51 replies to this topic

[cdd]

I did more research and found that the "uninst.exe" file in: C:\Program Files\SiSLan\uninst.exe. It does exist, not as claimed by hostNIC to be non existant.

I located the NIC driver and attach it below, but I counld not find any associated inf file.

Attached Thumbnails

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[cdd]

The system would not allow me to attach a file with .sys extension, so I change its extension to .txt.

Ater you receive the driver file, please change its extension back to .sys

Attached Files

•  sisnic.TXT   31.5KB   359 downloads

[cdd]

psc,

That computer is in perfect working condition, so there is no hardware issues. I tested 5 different winpe boot disks on it and they all have access to network. I build those disks with PeBuilder. I also tested a commercially made disk "Active@ Book Disk" which is a Vista based PE, it has no problem with network access either.

If you look back a few posts, I said that I have learnt how to set "PENetwork" to take a folder that contains hundreds of NIC drivers. Then I created a CD with this new setting. Since than I was able to boot the CD, "PENetwork" will auto-start and finish with network support without any human intervention. Again, this only works with 2 out of 3 PCs.

This problem is common to both "hostNIC" & "PENetwork". I got the feeling that the problem could be in the way both of these scripts are handling NIC detection. You would have a better idea than I do.

[cdd]

Peter,

I have enabled the "Debug Mode" of PENetwork and ran the test again with the error message "No Network Card detected". Please note that PENetwork was given a fold with many network drivers, including the driver for my test pc.


The "PNMDebug.txt" file is attached here. I hope you can solve the mystery for me.

Attached Files

•  PENMDebug.txt   14.95KB   403 downloads

[pscEx]

Peter,

I have enabled the "Debug Mode" of PENetwork and ran the test again with the error message "No Network Card detected". Please note that PENetwork was given a fold with many network drivers, including the driver for my test pc.


The "PNMDebug.txt" file is attached here. I hope you can solve the mystery for me.

PENetwork found a device, but could not install a driver.
That's a question for Holger.

I PMed him

Peter

[Holger]

Don't know what the problem is:
Did you downloaded the driver from here:
http://www.sis.com/download/
Here is also a direct link:
http://driver.sis.co...k/lan/sl119.zip
After downloading and unzipping you will find the folder "WINXP2K".
That is the driver folder which is needed (which also includes the "uninst.exe").
Just copy the folder to one of your driver locations and just rename it.
Also if you are finished the build process there should be a file "PENMDrvCpy.txt" in your TEMP-folder.
So you can take a look if all needed files were copied (dll, sys, exe, lng).

Greets
Holger

[cdd]

Don't know what the problem is:
Did you downloaded the driver from here:
http://www.sis.com/download/
Here is also a direct link:
http://driver.sis.co...k/lan/sl119.zip
After downloading and unzipping you will find the folder "WINXP2K".
That is the driver folder which is needed (which also includes the "uninst.exe").
Just copy the folder to one of your driver locations and just rename it.
Also if you are finished the build process there should be a file "PENMDrvCpy.txt" in your TEMP-folder.
So you can take a look if all needed files were copied (dll, sys, exe, lng).

Greets
Holger

Holger,

Thank you for the quick answer, I'll try what you suggest and report back.

[cdd]

Don't know what the problem is:
Did you downloaded the driver from here:
http://www.sis.com/download/
Here is also a direct link:
http://driver.sis.co...k/lan/sl119.zip
After downloading and unzipping you will find the folder "WINXP2K".
That is the driver folder which is needed (which also includes the "uninst.exe").
Just copy the folder to one of your driver locations and just rename it.
Also if you are finished the build process there should be a file "PENMDrvCpy.txt" in your TEMP-folder.
So you can take a look if all needed files were copied (dll, sys, exe, lng).

Greets
Holger

I downloaded the driver & check to make sure that all the files are in the folder "WINXP2K", then I put it together with the rest of my drivers.

Result: Same as before, found the device did not install driver. See the "PENMDebug.txt" file attachement.

There is a "PENMDrvCpy.txt" in the c:\Documents and Settings\....\Temp\PENMDrvCpy.txt. See attachment.

This CD starts network ok with other computers, just would not work with this pc that has the SIS NIC. Bartpe & other commercially made Vistape start network ok on this pc, just PENetwork refuses to work with it.

Attached Files

•  PENMDebug.txt   27.4KB   443 downloads
•  PENMDrvCpy.txt   70.43KB   379 downloads

[Holger]

Ok, I see this is a more difficult device installation file (my routine is just basic - less complex).

You could try the following:
1.)
Create a folder "SiS" with a subfolder "900" in the "i386"-folder of your Winbuilder-target directory:
Target
--->i386
------>|---SiS
----------->|----900

2.)
To this subfolder "900" copy the 4 files:
uninst.exe
040c.lng
0404.lng
0411.lng

Now you can directly re-run the script "Create ISO" in the project section "Finish" -> "2 Create Image".

I think if you take a look on your Bart-CD you maybe find this folder(s) in the "i386"-directory.

Greets
Holger

[cdd]

Holger,

I tried your suggestion, it worked !!!

I like the PENework script for its good UI and its ability to select a folder for holding NIC drivers.

