726 Reply by OverFlow

(8 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

the process is described in MUCH detail here http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/1/
There is a begginer an intermediate and an advanced section. Everything you ever wanted to know is there big_smile.

the outline is this

RyanVM Integrator for copy XP Disc to HDD and add add ServicePacks and updates also optionaly add third party addons (like .Net framework).
nLite for automation
DriverPacks for drivers
nLite again for create ISO.

I recomend createing a backup between each step

use windows post installer for apps (WPI)
you can easily add stuff like Adobe Reader / flash player, Office (even setup email account settings with MST files), custom apps (company specific), Irfanview, just about anything that can be installed. Including adding registry entries and any related coinstallers. Multiple configs can be specified. My installs are 100% complete at the end of my Unattended installation. Agreed not as fast as a syspreped image can be deployed, but it works every single time, period.

by doing it this way you can at the very least have an awesome starting point for a sysprep deployment. IE if you need to make a new master image NP all you have to do is drop in the DVD and create a new master in a fully unattended fashion.

Creating a fully unattended install is absolutely the best way to go even if you do decide to do sysprep, because it makes creating a new master a no brainer, Drop the disc in and walk away (fully unattended). When you come back the new master is ready for sysprep. It's a no brainer way to start out.

Go to forum: Universal Imaging

727 Reply by OverFlow

(29 replies, posted in Windows 7 tools)

Http://DriverPacks.net
You are here already... question answered

Go to forum: Windows 7 tools

728 Reply by OverFlow

(1 replies, posted in Frequently Asked Questions)

I have rewritten the version system it should still be backwards compatible.

Format is [Y] Y.MM [. [V] [versiontype] ]

Y.MM and YY.MM are main versions and finals.
main versions will likely be released at the first of the month since any subversion will be newer.
Single digit years must begin with a 7, 8 or 9.
IE 08.12 is identical to 8.12  =  _wnt5_x86-32_0812.7z and _wnt5_x86-32_812.7z


V is a Subversion.
A subversion is always newer than its main version
IE 08.12.x is newer than 08.12 = _wnt5_x86-32_8121.7z is newer than _wnt5_x86-32_812.7z
a subversion is the 'V' in YY.MM.V
- The Version value is only one place / character long.
- The only valid values are numbers 1 through 9.
- sub versions are compared if the main versions match for two files.
- a main version with only a subversion is a final yy.mm.v or yy.mm  = final


Versiontype
there are four types
1 Nightly
2 Beta
3 Release candidate
4 Final

1 A nightly is any Number that follows the sub version number
IE  8.12.11 or 8.12.1   =   _wnt5_x86-32_81211.7z a nightly is older than _wnt5_x86-32_8121.7z     a final
     8.12.11 or 8.12.130 =  _wnt5_x86-32_81211.7z a nightly is older than _wnt5_x86-32_812130.7z a nightly also

2 A beta has a b in the first location past the version and may or may not be followed by a number (zero assumed).
IE  8.12.11 or   8.12.1b1  =  _wnt5_x86-32_81211.7z a nightly is older than _wnt5_x86-32_8121b1.7z   a beta
     8.12.1b1 or 8.12.1b30 =  _wnt5_x86-32_8121b1.7z a beta  is older than _wnt5_x86-32_8121b30.7z a beta also

3 A release candidate has an rc in the first location past the version and may or may not be followed by a number (zero assumed).
IE 8.12.1b or    8.12.1rc1  =  _wnt5_x86-32_8121b.7z a    beta is older than _wnt5_x86-32_8121rc1.7z  a release candidate
    8.12.1rc1 or 8.12.1rc30 =  _wnt5_x86-32_8121rc1.7z an RC is older than _wnt5_x86-32_8121rc30.7z a release candidate  also

4 A final will never have any versiontype values included

8.12.1rc30 or 8.12.1   =  _wnt5_x86-32_8121rc30.7z  a Release Candidate is older than  _wnt5_x86-32_8121.7z   a final




