Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

I agree with both of you...newer isn't always better.  Found this out first hand many years back.  Like the saying goes...if it aint broke then don't fix it.  wink

Also most new updates are for newer cards and OS's.  If your not using neither of the newer items then it probably does no good to upgrade the driver...in fact sometimes it can cause issues on certain systems.

Thorough testing is a big must and I will say thank you to all involved here for doing that.  Its one thing to just add drivers as they are put out without testing but to ensure it works properly is a A+ from me.

Back on subject of this thread...Just thought I would let everyone here know that the SAD3 works in Audit mode for windows 7 for I just made a custom oem recovery partition on my lappy and used SAD3 without any issues.  All drivers captured correctly and system is running good.

Last edited by SteveDun (2013-10-23 12:24:41)

377

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

OverFlow, stability is really great, but absolutely outdated packages make your driverpacks almost useless. A Year and sometimes more has gone since you updated driverpacks. And i do not understand this competition between you and Russian project.

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

Hello!  (Zdravstvujtye!)

First, i must apologize to mr_smartepants, OverFlow and Steve_Dun for my [off-topic] answer.

Thank you, C400, for your notes about stability.  Note that there are updates planned for the new year.


It would seem that there is more competition than simply between English-speaking and Russian driver pack projects.  There are, in addition, German and possibly even Chinese and Indian projects too.  This doesn't take into account the overwhelming number of commercial driver pack sites which i am extremely wary of.
  If we ignore the commercial projects for now, i think that reasons for competition can be summed up with three factors.

#1 - Language is a barrier.  Certainly on this site, it is not friendly to those whose language requires an extended character set, such as those languages based upon Cryllic (such as Russian), Kanji (Chinese/Japanese), and many others.  This forces any potential participant to converse in a language that is not native to them, or they are excluded.

#2 - Our collective governments have placed an artificial barrier that directly negatively affects trust.  It used to be said that you do not study a Russian site, it studies you.  However; this is no longer unique to current and former totalitarian states, if it ever was.  As a Canadian, i was leery of visiting any American web site.  Unfortunately, due to integration in this continent, it matters no more whether i visit a web site from any nation, i will be spied upon regardless.  I am no criminal, nor am i engaged in any criminal activity, yet that doesn't seem to matter.  It is this unconstitutional and immoral behavior that i am against.  I am certain that others have similar concerns.  It would seem to me, in my humble opinion, that trust is broken in the internet.

#3 - Microsoft Windows is rapidly becoming irrelevant due to mass proliferation of so-called "smart" phones, and the lack of reuse aspect in "e-cycling".   New licensing models also limit their lawful transfer and reuse.

  I welcome and encourage greater participation between the free and open Driver Pack projects.
  We have much to teach others, and even vastly more to learn from those other peoples.

    My hope is that one project, and i do prefer this project, will integrate a translator that all peoples can converse in their native languages without barrier.  As we are engaged in lawful pursuits, we should have nothing to fear from any of our governments.


Do you agree that this accurately reflects the current situation?

Last edited by TechDud (2013-10-26 07:14:13)

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

@TechDud

Adding other languages would not be hard.  Could use a external file with different languages in it and could give a choice when tool is first started but would need others to help dev. the translations.  This way would keep the script smaller instead of adding to the script which would make it very long, thus slower.  As far as communicating, that would be an issue and google translate is not that good.  lol

Last edited by SteveDun (2013-10-26 10:35:39)

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

c400 wrote:

OverFlow, stability is really great, but absolutely outdated packages make your driverpacks almost useless. A Year and sometimes more has gone since you updated driverpacks. And i do not understand this competition between you and Russian project.

there is no competition. They have an open invite to join forces with us. The more man power we have the faster we release. all they have to do is the same thing they are doing, in colaboration with us.

one of the russians used to be here everyday. Samlab would post his packs on the russian site and submit his changes here for us. Sometimes he would release our test packs on the russian site and we could get more feedback for our release. It was a Win Win for everyone. He got  his releases out fast and we got to test and release quickly, especially with his feedback from the russian release. IDK where he went or why.

Seems easy, obvious, and mutually beneficial.

So you tell me why they choose to compete rather than join forces?
our door remains open

Jeff

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Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

Hey guys, how about a gui created in java using netbeans?  I know others have tried with autoit but to tell the truth I really don't care for it.  I have been playing around with some java and think it might be a lot easier then c++ and better then autoit.  .  Just something for everyone to think about.

Last edited by SteveDun (2013-10-26 17:53:23)

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

It looks like i am going to have some free time this winter.

If this is true i will have time for coding this with an updated finisher, perhaps even as a single executable. SAD and finisher in one.

Bad for my finances but good for the project big_smile.

Jeff

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383

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

Hi guys,
it's nostalgia, I know, but...
Late in november 2007, I wrote someting that had to get us to 2008.
(hmm. I had to look it up. it was in NEWS.)

