3,976

(14 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

um i wrote the DP_Install_Tool.cmd that gets copied to your OEM folder to search all available drive letters for your \OEM folder (the root folder of each drive letter only) {it also searches for the M1 folder $OEM$\$1\D\}

so you could call DP_Install_Tool.cmd after you are connected to the network drive.

PS see this thread here http://forum.driverpacks.net/viewtopic.php?id=2751


if you are a more hands on type see this...
http://forum.driverpacks.net/viewtopic.php?id=2264
I have copied the relevant info of the first post below.
(please note this post is in the FAQ section and it is stickied wink )

the first half of the post desribes how to extract or cab the drivers for use in the instructions below.
---------

OR for one click updateing...

If you do not wish to manually install the drivers you may, if you wish, use the following method
This is based on info from one of our members - Warm Snow (WsnoW)

Download http://3rdpartydriverpacks.thesneaky.co … /DPInst.7z

Extract DPINST.exe and DPInst.xml to the same folder as \D

--- both methods assume that D\ is a subfolder of the folder that contains the DPInst.* files ---

To use it simply double click on the DPInst.exe file and click the next button!

optional:
create a .CMD file with the following line --->  DPInst.exe /c /s
/c enables logging to the command window
/s enables silent mode (no GUI) 

For a "drivers only disk" simply copy to a CD, DVD, Thumbdrive or any removable media.
IE  Burn DPINST.exe and DPInst.xml and the D\ subfolder to disk

(if you wish to rename the D\ folder you will have to edit the XML file)
-------------

more...

--- advanced users only----
add
DPInst.exe /c /s
to your autorun.inf file wink the 'no click' updateing option - and only brought to you by Jeff  wink

please note;  wrote this tutorial before dpinst was included in base so the dwnload is not required if you have base version 8.x (or newer lol)

3,977

(14 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

Many times our users are in a situation
where SysPrep has been in use and change is difficult,
or was put in use by thier superiors and are stuck,
or is something they have a lot of experience with personaly and is in their comfort zone.
i have every intention of supporting the SysPrep platform for these hard working and dedicated guys...
but given a choice - don't take the path to the dark side young Luke Skywalker.
on the other hand it has legit uses and you should at least be aware of it as an option.

--------
UWXPCD is Unattended Windows XP Compact Disk ...
UWXPCD is a commonly used abbreviation and is Google food. wink
---------

More details on a good methodology. In this case mine. There are certainly other valid ones!

Rule ONE and Rule TWO
NEVER work on your original files and folders. A Simple rule that is always overlooked - even if it is listed twice wink
IE copy your OEM CD to C:\51HomOEM\

Assumtion one
  You are useing the apps in the approved order 

STEP ONE - Slipstream Service pack to Windows 5.1 (XP)
   this may mean SP2 or more likely SP3.
   (please refer to rule one here)
      if you are useing RVM it will automaticaly copy the files to a new folder for you
      if you are useing nLite then you must first copy your 51HomOEM\ to C:\51HomSP3\ manually
    Your new C:\51HomSP3\ will not be modified anymore it is a backup... (see rule two)
Step TWO - post service pack updates
   (please refer to rule one here) and note that RVM will make a source to detination copy for you.
   If you do not use RVM to do the copy then you can manually copy C:\51HomSP3\ to C:\51HomRVM\
      Use RVM to install post SP2 updates and any addons you require (DotNet for example)
   Your new C:\51HomRVM\ will not be modified anymore it is a backup... (see rule two)
Step THREE
   Nlite with impunity on Your new C:\51HomNlt\ folder you just copied from C:\51HomRVM\
   (reference rule one) now if i make a bad choice with nLite I can just copy my RVM folder backup & try again.
Step four DriverPacks
(ideal)
   I am of course now working from the folder  C:\51HomDP\ created by copying C:\51HomNlt\
   Run DriverPacks as the last step in your process.
(my actual method)
   I run DriverPacks on the C:\51HomNlt\ folder while nLite is paused at the create ISO screen wink
--------------

Reducing the size of the ISO to less than 700 Mb has become quite difficult and M2 is the best way to get there.
This has become a nonissue as the price of DVD burners is less than $20
(think about this a tech who charges / costs $60 an hour could spend more time than money in 20 minutes.)
(if it doesnt have one it gets one - or if they really can't afford $10 for a reader i hang my usb2 external dvdRW.
and i get paid for them makeing a clearly stupid decision.

