Created ISO, many files missing.

[johnhc]

I made an nLite run with some changes to Unattended and added hot fixes. The first time I tried to create an ISO I realized I had not updated a file used by WPI, so I clicked Abort on the create task. After updating the file, I again created an ISO. When I connect this ISO to my VM (VMware Server), it does not auto start and there are no files at the highest level (see attached screen shot). All of the files are in the source folder. I have rebooted, removed and reinstalled nLite and rebuilt my source folder from a fresh copy of my CD and rerun nLite. I have a number of programs and etc that I install via RunOnce and WPI so my source is large - 2.43 GB. I will continue to try to determine what is going on, but I would really appreciate it if someone can give me some help. Thanks much, John.

EDIT: Just extracted the ISO and the files are not there. About 200-300 MB of files are missing.

Edited September 28, 2009 by johnhc

[0d14r3]

All hotfix are x64 except this:

C:\Slipstream\Slipstream Components\Build_Components\Update_Hotfix\Hotfix\024-WindowsXP-KB923789-x86-ENU.exe

Is this hotfix correct?

[johnhc]

0d14r3, thanks for your rely. I got that, and all, hot fixes from Kurt_Aust's thread for x64. I have built many an ISO with that KB with no problems.

I think I have identified the problem. I removed the WPI folder (about 1 GB) from my source folder and created an ISO using nLite. It works and contains all my files and folders. I guess I am just trying to create an ISO that is too large for nLite. I am now trying to find a free program to create a bootable ISO. I tried CD Burner XP but the ISO I created just contains all the files in the original folder. I have not been able to determine how to create a bootable ISO with it. Any suggestions gladly and graciously accepted. Thanks, John.

[Grake]

http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/15/

created numerous iso's without a problem.

[Guest]

ImgBurn can. I swear by this program. Its author also created DVD Decrypter, and has been active in the CD/DVD burning community for years. Edited September 12, 2009 by 5eraph

[g-force]

Hi John, and a warm "Welcome Back again"!

I don`t use WPI, I install SFX by a Program called "ComfortInstaller", Thread @ GermanWinlite: http://german-winlite.de/wbb/index.php?pag...amp;boardID=110

But my ISO is growing at about 3 GB, I`m runnung nLite with usual tasks, ending without creating ISO.

I copy my prepared "OEM-Folder" into that "XPCD-Folder", start nLite again just to create ISO.

This behaviour works for unless 4 years of nLiting - never ran into mismatch about 2-3 GB of ISO.

[johnhc]

Grake, thanks for your reply.

5eraph, thanks also. I DLed and installed ImgBurn and managed to get an ISO that auto starts on my VM and boots into Setup.

EDIT: I could not figure out what was meant by 'Boot Image', so I guessed it meant boot sector and I pointed to the boot.bin in the nLite folder.

g-force, thanks for the welcome back. It is good to be back to my own machine. I am very surprised by my problem. It was totally unexpected and took me a while to determine what was going on because I would never think there was a size limit. The fact remains, my ISO is missing many files when I create it with nLite but is fine when I reduce the size of it or use ImgBurn with my large source (2.4 GB). I would like to know what is really going on.

Enjoy and thanks much! John

Edited September 12, 2009 by johnhc

[Kurt_Aust]

Please attach (not paste) your Last Session.ini. Make sure to always start with a fresh copy of your CD files/folders, do all your work in one nLite session and integrate only one SP. Please report when you have a solution, so others can benefit. Enjoy ...

Sorry, couldn't help myself, but on a more serious note I've made working images (for VM and my main rig) at 2.66GB just using the nLite imager (added Nero 6 OEM).

What I have had happen was that I integrated the wrong drivers for my previous (now my parent's) box, then it would boot on any machine except the one it was made for.

[Sp0iLedBrAt]

Is there an ISO size that is too big for nLite to create? I have built many ISO files, which, when ISO optimized, were approximately 3.99GB (although no WPI inside). So, the only thing I paid attention to was that the overall size (compressed or not) would not exceed 4GB, mostly to fit a DVD-sized medium. Yes, it took some 20-30 minutes for that process and overloaded the CPU (Intel Celeron Mobile 1.6GHz, 1MB L2 cache), but in the end they were all working and bootable (on VirtualPC 2007 SP1 x86).

[johnhc]

Sp0iLedBrAt and Kurt_Aust, thanks for your replies. I am amazed that I experienced the problem and as I commented in my last reply, I would really like to understand what is going on. I suspected that it was the Abort that was causing the problem and that is why I tried reinstalling nLite. I wonder if nLite keeps some information in the the Registry that does not get removed on an uninstall. I have searched my Registry to no avail. The problem persisted through many ISO creations. Reducing the source size fixed it. The cure was to use ImgBurn - now no problems. If anyone has an idea please let us know. Thanks, John.

[Sp0iLedBrAt]

I remember there was a piece of old free software called RegMon which recorded the changes in the registry. So, an install of nLite with Regmon ON will show where exactly it writes changes. Maybe that will help you out.

[johnhc]

Sp0iLedBrAt, thanks much. RegMon has been replaced by Process Monitor and it is from Sysinternals. It creates tons of output quickly, so I am trying to get it to quiet down so I can see what nLite is doing. Thanks, John.

[johnhc]

I switched to ImgBurn but discovered that it converted all the file and folder names to all upper case. There seems to be no work around for this. I went back to nLite and the Create ISO still messes up my ISO (see my first post) using the Default ISO Engine, so I tried the Mkisofs and it seems to work. The ISO auto starts on my VM, all the files appear to be there and the file/folder names are mixed case as original. I have yet to do an install, but will soon. Thanks for all the suggestions and help. Enjoy, John.

[Guest]

I didn't realize nLite also had mkisofs or I would have suggested using it from the start.

RVMi uses mkisofs, and I've never had a problem with it other than it takes a while sometimes. I wasn't about to recommend downloading RVMi just to use its ISO engine.

[johnhc]

I found a work around for the ImgBurn upper case name problem. I simply ignore the error message produced when I use ASCII in place of DOS for the character set. See here. Enjoy, John.