It had my views on where sysprep and SAD and M1 XP were sorta not going to get along.
(in XP method one.. because M1 could do repair, and M2 could not/cannot do repair install)
(also because server drivers were not properly distinguished in XP (2003 drivers got loaded if scripted later if the driver writer made some error in its driver).
We had silicone hyll and some other HWID battles back then.

Today, it's UEFI.
The wrong choice made because you did not know you had one.

Hey, that sounds kinda haughty? (like in a from a hyll, if you get the pun.)
I dare you to use fave search engine.. be it duckduckgo, or google, or bing, or Norton...
My 3TB boot drive not showing more than 2TB, well, that gets you hits.

Driverpacks has members already familiar with the problem.
Erik, you are ubiquitous.
°-)
Since UEFI is mostly win7 and later, I got to tell you simple facts.

Testers in win 8 or 8.1 should be aware there is a workaround to having to enter the win 8 key (and that gives you 30 days to test)
I assume most testers know how to extract ISO, and rebuild, and a simple EI.CFG file in 'sources' will allow you to test instead of wasting a key from your precious technet/msdn ..whatever..  download.

The information is described in how to install windows 8 without key, and I am sure that THAT is easy to find.
The hard part will be for you guys.
How do we get best performance out of UEFI machines that are most likely set to use non UEFI...

How do we get full capacity from a 4TB drive WITHOUT having to use dummy driver that mimicks a second hard drive and leaves us with a 2TB boot.

Are you up to that?

the question here, posed as "BOTTOM LINE"
How can we query if chipset has UEFI in a machine that booted up in its default state (not using uefi at all while it could, or possibly legacy first when it could have UEFI first or only, but was not set that way...)

Last edited by Jaak (2013-11-01 16:07:14)

The answer was 42?
Kind regards, Jaak.

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

JAAK!  Long time no see dude. Welcome home.

any chance you are going to have some time for us?

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385

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

Hi Jeff, indeed, and perhaps too long.

the public saw me vanish somewhere in 2008 after a few great filtering jobs.
I should have tried to help more in your later TEAM work in filtering out super generics for XP after 2009, but hey, you were one of the team I explained to what I had done, and why, and how it made sense.
And, SOON after, I helped test the filter you wrote in dpBase (so that the repetitive driver writer caused release error findings I had discosed could be filtered out ""more easily"" (but could not be released untested.. somewhere 2009.)

And yes, somewhat later you saw me drop off the earth.
I still regret having done that, but I really had to.
You, above all people,  MUST know DriverPacks was not let go willy nilly.
At the moment I am retired, and after five years of different health issues (an accident that caused 10 months immobillty in between), I am what... not what I was.

The answer was 42?
Kind regards, Jaak.

386

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

Can a PE environment launched from a NON UEFI drive, determine if the mobo HAS uefi capabilities, and if so, can it make you make the choice to boot in different mode (that is only going to work IF the BIOS has the option set to OS determined is default as "on".. and you know, that ain't Always the case.)

so, Jeff, not even I know what to ask for just yet.
I want to have us at least SEE.

The point being.
Anyone using msfn so far, are helping those that have found out too late.

OK, EI.CFG gives you a next shot.
How about, try make the dude at least look into his bios settings.

Far fetched, but I think it is possible on a BIOS that had OS set to allow OS setting to BIOS (for some reason I think this is a LOT different than way back... when it was only IRQ.
(Q101. do any of you really know what I mean here?)

Can anyone find out if.

proof of concept could be, IF BIOS is set UEFI boot from DVD, setup HWID detection mode is perhaps not different.
I am in the great unknown with this thought, but it should be investigated.

last thought for tonight. I don't think you should try UEFI and do an X32 install
UEFI is all about X64 and (possibly) beyond

Last edited by Jaak (2013-11-01 16:39:38)

The answer was 42?
Kind regards, Jaak.

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

I'm trying to catch up with my reading and get up to date so pardon my late response to some previous posts... Like many of us I too have checked SAM's site but I actually haven't used any of his drivers... in fact I find his site so damn confusing that's it's a bit painful. I always wondered what happened and why SAM seems to have "separated" or "isolated" his efforts from here... it seems like such a no brainer that the collaboration would be INVALUABLE to the drivers community. I also see no issue with this site maintaining tighter QC and less releases than them so again I don't see competition I see different goals and methodologies... which BOTH work.

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

not only do they both work,
they quite easily compliment each other with  just a hint of collaboration.

Sam was that link for a long time, i never understood why more did not submit work and ideas, and provide the feedback of their experiences.

   T ogether
w E
   A chieve
   M ore

Good to see you compstuff !

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Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

@Jaak
I know you can use diskpart /s and output that to a txt file easily to determine GPT (UEFI) then search the txt file from the cmd.  Delete txt file when done.

Last edited by SteveDun (2013-11-05 16:15:05)

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

Sorry to get off the current topic of this thread, but I've got a question.

Is there a checksum for the current version, or any other reliable version, of the tool?

