1 Reply by markhodgeNZ

(18 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

Galapo wrote:
markhodgeNZ wrote:

Which brings back the reboot loop sad

I would say you've got an issue with your image, not necessarily with injection of mass storage drivers.

markhodgeNZ wrote:

Has ANYONE here managed to get Offline Sysprep working?

Yes, I have. ilko has who did numerous tests for me for the HAL development. Like I said, it may be a problem outside of the mass storage drivers.

markhodgeNZ wrote:

Could you post your Sysprep.ini file, user_settings.ini file, and what steps you used?

My working settings are as in the supplied download. Of course, I replace ntldr. But my guess is that if you were to do that, you may find the reboot sequence happening again anyway.

Regards,
Galapo.

Right. It's from a basic scripted build, but I"ll see if there is anything that can be further generalised tomorrow.

I'm keen on hearing from anyone else that has managed to get this going - in the hope someone has documented how they did it. At the moment I feel it's too hit and miss and I don't want to spend another week banging my head against the wall trying to get a "universal" build.

Hopefully the answers on this thread save someone else a bit of time.

Cheers,
Mark

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2 Reply by markhodgeNZ

(18 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

Galapo wrote:

ntfs.sys error is due to memory breach. You either need to update ntldr from 64-bit xp etc. or inject fewer drivers (see the user_settings.ini file to do this).

Regards,
Galapo.

Okay. Using ntldr from a different version of Windows XP wasn't a path I wanted to go down so I tried removing unused drivers using:

[disable_drivers]
3*=disable
a*=disable
m*=disable
si3*=disable

(since the target is using viachip set this should be fine, right?)

Which brings back the reboot loop sad


Has ANYONE here managed to get Offline Sysprep working?

Could you post your Sysprep.ini file, user_settings.ini file, and what steps you used?

Cheers,
Mark

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3 Reply by markhodgeNZ

(18 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

Galapo wrote:
markhodgeNZ wrote:

1. Run OfflineSysPrep-v1.10.0.7\UnderWindows\OfflineSysPrep.exe
2. Select the Windows partition of your offline Windows partition.
3. Under Select User Profile, selected administrator                                    -    (for what? default user? doing something specific?!?)
4. Select AUTO configuration under Select HAL update option                      -    (okay for ACPI Uniprocessor source to ACPI Multiprocessor target?)
5. Click Apply.
6. Sysprep:

I see no steps where you injected mass storage drivers. Click 'Advanced' on the OfflineSysPrep interface and select desired option, in your case probably 'Install all DriverPacks non-IDE mass storage Device(s)'.

Regards,
Galapo.

Thanks Galapo.

I selected "Install all DriverPacks non-IDE mass storage Device(s)" in the Advanced window and the target comes up dead with the "system32\Drivers\Ntfs.sys is corrupt" message.

When OfflineSysPrep launches SysPrep, are there any specific settings that are needed to get this working? (I'm selecting Mini Setup and PnP then clicking Reseal).

Alternately, has anyone here been successfull using Offline Sysprep, and put a step-by-step guide together on how you did it, or even a help file that documents known errors, their cause, and workarounds?

Cheers,
Mark

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4 Reply by markhodgeNZ

(18 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

Galapo wrote:
markhodgeNZ wrote:

I didn't actually notice any documentation/directions as such included with OfflineSysprep.

Please look a little harder, viz. at the OfflineSysPrep.htm file.

Regards,
Galapo.

I'm sure this is a good tool, but I can't get much joy out of it yet. I'm putting it down to not knowing exactly what is required to get it going, rather than any fault in the program itself. It's a fairly steep learning curve without a detailed manual.

I've included the step-by-step recipe I'm putting together below. The end result is still the endless reboot loop so I would be quite keen on feedback as to whether there is any particular step or assumption I'm making that is incorrect. My guess is that I'm doing everything right until the final section "Using Offline Sysprep". If I can get this all going I'll generalise my recipe and posted it back here. I have a workaround of building the image on the target for redeployment to matching hardware, but would much rather end up with a system that can deploy to anything DriverPacks MassStorage has included. Drivers such as sound and video can always be added later.

The machine the scripted build is run on is a HyperV virtual machine (ACPI Uniprocessor HAL) and the test target has a VIA chipset motherboard (ACPI Multiprocessor HAL, ASUS board, probably about 2 or 3 years old, don't have it at hand to confirm the motherboard model number).




