Jump to content

XPCREATE


GreenMachine

Recommended Posts

I've updated the Test Version once again. As usual, the latest version is the only version that is being debugged, so please use this version before reporting any problems.

There have been quite a few modifications since the previoius test version. These include:

  • XPCREATE.INI default values will work as is on most configurations, with the exception of the CDBURNER.
  • Downloader may optionally delete outdated files.
  • Use of external programs COMPRESS and EXPAND has been changed to MAKECAB and EXTRAC32.
  • Boot Image is extracted from Windows source, resulting in a locallized version.
  • COMPRESS.EXE, EXPAND.EXE, MAKECAB.EXE and QCHAIN.EXE are no longer distributed with XPCREATE.
  • QCHAIN now required in it's downloaded form, as a hotfix installer. XPCREATE will extract the necessary files from the full download.
  • File downloads are verified using the MD5 checksum.
  • Service Pack download handling improved.
  • Distributed in an "installer".
  • In short, I have "id***-proofed" XPCREATE as much as possible ...

The Web Site for this version is in the process of being updated. This version is only downloadable form the XPCREATEWeb Site. This version also includes an End User License Agreement that mainly covers my own butt, and grants non-commercial users an unlimited license. The license is not very long, please read it. Commercial use is limited to one week of testing on one computer. If you have other licensing needs, or indeed to use XPCREATE in a commercial environment, please contact me.

XPCREATE is now distributed in an IExpress Installer (surprise, surprise ... ). You are prompted to accept the EULA, and then indicate the extraction directory for the pogram. The installer is nothing more than a self-extracting archive, and XPCREATE does not write in the registry, or write to any other directories than the sub-directories in which it resides. To completly remove XPCREATE from your system, you only need delete the installation directory used in setup.

Virindi has graciously contributed both the effort and the web space to host the Hotfix Lists. If your language or version does not download any hotfixes, please post your PRODSPEC.INI file in a seperate thread for future inclussion. Any help with creating, testing and maintaining these hotfixes lists is appreciated. Please note that I will not be maintaining these lists myself. You may modify the XPCREATE.INI to use the URL of your choice for retrieving these files.

The suggested use of this test version is to:

  • Extract all files to the directory of your choice.
  • Insert your Windows CD into the CD drive.
  • Double click the XPCREATE.CMD file a first time time initialize all directories.
  • Double click the XPCREATE.CMD file a second time to start the complete downloading and slipstreaming process. (This could take several hours, depending on your Internet connection.)
  • Use this set of hotfixes and files as the base of your Windows Creations.

Though the first run can be quite long - I would run it overnight - subsequent executions are quicker, and the Windows source will already be on the HDD, slipstreamed with the latest service pack.

As I do not anticipate any error reporting, please post your success stories!

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Incredible. Hardly make a suggestion that the new version already integrates it.

Which processor animates GreenMachine to works so quickly?

Dual Devil Inside© @5 GHz both !!!

Just a question to maintain the Win2K Pro SP4 FRA Hotfix list.

I should change all files size with their MD5 checksums before uploading to DLURL hosted by Virindi

Is there other things to alter in XPCTHLST.TXT or does the [OSInfo] section remains the same.

:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have found an issue. Well not exactly an issue, just more on an annoyance for me. Last night at home I used the XPTEST to make a new CD with the auto downloaded hot fixes. Worked flawlessly. I love it. MY machine i used was my laptop. This morning i'm in class and made a few changes (added winnt.sif, $OEM$ folder, etc.). So i ran XPtext again to create a new cd. In class on my laptop I have no internet connection, so when XPtest starts up it tries to download the HOTlis.txt, but it can't beacuse of no connection. XPTEST will exit out. I've already got the necessary files from the night before. Is there a way to bypass that initial download. GM you rule man.

:)

PEACE!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi GreenMachine,

I just tested your new version.

I started from scratch, so to say with an installation in a blank directory.

The suggested use of this test version is to:

Extract all files to the directory of your choice.

Insert your Windows CD into the CD drive.

Double click the XPCREATE.CMD file a first time time initialize all directories.