A typical month in the life of a pack might look like

8.12        We just finished the November pack and it is Dec 1 and we release a 'main' version Y.MM

8.12.101     Dec   1 we are starting on our second release and our first subversion '1' and add the date '01' a nightly
8.12.103     Dec   3 we are addressing some reported issues.  a nightly
8.12.107     Dec   7 we are adding new drivers. a nightly
8.12.1b12   Dec 12 we are Happy with it. a beta
8.12.1rc15  Dec 15 we anounce it on the news page for release testing to all readers. a true release candidate.
8.12.1        Dec 15  we just couldn't wait any longer. ahhh what the heck, it's final!
8.12.216     Dec 16 we should have waited... starting third release and our second subversion '2' and add the date '16' a nightly
8.12.217     Dec 17  minor issue
8.12.218     Dec 18  minor issue
8.12.2b19   Dec 19 seems solid
8.12.2rc20  Dec 20 News page anouncement
8.12.2rc21  Dec 21 all good reports for days... one final issue corrected.
8.12.2        Dec 25 we release our third final for the month and a merry christmas to all
8.12.326    (yeah right!)

Notes:
Never put the dots in the actual file names.  It just makes them easier to read here and is how base will display them
b and rc are recognized in lowercase only
older versions of base ( <= 8.12.2) will not support a two digit year YY.MM format this will start with the next release 

Copied from testing team forum
originaly posted and stickied 2008-12-02 05:43:57

Go to forum: Frequently Asked Questions

729 Reply by OverFlow

(7 replies, posted in Installation Platforms)

That helps a lot Pants!

I understand where he is going with this now... it was not clear from the OP, Can we go one step further...

This is a 3rd party DriverPack!

The 3rd party DriverPacks are a community effort. This means that updates are provided by our users. While we, the main DriverPacks.net team, try to help maintain them to the best of our ability, we cannot guarantee that the drivers were sourced directly from the vendors, like for our official DriverPacks.

Note for Windows NT5 DriverPacks (for 2K, XP and 2K3)
These MUST be placed in the ..\DPs_BASE\3rd party DriverPacks\ folder
and NOT in the ..\DPs_BASE\DriverPacks\ folder with the main DriverPacks.

Wow... you have been doing this longer than me... that is almost unheard of. I started in 68 with computers (My dad was a programmer at GE in the mid fifties ;P, so I grew up with a dumb terminal in the house). I, like you, started with machine language and assembler, but I did not become a "tech" until years later.

PS BASE was written over 7 years ago... how did you manage to use the packs for years without stumbling into BASE?

Go to forum: Installation Platforms

730 Reply by OverFlow

(109 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

oh sorry... missed that OOPS

Go to forum: Universal Imaging

731 Reply by OverFlow

(109 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

Did you try UBCD4win?

Did you try building UBCD4Win with DriverPacks mass storage disabled, and providing the "F6" driver? (prolly don't have a floppy wink)

Definately need the HWID's to fix it... if you have to install win7 once to get them NBD...

@mr_smartepants
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_3B2F&CC_0106 appears in both I4 and I8... (oops)

Go to forum: Universal Imaging

732 Reply by OverFlow

(8 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

sooo... sysprep in NT6 works like it was intended too in NT5?

PS you can reinstall apps and such in NT5 sysprep too...
IT is just setting HAL and Drivers to work that always causes issues.
I have seen the time these guys have sunk into setting up and tweaking their images. they would have save a thousand hours each if they had simply gone to a fully unattended install with RVMI, DriverPacks and WPI...

Less time to setup, less time to maintain, no issues to deal with. "every machine is a master". I think most of those guys would change thier tunes if they found out how powerful WPI is big_smile.. so it takes a little longer to deploy... it's not like you have to sit there and babysit the install big_smile. and if you really do have to roll out 100 identical just machines just make one master machine and do a ghost multicast, the other 99 are all done in 30 min with almost no network overhead (true multicasting).

Go to forum: Universal Imaging

733 Reply by OverFlow

(8 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

Sysprep sucks... end of story. That is why i call them the "crazy Syspreppers"

the two users above describe unattended installs... that works flawlessly everytime.

PS Sysprep is not supported by DriverPacks BASE. SO... this is not a support issue for BASE. (posted in wrong forum) Moving this from "Feedback and Support - DriverPacks Base" to the "universal imaging" forum.

