Topic: method 3

hi! I´ve been looking over the internet and found a 3rd method for integrating the driverpacks. Drivers are called via winnt.sif directly from cd at T-39. Should be worth a try to put the option into driverpacks base. The problem is that drivers w/o inf file cannot be integrated with this method, but are there any such?

Could i suggest that if the oempnpdriverspath is limited to 4096 symbols then why isnt it possible to try to shrink the folder structure? I mean the driver folders (contents of folders), that have no common/same filename in it with other folders, could be all in one root folder. Isnt it so?

I´m open for feedback.

Last edited by kaitsevaim (2009-07-18 06:18:39)

Re: method 3

Hi, welcome to DriverPacks.

I once made a set with all DriverPacks on it and worked on the content of the DriverPacks to get a super short path. One can indeed move files into folders that have no file in there with same name.. .
I must tell you that a dp's INI has to point to the folder you merged files into, so that is some extra work.
It took me some hours to get it right, but I had all packs and a path way under 4096.
The result worked.

Why did we not use it at DriverPacks site? Maintaining the packs would have become hyll for the teams.
Because drivers were thrown in several big folders, it made it hard for the guy who has to update a driver. Where is it? Which files had it? (a driver update may have different named files, and then you'd have remnants of the old in the folder.)

So I had a very useful disc, M1 uses windows setup, so it can be used to repair a broken windows..
I think I still have that DVD and CDR with the supershort M1 path, but I did not see how the team could do the maintenance of the DriverPacks on such a layout.

what I am saying is that it can be done.
There are a few caveats. You have to carefully study what is done in The INI in some driverpacks, since split packs sometimes relied on files in another pack.

if you search the fora here,you may find over a year old posts about what I did.
Best of luck.

Last edited by Jaak (2009-07-19 00:05:58)

The answer was 42?
Kind regards, Jaak.

Re: method 3

kaitsevaim wrote:

hi! I´ve been looking over the internet and found a 3rd method for integrating the driverpacks. Drivers are called via winnt.sif directly from cd at T-39. Should be worth a try to put the option into driverpacks base.

NO this absolutely will not work...

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Re: method 3

OK! Thank you for the great explanation, Jaak. Btw, i have the same name irl as your nickname here. I understand the very big maintenance problem, but i have a new thought/proposal for it. The packs can be exactly the way they are. But...during the integration of packs could be a script, that has the capability to "explode" the folder stucture the way you described. I dont mean to put the folders of all driverpacks into one root folder, if possible, only the folders of the current pack. I´m working on the script right now.

I´m very sorry, if you think so, Overflow. I just try to solve problems, why it wont work. If there´s absolutely no reasonable and not-bone-breaking way, how the problem can be solved, then i agree with you.

Re: method 3

Hi,
the INI in the DriverPacks have to match the folder structure, so... IF you move content and merge it in a greatly reduced number of folders (which is what I did for that experimental discc.), the INI has to be edited so the scripts know where the drivers are so as to be able to do the things (the exceptions) these lines were written for.

For the method ONE, the $OEM$ folder then had a small number of subfolders, and the path was shorter than 4096.
I used winmerge or araxis to merge folders (to spot file duplicates and determine wether or not I could allow an overwrite..), and editing the foldername in an INI is actually quite simple. But, it took work and concentration, and what looks easy to me may very well be a daunting task for somebody less familiar with how the DriverPacks and DriverPacks BASE work.

Since then, DriverPacks BASE has been overhauled, many DriverPacks were updated, and I should make myself another super short experimental.

Jeff knows I put a lot of work in making foldernames as short as possible, and the newer team members also try keep them short.
One thing though, you do not always need all the DriverPacks, so you might stay under the 4096 limit.
DriverPacks BASE tells you when you get over that number.
By the way, the folder limit only affected method 1, but since M1 had one great merit (it could do repair/upgrade) we did not drop it.

I had few machines to play with for a long time, and I have to catch up with the latest developments. sad

The answer was 42?
Kind regards, Jaak.

Re: method 3

hmmm, the $OEM folder still had 347 subs.. 
Your idea about scripting the unzip process could become a fruitless effort.
You see, those INI have exceptions written in them for good reason, and how are you going to handle that?

The answer was 42?
Kind regards, Jaak.

Re: method 3

kaitsevaim wrote:

I´m very sorry, if you think so, Overflow. I just try to solve problems, why it wont work. If there´s absolutely no reasonable and not-bone-breaking way, how the problem can be solved, then i agree with you.

DriverPacks has been around for over five years and has millions of users and has the input of some of the top people in the world and feedback from thousands of those users who have deployed millions of machines. Every conceivable option has been explored more than once. All of our "problems" were solved long before you put your first post up... yesterday wink.

Perhaps you should figure out how it works  - before -  you try to tell us how we can do it better wink

Do you know what M1 and M2 are, and the differences between them?


The Why detached program (T-39) won't work is so obvious that i did not bother to explain, i just dismissed it as a deliberate attempt to insult to our collective intelligence and draw a demerit for not using the search feature.

Please avail yourself of the "Search" feature of our forum Before Asking it saves everyone grief...
Had you searched for Detached Program you would have found your answer and saved me the trouble having to hold your hand, finding this link for you... and it probably would have taken less time for both of us. wink
http://forum.driverpacks.net/viewtopic. … 927#p25927

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Re: method 3

I see ... sad Yes, that experiment can get pretty nasty setbacks or how should i say that...

One thing though, you do not always need all the DriverPacks, so you might stay under the 4096 limit.

Yes, thats right. The main "symbol-eater" is of course WLAN, but its highly reccomended to laptops for example.

I think, i should explain a little, why did i join to discuss the matter. I´m trying to develop a windows install server, so people can boot over the LAN and install windows x86 with their own OEM license codes and optional software. Thats not driverpacks matter of course. But...if i could get the install script bundle the needed driverpacks files, unpack them and install only needed drivers. Thats the case here.

I need to integrate mass-storage text-mode and LAN anyways, so the install script is able to connect to the server to download the needed packs etc. For that we could open another topic.

Re: method 3

Also already done...

RogueSpears AutoImage will integrate DriverPacks into a RIS image...


Also you can llook at SAD method 2


(That should have been your first post) big_smile

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Re: method 3

Yeah, i know that i´m not smart on this, but if you cant question the right questions, then how will the search help you? I´m very sorry. I really didnt mean to insult anyone´s intelligence or anything like that. You know there´s such expression - "a fool can ask more than ten geniuses can answer". So please dont be mad at me, trying to get smarter.

Re: method 3

as i said tha last post should have been the first  big_smile

How do I....

Much better than try to say "Relax you guys, I am now here and all your problems will be solved wink

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