Jaak translates to English and sometimes things don't translate well...

he was surprised it didn't just crash when you did this - so you were lucky wink

as far as directions please see my signature for the tutorial wink - lol

It's also available in the PEbuilders 'plugin page' by highlighting base or a pack and hitting the help button... wink

I will have to think of a way to make that easier to find tongue

have a great day!!!
and to quote Jaak - "Thanks for helping us to help you"

the tutorial is still in Revision 1, feedback on that is also appreciated!

PS you can skip most of the way down to where it says
" you will have the following new folder under \plugins... ' \plugin\DriverPacks.net\BASE' "
but please read it so you're familiar with the basic process...

Since your PlugIn is already created for you - just copy the new mass storage pack to ' \plugin\DriverPacks.net\BASE\DriverPacks\' 
and then press the 'config' button in pebuilder with DP-Base highlighted in the plugins window.
this will automagicaly update your current plugin to the latest pack version in the \DriverPacks folder.

Simple and Easy!

3,979

(14 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

SysPrep will save you about  10-20 minutes on an install
(but since it is unnattended who cares, go to lunch, solve another issue, take a nap ;P )

it will take you weeks to get up to speed on sysprep
then your image will only work on a single HAL - so you will have to have multiple images or use some difficult tools
sysprep requires you manually add mass storage drivers.
Sysprep is very difficult to setup maintain and use.
If you are not already very familiar with it - don't even consider it.

if you really can't stand the idea of waiting an extra 20 minutes for your mahcine to get done use ghost.
you will still have to have an image for each hal type but it will take you minutes to get up and running instead of weeks.

to me this is a no brainer...
if i have to spend a couple of weeks to get done in 15 min per install
or spend a couple of hours so i can get done in 25 min
then the latter is my choice.
My time is valuable and i can't or wont spend 40 hours of non billable hours to save no time at all (over the long haul).
(since i dont have to be watching the install it takes none of my time)

now if you used the master to create a ghost image then
this method will take weeks less time than SysPrep to setup and still yeild a 15 minute install.

you are looking at a soulution that will take more of your time to maintain than it will ever save you.
and it will never do all of the things you want it to. (well not without spending days of your time messing with it)

then updates like servicepacks hot fixes and apps would require starting over on your sysprep images.
The UWXPCD is easier to setup and maintain more reliable and will install on any machine regardless of type.
Updateing a UWXPCD takes minutes instead of hours
(And sysprep would only take hours if you were skilled at it)

It is of course your choice - but dont think that sysprep will save you time - because it won't, period...
I can show you, in every case, how sysprep takes more time than it saves.
The only situation i have found that sysprep rocks at is if i want to move a users HDD to a new platform
IE A user has data and settings that would be to difficult to duplicate and they need a new MB.
in this case it will still take you more time, but that time is now 'billable' time... 
you will pull your hair out again and again getting it to ever work and cost you more time than it will ever save.

ps think about this if you were to take the UWXPCD route you're already done!
Instead of just getting started. wink

good thing we are getting close to the end of the month were running out of letters wink

i already had a "do you wish" button wink


I noticed you did away with the progress indicators
you are ok with the periods of no feedback you created?
I like to be aware of the progress - just my personal preference.

Anybody else think the script is too chatty?

-----------------

I deliberately did not make this an executeable so it could be edited wink
that was / is the idea tongue
(normaly i try to see how much code i can fit on one line wink but that is hard to read and edit...)

I dont see me adding the additional pauses in the released copy...
i deliberately wrote it to be automated and I tout it as a "One Click" solution
(you added 200% more clicking wink )
this is in keeping with our forums unattended theme and our primary goals.

But as you have discovered i wrote it to be easy to read by anyone. intentionaly

feel free to get as wild as you want with your version!!! and to post it as a reference for others.

not all submissions will be included - but your first edit made the cut anyway

I am open to making the script less chatty if it proves to be a popular suggestion.

we badly understand you OK!  =P

Most of our posters do not speak english as their primary language.
no need to apologize. We are getting the messages loud and clear. (well clear anyway wink )

Have a great day and thanks for your feedback -
testing AND reporting is what makes DriverPacks better and you do both big_smile

jeff

A very nice post SamLab good details and code tags.

you are the man! smile

Thanks cdob...