Double click the XPCREATE.CMD file a second time to start the complete downloading and slipstreaming process. (This could take several hours, depending on your Internet connection.)

Use this set of hotfixes and files as the base of your Windows Creations.

First run created the directories as expected. - FINE!

Then the second run to perform the real work. This brought up an first error:

STEP:   Have IE setup, create Download Directive File.
ERROR:  The system cannot find the batch label specified - NOSOURCE

Looking into XPCREATE.CMD I found the line (758)

IF NOT EXIST TEMP\IESOURCE\*.EXE GOTO NOSOURCE

but really no jump target named ":NOSOURCE".

Forgot something? :rolleyes: ;-)

Going on the command window shows several "File not found" errors.

I attached a zip-File containing your log-cab and the dump of the console window as well as a directory content list.

Hope this helps to get rid of the "buggies" ;-)

Or did I make a mistake?? :)

Greetings

Frank

PS: Sorry I forgot to tell: I used a Windows 2000 Professional CD, but I think for the above errors this doesn't matter. I'll try XP, too, soon.

newfiles.zip

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking at your Directorystructure.txt attached in newfiles.zip

\TEMP\IESOURCE and therefore \TEMP\NEWIE are empty.

the downloaded files for IE6 SP1 should be in IESOURCE and copied to NEWIE

before xpcreate.cmd build the installer IE6SP1.EXE

It looks like the necessary files are not downloaded as expected ?

This process is new to the last version of XPCREATE.

You can't reproduce the same problem with WXP as IE6SP1 is already integrated in your XPSP1 source CD !

Try to copy the IE6 package from the previous method and copy to SVC-PRE with the name IE6SP1.EXE and run a new XPCREATE.CMD.

That way XPCREATE would skip the GETIE6 sub as the file already exist in the folder.

GM should give you more infos.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have found an issue. <snip> I've already got the necessary files from the night before. Is there a way to bypass that initial download. GM you rule man.

:)

PEACE!!

In XPCREATE.ini, comment out the DLURL line with a semicolon and then place a blank DLURL= below it, like:

;DLURL=http://xpcreate.wiretapped.us/

DLURL=

Then when you'd like to download source again, delete the blank DLURL= line and uncomment the original.

-V

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Bilou_Gateux: This time it was easy, you requested finished development! Concerning the Hotfix List, please see the other post I made somewhere on this forum. There is a little tool to help you/me out.

@DrunknMunkie: There is a new option in the XPCREATE.INI file, DLAUTO, that can be set to YES or NO for AutoDownloading. The method mentioned by Virindi works fine as well.

@frankiboy_01: There were a few "typos" ... which have since been fixed. Also, there was no download list for your OS, so it did not update much ... This version should have eliminated those issues. I even tested it myself this time!

WARNING ...

In order to make the IE download and installation work, I have had to manipulate the registry, on both the XPCREATOR and XPCREATED machines. On the machine creating the Windows 2000 CD, I delete this registry key :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\InstallInfo

This is done to insure that the IE installer will start from scratch, and not pick up an interupted download, possibly in an unbeknownst to me directory. (Live and learn.) Secondly, during setup of the Windows 2000 installation, I flush the RunOnceEx registry key by invoking the RunOnceEx process. This finalizes the IE installation before a reboot, and eliminates conflicts with the OE Windows Address Book that is updated later in the installation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Test Version has been updated fixing a few minor ... errors, and adding, once again, increased logging. I have tested on XP Pro, and Windows 2000 Server. XP Pro reports, as usual, the Advanced Networking Pack as missing. Windows 2000 comes up completly up to date on first boot. The only file I manually added to the creation process was WINNT.SIF, which I slipped into the source once it was on the hard disk. All other files, including hotfixes, updates, and IE (for Windows 2000), were downloaded as per the Hotfix Download List, or generated on the fly.

Currently, the download lists are only functional for Windows XP Pro, Windows 2000 Pro and Windows 2000 Server. If you would like to help create the list for your OS/Language, please see the Localized Windows Versions Thread.

