Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

Hows it going with the trials Detard?...  or was M1 a test too far? sad

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Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

Well...  I was going to try an M1 install, but I don't want them integrated into the image itself (I mean, this is network repository right? lol).  It did create the QSC for me though, and saved me about 1GB of space on my server as a result when I transferred those files over.  The problem I'm running into is that DPInst is a bit... well.... "lacking" would be the word I'd use.  It doesn't seem to install drivers nearly as well as Mini-Setup does, and one thing that was overlooked when OverFlow and I were talking about this was that Mini-Setup isn't capable of having network support.  And no, as we also found out, you cannot pass a "DetachedProgram" parameter to Sysprep - it really is "Mini" when it comes to the setup, because the portion of setup that would normally run the DetachedProgram parameter isn't even initialized for this.  So there isn't a workaround for network support during Mini-Setup meaning I would absolutely rely on DPInst (or something similar if someone used a different program).  Now, one thing I am wanting to try is the program by another member on here (sorry, drawing a blank at the moment and too tired to even try to search for who it was), but not sure how well that's going to work just yet as it's definitely a work in progress at this stage.

Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

can we execute config/autoexec from boot ini?
install network support ?
i am going to have to look at my OPK documentation.

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Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

Ok, just wanted to point out something that I ran into when testing all of this....

DO NOT LEAVE YOUR VM RUNNING WHEN YOU ARE TESTING IT ON ANOTHER COMPUTER!

By some fluke chance, I had an IP conflict that screwed up my DPInst run part way through and I never saw it.  Thought I was having problems with driver detection having to do with HWIDs, but turns out it might have to do with actual network connectivity.  SOOOOooooo yeah, going to test this again in a few minutes.  Yes, I know, by the magic of DHCP I shouldn't have this kind of problem, but for some reason I did manage to pull the same IP address for both a laptop that hasn't been on in several days as well as a VM that was just created yesterday.

Last edited by DeTard (2008-06-04 01:24:02)

Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

DHCP sucks and it doesnt matter if your on pc mac or unix wink

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Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

Just wanted to post an update to where I'm at with all of this...

So, as much as I'd LOVE to put the drivers on the network and run them from there (I really feel this is a great idea), I hate DPInst.  DPInst just doesn't seem to install drivers as effectively as running the detection through Mini-Setup.  Yes, it would greatly reduce the amount of space taken up by my images, and would be a whole lot easier to keep them up-to-date, but I've ran in to too many problems with using DPInst.

First, you have to obviously have the LAN drivers put into the image locally.  You can't get around this really unless you are booting from WinPE or some such PreOS.  This was more me overlooking the obvious than an actual problem with DPInst.  Whoops.

Second, if you do keep the LAN drivers on the network (in addition to locally in my case), chances are that it will kill your network connectivity for a moment.  That moment might only be for 2 seconds, but DPInst is still trying to install drivers while the network is down, and will fail every one of those driver installs.

Third, it seems it's not just LAN drivers that will kill your network connectivity as some drivers (particularly chipset) will have to reinitialize some hardware component that will drop your NIC (such as the whole PCI bus in the case of chipset drivers).  It's almost impossible to figure out what drivers will need to be kept locally so that this will not happen.  I ran into so many problems with it that I moved on to the next thing.... SFX archives.

Okay, so I started by using a 7-zip SFX archive... and that was going along well.  Found a modified SFX module (http://7zsfx.solta.ru/en/) and went from there.... but DPInst simply would NOT install drivers for me.  For example, the 845G graphics driver was showing as being installed, but nothing really happened.  The sound for the same machine also was not installed.  But yet, using the Update Driver interface from within Device Manager installed it just fine with no signing errors or warnings.  Even by trying to force the installation by removing the "ScanHardware" flag and turning on legacy mode didn't help.  I'm sure in many many cases that DPInst would work great... for me, it did not.  It simply took way too much of my time to make the little bit of time it would have saved me moot.

Though I may not be using this across the network any longer, I'll still keep trying to come up with other ideas on how to implement this, and I do hope this topic has helped someone out there anyhow.

Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

so where do we go from here... 

M1 with KTD? makes the most sense IMHO.

