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Slipstreaming Xpize 5R5


mhmallory

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Has anyone attempt to successfully sllpstreamed XPize 5.5 with SP3 with .NET installed with Nlite. I have unsuccessfully attempted this Nlite directly into an ISO, but receive errors about uxtheme.dll. I have SFC disabled and Unsigned Themes Supported enabled in Nlite v1.4.9.1.

I have also attempted to use a addon with /S /norestore /noboot /notask in the INF file. This results in an install screen from Xpize which means the installer is ignoring the switches. If I proceed with the Install, it installs Xpize, but the install screen dialog results with the only option to reboot ("Cancel: greyed out). If I choose the reboot option, this puts the Xpize installer into a loop. If I forcibly reboot, the XP install restarts, and the Xpize install screen during the install process begins again.

I also went to the Anolis WEB site to see if there was any clue on using silent package install. No luck though. I also attempted use Universal Extractor-v 1.6 from http://legroom.net/software/uniextract because sometimes this will give you a clue on how to open a installer package. This did not work either.

The above secenario leaves out the option of using 'runoncex" method, because of the reboot issue.

I really like Xpize, and would like to integrate it into a XP silent install package. Any clue would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

mhmallory

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Uhm, I'm not sure what you're attempting to do here.

The Anolis Installer doesn't support any kind of silent installation for many reasons (the main one being that installation takes over 2 minutes, even on a good machine, and not providing any feedback for that long is a bad idea).

xpize 5R5 includes its own UxTheme patcher and does not require SFC to be disabled. Anyway, the steps you describe sound like you're installing xpize to your local machine and not a Windows CD image.

Note that xpize 5R5 is incompatible with XPize 4.x's documentation, especially with respect to command-line switches.

Also, what do you mean by "addon" in "the INF file"? I assume this is an nLite thing?

Your universal extractor won't work on Anolis installation executables: packages are stored as LZMA-compressed tarballs put into the Managed Resource section of a CLR PE, not even 7-Zip can identify them. You need specialist tools to get at them. But there's no scenario where you'd ever need to get to the *.anop files.

Did you watch the screencast I made about how to xpize a Windows CD? It's here:

Edited by W3bbo
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Thanks for the quick response, and sorry if my post was unclear. What I was attempting to do was build an XP3 ISO using a silent method. If you take a look at this post from msdemich http://www.msfn.org/board/should-use-nlite...streaming+xpize it might clarify things.

What you posted about the installer makes sense. I realize that uniextractor will not work because I started looking at the Anolis site and saw that they use a custom compression library. The reason I tried uniextractor is because when it fails, it leaves a log file that sometimes will point you to what compression method ‘Installer Packager’ is using.

Also, I know that Xpize is being installed on my Windows ISO share, because I see Xpize creates the $OEM$ directory.

I took a look at the videocast, and I see that one of the most important steps is not to use Nlite to ‘make the ISO’. I noted when I used Nlite to make the ISO, it attempts to repair the files Xplite modified. I will give the method of using an external program like PowerISO or MagicISO to create a bootable ISO image,

Thanks,

mhmallory

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Thanks for the quick response, and sorry if my post was unclear. What I was attempting to do was build an XP3 ISO using a silent method. If you take a look at this post from msdemich http://www.msfn.org/board/should-use-nlite...streaming+xpize it might clarify things.

The instructions XPero posted in 2007 no-longer apply to xpize 5, they were for XPize 4.x which uses the Nullsoft Installer, whereas xpize 5 uses a system I wrote myself called Anolis, which is radically different to XPize 4.x.

It isn't possible to build an xpized CD image "silently", I never built it in because I don't believe it's a user scenario worth supporting, not to mention the headaches it would introduce.

What if, instead of "silent" you mean you'd like to automate the process by getting it to automatically xpize a CD directory all from the commandline without any user-interaction? Well, I haven't coded in support for that either, but it's something I could do in future.

In the meanwhile, you can automate it yourself by using various GUI automation tools that use SendKeys with the xpize installer.

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Has anyone attempt to successfully sllpstreamed XPize 5.5 with SP3 with .NET installed with Nlite. I have unsuccessfully attempted this Nlite directly into an ISO, but receive errors about uxtheme.dll. I have SFC disabled and Unsigned Themes Supported enabled in Nlite v1.4.9.1.

I have also attempted to use a addon with /S /norestore /noboot /notask in the INF file. This results in an install screen from Xpize which means the installer is ignoring the switches. If I proceed with the Install, it installs Xpize, but the install screen dialog results with the only option to reboot ("Cancel: greyed out). If I choose the reboot option, this puts the Xpize installer into a loop. If I forcibly reboot, the XP install restarts, and the Xpize install screen during the install process begins again.

I also went to the Anolis WEB site to see if there was any clue on using silent package install. No luck though. I also attempted use Universal Extractor-v 1.6 from http://legroom.net/software/uniextract because sometimes this will give you a clue on how to open a installer package. This did not work either.