Go to forum: Universal Imaging

734 Reply by OverFlow

(10 replies, posted in Software)

what exactly (step by step) did you do? [Help us to help you]

We all know that if you burn the EXTRACTED DriverPacks (the packs are in compressed format - like a zip file) to a OD (optical disk) and put them in an ODD (optical disc drive) on the system then it WILL WORK.

IE burn all the extracted packs to a DVD and then put that disc in a DVD reader attached to the system go to device manager and hit update driver and then choose "install from a list or specific location (advanced)" then select "search removable media" it will ABSOLUTELY search the entire DVD for the drivers. (and if you have all the  DriverPacks extracted on the disc then there is a 99.9% probability that the driver will be found)

This is all CLEARLY explained in the posts mr_smartepants linked you too... note: those posts were written by me. I have now reiterated what I originally wrote in those posts in the previous paragraph this time explaining it in simple enough form that a 5 year old could follow.


This windows "search removable media" functionality has been a known working feature of windows for well over a decade... almost two. (STFW)

Again this is PC repair 101... first day of class stuff.
If you can't get this far on your own... then the thought of you repairing PC's is quite frightening. Except to your competition.

What you are asking us to hold your hand with is a completely ridiculous way to go about installing drivers since each driver has to be updated one at a time and requires a lot of clicking around for each one. As opposed to SAD which will update all of them automatically, and it will run from a thumb drive or USB HDD or even a network share, all of which are so much faster than an ODD. SAD is Less work AND faster... Our acronym is intentionally ironic. SAD makes us happy.



PS DriverPacks ONLY supports "Unattended Installations",

since your query is regarding a manual installation it clearly falls outside the scope of our project.
(Your question is regarding an unsupported use / function of our project)
We have been trying very hard to help you anyway.
Try to get up to speed without us having to spoon feed you. If you read our rules then you know that DriverPacks is not now, nor was it in the past, nor will it be in the future a noob friendly site. read the FAQ's and use the search feature of our forum and google.

Read "Read BEFORE you post" linked in my signature. (AKA Rule #0) specifically see item 6) Tell us what you did - Could we try to reproduce your issue ourselves? [help us to help you]

Go to forum: Software

735 Reply by OverFlow

(26 replies, posted in Feedback and Support - DriverPacks Base)

he recently updated the code to deal with case issues

if (fd->cFileName[filenamelen - 4] == '.' && (fd->cFileName[filenamelen - 3] == 'I' || fd->cFileName[filenamelen - 3] == 'i') && (fd->cFileName[filenamelen - 2] == 'N' || fd->cFileName[filenamelen - 2] == 'n') && (fd->cFileName[filenamelen - 1] == 'F' || fd->cFileName[filenamelen - 1] == 'f'))
         
that will find  .INF, .INf, .Inf, .iNF, .inF, .inf, .InF, .iNf  ect...

the path limit for xp is the max reg size value, i believe it is 64k... no worries ATM

the old devpath code had a similar issue to the one you and i had .. exceeding the buffer size of an array in the app. I think he set the buffer size in this app to 100k again no worries.

I am curious what our path length is ATM?

Go to forum: Feedback and Support - DriverPacks Base

736 Reply by OverFlow

(109 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

I use windows search... *.inf for file name and "contains" i put in the HWID... simple and effective

Go to forum: Universal Imaging

737 Reply by OverFlow

(353 replies, posted in Software)

cdob provided me that info when i was doing the BartPE plugin... and i have it printed out but i can't find it online ATM... perhaps he will stop by and re-provide it big_smile.

Go to forum: Software

738 Reply by OverFlow

(26 replies, posted in Feedback and Support - DriverPacks Base)

It looks to be the same thing... except this one is ours ... big_smile

Go to forum: Feedback and Support - DriverPacks Base

739 Reply by OverFlow

(1 replies, posted in Other)

can you strip XP and 2K3 drivers out... Perhaps. But it certainly would not be worth the effort. Almost all of the drivers are universal. IE they support the entire NT5 platform (2k xp and 2k3 Are all NT5 based OS's [same kernal] and therefore usually have a single driver for all three) with a single driver / inf. It would be a very small gain for a LOT of effort.