Just thought of somthing that is just crazy enough to work... (I am a wild and crazy guy!)

create a master with two partitions.
set KTD to the second partion (IE D:\)
after the destination machine enumerates delete the second partion.
If you need to add or update hardware simply map the network driver to the second partitions drive letter. (IE D:\)

in this way you can have your cake and eat it too... wink

PS with the average size of most HDD's these days a 1 gig partition will not be missed

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Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

OverFlow wrote:

so where do we go from here... 

M1 with KTD? makes the most sense IMHO.

Just thought of somthing that is just crazy enough to work... (I am a wild and crazy guy!)

create a master with two partitions.
set KTD to the second partion (IE D:\)
in this way you can have your cake and eat it too... wink

PS with the average size of most HDD's these days a 1 gig partition will not be missed

Hmm we like crazy! smile

This sounds very much like the recovery partitions on Dell & HP.  Which ISN'T a bad thing (TM)  I actually quite like the idea and would love to sit down one day and make something similar but using my work image...  Hmmm.....  Damnit Mr overflow you've got me intrigued now!!!!

Bah... And I was going to have a quiet day today!! smile

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Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

its your fault your the one that got me thinking about this platform...

between you, SkinLayers, Chud and Detard i may just get enough feedback to add this as a feature... smile

by finding the common denominators in each of your setups i can establish a baseline for support.

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Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

An offline sysprep to inject the drivers you only need really is the way to go with this. As annoying as it is.

Last edited by stamandster (2009-03-04 00:06:54)

Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

so i could forget sysprep as a platform?
IE you would use offline sysprep for Mass Storage
and then you guys could just use a SAD M1 or M2 for the remaining drivers
and perhaps if needed run DevPath on a SAD M1 folder if a 'KTD' type setup was required?

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Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

LOL, SysPrep hater

Ian

Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

tongue big_smile

related post http://forum.driverpacks.net/viewtopic. … 755#p29755

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Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

Yes he does hate sysprep. I agree that a fresh install is much cleaner but sometimes you have to use sysprep or something similar.

Last edited by stamandster (2009-03-05 00:36:49)

Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

LOL... My reputation seemingly proceeds me.

Just because I personaly hate it does not mean I will abandon you guys!
I certainly will not! Quite the opposite.
I have put you guys at the top of my todo list, and ATM I have some spare time.
I have offered you my hand please take it wink
- I have recieved little or no feedback on the sysprep alpha...
I put the ball in your (SysPrep Users) court to test and report on my code.
To make suggestions, to point out my failings - what an opening that is! wink
To show me what works, and what does not, and WHY!


What do you think about updating KTD to remove DoPNF and adding the DPIT (DP_Install_Tool) ...
from the post i linked too...

outline

OffLine sysprep for adding mass (or if you help me, finish mass in base)
DPIT on first run
KTD - possably if upgraded...

Will this be a viable solution?

Perhaps i have gone about Mass all wrong...
maybe can use devpath with the mass drivers and skip sysprep.inf? seemingly no...
but perhaps i can generate a custom inf similar to SCSI.INF...
and use that to load the mass storage textmode drivers?
This should get around the duplicate helper files that sysprep attempts to preload...
the textmode drivers do not need them (as proven by the BartPE Plugin).
then the drivers can be loaded by dpinst.exe. I will need to see how i can call a 'fake setup" for mini-setup...

This is not to say i will not continue with adding mass through BASE.
But without you guys telling me if it is working / viable or not I can't proceed.
I even tried to test it - and it just reminded me why I walked away from it so many years ago...
For those of you with more patience than me... test and report, I will code. ("If you build it, they will come")

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Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

Sorry Jeff, I'm not able to really test Sysprep all too often anymore as my job has changed companies and my responsibilities have evolved. But when, and if, I get a free moment (from the wife, child, house and life) I'll test it wink

Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

k, here we go with my 2cents.

My current method is to get the source installation 100% ready to rock as far as updates, apps etc, and is done through VirtualBox.  Once ready, I run Base 9.02 and integrate ONLY text mode of MS, nothing further including NOT integrating MS as a standard driver pack, just for text mode.  I also strip out lots of the MS from the INF prior to running Base to avoid conflicts as much as possible.  (I think one suggestion here is, even though it would be a PAIN, allow check boxes to allow lesser-experienced or lesser-patient people a way of trimming the fat to meet their own needs...).