The above secenario leaves out the option of using 'runoncex" method, because of the reboot issue.

I really like Xpize, and would like to integrate it into a XP silent install package. Any clue would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

mhmallory

me too found Nlite complaining about the uxtheme.dll, don't know whyy

Slipstreaming is a must for me

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@W3bbo -

Thanks for the help. Following your Video cast instructions pointed me in the right direction. To be honest installing it with this method makes for a cleaner, lighter install (disk space wise). I wish I saw the video earlier, because I have been at this for the entire month before I threw my hands up and posted for help. Thanks for the forces that be for VMWare. To recap for other users, after integrating Xpize do not use the ISO builder function in Nlite.

Let me also point out that after integrating Xpize using this method, XP boots faster than doing a standalone install of the package.

Thanks,

mhmallory

Edited by mhmallory
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One thing I need to point out. If you intend to integrate Xpize into a Nlite'd CD, ALL of the files in the 'root' of the CD directory share file attributes must be set to +A. If you attempt to Xpize the XP share, and Xpize immediately gives you an error message of 'Invalid Root of CD', I have consistently found the file attributes (permissions) are wrong by Xpize standards.

If you need to change many files or directories in mass, I found the tool Attribute Changer shell extension (freeware) from http://www.petges.lu/ does the job really well.

mhmallory

Edited by mhmallory
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all,

new user here.

First: Thank you! This package works as it should right out of the gate, and brings a whole new feel to the OS. Just like you say, this is how it should have been.

Second: I love everything so far, though I agree the lt blue boot screen is a little primative compared to the rest of the package, that is the one thing I would change.

Third: I think the installer needs clarification. When you click on the advanced tab, you can install all the themes. Well this gives the impression that one can switch between them at any given time. Which is true for most of it, but not for the logon screens etc. correct???

Fourth: I actually installed two instances at the same time btw, one with some options, and one with all themes checked, thinking that it would "repair" the first install. but it didn't.

Fifth: If one uninstalls, there are definately some icons and graphics that remain. Not a big deal since the new ones are so good, but it's worth mentioning nonetheless.

Sixth: Regarding Nlite. You need to run nlite (do all your patches, installs, preference changes, etc. now or later, it doesn't matter), However, somewhere towards the back of the proggy, there's an option to "allow windows to accept any theme from the internet" or something like that. Make sure you check this. Then save (finalize) without making a disc or image file.

Then when you're done, integrate xpize into the folder. When you restart nlite, you won't get the .dll error message. You can then integrate and customize the rest of the way, or simply skip all this and burn the disc with any program.

I have not actually tried a test install yet, I'll do it later today. But since I don't get the error message it looks promising.

Anyway thanks for letting me partially hijack the thread.

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OK, sorry. Had the chance to test my install. It seems it didn't integrate for some reason. However I tried it again, and got the error message. Still, if you hit "don't repair", it still lets you continue with nlite. You still can't choose it as a default theme, but the integration still works, and if you're building your slipstream disc from an xpize'd computer, you can "include" themes, then use it as a default.

Not a perfect fix but it works.

If all else fails (I'll state the obvious), simply include the xpize installer (and any other proggys you normally install on a new system) in an "extras" folder that you create on the XP disc. then run it first thing after the os boots.

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I want to slipstream XPize 5 R6 into WinXP SP3. In fact I have already done this and there was no problem in installing from the modified version. But I also want to nLite my copy of WinXP SP3 to apply some tweaks and slimming down. Now should I first integrate XPize into WinXP SP3 and then nLite or first nLite and then integrate XPize??

Eager_Beever

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I use the following to build a Nlite/Xpize ISO.

1). Start with a fresh XP source.

2). I use Nlite to install service packs, hotfixes, and addons.

a. Configure Nlite NOT to build ISO.

b. As an addon I include .NET combo pack.

3). Start Xpize with xpize5R6.exe /ignoreCondition

4). From Xpize menu choose, "Install xpize 5 Release 6"

5). From Xpize Menu I choose the desired theme. Important, If you switch to advanced mode, be very careful. Selecting additional themes can cause you unexpected results because during integrate process the same resource files and DLL's will be modified numerous times. Xpize does allow change this behavior.

6) From Xpize Menu, I choose "Install to a Windows Setup CD (I386).

7) It is important after Xpize completes, DO NOT USE NLITE again to build the ISO. I use MagicISO with a extracted CD image from the source CD to build the ISO.

8) Once ISO build is completed and installed on a target, I use Autopatcher to install missing hotfixes or desired additional tweaks.

I have followed this procedure at least 75 times during ISO builds and debugging. It works %100 with reliable results. I HAVE never had a problem integrating Xpize using the outlined procedure. I have to thank Xpize Dev for pointing me in the right direction. The movie clip they refereed me to helped a great deal.

Once I get Unattended install using runonce inf method working for me %100 percent, the next step is integrating Bâshrat the Sneaky DriverPacks 8.12.5 into my ISO.

mhmallory

Edited by mhmallory
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