Yes you can extract all the drivers and have them available... this is discussed extensively in our universal imaging forum. That is proper term (searchable) for what you intend to do. Making the drivers available is not as big a deal as setting the proper mass storage controler for each platform you connect to. You will likely have to read in depth, understand, and refer to, the sysprep / universal imaging forum. It will not be as signifigent for you since you are booting from USB, but will be a factor. You may have to reboot (more than once) to get everything happy in Device Manager, It also will depend how well you really want your OS to perform. (IE will you be testing sound or video cards... perhaps sometimes but not all...) If all you are doing is virus scans, defrag ect... then you won't have to worry about LAN, Sound,  Graphics and other advanced PnP support...

Making the extracted drivers available is quite easy... In fact it is a FAQ http://forum.driverpacks.net/viewtopic.php?id=4844

Read Before you Post
2. Check the FAQ forum
3. Use the search function
--> demerit awarded  big_smile wink tongue

Now since you want to 'keep the drivers' you could run "DevPath" on your OS... however many drivers will not install correctly if thier corresponding installers (setup.exe) are not run. We use the DriverPacks Finisher for this purpose. So even if you were to run DevPath to add the driver folders to the search path for PnP, you would still need to run the finisher in most cases to "finish" installing all the drivers properly. That being the case you are probably better off just running SAD (DP_Install_Tool.cmd) against an extracted DriverPacks folder each time you connect to a new machine. You may find that you have to either sysprep or restore a clean image of your 2k OS frequently.

It may be enought just to "keep" Chipset, Mass and LAN with devpath... and use SAD only if you really need graphics, WLAN and / or sound.

I belive you can get this to work... not sure it's the best way to go... but it should be win-able. Keep us 'posted' big_smile.


Welcome to DriverPacks.net

Jeff

PS It would more than double USB1.1 = 12Mbs vs USB2 = 480Mbs
That is 40 times slower big_smile....
I'd keep a USB2 PCI card on hand if i were you LOL!
I doubt you will find many USB1.1 systems that support boot from USB HDD.
Not sure it would actually slow down the driver installs though... Since the writes would be local they should occur at the internal speed of the drive you use big_smile! Now searching the driver folders you might take a hit, fortunately inf files tend to be very small.

Go to forum: Other

740 Reply by OverFlow

(37 replies, posted in Other)

I must be getting mellow in my old age... didn't even get into it with him...

or i am slipping, Hmmmm..

Go to forum: Other

741 Reply by OverFlow

(26 replies, posted in Feedback and Support - DriverPacks Base)

a good point... bot not really relevant... if a few non relevant paths slip through they will just be ignored when searched... shouldn't slow things down much big_smile

Nice to see ya Kickarse!

Go to forum: Feedback and Support - DriverPacks Base

742 Reply by OverFlow

(26 replies, posted in Feedback and Support - DriverPacks Base)

got it, built it, seems to work

Ill get it in the next test release

Go to forum: Feedback and Support - DriverPacks Base

743 Reply by OverFlow

(10 replies, posted in DriverPack Mass Storage)

again you don't show the HWID for that device ERGO you don't have one big_smile

Second Since the drivers are only for 2003 server you may have to build UBCD4Win with 2k3 server source to succeed...

Go to forum: DriverPack Mass Storage

744 Reply by OverFlow

(12 replies, posted in Software)

the main reason, as you have already guessed, is to keep any one pack from getting huge...

the logic is two fold... your bandwith and ours ;D

Go to forum: Software

745 Reply by OverFlow

(121 replies, posted in Windows 7 Discussion)

you could use nlite to launch sad as a runonceex command ... big_smile

Go to forum: Windows 7 Discussion

746 Reply by OverFlow

(7 replies, posted in Installation Platforms)

the folder named "3rd party DriverPacks"

DP_LAN-RIS_wnt5_x86-32_1011.7z should never be added... It's for RIS only (if you don't know what RIS is then you don't need it)
Runtime is only required if you dont include .NET with your install
Physx is for games...
Language is for people who don't use English versions of windows...