My "guide":

Step-by-step how-to for creating a universal Windows XP SP3 32bit (x86) from an existing scripted build utilising a HyperV development machine, DriverPacks, PEBuilder, devcon, 7-zip, and OfflineSysprep:


Setting up your image and virtual machine:

1. Build a HyperV virtual machines from your scripted build.
2. Shut it down once done.
3. Make a copy of the virtual machine's virtual hard disk file.
4. Connect the copy to the HyperV machine as a second disk.

You could do this without a virtual machine, eg., by setting up a machine, and cloning the disk to a second partition by booting from alternate media. It's just more cumbersome.


Downloads:

1. Download Offline Sysprep from http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=22064 (currently using OfflineSysPrep-v1.10.0.7.rar)
2. Download 7-zip from http://www.7-zip.org/ (currently using 4.65)
3. Download pebuilder310a.zip (BartPE in a ZIP file) from http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/ (currently using 3.1.10a)
4. Download DriverPack MassStorage from http://driverpacks.net/driverpacks/wind … ss-storage (currently using Jan 9,2009 Windows 2000/XP/2003 x86 version 9.01)
5. Download DriverPacks BASE from http://driverpacks.net/applications/latest (currently using version 8.12.5)
6. Download the devcon package from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311272


Expanding archives:

1. Install 7-zip.
2. Right click on OfflineSysPrep-v1.10.0.7.rar, select "7-zip\Extract to OfflineSysPrep-v1.10.0.7"
3. Right click on pebuilder3110a.zip, select "7-zip\Extract to pebuilder3110a"
4. Right click on devcon.exe, select "7-zip\Extract to devcon"
5. Right click on DPs_BASE_8125.exe, select "7-zip\Extract to DPs_BASE_8125"


DriversPack BASE:

1. Drag the DriverPacks MassStorage 7z file (currently DP_MassStorage_wnt5_x86-32_901.7z) into the DriverPacks directory inside the DPs_BASE_8125 directory you created in the previous step.
2. Run DPs_BASE.exe from the DPs_BASE_8125 directory.
3. Select Settings\Location from the left side of the window pane.
4. Select BartPE as the installation platform.
5. Select Settings\Location from the left side of the window pane. Again.
6. Click the Browse button and select the plugin folder of your pebuilder3110a folder.
6. DriverPacks will now be listed under Settings\Location in the left window panel.
7. Make sure ONLY DriverPack MassStorage text mode is selected here.
8. Click the Slipstream button at the lower left of the Window.


Preparing to use Offline Sysprep:

1. Copy devcon\i386\devcon.exe to OfflineSysPrep-v1.10.0.7\UnderWindows\tools\devcon.exe
2. Run CreateMassStorageData.exe from OfflineSysPrep-v1.10.0.7\BartPE\OfflineSysPrep and select your pebuilder3110a\plugin\DriverPacks.net folder.
3. DriverPacks-MassStorage  will be created in OfflineSysPrep-v1.10.0.7\BartPE\OfflineSysPrep.
4. Copy DriverPacks-MassStorage folder to OfflineSysPrep-v1.10.0.7\UnderWindows.
5. Copy your sysprep folder contents to OfflineSysPrep-v1.10.0.7\sysprep


Using Offline Sysprep:

1. Run OfflineSysPrep-v1.10.0.7\UnderWindows\OfflineSysPrep.exe
2. Select the Windows partition of your offline Windows partition.
3. Under Select User Profile, selected administrator                                    -    (for what? default user? doing something specific?!?)
4. Select AUTO configuration under Select HAL update option                      -    (okay for ACPI Uniprocessor source to ACPI Multiprocessor target?)
5. Click Apply.
6. Sysprep:


- removed the OemPnPDriversPath and [MassStorageDrivers] from sysprep.inf file whilst testing (left header - required or not?)
- confirmed c:\winnt\Driver Cache\i386 contains driver.cab and sp3.cab etc (ie., for Windows XP SP3).

Tried:

Checked Use Mini-Setup, then clicked Reseal.

Tried:

Detect non-plug and play hardware, then click Reseal.

WHAT SETTINGS FOR SYSPREP?!?


6. Capture to a share using imagex, deploy to target using imagex. Result: REBOOT LOOP.

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5 Reply by markhodgeNZ

(18 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

OverFlow wrote:

I think i know what the problem is... but don't quote me since I'm just guessing.

(I just don't have the time to waste torchering myself like you crazy sysprep guys.)

I don't see anywhere in the directions where is says anything about extracting a mass storage pack??? (so why did you?)

