is there anyway 2 make it choose from a list of winntbbu.dll files?

so im not having the same setup screen each time lol

bump

My guess is going to be no. Since it's called from with the setup routine, you wouldn't be able to change the code so that it calls a random selection, so that options out.

Since it's all on a CD/DVD you can't have a script randomly select a file from a series of winntbbu samples and rename it on the fly.

If the file is copied to the hard drive during text mode setup, then you may have a shot at getting a random one out there if there was any way to run a batch file before that first reboot.

Personally, I just don't think that it's possible.

ya, i kinda have my doubts too but i thought id try

it is doable....

if you use pyron's presetup batch files for anything.... (bts driverpacks etc)

you can use it to replace the winntbbu.dll in the %windir%\system32 folder before the *real* setup.exe fires therefore chaning the setup screens randomly....

%random:~-1,1% should get you a random number from 0-9 in the presetup.cmd

i have not yet played with randomizing it but i HAVE replaced the winntbbu.dll in presetup (just to check) i need to play around and do randoms...

Checked and works..

If you get bored of looking at the same setup billboard

add this line to your presetup.cmd ( used by BTS driverpack )

COPY /Y %CDDRIVE%\bbu\%random:~-1,1%\WINNTBBU.DLL %windir%\System32\WINNTBBU.DLL

and add the bbu dierectory in your cd's root with directories 0 to 9 and a winntbbu.DLL <=== note NOT compresed

the setup will replace the winntbbu with a random one each time.....

note: you NEED ALL the dirs 0 to 9 or it may error trying to copy and leave the original in place ...

(if you don't have 10 different billboards double up n your favs - they will get called more often)

a more robust code snippet :

THIS CODE IS NOT WORKING AT ALL
SEE MY POST BELOW

with this code you can use both compressed and uncompressed files, and you can have less than 10 dirs (it will loop until one is found)

this allow a max of 20 different billboards (10 compressed and 10 uncompressed)

Edited June 14, 200620 yr by Delprat

a more robust code snippet :

:random_bb
set bbn=%random:~-1,1%
set cmp=%random:~-1,1%
if %cmp% geq 5 (
	if exist %cddrive%\bbu\%bbn%\winntbbu.dl_  (
		expand -r %cddrive%\bbu\%bbn%\winntbbu.dl_ %temp%
		move /y %temp%\winntbbu.dll %windir%\system32\
	) else (
		goto :random_bb
	)
) else (
	if exist %cddrive%\bbu\%bbn%\winntbbu.dll (
		copy /y %cddrive%\bbu\%bbn%\winntbbu.dll %windir%\system32\winntbbu.dll
	) else (
		goto :random_bb
	)
)
set bbn=
set cmp=

with this code you can use both compressed and uncompressed files, and you can have less than 10 dirs (it will loop until one is found)

this allow a max of 20 different billboards (10 compressed and 10 uncompressed)

Sounds nice , but how do i use this?

Sounds nice , but how do i use this?

the exact same way as Caramel's line : add my code in presetup.cmd, and place winntbbu.dll or winntbbu.dl_ in folders like CD:\bbu\#\winntbbu.dl_ ; where # is 0...9. with my code you can have one DLL and one DL_ in each folder (different of course). Or you can use only compressed versions.

If you want, you can have up to 100 (or 200 if using both DL_ and DLL) different billboards : use 2-digit folders (00 ; 01 ; ... 99), and replace this line :

set bbn=%random:~-1,1%

with :

set bbn=%random:~-1,1%%random:~-1,1%

++

Ps: %random:~-1,1% can be replaced by %random:~-1% everywhere

Here are little improvements on Delprat & Caramel's code:

-Get rid of the folder thing: Stuff them all in one folder and just use the numbers in the file extension (.x=uncompressed, .x_=compressed).

-Number of digit easily customizable.

-Security: max number of tries before leaving the loop.

-User customizable stuff set at the top of the file (.dll location, number of digits and number of tries).

rndombbu.cmd (call it from presetup.cmd)

@ECHO OFF &SETLOCAL ENABLEEXTENSIONS
::******************************************************************************
::CUSTOMIZE HERE: winntbbu.dlls' location, nber of digits and max nber of tries
PUSHD %cddrive%\bbudlls
SET DIGITS=1
SET MAXTRIES=50
::FILE EXTENSIONS CHANGE (x=number):	 .dll-->.x	and	 .dl_-->.x_
::******************************************************************************

:random_bb
SET /A TRY=%TRY%+1
IF %TRY% GTR %MAXTRIES% GOTO :END
SET bbn=
FOR /L %%? IN (1,1,%DIGITS%) DO (SET bbn=%bbn%%random:~-1%)

if %random:~-1% geq 5 (
	if exist winntbbu.%bbn%_  (
		expand -r winntbbu.%bbn%_ %temp%
		move /y %temp%\winntbbu.dll %windir%\system32\
	) else (
		goto :random_bb
	)
) else (
	if exist winntbbu.%bbn% (
		copy /y winntbbu.%bbn% %windir%\system32\winntbbu.dll
	) else (
		goto :random_bb
	)
)
:END
set bbn=
set cmp=
POPD

[EDIT] added the 'SET bbn=' instruction, otherwise try>1 would have fail.

Edited June 14, 200620 yr by Djé

Okay, here is the version 2.0

bbus.zip

This one is really working (there was a stupid error in the use of expand switch "-r" in the previous one)

It should be inside presetup.cmd, or in a batch CALL'ed from it.

Only thing to customize is the location of the DLLs.

There's no more folder/file naming to do : place your DLL (compressed or not) in the folder, named as you want, even in subfolders.

Example :

%cddrive%\bbu\Cars\Ferrari\Red.dl_
%cddrive%\bbu\Cars\Ferrari\Yellow.dl_
%cddrive%\bbu\Sport\Foot.dll
%cddrive%\bbu\Nature\Animals\Frog.dl_
%cddrive%\bbu\Nature\Paysage\Paris.dll
%cddrive%\bbu\std.dl_

i named them .DL_ and .DLL, but you can also change the extension. you only need to keep the underscore "_" at the end for compressed files.

You can use up to 32768 files. That's lots of billboards ! (*)

All the rest is handled by the batch attached : it lists the files inside the defined location and picks randomly one of them ; then expands it or copy it.

I kept the "Max number of tries" idea by Djé, but implemented differently, so 1000 tries (the default) should be less than one second even on slow machines (no filecheck each time, so no drive access).

++

(*) : If you have more than 32768 different billboards, please PM me

Edited June 14, 200620 yr by Delprat