[Release] Windows XP PowerPacker

[Siginet]

There are a couple of sections in dosnet.inf which are interesting for us. The first being Directories

[Directories]

d1 = \I386

d2 = \cmpnents\tabletpc\I386

d3 = \cmpnents\mediactr\I386

d4 = \cmpnents\netfx\I386

This section contains a sort of lookup table which is referenced in the rest of the file.

I split these lines at the = and trim the (possible) spaces from the beginnings and the ends. I then store them in a so called hashtable for later reference.

The next sections which are interesting are the FloppyFiles.? sections, where ? is a number. (So not the FloppyFiles.x one)

[FloppyFiles.0]d1,disk1,disk101

d1,ntdetect.com

d1,ntkrnlmp.exe

d1,setupldr.bin

d1,txtsetup.sif

d1,biosinfo.inf

[FloppyFiles.1]

d1,disk1,disk102

d1,hal.dll

d1,halacpi.dll

d1,halapic.dll

...

[FloppyFiles.2]

d1,disk1,disk103

d1,cpqarray.sys

...

[FloppyFiles.3]

d1,disk1,disk104

d1,ntdll.dll,system32\ntdll.dll

d1,usetup.exe,system32\smss.exe

d1,flpydisk.sys

...

You can just ignore the empty lines. The none empty lines are made up of the folowing syntax folder,source[,destination].

If we look at the d1,disk1,disk101 entry. It tells us that we have to copy the disk1 file from d1 (which is \I386 as we discovered before) and copy it to our bootfolder using the name disk101.

The second one d1,ntdetect.com, would also be copied from I386, but because no destination name is specified it will retain its current name.

And lastly I want to point to FloppyFiles.3 where a couple of entries have folder names in their destination section.

I'll leave it up to you to translate this to AutoIt code, but feel free to ask questions if something is unclear.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So the [FloppyFiles.?] sections are the only sections we need to grab files from, if I understand you correctly?

Would you mind if I integrate your program within mine at least untill I get a chance to write an autoit that does this?

It looks like it might take me a little while to write this. But from what you say it doesn't really sound too hard... it's just finding the time to do it.

Thanks a lot Nazgul.

[Nazgul]

Would you mind if I integrate your program within mine at least untill I get a chance to write an autoit that does this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I created my tool to be used, so why should I mind.

[Siginet]

Thanks Nazgul I appreciate it.

[Siginet]

New update added today.

We may be getting close to a full release allready.

Please try the new release out and let me know if you have any troubles.

It should be much faster now. Thanks to Nazgul's BootFolder.exe program!

[Telenut]

Stupid question: But what is the purpose of the project exactly?

It creates a multiboot CD where you can choose: with or without driverpacks, or normal installation.

But will it use the same files for this? (Can I put the iso on a CD?)

And when the 'sourcefiles' are edited by nLite, will it still work?

if Yes, I will test this soon :-)

[Siginet]

Stupid question: But what is the purpose of the project exactly?

It creates a multiboot CD where you can choose: with or without driverpacks, or normal installation.

But will it use the same files for this? (Can I put the iso on a CD?)

And when the 'sourcefiles' are edited by nLite, will it still work?

if Yes, I will test this soon :-)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes it will allow you to put multiple versions of XP on a CD or DVD then it will allow you to create an optimized ISO which you can burn to CD/DVD with just about any CD/DVD burning software. You can have One with DPs One without and one normal version of each different XP cd.

As for your Nlite question... any limitations that you had with the driverpacks would still be the same.

Also... you would probably need to use Nlite on the source files before using PowerPacker.

I have plans on adding an option in the program to get rid of unneeded Update directories which will save space and also options to get rid of the LANG folder. But I haven't implemented it yet.

The program was made to simplify making multiboot XP disks with/without driverpacks.

Enjoy

[Swimming_Bird]

awesome proggie, if you could also include xprize that would be killer.

keep up the good work.

[pinchecabron]

Panda Antivirus is detecting powerpacker as spyware (Adware/Maxifiles)

hxxp://www.pandasoftware.es/virus_info/enciclopedia/ficha.aspx?iddeteccion=29250

Could it be a false positive?

[Siginet]

It is definatly a false positive. Som antivirus/antispyware programs will call just about any script a virus/spyware. Panda is one of them. Panda sees that my program is editing files and it is flipping out. Just tell panda to allow it and you shouldn't have any more popups from it. I use symantec antivirus and it doesn't do that.

[Siginet]

awesome proggie, if you could also include xprize that would be killer.

keep up the good work.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I plan to add many things to this program. I have never used Xpize... but I will try it out and see if it can be used in PowerPacker.

