I booted into XP (on another partition) and copied the files from my install source to the directory created by win setup. Then I resumed the installation and it followed through until the last reboot without errors, but there something else went wrong and the system refused to boot (BSOD every time). I don't know if this had anything to do with the long filenames because the BSODs remained even after I removed the updates from the installation and did a reinstall.
  
• I haven't removed the above mentioned manual install and update component.
  
• In a DOS-launched installation without updates but with components removed and service startup settings changed, most of my unattended install settings disappeared, ie I had to enter the serial key, select languages and location. This installation worked when started from CD in a VM.
  
• Same installation refused to boot after the last reboot during the setup, it's near-immediate BSOD after boot selection.
  

Next I'll see what happens if I don't kill any system components.

Edited June 26, 2008 by tomzi

[dlpirl]

Interesting for me too, tomzi. I am glad you picked up this thread and commented. I am having the same issues. In my case also, long files names (>3 extension) are not getting copied. I am booting to my installation files on the network using a BartPE (XP) bootdisk. Then I am running \network _folder\winn32.exe /unattend:winnt.sif. After the XP setup reboots into the my now local nLited XP Pro installation, I get messages that it can't copy MYTHEME.THE. The actual filename is MyTheme.theme. I am trying to take advantage of nLite's ability to install a custom theme and use it as the default. (Yes, I've installed the uxtheme patch.) FYI, I am building the XP SP3 nLite install on my XP SP3 workstation.

Please let me know what you learn and I will do the same. thx!

Edited June 26, 2008 by dlpirl

[jaclaz]

After the XP setup reboots into the my now local nLited XP Pro installation, I get messages that it can't copy MYTHEME.THE. The actual filename is MyTheme.theme. I am trying to take advantage of nLite's ability to install a custom theme and use it as the default. (Yes, I've installed the uxtheme patch.) FYI, I am building the XP SP3 nLite install on my XP SP3 workstation.

All files on original (gold) and "integrated-by-Microsoft" SP1 and SP2 CD's have generally names compliant with 8.3 convention, with some exceptions, but the CD uses of course the CDFS filesystem.

This is clearly a problem with this issue.

This seemingly unrelated article:

http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserve...3.mspx?mfr=true

affirms that:

These file names have a .theme extension. When you install the operating system by using Winnt32.exe, you can use long file names for files included in a distribution share. However, if you use Winnt.exe to install the operating system, all files and folders in the $OEM$ folder (and all subfolders) must be in 8.3 format for Setup to copy the files. In addition, you must always use 8.3 file names when copying a set of files from one computer to another with MS-DOS. Use the $$Rename.txt file to restore these 8.3 names to long file names during Setup.

WINNT.EXE actually NEEDS 8.3 names, whilst WINNT32.EXE supports Long File Names,

But Long File Names, may NOT cover on ALL filesyatems:

1) extension longer than three characters

2) "multi-dot" filenames

Possibly they are "considered" as valid when on CDFS, but they are NOT when on FAT or FAT32 (most probably NTFS is OK).

If we are talking of a few files, the most straightforward solution should be that of finding references to them in .sif, .inf and similar setup files, change them and rename the corresponding files to a 8.3 or however non-multi-dot AND non-more-than-three-characters-extension filename.

jaclaz

Edited June 27, 2008 by jaclaz

[dlpirl]

Thanks, jaclaz. That makes a lot of sense. FYI I am using BartPE (XPpro) to run winnt32.exe from an NTFS volume to install XPpro on my NTFS formatted C-drive, and it appears that winnt32.exe is truncating the 'theme' extension to 'the'. I am testing a workaround at this time.

[tomzi]

But Long File Names, may NOT cover on ALL filesyatems:

1) extension longer than three characters

2) "multi-dot" filenames

Possibly they are "considered" as valid when on CDFS, but they are NOT when on FAT or FAT32 (most probably NTFS is OK).

You mean WINNT32.EXE considers these files invalid? I'm sure that otherwise it's perfectly OK to create files like these.

If we are talking of a few files, the most straightforward solution should be that of finding references to them in .sif, .inf and similar setup files, change them and rename the corresponding files to a 8.3 or however non-multi-dot AND non-more-than-three-characters-extension filename.

I believe the number is somewhere between 10 and 20. In my setup they were probably part of either the WMP11 or the IE7 update (as removing these made the errors disappear), therefore in order to rename them one would have to do so within these packages.

[jaclaz]

You mean WINNT32.EXE considers these files invalid? I'm sure that otherwise it's perfectly OK to create files like these.

Yes, I mean it is a possibility.

If you look at the "story" of WINNT.EXE and of WINNT32.EXE, and cross it with the traditional way MS guys work (or at least as how it seems like they work, seen from their products) it sounds very, very possible.

NT3.51 install CD's were NOT bootable.

The everywhere spread OS was DOS, hence the need for WINNT.EXE.

NT 4.00 CD's were (actually some of them, I remember seing some that were NOT bootable) bootable, but used the "strict" ISO9660 specifications (no joliet, no iso-level 4 - ISO9660:1999).

See here:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=19948

Until NT 4.00, any PC had as OS either DOS or Windows 95 or NT 3.51 and at the time a vast number of PC's still could NOT boot from CD or could not boot from a no-emulation boot CD, hence the need for WINNT.EXE (to install from DOS) and of WINNT32.EXE to install from Windows 95 or NT 3.51 - and to make the boot floppies if needed.

Win2K CD's were bootable, but still a number of people as well used WINNT32.EXE to upgrade from NT to Windows 2000.

Off topic, but I've seen people crying for the "small issue" described here :whistling::

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...=11383&st=3

Though WINNT.EXE and WINNT32.EXE are still used by the few "tweakers at heart" or by some system administrators, since the advent of XP, say 99% of the people use the no-emulation CD or, since XP has been mainly an OEM success, the non-install method that most laptop have ("stupid" recovery partition, image of pre-set drive).

It would not surprise me in the least that these "old" methods of installing have not been fully updated to take care of the new filesystems/naming conventions.

The packages you are trying to install/integrate, on the other hand, were not "integrated" by MS in an OS release, so it is perfectly possible that they use different "specifications" as they were never possibly tested with WINNT32.EXE, let alone WINNT.EXE.

Again off-topic, if you want a quick laugh, check how the Recovery Console is started, and my fictional psychodrama that tries to explain what could have happened :

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/?showtopic=2362&st=6

jaclaz