Why exactly does not HFSLIP work on a nLite'd source?

[Clint]

I'm now back in the game after some absence

I'm picking up some old bits and pieces that never got really finished back in the day and are also looking into the HFSLIP and what has happened with it...the HFCLEANER are a very good initiative..

My problem lies in the fact that I have a couple of things lying that has been nLite'd, and I know that it's stated that HFSLIP doesn't like to be run on a nlited source.

But please tell me exactly why, I'm sure it can be easily edited if I only knew where and what is stopping the runonce process of HFSLIP.

Talking to nuhi is like talking to a wall, the chap has lost it for sure...

Thanks!

[Tomcat76]

I'm now back in the game after some absence

And lookin' better than ever...

As far as I know, it's because HFSLIP takes over SVCPACK.INF and because HFSLIP doesn't know what you removed with nLite. HFSLIP assumes you're providing a standard source so it only adds stuff into TXTSETUP.SIF for new things, meaning that if nLite stripped the references from TXTSETUP.SIF for specific files that normally reside in the source, they are not copied over during setup.

If I'm wrong or this is incomplete, TommyP should be able to jump in.

Edited July 11, 2006 by Tomcat76

[Clint]

I'm now back in the game after some absence

And lookin' better than ever...

As far as I know, it's because HFSLIP takes over SVCPACK.INF and because HFSLIP doesn't know what you removed with nLite. HFSLIP assumes you're providing a standard source so it only adds stuff into TXTSETUP.SIF for new things, meaning that if nLite stripped the references from TXTSETUP.SIF for specific files that normally reside in the source, they are not copied over during setup.

If I'm wrong or this is incomplete, TommyP should be able to jump in.

Yes, I saw that in SVCPACK.INF...and the fact that nLite is removing the whole entry does mess things up..(instead of just mark it with";" as we all do).

But that would still allow SVCPACK.INF to run (HFSLIP owned) because the Nlite SVCPACK.INF (nLite owned) did run before..

So there must be something critical to HFSLIPS run that has been removed by nLite, or perhaps some dependant stuff in DOSNET maybe...hard to tell.

Lets hope TommyP has some more info on this, this must be taken care of..

[tommyp]

In addition to the svcpack.inf file, if there's modded & repacked binaries in the source, HFSLIP may or may not replace them with the latest and greatest.

[saugatak]

Woohoo!!!!

I can't wait for new HFCLEANUP with Clint's contributions!!!

Let me know if you need any testing done, glad to do it.

[Clint]

In addition to the svcpack.inf file, if there's modded & repacked binaries in the source, HFSLIP may or may not replace them with the latest and greatest.

Yeah, and if we only new wich binaries... then it would be a piece of cake.

It's just so friggin annoying that you can't get a decent word out of Nuhi...

Oh, well...I'm gonna dump it then...can't be bothered dealing with that.

I might as well do a whole new non-nLite rebuild, but I will pluck bits and pieces here and there

Edited July 11, 2006 by Clint

[tommyp]

Clint, I work forward to working with you, if you want to. What OS are you looking to optimize?

[Kiki Burgh]

sounds like collaboration in the works ... looking forward

pls ... pls ... include some for XP (so i don't have to use another app to be able to reduce my source & remove some unwanted components)

thanks!

[Clint]

Clint, I work forward to working with you, if you want to. What OS are you looking to optimize?

For the moment I wanna finish of that win2000 that I've left lying around, but the future lies within the x64 2003 family for me.

I'm one of those that wil NEVER use Vista due to all it's crap (DRM, TCP and so on..) that comes with it.

As we goes towards multiple cores and more "RAM" we non-Vista users will have to get the 2003 machinery going where we want it

I will look in my notes and see what I can contribute with, my time is limited these days but I might be of help here and there.

I'm gonna try find out what binaries and other possible files that are modified when using nLite, it's not that hard to monitor

How does the HFCLEANER procedure looks like?

Is it only removal of binaries and editing entries in TXTSETUP.SIF and perhaps DOSNET.INF?

Do you have any scripting tools for editing hives as well?

The sweetest thing would be a nice script for editing binaries, then we REALLY could get some serious work done...if you look at nLite for example it's kinda sloppy when you have "dead" dialogs and non-working MMC snapins....

Edited July 12, 2006 by Clint

[saugatak]

How does the HFCLEANER procedure looks like?

Is it only removal of binaries and editing entries in TXTSETUP.SIF and perhaps DOSNET.INF?

Do you have any scripting tools for editing hives as well?

