[GUIRunOnce] commands are been executed in async mode! :(

[TheAzazel]

----- Post Nº 1 -----

Hi all,

I have a problem with my unattended WinXP installation, the worst thing it is only happens on some computers(Dell Optiplex GX260 with a Pentium 4 2.0Ghz w/o hyperthreading) but not in others.

I have tested that it does not depend on the performance of the machine as even in a computer that works(AthlonX2 6000+) I have been waiting for a while and the process is waiting to be finished, aka running in sync mode!

Well, I have a winnt.sif with below [GUIRunOnce] commands:

Command0="%SystemDrive%DPsfnshr.exe"

Command1="%SystemRoot%System32nLite.cmd"

As I read on MSFN and other web sites(including microsoft one), the [GuiRunOnce] section commands start executing before the shell (explorer) loads AND they are executed in sync mode.

This is whatever I need, I dont want to load the shell before I finish all my software installations but in some computers(as the previous Optiplex), after first autologon of the administrator user, the DriverPacks finisher starts as expected but after a few minutes(maybe 10 or so) and without finish, the next Command1 is executed so the mess has started! I get the DriverPacks finisher and all my software installations running at the same time, of course it is VERY VERY SLOW, but the worst part is a few minutes after...the shell is loaded(aka the explorer.exe) and a lot of collateral effects are introduced in my unattended installation.

After "googling" several hours, I didnt find anything about this issue, nobody seems to suffer it so I think I have two solutions:

- force the system to run GUIRunOnce commands in SYNC mode. How can I do this????

or

- although both commands are executed in ASYNC mode (command0 and command1), I need to avoid the load of the shell. How can I detect and avoid it?

Any help will be welcomed!

Cheers and thanks you very much for this great forum!!

Robert

----- Post Nº 2 -----

Today, I have tested using:

HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesSystemRunLogonScriptSync = 1

added to the registry before the first logon, in theory, it was the fix to my problem but no luck, Im still suffering the same problem.

Of course, all my installation scripts are using start /wait commands but the problem relies on top of this... commands in RunOnce are running without waiting for the previous one to be finished.

Any help or idea, will be welcomed, for the time being, I dont know how to go on with the troubleshooting :S

----- Post Nº 3 -----

Just to add my current troubleshooting state:

http://smallvoid.com/article/winnt-startup-order.html -> Great article about the execution order after a login.

http://www.msfn.org/board/lofiversion/index.php/t82317.html -> Excellent thread which explain some issues with execution order of scripts

I think that RunLogonScriptSync=1 will affect to "login scripts", in other words, all the script set in WinLogonUserInit but it will not affect to Run,RunOnce and so on. This will explain my poor results in today tests...

I will try this approach and let you know the results....

Cheers!

----- Post Nº 4 -----

Finally, I was able to fix my problem using Winlogon/Userinit as my "script launcher" instead of RunOnce.

Whatever I did, was to replace the current value of that key(which point to userinit.exe) with my current script. With this, I assure that my script will be executed before the shell is started and in order. Once my script finished, it set this key to its default value of userinit.exe and manually execute it to load the shell.

Hope this can help you.

Cheers!

Edited March 26, 2008 by Yzöwl
Posts Merged, please learn to use the Edit button.