What I did do to help people add certain things is I put a section called "Extra Files".

Inside of "Extra Files" is a section called "Extra Pack Files" with it you can easily add extra files into each "Pack" (Read the help file for my definition of "Pack".)

Another section in there is called "Extra Root Files" which you can use to add files to the root of the entire package.

[boyfox]

Siginet:

i can't find link to prog.

i use Bâshrat DriverPack and want try your prog

[boyfox]

i'm find

[moesasji]

Great idea, this powerpack utility !

Just started experimenting with it, since I've been looking for a way to create a multiboot CD/DVD that gives me the option for both an attended as well as an unattended install.

I'm completely new to creating multiboot DVD's, so I figure I'll probably have to learn the hard way. The help-file in the PowerPack program is very helpful though.

Regarding the PowerPacker util, I do have some questions already:

- How to find out if i'm using an OEM edition, Upgrade edition, Retail edition of Corporate edition of Windows ?

- When Powerpacker starts packing the files into the powerpacks, it appearantly tries to hack some files. On 2 files (one being txtsetup.sif) I get an error message (but still can continue): is this the way it should be (I get this error on an attended install of XP-SP2 Corporate edition).

Furthemore, I've been toying around with the driverpacks for a few months now, but never seriously used it for any real computers (just virtual computers). I'm trying to make the perfect (at least, for me) CD/DVD using the combination of the following programs:

Nlite (for trimming down and applying patches / tweaks)

RyanVM (for updating the XP-SP2)

XPIze (for better looks)

Bashrat Driverpacks (for the broadest possible driver-support)

WPI (for automating the unattend installation of programs after Windows-install)

PowerPack (for creating multiboot DVD's).

Can anyone confirm the follwoing is in the right order:

1. Start Nlite, use it to integrate fixes, patches and apply tweaks (including RyanVM and XPize)

2. Run Powerpack, use it to integrate Bashrat Driverpacks, copy WPI-installfolder to Root op PowerPack-folder and create multiboot-folder

Anyhow, thanks for developing and supporting PowerPacker. It looks very promising and is a welcome addition to the other great tools available on MSFN.

[moesasji]

Just made an iso with the PowerPack 1.05 and tried to install it in VMWare 1.05.

On both packs created (one regluar, attended and one with driverpacks, unattended) I got an error-message: "CDBOOT: couldn''t find ntldr".

I thought I prepared the image as desribed in the helpfile, but obviously, something went wrong.... any ideas ?

Furthermore: when booting from the image I first get a graphical screen with PowerPack 1.0 beta. When I press Enter at that stage, I get a dos-screen asking me to push the Enter-key.... if i don't push this enter-key within a few seconds, the screen goes black and nothing happens any more (even not when pushing the ENTER key after the screen has gone black).

It looks like if the bootmenu would want to boot something standard if the ENTER-key is not pressed, but I don't know what it is looking for....

Any help would be appreciated. I'd like this PowerPack-setup to work for me....

TIA,

Moesasji

[Siginet]

basically if you do not press enter it is supposed to boot to hard drive 0. If you press enter it should boot to the selection menu.

Here's what I need you to do...

look inside the \boot\ folder and find a file called cdshell.ini. This is the menu file. zip it up and attach it here so I can look at it. Somehow it seems like it had trouble editing the cdshell.ini file.

This is the first issue I have come accross since the end of may. So maybe you found a bug that will actually give me something to do.

BTW Did your paths have any spaces in them? I don't think spaces would be a problem with my apps side of things... but with the driverpacks or any other tools used this may be an issue.

Any limitations you would have with any of the other programs, (RyanVM's XP Update Pack, Nazgul's BootFolder.exe & Bashrat's Driverpacks), would also be the same with PowerPacker.

Thanks for posting.

EDIT:

I have confirmed that you can not have any spaces in the destination path. If you have spaces in the destination you will come across problems when the tool bootfolder.exe runs. BootFolder.exe is supposed to create your boot directory. If it doesn't create the directory... then the other hex editing does not complete... which means the cdshell.ini file does not get edited and your boot menu will not work. Which is more than likley the problem that you have run into. But please note... the driverpacks are known to have issues with a path which contains spaces. So please try again... but with no spaces in the destination path. Spaces should be fine anywhere else... but the destination must not have spaces... due to the limitation of other tools that are used within PowerPacker.

I may add a popup reminder that will pop up if someone tries to put in a destination path which contains a space.

Thank you for posting this bug. Please post again and let me know if I found the problem or not.

Edited June 27, 2005 by Siginet