The sweetest thing would be a nice script for editing binaries, then we REALLY could get some serious work done...if you look at nLite for example it's kinda sloppy when you have "dead" dialogs and non-working MMC snapins....

FDV fileset, which removes IE and a bunch of other crap in Win2k, editing registry and IE cleanup. Not sure how it compares to what you do for IE removal, but FDV's fileset is very stable. I've installed lot of programs with FDV fileset and only had problems with programs that are IE dependent.

http://www.vorck.com/data/sp5files.zip

Link to HFCLEANUP filesets and instructions for Win2k, WinXP and Win2k3 Server. The readme in the zipfile contains more detailed instructions. The names of the HFCLEANUP files correspond pretty well to nLite options, but there are a few where I have no idea what's going on, such as the GOSH files.

http://www.vorck.com/hfexpert.html#hfcleanup

According to TommyP, only the Win2k cleanup set works well, the other two need work.

As for hive editing, TommyP will have to chip in. I remember trying to add some reg files into an HFSLIP folder to mod the registry but could never make it work so now I just do it manually after install.

[Clint]

How does the HFCLEANER procedure looks like?

Is it only removal of binaries and editing entries in TXTSETUP.SIF and perhaps DOSNET.INF?

Do you have any scripting tools for editing hives as well?

The sweetest thing would be a nice script for editing binaries, then we REALLY could get some serious work done...if you look at nLite for example it's kinda sloppy when you have "dead" dialogs and non-working MMC snapins....

FDV fileset, which removes IE and a bunch of other crap in Win2k, editing registry and IE cleanup. Not sure how it compares to what you do for IE removal, but FDV's fileset is very stable. I've installed lot of programs with FDV fileset and only had problems with programs that are IE dependent.

http://www.vorck.com/data/sp5files.zip

Link to HFCLEANUP filesets and instructions for Win2k, WinXP and Win2k3 Server. The readme in the zipfile contains more detailed instructions. The names of the HFCLEANUP files correspond pretty well to nLite options, but there are a few where I have no idea what's going on, such as the GOSH files.

http://www.vorck.com/hfexpert.html#hfcleanup

According to TommyP, only the Win2k cleanup set works well, the other two need work.

As for hive editing, TommyP will have to chip in. I remember trying to add some reg files into an HFSLIP folder to mod the registry but could never make it work so now I just do it manually after install.

That looks nice, there are a few ways of doing things there

Thanks!

[Clint]

I have spent a couple of hours on documenting exactly wich textbased files (SIF, INF, INI, CMD and so on) that is changed or replaced by nLite.

I'm about to make a list on each file and what line is changed/moved/deleted and such.

Because I'm working on my oldie that has been altered by an old nLite version I think I better make a documentation of a XP source that has been altered by either the latest nLite or any of your choice.

Personally I don't touch the newer versions of nLite..(nor the older either) so I need input here.

What should I use and how heavy should I go on the removal in nLite?

Perhaps removal of all components available in nLite would generate the biggest source of documentation?

I don't know, but I think that is the best way to start.

When I have that input a documentation should be done in a few hours

I do NOT consider this reversed engineering or infringment of any rights...simply editing textbased files when trying to get HFSLIP working properly can never be that.

Nor am I trying to crack nLite or anything...ok?

That said, input welcomed.

[saugatak]

Not sure if you know this already, but FDV has a LOT of documentation on his site at vorck.com

http://www.vorck.com/2ksp5.html is his Win2kSP5 documentation.

For explanation of the various HFSLIP features, see http://users.telenet.be/tc76/hfslip/

Check out the Special Features and Advanced Features links.

[Clint]

Not sure if you know this already, but FDV has a LOT of documentation on his site at vorck.com

http://www.vorck.com/2ksp5.html is his Win2kSP5 documentation.

For explanation of the various HFSLIP features, see http://users.telenet.be/tc76/hfslip/

Check out the Special Features and Advanced Features links.

Sure, I've read them both from top to bottom...lots of info, but not what I'm looking for right now

[tommyp]

What should I use and how heavy should I go on the removal in nLite?

Perhaps removal of all components available in nLite would generate the biggest source of documentation?

I don't know, but I think that is the best way to start.

Users of HFCLEANUP have options with the current reduction set. If they want to reduce more, then run more reducers. If they want less removed, then don't run all of the reducers. For instance, of all the reducers posted in the ZIP file, I do not run all of them because I still need functionality. Others on the other hand, may not need the functionality that I need. I kind of like the modular approach.