Guide For Compressed Drivers Unattended Install

[Thauzar]

This looks complicated to me... why not compile another exe that looks for $OEM$\Appz 7.z and .cab files and uncompresses them to %systemdrive%\Appz. If the exe was a batch file I could have done it myself, but I don't even know which of the 3 files we installed does what...

[Lucius Snow]

@ Thauzar : I get your ideas about Appz . Sure that'd be great and that'd not be that complicated to create it from the current model for \Driverz. About the 7zip compression, i just followed Bâshrat the Sneaky's guide in his drivers pack. That was the settings of the screenshot. Anyway it works very well, never got any error when unpacking the drivers and the ratio compression is amazing ! Much powerful than RAR, ACE, ZIP or whatever ...

[Thauzar]

Yeah, I was tinking on adding it to my apps but I need more space on the cd...

@serialz

could you compile a new exe that looks for Driverz AND Appz folders in $OEM$ and then. if any of those exists it would un7zip them in C:\Driverz and C:\Appz. Thus saving a tremendous amount of space on the cd to put more applications and good stuff

And since we found a way around, is the file setting the drivers path still necessary if it doesn't work? You could even take that out of the slim package while still working on a large package for those users with a maxed out OemPNPDriversPath line. Maybe you could ask nuhi how he does it with nLite (98.8 has driver integration included), I did not try it but the comment show a good percentage of working drivers installation.

The second paragraph is really optionnal, but the new EXE for Appz would really be a major improvment for unattended cds

Thanks

[serialzs]

@all

for the NEW idea i can do it... but how it can install APPZ by itself...

i have an idea i will do it then the extracted APPZ will automatically install in RunOnceEx... but its hard to do... any other idea?

and anyone know what to edit in REG. to install the Unsigned Drivers i think thats the problem in my DRVZ.EXE, i see nlite do that can anyone teach me how?

-=[serialzs]=-

[idle.newbie]

Driver Signing

Compress apps may not that nice, most apps already been compressed, there's no much space to save(it could more worse), and more cost. You have to extract @T-39 or T-12(time & disk space), then setup extracts itself(another time & disk space) and do the setup.

[Thauzar]

@serialz

For the appz thing, don't get into complicated matters, just get the .exe to extract the files like it does with Driverz, for examble $OEM$\Appz would get extracted to %systemdrive%\Appz, just like the drivers, and a batch file in $OEM$\$1\Install\hotfixes (for example, cause there will be hotfixes to add one day...) would normally get copied and executed by winnt.sif, and in hotfixes.cmd after installing the hotfixes (if there are at the time, which is not for now) could launch applications.bat (my usual apps installation batch file now in %systemdrive%\Appz) so the installation goes on normally

I hate going into complicated RunOnceEX and stuff like that I don't understand I think my way should be the simpliest way do to it since appart from renaming the path to the applications.bat and inside applications.bat to the new location, everything would be the same but with more space left on the CD

[serialzs]

@Thauzar

if thats your idea it so easy to do... but lets wait what others idea...

-=[serialzs]=-

[Thauzar]

Utopia... or how a good idea can be as bad idea...

Looks like it takes about and hour and a half to compress the appz folder...

From 166Mb it got down to 149 I guess idle.newbie was right and it's not usefull at all to do this

[serialzs]

@all

i created a new DRVZ.EXE

add Support for Unsigned Drivers

Try to remove your OemPNPDriversPath

-=[serialzs]=-

Drvz.ex_

[idle.newbie]

This really funny, i read this thread twice from a-z. i CAN'T find anyone make it really work without OemPnPDriversPath.

Lucius Snow make it work with OemPnPDriverPath, or working system by click "update driver"(that means HKLM\...\DevicePath is correct by SetDevicePath.exe).

turbomcp make it work with HIVE*.inf modified(before burning to disc).

serialzs's test works on a LIVE WORKING SYSTEM, i don't think it will work on real setup, only prove DRVZ.exe extracts your driver into correct directory and SetDevicePath.exe writes correct registry.

Pyron's method works because it's running before textmode setup(hacked setup), SetDevicePath.exe works great, but it's not for regTweak @T-39, it must done before GUI setup.

The first thing we should do, prove SetDevicePath.exe works @T-39 without OemPnPDriversPath. Here's my testing scenario:

1.make sure your winnt.sif does NOT have OemPnPDriversPath, and HIVE*.inf unmodified.

2.other settings in winnt.sif

[Unattended]
DriverSigningPolicy = Ignore
OemPreinstall = Yes
[GuiUnattended]
DetachedProgram = ".\system32\SetDevicePath.exe"
Arguments = "C:\DriverZ"

3.put Pyron's SetDevicePath.exe to $OEM$\$$\system32\

4.put your device drivers to $OEM$\$1\DriverZ\

5.cdimage & burn

6.setup with REAL PC

**faster testing: use VMWare, and put VMWare's video driver(or more) to $OEM$\$1\DriverZ. DON'T test on VirtualPC.

7.after xp setup, verify your drivers from DeviceManager

If that works, we can say SetDevicePath.exe(DevicePath regTweak) works @T-39.

Pyron's SetDevicePath.exe is a good tool, but it just does not work @T-39. It's not SetDevicePath's fault, xp setup does not read HKLM\...\DevicePath from registry.

OemPnPDriversPath still rocks. use big_qie's MT39(search MSFN) to extract your drivers sfx. or Pyron's method, or turbomcp's hybrid method. if you don't mind batch script, you can try my script in MT39's thread.

[Thauzar]

@serialz I'll switch to VMWare and test the new file. I'll tell you the result asap.

@idle.newbie "SetDevicePath.exe" ? isn't supposed to be DetachedProgram="%SystemRoot%\system32\DRVZ.EXE" ??? that's what the guide say.

[serialzs]

@all

im sorrie i have a wrong code in Unsigned Drivers... HERE the NEW Update

Try IT...

Last Modified Sept. 05, 2004

-=[serialzs]=-

Drvz.ex_

[bitmonster]

Hi serialzs,

the new version seems also not to work.

I tried it with nVida Forceware 61.76 WHQL on a real machine, so even signed drivers don't get installed without OemPnPDriversPath.

Are there any log-files, I can check to help debugging?

[Thauzar]

Still had trouble with my choice command, will try with his full path... But I think I did not see any drivers installed, but they were copied on the drive. Will try again with the new files right now

[Thauzar]

Nope it did not work, well maybe it's vmware though, gonna test it with OemPNPDriversPath to check the difference