This release seems quite stable, so it will probabluy move from "Test" to "Production" very soon. Let me know how it goes ...

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Windows 2000 comes up completly up to date on first boot. The only file I manually added to the creation process was WINNT.SIF, which I slipped into the source once it was on the hard disk. All other files, including hotfixes, updates, and IE (for Windows 2000), were downloaded as per the Hotfix Download List, or generated on the fly.

So I guess this means I should stop trying to find solutions for the old "2kcreate" and IE? :)

As usual, I'm in your debt. Thanks GreenMachine!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, this should lick it. In fact, the problem was in installing the OE updates before reboot. There is a call in RunOnceEx (around 800) to do some dll registering with the Address Book Import/Export features. IE adds this same call a second time around 470 or so. This does not work with the replaced dll, and causes RunOnceEx to hang, as in showing a blue screen just before the desktop, and getting now further. Slipstreaming the updates is worse, as there are already the RunOnceEx entries, and when RunOnceEx is flushed at around T-14, it hangs there as well, leaving un-run entries (around 800). This also explains the move of the OE updates from SVC-HF2 to SVC-POS. Though I did not try, I would imagine if you remove the OE updates, that would fix it as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@GreenMachine

Another idea found during my sleep.

Why not remove the hardcoded download URLs and exe names related to ie6 from xpcreate.cmd and put it as variables in the downloadable Hotfix list.

That the method you already use for OS ServicePacks.

That whay, you will not have to rewrite an update when M$ release a new minor update to IE6 like SP2 or IE6.5 ?

Just Virindi, me and other contributors to update the XPCTHLST.TXT

A sample to explain my idea with Windows 2000 Pro French

[OSInfo]

SOURCEVER=2KP
WINLANG=FRA
CURSPVER=4
CURSPURL=http://download.microsoft.com/download/c/f/0/cf065ae8-0c96-47f5-ba2b-3220da77076e/w2ksp4_fr.exe
CURSPSIZE=135498520
CURSPPATH=SPACKS\W2KSP4_FR.EXE

[IEInfo]
DLDIR=FRA
DLLNG=FRA
SETUPURL=http://download.microsoft.com/download/ie6sp1/finrel/6_sp1/W98NT42KMeXP/FRA/ie6setup.exe
CMD=IE6SETUP.EXE /c:"ie6wzd.exe /s:""#E"" /d"
DownloadLocation=http://download.microsoft.com/download/ie6sp1/finrel/6_sp1/W98NT42KMeXP/FRA/
DownloadSiteList=http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie6sp1/download/rtw/x86/ie6sites.dat

and name the resulting created package more generic like IEUPDATE.EXE without mentioning the version in the name.

It can be useful if we want to create a CD with a different version of IE

(IE5.5 SP2 in my needs)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@utln: Surprise, surprise! (Pretty easy, eh?)

@Bilou: Well, that would be an option, but as I have over 200 Hotfix Update Lists out already, I don't think I will be modifying their structure. Secondly, the IE URL I can generate by changing only locale information, which is not the case with the hotfixes. Thirdly, XPCREATE will never do IE5.5, nor any version less than the latest. True, there may be some special cases where it is needed. but XPCREATE does not handle thoses cases, considered to be "rare".

I understand what you mean, and it would be an acceptable alternative. However, XPCREATE seems quite stable in it's latest form, and I plan on only debugging, not updating it's logic, at the moment. It's not broken, so I am not fixing it right now!

But keep those ideas coming: they did result in the IE integration!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey GM, Long time no talk. Well i am trying out the new version and have a slight problem. iOpus starts downloading the hotfixes and after each one it gets done downloading and then i get a message saying "Error Copying file or folder Cannot read from the source file or disk" Any ideas. I started with a fresh folder installed xpcreate copied the cd via opening xpcreate.cmd that went fine and then tried running xpcreate again. Any help would be great. THanks Brian

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds strange to me. Like a permissions or diskfull problem. iOpus is just a front end into the IE download function, so I have very little insight as to what is really going on. See if you get the same thing on another box. You could also attach the LOGFILES.CAB file, it may give some clue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...