[Guide] XPCREATE & BTS DriverPacks combined

[tarquel]

The key to it all [as I've found] is keeping the CDROOT and using this as the XP base for BTS. Of course, after you recreate it using XPCREATE, you'll have to slipstream the BTS packs again, so bear that in mind

[Havent the time atm to fully lay this one out but I should be able to soon - work is busy at the moment hehe]

To do this, try the following:

1. make a location on your HDD where you are going to install XPCREATE

As an example:

- CREATE: C:\UAXPCD\

- CREATE: C:\UAXPCD\XPC

- CREATE: C:\UAXPCD\USER

- Install the xpcreate package to C:\UAXPCD\XPC

- CREATE the other folders listed at http://xpcreate.com/directories.htm inside C:\UAXPCD\XPC

[note: i dont put the FILESCD folder in the xpcreate folder because I have multiple builds and could accidentally delete them if i needed to wipe the xpcreate folder so if you want to do the same as me, dont add the FILESCD folder at the end of the referenced webpage]

- CREATE a xpcreate.ini file inside C:\UAXPCD\XPC with the information derieved from http://xpcreate.com/xpcreateini.htm

- Make the following changes to the xpcreate.ini file:

DELISOS=NO
DELROOT=NO
DOCD=NO
DOISO=NO
STARTSWITCH=/WAIT /MIN
USERFILESCD=C:\UAXPCD\USER

[dont think the order matters in the ini file but make sure you dont have duplicate entries there and if a entry doesnt exist, then create it]

If you are going to be creating a Unattended CD then you will need to make the following folders:

- CREATE a folder called: $OEM$ inside C:\UAXPCD\USER

- CREATE a folder called: i386 inside C:\UAXPCD\USER

[see the MSFN unattended guide [http://unattended.msfn.org/] for info on unattended stuff - you'll better understand what these are for]

- Download and place the hotfixes to the correct folders within the xpcreate root e.g. C:\UAXPCD\XPC\SVC-HF1 ....SVC-EXE ...etc - you can find out what hotfixes goes where at http://xpcreate.com/current.htm but use http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=31886 for the update hotfix list - it should be obvious to where everything goes

- if your source is a XP CD that already has SP2 then that's ideal - and you wont need the SPACKS folder and the SP2 download, but you may want to copy the XP CD to somewhere on your hard drive and use that as a source instead - stripping the folders other than i386 makes the resulting CD not as big... which is good.

[note: if you do the above source, you'll then need to add the following to the xpcreate.ini file: XPSOURCE=C:\UAXPCD\XPSOURCE for example]

- XPCREATE-wise, I think you are good to go. Run the xpcreate.cmd in the C:\UAXPCD\XPC folder and wait [bear in mind its recommended you turn off your A/V and stuff before doing it - just in case it corrupts stuff, and it should be a slightly quicker process this way]

- Once finished, its time for the BTS Driverpack

2. Adding the BTS DriverPacks to your XPCREATE build.

[will have to do this a bit later - meant to be doing work atm hehe - but it basically involves pointing BTS DP's question of where the XP source is, at the CDROOT that appears in the XPCREATE folder after running XPCREATE with the settings detailed above]

3. Follow the MSFN Unattended Guide's final bit [http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/15/ - remember to change the root dir location to where your XP build resides i.e. from C:\XPCD to C:\UAXPCD\XPC\CDROOT] to create the ISO and burn on to a CD

EDIT: Grrrrrr - just lost the massive change to this post - stupid smilely thingy hehe - so you'll have to wait for the update sorry.

Regards

Nath

Edited February 20, 2006 by tarquel

[Bitfrotter]

Tarquel,

I am very interested in the BTS driverpack integration part. I have made several unattended installation disks and recently someone asked me to integrate the Mass Storage driverpack. I tried several times but did not succeed so far. I have also included the unattended xpcreate installation in a bootable winpe cdrom. So this person can now create partitions and format them before the xp installation is started. But now he has a computer with Sata disk that is not recognized. You will know what I mean. Thanks in advance.

Greetings,

Bitfrotter

[3Pete]

OK I have gotten BTS Driverpacks to work with XPCREATE.

Edit xpcreate.ini as follows

DOCD=NO

DOISO=YES

DOPATH=NO

DOSATA=YES

DRIVERDIR=$OEM$\$1\Drivers

Make sure your sata and or raid drivers needed for setup are in the Drivers folder.

Do your normal XPCREATE process to create the .ISO

Extract the .ISO using Winrar to a new Folder.

Copy the BTS Driver Packs as per instructions to the new Folder.

Execute the Run_me.cmd

I use the GUI run once method.

Afterwards check your WINNT.sif file in the 1386 folder make sure your last lines look like this:

[GuiRunOnce]

"%SystemDrive%\D\BTS_DPs_finish.cmd"

%systemdrive%\install\start.cmd

Driverpacks sometimes put a Command9= in front of "%SystemDrive%\D\BTS_DPs_finish.cmd"

If so delete the Cammand#= part.

Use cdimagegui.exe to create a new .ISO from the contents of the new folder.

Maybe this should be a sticky

[JoeMSFN]

I was about to try the same thing.

I had assumed that XPCREATE would have to "do it's thing" first. Then BTS' driverpack would have to be applied.

I'm currious, tarquel, which BTS method did you use? I'm kinda torn between 1 and 2. I haven't tried it yet and am somewhat perplexed by the differences. Doesn't seem to matter too much any more on space savings as I have pretty much moved to DVD installs now.

I was just wondering if you've found a particular BTS method works better (or at all) over another for the XPCREATE thing.

3Pete, it seems like extra time to have XPCREATE to make the .ISO file then extract the contents to do the driver pack thing. I assume there's a practical reason behind your technique.

I have been kicking around the idea of having a script call XPCREATE.CMD (with the don't make an ISO option), then perform BTS driver pack integration, then make the ISO.

Anyone tried this yet? Currious if there's any road blocks also.... but 1st things 1st....

Which BTS method seems to work best is the main question here (feel free to comment on my tangential thoughts too )