7.4.0, XP x64, IE8 and white screens.

[johnhc]

I am running XP x64 (under VMware Server) and IE8. Most of the time I start WPI 7.4.0, I get a white screen and it hangs, then goes away. Sometimes it white screens, hangs then the white screen goes away but the installer is running. Really weird. Suggestions? Problem with IE8, x64? Thanks for any help, John.

[Sonic]

launched from network share ?

[johnhc]

Sonic, launched from the RUNWPI.INF, by double clicking WPI.hta on the CD or via RunOnce after a reboot. Thanks for replying, John.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

I too have experienced a couple of wierd issues with IE8 at times so you are not going nusto.

The reason why it flases and then comes backup is it makes a reg entry for the office fix and then restarts.

Now as to why you are getting JUST a blank screen I have a theory,

DO you have a cd in your first drive? Yes? WPI now checks for the type of drive you have installed and if there is a disk in it will take a couple of seconds.

DO you have ALOT of entries? WPI might be time-ing out before the interface fully initializes.

OR I am just totally way to drunk and am missing something.

[johnhc]

Thanks, Kels for your reply. I am attaching my log when it finally ran. I am not sure what you mean by first drive, but I to have a CD (virtual) in the E: drive. You can be the judge if I have a lot of entries. Thanks much, John.

EDIT: Do I still need 'reg delete HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\WPI /f'?

EDIT2: Yesterday I decided that I was having IE8 problems (with WPI) because it had been installed (T-13), but had not gone through a reboot. So I changed the RUNWPI.INF to call a small .bat that set WPI to run in Registry RunOnce and do a reboot. This worked sometimes. Perhaps it needed to have Windows Explorer to be running (it does for one of my functions), so I removed WPI from the RunOnce and put it into the StartUp folder. It has run every time I've tried it here, but is very strange. Windows Explorer is still not up, but the DeskTop is. I get a white screen, but the installer is running. I open the task manager (and Process Explorer) and observe wmiprvs.exe talking 99% of my CPU. There are actually two of these. One is from SYSTEM and one NETWORK SERVICES. The second one is the one taking all the CPU. They both are called from SVCHOST. I never see WPI main screen, but when the white goes away, I see the installer running. Don't know if any of this helps. Thanks, John.

Edited April 5, 2009 by johnhc

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Hmm 23 commands...

Not too many at all. I have like 60 on a usual basis.

How are you integrating IE8?

[johnhc]

Kels, I am using an AddOn that I wrote (and gave the instructions for in the nLite forum). It runs out f SVCPACK at T-13. Thanks, John.

EDIT: Since I posted the above, I have preformed two installs. In the first, WPI started with a white screen which went away and nothing got installed. I rebooted and WPI started with a white screen for a while, then I heard the sound of it starting (I removed the // on the sound line in api.js.) The white screen persisted for awhile, then went away and I could see my desk top. I could see the command prompt window and my installs running, but there was no Installer window and no button in the taskbar. It finish without errors. John.

Edited April 6, 2009 by johnhc

[Kelsenellenelvian]

OK this may sound bone-headed and I am NOT trying to insult you.

Have you modified ANY files besides the one?

Can you dl a fresh copy and add JUST your config.js (Dont adjust any of the def settings.) and try that please?

Also I see you ALL the time in the nLite forum, What have\did you remove?

[johnhc]

Kels, when I get a new WPI, I install my Windows options, User options and Config file in the WPIScrpits folder. I then edit the api.js file and remove the // on the sound line. I replace the Evil_Vista theme with my own. The only change here is a 'Windows Post-Install Wizard' in the header (wpi.htm file) that you helped me with a long time ago. I have attached my nLite Last Session. If you want me to run your experiment, please let me know what conditions (theme change?) Thanks, John.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

IE8 Seems to be the culprit.

I am getting another report right now with the same symptoms.

[mritter]

One thing that may help speed things up is disable Allow For Internet Check. If your network card is not installed yet it will choke there for 5 seconds or so.

I have IE8 installed on my laptop. I will do some simple testing at work, more this weekend. It may be the Office reg tweaks.

Also, are you changing the reg keys before WPI starts, or letting WPI do it? Try it before WPI starts.

[johnhc]

mritter, I just ran a test with the disable of Allow For Internet Check as you suggested and it failed also. I ran as I explained in EDIT2 of my third post. There was a white screen for some time, then the sound (I enabled in api.js) and then the white screen and the command prompt went away. I restarted again (my bat was still in the Startup file) and it worked. When the Installer was running, I could see the command prompt where I deleted the WPI Registry key and that ran successfully. This means that the first time I ran, WPI got at least as far as setting the key, because the first time WPI runs the key delete fails.

Also, are you changing the reg keys before WPI starts, or letting WPI do it? Try it before WPI starts.

I am not sure what you are saying and asking here. I alter Registry keys both before (nLite, using Kurt_Aust's batch file) and with WPI (see my log.) To move all my Registry updates out of WPI would be a large job and may not work because of dependencies. I can fairly easily turn off all WPI tweaks.

Please don't forget I an running under VMware Server and I assume my NIC looks installed and ready to go on final boot. Thanks much for the reply and help. Enjoy, John.

Edited April 8, 2009 by johnhc

[mritter]

I meant the registry keys needed for WPI to work with Office.

REG ADD "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main" /V "Disable Script Debugger" /T "REG_SZ" /D "no" /F

REG ADD "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main" /V "DisableScriptDebuggerIE" /T "REG_SZ" /D "no" /F

This will prevent WPI from having to set the keys, quit, then restart. That is why thw white screen is hanging on you. Put those lines in your batch file just before WPI is started. Then when WPI is done, you can use the same lines again but use "yes" to set them back.

[johnhc]

Thanks, mritter, I will add the commands to my batch file. I am in the middle of an install right now, but I will try it soon. I do not install/use Office, so I knew nothing about these keys. Thanks, John.

after install? Thanks, John.

EDIT: My install worked the first time with the added Registry entries. Do I need to continue to use the additional reboot for IE8, or can I run WPI install the first boot in Windows?

Edited April 10, 2009 by johnhc

[johnhc]

I ran several more times with 100% success. I removed the restart feature I had put in via the Startup folder. I also quit deleting the WPI key, but did set the two keys to "no" as mritter had asked. I looked at the Registry after and they are set to "yes", which I did not do, so I assume WPI did. This is usable as far as I am concerned. Thanks, John.