Back to the point, Base sets up the temp folder of text mode MS and runs SysPrep -BMSD.  From there I use my own driver installer which is now about 100% finished, and just call that from SysPrep at GUIRunOnce.  Of course you could include your own tool in to Base to acomplish the same thing.

So for the SysPrep option, my opinion is only INTEGRATE what is needed to get the system to boot and start mini-Setup, then SAD/other methods of driver installation once Windows is loaded.

With my current tool and overall method of SysPrep, just yesterday I speed tested on an AMD Athlon64 X2 6000+, 4GB DDR2, SATA, and once Ghosted (3 minutes), from the time I hit the power button I was in Windows with every single driver loaded, every Win Update installed, all Adobe apps, Java, GIMP, OpenOffice, Spybot, Ad-Aware, MalwareBytes, KLite Mega Codec Pack, BurnAware, DeepBurner, GBurner, Video DVD Maker Free, WinRAR, 7zip, and however many registry tweaks I have in there now, plus removed the driver cache I used to get the drivers loaded, in THIRTEEN MINUTES.  DANG!!!  How can ya hate SysPrep man???? wink


Ian


-Edit, I forgot a BIG one, I use MySysPrep for HAL switching which is great, but if you're going to try to invoke a fake pre-setup then perhaps the HAL switch could be worked in to Base as well?  Wanna go out on a limb??  Fake pre-setup via WinPE, MS detection the same as BartPE, inject ONLY the needed MS for text mode ala Offline SysPrep.......    ohhhhhhhhhh, so many fun tricks could come from a pre-setup...........

Last edited by llewxam (2009-03-05 05:21:53)

Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

The way I used to do it is only install driver with sysprep that I needed in order to boot and function, network, mass storage and chipset. Everything else was done with an post sysprep mini setup (with either my installer or something else).

Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

here is what stumps me...

regulare windows setup and bartpe use txtsetup but not sysprep...
it uses a totaly different mechanisim that continues to elude me...
IDK why the standard method of adding drivers to txtsetup.sif fails for sysprep... it makes no sense to me.

perhaps i am attacking this the wrong way... I'm attempting to work with sysprep...
what if we could get the same result without it...
IE reset the SID (Ghost does this... why can't we...)
Set the HAL and HDD drivers to generic.
(windows will load and then we could set them correctly - HAL i understand is more difficult
but setting standard IDE will work...)
Then what would we lack of duplicateing the SysPrep experience?

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Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

Newsid can regenerate new SID and you can command line the workstation name you want.

And basically then we'd need a join domain script, easy enough.

But then find a way to get it so the imaged Windows install will boot with the new hardware without frakin.

Here's a deal with sysprep, it can use both OemDriverPath in the INI and Registry import location. But if you can import the driver locations into the registry you can also install drivers using the windows driver installation DLL too. But its something way different for the mass storage drivers.

Last edited by stamandster (2009-03-05 05:56:52)

Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

Yeah baby - talk to me guys!

How many of you guys use ghost - that totaly eliminates the SID issue...

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Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

What is your thought on making it so the system boots properly with the correct HAL and mass storage drivers?

Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

well if you set the HDD controller to standard IDE before you shutdown
then when the system boots it will use txtsetup.sif to install the correct txtmode drivers
then SAD will be used to upgrade those to the full blown drivers. wink
HAL we will have to explore options for but MySysPrep has been suggested...

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Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

Yeah MySysprep still uses sysprep lol. But we could do something with editing the boot.ini. I mean it would be a manual process of editing selecting the HAL.

Or you can select a basic HAL that works with both multi and uni processors (which you do anyways before sysprepping).

Re: DPInst with DriverPacks on network repository

Wait a minute - that is brilliant...

we could script detecting and updateing the HAL... why not?

select basic hal that is fully compatable with all platforms then script detection and updateing...

In fact i seem to remember seeing a script that does this somewhere...

we're getting somwhere now... we can call it the "DriverPacks SysPrep Alternative"

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