If cdob says it will work i would take that bet...

3,985

(6 replies, posted in Feature Requests)

um... or i could just look...
Since i am on the development team there too
I already have the the source for integrator
Siginet is a very good friend of ours.

so it would seem silly to ask for what we already have wink
and even sillier for you to explain how it works to me...
or for you to expain it to any of the other people here who have used it religiously for years.
we are not new to this stuff yet you always talk to us as if we were.
and after having been doing this for forty years myself...
I have developed at least a basic working knowledge.
and all of our team members are seasoned veterans.
This is not noobyville

a simple "i like this idea too. maybe useing dates in the filename, like RVM?" 
is polite and well recieved and contains just as much info. plus it is respectful.
IE telling me I should ask to get help to backup a log file is not giving me much credit. (if any at all) wink

Thanks mr-Smartepants

i guess i am misunderstanding i belived you were trying to run the recovery procedure

you said "but because of my SATA HD's I can't boot into it"

I naturally assumed your boot tracks were bad???


it now seems to me you are trying to create a recovery partition of your own?
is that correct?

3,988

(8 replies, posted in DriverPack LAN)

LOL I feel your pain... wink

3,989

(61 replies, posted in News)

i think that is probably my fault...

I belive i am supposed to populate each of them with english when i create a new gui item.
I belived english would be substituted if it was not found in a current lng file.
now i know better... wink

PS i just thought of a good reason to not add gui items wink there is like 20 language files... lol

("It's just one button - how hard can it be" grrr...)

Ps did you mean to post this elsewhere ??? it seems OT?

you might be able to figure out how to launch the recovery partition from a BartPE disk...

or if you use the UBCD4Win cd you may be able to repair the boot tracks and boot.ini

or you may find lilo and have to fix that.

thanks to you... we have a driver to add...
the driver is tested and known good and we have a link, plus the HWIDS.

you have provided the help. to everyone...

Your the DriverPacks hero of the day!

our thanks to you sir!

if a m1 install is in the same folder you could just launch dpinst.

(this works as long as the packs areextracted or cabbed to \D. where D\ is a subfolder of the location of dpinst.)
that is even easier and it wont try to delete the files either wink

3,993

(14 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

Well Welcome to the neighborhood...

i like this lineup - 1... 2... 3...

Help and Support - everything you need to know start to finish
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/  MSFN rocks

I do these in this order - and so do most of our users.

1) RyanVM integrator - updates windows including service packs  - result zero updates.
2) nLite - Automates installation - (customize install experience) - result reduced time to get windows setup for use.
3) Driverpacks - adds all drivers and textmode mass storage support. - result no unknown devices
DONE) Create and test ISO Image -NLite should still be open from step two and is now used to create our iso image that we will test in a Virtual Machine. In your VM mount ISO as a CD ROM and test. if VM works as desired then burn...

if you have programs that you need installed after windows setup then add WPI
Windows Post Installer - automates installation of other programs like acrobat reader or google tool bar ect...

start with that and the keyword UWXPCD and you will go far!

NO because DPInst.exe is a microsoft file that they have graciously allowed redistribution rights on.

microsoft does not very often say that it is ok to redistribute their files so i want to make sure they get the credit.

They wrote it they provided it and i humbly submit it with our app and my thanks for the privilege.

jeff

As i think about this more i belive i will create a new platform button "Create Drivers Only CD".

this would dump a M1 style folder structure (less the $OEM$\$1\)
to a selectable location with the DP_finisher files and DPInst (Identical to a M1 layout)

I belive this is better than modifying qsc because QSC is disigned to hold more than one version of each pack.
where as a destination folder will only contain the most current.

this will aslo tie in with possably supporting the attended install...

or in the case of boston harbor dumping the tea...

i dont know...

ohhhh
mr_smartepants will have to make room for you at the Graphics Team lunch table wink

and your HWID's please?

there is that and what is contained in 'Universal Imaging' and RIS.

Also Can a Drivers Only CD / DVD be created with DriverPacks? which is stickied in the FAQ

officially this is not a supported feature.
however you are not alone in wanting to do this.
After you are familiar with the existing ideas and methods please feel free to exchange ideas.
i belive you should be discussing this in the 'universal imaging' forum for your best results.