Or can someone verify for me that the current linked files are safe? EDIT: I'm open to this being a false positive, but I want to be sure before I proceed.

After downloading the current version of the SAD from the links in the OP and extracting, my antivirus got a hit on the devpath.exe. I couldn't find anything specific on the interwebs about bad devpath.exes, but I did I read some things about mediafire links being compromised and unsafe. I googled around for a checksum for this tool and couldn't find any.

Can you offer any insight on this? Thanks for your time!

Last edited by whitevandal (2013-12-11 03:50:02)

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

Hello and welcome to this forum!     smile

Why not contact your antivirus vendor for confirmation?

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

Its a false positive from you AV....some AV's are over protective is all.  You can always test it on other AV's or virustotal website and see results.  If you downloaded the project from here then I can surely say it is safe.  If you got it somewhere else then use at your own risk.  Never just take your AV word for it...always do multiple AV checks to make sure if in doubt.

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

Great, thanks for the info.

I don't agree with that approach to AV, though. Since different AVs catch different things, there can be threats that only one or two out of 5 AVs catch. Therefore, if this was a legit threat and my AV caught it, but I tested with another AV to make sure it was real, and that second AV didn't see a threat, it would be bad for me to say "Oh, I guess it was a false positive." That isn't necessarily the case. So be careful with that.

That's why I prefer checksum or word from the devs. Thanks for your input, though!

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

Thats why I said check it out on virustotal and see results and then make a judgement call.  I have been helping update some tools within this project along with others so I do know what is in it and if it is safe or not.  If you look back on past pages you will see what mr. smartepants, myself and others have been doing to solve some issues and updated tools used in it.  I have been so busy lately I havent had time to do much else but I do plan to touch base with mr. smartepants to see what direction he would like to go with this....I want to create a nice gui for it but I dont have the time right now.  Almost anything now days sets off AV's so it is good practice to do research before saying something is a virus.  I know AutoIt now shows as virus in most AV's just as an example.  I agree with a checksum of some kind just to make others like yourself feel more secure in using it but even then some will still complain so in the end, its up to the end user to do the research.  In fact you will get more virus, malware, spyware, adware from just surfing the net...I have never gotten a virus or anything from downloading but I only get from trusted sources.  I think that is the key.

Last edited by SteveDun (2013-12-12 09:46:20)

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

@ mr. smartepants,
When you get some time if you could send me some sort of logo you would like to use for the gui, I will try to put something together and create a rough draft so to speak of a gui for this great utility.

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

Oops, I really didn't mean to sound dismissive and argumentative. What I meant was "Cool, I'll go ahead and download it now, your word that it's a good file works for me, and on a side note, here's what I think about AV." I guess my post didn't really contain the "Thanks, downloading now" part though.

But yeah, I downloaded and extracted and it is definitely virus-free.

Thanks!

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

SteveDun wrote:

@ mr. smartepants,
When you get some time if you could send me some sort of logo you would like to use for the gui, I will try to put something together and create a rough draft so to speak of a gui for this great utility.

I don't think we have a logo.  I'm not an artist by any stretch.  My artistic abilities stop at stick-figures and even that is pushing it.  big_smile
Maybe something with opposing "d" & "p" (mirror images?)

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Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

I will play with photoshop and see what I can come up with...I will pm you with it but will probable be in a few weeks...chirstmas coming and all...family time.

Last edited by SteveDun (2013-12-15 05:54:05)

399

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

So if I understand this tool correctly ...

This is to easily and fully update your current computer systems drivers ?

Or is it to load up a huge driver base onto your machine so you can add new hardware at any time and have it auto installed ?

Reasoning & questions:

I have a goal of making an image of a Windows 7 64 Pro installation, that I can then transfer to other computers in my network.  Can this software allow my starting installation / image to have a full and current driver base (from driverpacks) that will give it maximum compatibility with different types of hardware ?  I have about 25 machines I'll be working with.  Both intel and amd, and of various ages (and components).

When going the route of just making an install iso to serve the same purpose,  have used other tools to try and integrate driverpacks into my current project Windows 7 Pro 64 install iso.  However its been problematic.  Any advice ?

TY very much for the advice and these projects !

Re: Stand Alone Driverpack utility for all OS (XP, 2k3, 2k8, Vista, Win7)

Welcome to DriverPacks Warz.

Q "This is to easily and fully update your current computer systems drivers ?"

A Yes


Q Or is it to load up a huge driver base onto your machine so you can add new hardware at any time and have it auto installed ?

A The packs can be added to your source (not recommended) but the SAD utility does not do this. Adding all the packs to your Win7 Source will permanently increase the size of your installed windows by the size of the packs.
Using SAD after the install only adds needed drivers, not the entire set. That is why we took the time to write it big_smile. However you can add all of them to your Install.WIM with DISM if you want. Most of us only add mass storage in this way.

Yes adding all drivers is problematic, and a bad idea. That is why SAD was written.

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