When you extract OfflineSysprep it has a lovely file in it's directory saying to put "DriverPack-MassStorage" folder into that location, and since DriverPack MassStorage comes as an archive I dutifully expanded it there and gave it that name. I didn't actually notice any documentation/directions as such included with OfflineSysprep.

So what I gather is that you use DriverPacks BASE to create a plugin which you then incorporate into a BartPE disk (or on the image?) onto which you have preinstalled OfflineSysprep and a downloaded copy of devcon (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311272)? I used a live copy of Windows with the volume to be sysprepped attached as a second disk - is that supported or not?

Actually, it would be nice if someone wrote up a nice step by step for using Offline Sysprep, because I imaging a lot of people would just give up and go back to adding drivers manually (I'm most of the way through documenting how to do this for my team in case I give up too). It feels a little hit and miss at the moment sad

Cheers,
Mark

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6 Reply by markhodgeNZ

(18 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

Argh.

I'm not having much luck getting Offline Sysprep and DriverPack MassStorage to create a bootable image.

My steps are:

Set up two virtual machines.
Script build the first virtual machine with the latest scripted Windows XP SP3 build we have, and make a copy of this virtual machines hard disk.
Mount the copy of the hard disk on the second virtual machine (which we'll call ImageDev) as a D:\ drive

Download the current version of OfflineSysprep from http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=19397 to ImageDev and save in C:\
Download DevCom from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311272 into the OfflineSysprep folder
Download the most recent DriverPack MassStorage for XP from http://forum.driverpacks.net/index.php expand into the OfflineSysprep folder using 7-zip freeware. Rename root folder of expanded DriverPack MassStorage to DriverPack-MassStorage.
Copy our current sysprep folder into the OfflineSysprep folder
Remove the [SysprepMassStorage] section's contents (leave the header line [SysprepMassStorage])

Run OfflineSysprep.
Select D:\WINNT, Administrator account, and D:\DRIVERS (contains my usual drivers for the machines we have). Apply.
Capture D: using imagex.
Apply image to a test machine (VIA chipset I think).

Result: the same reboot loops I've been getting with all other methods apart from directly scripting the machine, and the second virtual machine is broken saying system32\Drivers\Ntfs.sys is corrupt!!

Any ideas or a recipe for using Offline Sysprep, because I'm obviously doing something very wrong sad

Cheers,
Mark

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7 Reply by markhodgeNZ

(18 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

Thanks Jeff - I needed that encouragement after this week smile

I'll give it a shot on Monday (it's Friday evening here as I post).

Cheers,
Mark

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8 Reply by markhodgeNZ

(18 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

I'm just about going nuts trying to get a universal system. No matter what I try I invariably end up with a system that goes into a reboot loop sad

Before I spend any more time on this, can anyone tell me if what I am trying to do actually possible with DriverPack MassStorage?

ie., I want to use it to make a scripted Windows XP SP3 build deployable regardless of the Mass Storage device in the target hardware. I'm not concerned about other drivers such as audio, video etc as I have them working fine.

Is this what DriverPack MassStorage is aimed at?

Cheers,
Mark

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9 Topic by markhodgeNZ

(18 replies, posted in Universal Imaging)

Hi all.

I have a couple of Windows XP 32bit scripted builds I deploy from a server. One for a development environment and one for a production environment.

My intention is to update these builds in order to ensure that they will boot any PC's regardless of the mass storage driver they require.

The planned steps:

1. Use DriverPacks base to slimstream the textmode and Mass Storage drivers into each scripted build on the server (ie., point at parent folders containing i386 folder, check mark DriverPacks MassStorage and DriverPacks MassStorage text mode in the "Select the DriverPacks to slipstream" window).
2. Ensure the other drivers I have already sourced for our hardware (eg., sound, video, etc) are included from xpscript\I386\$OEM$\$1\DRIVERS using spdrvscn /p c:\drivers /e inf /d C:\winnt\inf /a /s /q to push their path into the registry.
3. sysprep -clean
4. sysprep -bsmd
5. sysprep -mini -reseal -forceshutdown
6. Capture generic image for deployment.


My questions are:

1. Does my plan have any mistakes or obvious misunderstandings of how things work?

2. If an updated DriverPacks MassStorage for Windows XP comes out, can I just apply it again repeating these steps? (ie., are there any tricks, like a necessity to remove old drivers or edit any .inf files etc to clean up after the previous Driverpacks BASE run?)

2. If SP4 ever came out for Windows XP and I slipstreamed it into my scripted builds on the server, would I only need to repeat the process above to ensure that the new build worked and had support for all mass storage devices covered by the then current DriverPacks MassStorage?

Cheers,
Mark

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