[Release] Windows XP PowerPacker

[muiz]

When did you get these error messages? It is supposed to pop up an error if you did not do something correctly. If it wasn't an error from something you've done then I need to fix it. Because when I use it I don't get any errors.

I need to know what error you got.

to many....they all keep popping up, till it crashes.

it goes to fast to get a good look, last error was hex edit

[Siginet]

Every error that could pop up halts the program. It isn't possible for the program to do what you are stateing. It must be a problem on your end if that is happening. Can anyone else produce these multiple errors that can not be read?

[bledd]

maybe you should add 'make sure your files are not read only' -might be cause of these errors

[Siginet]

I'll double check that note. But I am pretty sure that the program does not keep any file attributes when it copies them to the destination.

Edit:

Looks like you may be right!

Thanks a lot!

Now I will make the program put all attributes to normal on the files after they are copied.

Good call.

[Siginet]

I will put a halt on uploading my most recent update until I fix the Attributes problem.

I should be uploading a new version tonight.

[Siginet]

OK...

Update has been added to the download.

We are now at Windows XP PowerPacker Beta v.1.02

1. I fixed the window size. It should now fit any resolution that somebody would use.

2. Made PowerPacker Set Attributes on all files to normal.

3. Added features to help make sure users do not point to incorrect directories.

[Siginet]

I just added PowerPacker v1.03 to the first post.

There were no changes to the program except for the new "Help" button which opens up a quick help file I made to make it a little easier to understand the program.

I still need beta testers.

[badboy05mtl]

Does it help to install the program or change cd while installing another program from another CD? It will be a great idea if you do so I had a plan due to illeterate of programming I can't do that. I am just giving some feedback. Peace................and chill out........

[Siginet]

I'm not sure if I understand you.

This program does not need to be installed. The only cd's you would need to swap would be different versions of the OS.

Can you try to explain in more detail?

[Swe_mx]

Hi Siginet !

Thanks for a nice application

However, when I run it I get some errors:

The boot folders have not been copied to my powerpack cd folder

so I get XVI32 error opening files setupldr.bin and txtsetup.sif.

Boot folder is still found in root of boot HD, I use several drives

will copy powerpack cd folder to C drive and see it it makes any differance.

Regards

Swe_mx

[Siginet]

Hi Siginet !

Thanks for a nice application 

However, when I run it I get some errors:

The boot folders have not been copied to my powerpack cd folder

so I get XVI32 error opening files setupldr.bin and txtsetup.sif.

Boot folder is still found in root of boot HD, I use several drives

will copy powerpack cd folder to C drive and see it it makes any differance.

Regards

Swe_mx

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is the boot folder resideing on the same drive as your "boot.ini" file? I assumed that this folder would always be on the same drive as the "boot.ini" file. I am probably wrong though. It probably copys the boot files to a HD with the most space.

I will fix this issue in the next version. Instead of having it look on the same drive as "boot.ini" I will have it check every drive for it. I should have done that to begin with anyways.

Thanks for the report... I didn't think about that.

[Siginet]

Windows XP PowerPacker v1.04 Released - 05-22-05

1. Fixed problem with Boot directory not copying to the destination sometimes. It should work every time now.

Thanks go to: Swe_mx for pointing out this major bug.

[Nazgul]

You could create a boot folder by hand, without the need of the boot.ini location or such, by parsing the dosnet.inf file from the Windows source.

I made a small util which does that, but you could easily write something yourself with AutoIt.

If you want to know how I did it, just PM me.

[Siginet]

That app does exactly what I need.

How did you parse the dosnet.inf file?

[Nazgul]

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.