New Hotfix Method

[Spheris]

Seems the OPK gives a radicallly different and more sturdy insight to making the hotfixes managable

Read further:

The Combination Installation

The combination installation uses both the update and integrated installation processes to install the service pack with one or more of the following:

Windows XP

Windows XP hotfixes

Additional Microsoft and third-party software included on the Service Pack 1 CD

This section provides instructions for installing Windows XP with hotfixes in unattended Setup mode.

You can perform a combination installation by including the components you want to install with the hotfixes as entries in the Svcpack.inf file. You can also choose to install the service pack at the same time.

Installing Windows XP with the Service Pack and Hotfixes

This section explains how to perform a combination installation of Windows XP integrated with the service pack and post-service pack hotfixes in a shared distribution folder on a network. You do not need to perform separate installations of Windows XP, the service pack, or the Windows XP hotfixes. Note that if you want to install Windows XP with hotfixes, you must use this method.

Important

This process installs the Windows XP hotfixes during Windows XP Setup.

Preparing for the Combination Installation

Before you run Windows XP Setup to deploy the installation of Windows XP and the Windows XP hotfixes across a network, you must copy the Windows XP and Windows XP hotfix installation files to a shared distribution folder and complete additional steps, as described in the following procedure.

If you are an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and you plan to install additional OEM files (for example, device driver, application, or component files) on the destination computers, create a \$1 subfolder within the \$OEM$ subfolder. The \$1 subfolder maps to systemdrive, the destination drive for the Windows XP installation.

Follow the procedure for either of the 32-bit versions of Windows XP or for the Windows XP 64-Bit Edition.

Note: In the following procedure, "E:\" represents the drive name of the network or computer where your distribution folder is located.

To create and set up the required folders and files for 32-bit versions of Windows XP

Connect to the network or computer on which you want to create the distribution folder.

Create an i386 distribution folder by typing the following (using the appropriate drive name):

mkdir E:\i386

Use the command xcopy to copy the files and subfolders from the Windows XP with SP1 integrated installation CD to the E:\i386 folder. For example, if D: is your CD-ROM drive, type the following:

xcopy /E /I /V D:\i386 E:\i386

Open E:\i386\dosnet.inf to add the [OptionalSrcDirs] section with the entry svcpack as follows:

[OptionalSrcDirs]

svcpack

Create an E:\i386\svcpack folder. For example, to create a \svcpack subfolder within the i386 folder, type the following:

mkdir E:\i386\svcpack

Copy the hotfix program file (Q######_XXX_YYY_ZZZ_LLL.exe) to the E:\i386\svcpack folder by using the 8.3 naming format (Q######.exe), where ###### represents the actual hotfix number.

If you are deploying multiple hotfixes, rename all of the hotfix program files according to this naming format.

Expand the hotfix to a unique temporary location. For example, to expand the files to a folder called samplefolder, type the following:

E:\i386\svcpack\Q######.exe /X:E:\<samplefolder>

Copy the catalog files (.cat) and hotfix binary files (such as .exe, .dll, .sys) as follows:

Copy Q######.cat to the E:\i386\svcpack folder. If you will be deploying multiple hotfixes together, make sure that you copy all catalog files from each of the hotfixes to be deployed. Each hotfix has a unique catalog file that you must copy in the format Q######.cat.

If any binary files exist in multiple packages, keep only the file with the highest version number.

Delete any binary files to be replaced in the i386 folder (usually you can identify these files in the shared folder by the underscore (_) at the end of each file name).

Copy the hotfix binary files and any subfolders for the hotfix to the i386 folder.

For example, i386\uniproc\* files in the hotfix need to be copied to the i386\uniproc folder of the shared installation folder. There is no need to copy Update.exe, Update.inf, SPmsg.dll, SPcustom.dll, SPuninst.exe, Update.ver, or symbols files.

Delete the E:\i386\Svcpack.in_ file.

Create a new Svcpack.inf file at E:\i386\Svcpack.inf, using the following content:

[Version]

Signature="$Windows NT$"MajorVersion=5

MinorVersion=1

BuildNumber=2600

[setupData]

CatalogSubDir="\i386\svcpack"[ProductCatalogsToInstall]

Q######.cat

[setupHotfixesToRun]

Q######.exe /options

The recommended options for hotfixes are /Q /N /Z.

Important

If you will be deploying multiple hotfixes together, add an entry for each hotfix under both [ProductCatalogsToInstall] and [setupHotfixesToRun] (as shown following this paragraph). The following lines are a sample of these sections for an installation in which multiple hotfixes are installed. If you are installing a service pack, you do not need to include details about the service pack because they are included in the installation by another process.

[ProductCatalogsToInstall]

Q123456.cat

Q123478.cat

Q123490.cat

[setupHotfixesToRun]

Q123456.exe /options

Q123478.exe /options

Q123490.exe /options

The recommended options for hotfixes are /Q /N /Z.

Tested and works perfectly and without entries or hassle before first Post setup boot time

also an ammendment, if the commands.txt and root $OEM$ folder method is used, the apps can also be installed before post setup boot time

[fillalph]

I too have tried this method and it is a little harder IMO. You have to check all the files against older files and make sure you don't forget one, or else you will get a hotfix with old files .

If any binary files exist in multiple packages, keep only the file with the highest version number.

Delete any binary files to be replaced in the i386 folder (usually you can identify these files in the shared folder by the underscore (_) at the end of each file name).

Copy the hotfix binary files and any subfolders for the hotfix to the i386 folder.

I do have a batch file that automates it, but still... use qchain and batch files.

]Bonkers[

[Spheris]

Not at all

there is an addendom in the sp1/2k3 opk that states the hotfixes run at mini setup in any case and update the winnt setup on systemroot.

verified this against 3 standing installs and the hotfixes do insert cat and corresponding files pre final install and latch to file protection without replacement to the i386 dir

[Spheris]

Though I would like to see the batch you use for replacement of the files in the i386

[fillalph]

Put the following in a batch file and run it (if your project is in d:\w2k\i386) 

CD /D D:\w2k\i386 
FOR %%X IN (*.dl_) DO IF EXIST %%~nX.dll DEL %%X 
FOR %%X IN (*.ex_) DO IF EXIST %%~nX.exe DEL %%X 
FOR %%X IN (*.in_) DO IF EXIST %%~nX.inf DEL %%X 
FOR %%X IN (*.sy_) DO IF EXIST %%~nX.sys DEL %%X 
FOR %%X IN (*.ce_) DO IF EXIST %%~nX.cer DEL %%X 
FOR %%X IN (*.ca_) DO IF EXIST %%~nX.cat DEL %%X 
FOR %%X IN (*.zi_) DO IF EXIST %%~nX.zip DEL %%X 
FOR %%X IN (*.cp_) DO IF EXIST %%~nX.cpl DEL %%X 
CD uniproc 
FOR %%X IN (*.dl_) DO IF EXIST %%~nX.dll DEL %%X 
FOR %%X IN (*.sy_) DO IF EXIST %%~nX.sys DEL %%X 
;endfile

[amirali_esh]

I was using this method too. By the way how do you update files that are in SP1.CAB? I personally use winrar to extract contents of SP1.cab and then copy the newer files to extracted directory and then repack it using cabarc. Unforunately this method would break WHQL signing which is defined in SP1.CAT. Do you know any better solution?