Each of these driverpacks has a "Changelog" Reading them can be helpful wink tongue

IE

DriverPack LAN RIS 10.11 for Windows 2000/XP/2003 (x86)

Changelog
hide

This DriverPack should NOT be used with DriverPacks BASE.  It is a specialist 3rd Party DriverPack for professionals versed in the art of RIS network-based installs.

DriverPack Graphics PhysX 10.11 for Windows 2000/XP/2003 (x86)
Changelog
hide

Updated
PhysX_9.10.0514_SystemSoftware

Place this DriverPack in \DPs_BASE\3rd party DriverPacks\ directory.

if you don't know what it is ... Then you don't need it... simple

furthermore 3rd party DriverPack are covered in the tutorial (linked in my signature) see step #4 big_smile.

looks like your search skills need some work big_smile

common sense... if it is not a main pack (that means a "listed one" in BASE) then it is a 3rd party DriverPack and 3rd party DriverPack go in the folder named "3rd party DriverPacks" (who would have guessed)


let us know if you have any questions

Welcome to DriverPacks

Go to forum: Installation Platforms

747 Reply by OverFlow

(39 replies, posted in Vista-Tool)

it should be available on the download page here... it is on the server but there is no link to it. I shot Bâshrat the Sneaky a message to get a link back in place ASAP.

thanks for reporting the dead link.

Go to forum: Vista-Tool

748 Reply by OverFlow

(37 replies, posted in Other)

All of these tools do work... However there is a GIGO factor (Garbage In = Garbage Out)

You can't have both... adding drivers to an OS is an involved process, the works you keep referring to are exactly that... Someone worked very hard on them. Kinda the same way bank robbers work very hard... and both are illegal activities - specifically theft... and we will remind you one final time to not discuss or mention illegal software and activities.

if you want to integrate drivers into windows you are going to have to do some work... You said you don't want to learn... If you don't want to learn then stop wasting our time. this is not Staples and there is no "easy" button.

No matter which way you go third party tools or MS tools you are going to have to do quite a bit of reading, do some experimenting, burn quite a few coasters, and do several (many) test installs. If this does not sound like something you want to invest hours / days into then walk away now.

I agree with mr_smartepants here... Vista is the worst OS to come out since windows ME... your time would be better spent going with XP or Win7.

If you are willing to invest the required time in this first choose your tool...  Vista tool (third party) or WAIK / MDT2010 (Microsoft)

Go to forum: Other

749 Reply by OverFlow

(9 replies, posted in DriverPack Mass Storage)

Bartpe and winpe only use textmode drivers...

please note that we did change BASE so that when a user selects mass storage it will automatically select text mode too... because of this type of ignorance. you can't make something idiot proof because there is always a new and improved version of idiot. If they can't figure out that thir install fails at PnP mode because they did not install any PnP drivers then they should not be installing windows...

but I will think about it.. since there are resonable circumstances where one might only want one or the other i don't want to paint us into a corner where a user CAN'T select only PnP  or  only TextMode

Go to forum: DriverPack Mass Storage

750 Reply by OverFlow

(33 replies, posted in Other)

Dude you are really trying to tell us you can find a host that will offer us 10 terabytes a month of bandwidth for free? It's not the forum that is the financial drain on this project.

You are mistaken... our CDN partners have donated this service to us in the past, but since goof-balls like you won't sign up for thier services (Conversion rate of zero) They don't want to do if for very long... they have quoted us 800 USD a month for 10TB of bandwith. even all of the "free" sites you mentioned above do and will charge for that kind of bandwidth or pull the links... every one of them. Do you generate that kind of income (over 1,000 USD a month) off your sites ads per month?  We aren't holding anyone ransom, anyone can still download the packs for free big_smile. That is exactly why we have gone to torrents... they are free. If you want professional quality download service to the tune of 10~20 Tera-bytes a month then that comes with a price tag (from ANY provider). I am not going to donate hundreds of hours of my time for free AND dig into my personal wallet too.

If you are going to go off on a rant at least take a full minute to get the all the facts straight. Like the fact we are talking about over a million downloads a month and 10 to 20 Terabytes per month of bandwidth.

Go to forum: Other