Your suggestion did provide solution for a PC with SiS NIC card. I want to use my CD for many computers, so I may run into similar problem on a PC with different NIC card. It will be nice to have a more general solution. I don't know how Bartpe CD handles network startup, I have not run into any network access problem with them yet.

Flexibility, feature rich and continual development of WinBuilder associated products attract me. However, I cannot leave my Bartpe CDs behind and jump over to WinBuilder/LiveXP untill I can have reliable network access.

Thank you for your help, hope things will improve in the near future.

[cdd]

Why do we need the Uninstall file under the PE enviroment? I beleive the other 3 ".lng" files are just language files for non English languages.

If we can ignore all of these files, maybe we don't need to create the folder "SiS\900\". All we need to do is to install the driver which I beleive is the ".sys" file. Wouldn't it be easier for PENetwork to handle the work if we can ignore all files other than the ".sys" driver? Could we generalize this fact to all other NICs?

Do I make any sense?

[pscEx]

Why do we need the Uninstall file under the PE enviroment? I beleive the other 3 ".lng" files are just language files for non English languages.

If we can ignore all of these files, maybe we don't need to create the folder "SiS\900\". All we need to do is to install the driver which I beleive is the ".sys" file. Wouldn't it be easier for PENetwork to handle the work if we can ignore all files other than the ".sys" driver? Could we generalize this fact to all other NICs?

Do I make any sense?

Your question makes sence, but the answer in a 'primarily no'.

It is very difficult to let a general application or script decide, what's needed and what not.
You as a human can associate the .lng extention with 'language' and decide that it is not needed for you. An App cannot.

And to say 'generally do not use every .lng' is also wrong. What if it means e.g. the German 'Liefer neue Grammatik' and is an important part of a spelling checker app? (Samples always are leak )

The only way is really:

• Not to use generalized routines (just copy and install) for these special drivers
• Write one script per special driver which does all the special handling

Peter

BTW:

Jaclaz made in a different topic a very good explanation.

This explanation can logically be adapted to the current topic.

[cdd]

My reasoning is:

- Currently, the script won't work for "special" NIC. Ignoring non-driver files would make this case (possibly other similar cases too) work. That is a gain.

- NIC driver is unlikely to need too much, if any, human interface. It is usually "install & forget"; you'll never need to see it again. Your example of spelling checker is more appropriate for a real app like word processsor. If I imply "generally" we do not need ".lng" files, I am refering to NIC only not other type of apps.

- If a "specail" NIC really needs (which is unlikely) other non-driver files, current script cannot handle it anyway. By ignoring these non-driver files, we have nothing to loss.

- If you use the CD for many computers and you have no idea of what computer you'll run into, writing a script for every "special" driver is not an option. You cannot write something for the unknown.

Conclusion: If ignoring non-driver files has something to gain, nothing to loss, why not?

[pscEx]

My reasoning is:

- Currently, the script won't work for "special" NIC. Ignoring non-driver files would make this case (possibly other similar cases too) work. That is a gain.

- NIC driver is unlikely to need too much, if any, human interface. It is usually "install & forget"; you'll never need to see it again. Your example of spelling checker is more appropriate for a real app like word processsor. If I imply "generally" we do not need ".lng" files, I am refering to NIC only not other type of apps.

- If a "specail" NIC really needs (which is unlikely) other non-driver files, current script cannot handle it anyway. By ignoring these non-driver files, we have nothing to loss.

- If you use the CD for many computers and you have no idea of what computer you'll run into, writing a script for every "special" driver is not an option. You cannot write something for the unknown.

Conclusion: If ignoring non-driver files has something to gain, nothing to loss, why not?

I have bad experience with drivers having an setup.exe
I tried for a long time to make a script to put an intel graphic driver to the PE > unsuccessfully.
Fortunatelly bearwindows presented his Universal Video Driver. If he would't, I still would work with a 640 * 480 16 colors screen.

I think that the same issue is valid for NIC drivers. If there is a setup.exe or some strange directories, ... ???

I spent about four weeks in unsuccsessful trials for my Intel driver before I gave up.

If you present us here a general solution for your NICs which can be used either in hostNIC or PENetwork, you'll get a promotion

Peter

[MedEvil]

There's one flaw in your thinking, cdd.
Most NIC drivers do work fine. Only some (2 this far) need special treatment.
Not the other way around!!!

[cdd]

Peter,

With the current WinBulder scripts it cannot be done.
Here are 'fixed' folders inf, system32, system32\drivers served which are valid for most drivers.

I can have a look ito hostNic whether additional directories like in the SIS case, can be handled.
Maybe Holger does the same in his new PENetwork he is working with.

I guess we get stuck with the current Winbuilder scripts; too bad this network detection area is where Bartpe seem to work better.


MedEvil,

There's one flaw in your thinking, cdd.
Most NIC drivers do work fine. Only some (2 this far) need special treatment.
Not the other way around!!!

You misunderstood me, I never say most NIC don't work. If you look back at my previous posts, I have tested it on 3 computers, two of them worked. I was hoping that none (ideally) of them need special treatment, which is what my experience is with Bartpe so far.

[cdd]

I have bad experience with drivers having an setup.exe
I tried for a long time to make a script to put an intel graphic driver to the PE > unsuccessfully.
Fortunatelly bearwindows presented his Universal Video Driver. If he would't, I still would work with a 640 * 480 16 colors screen.

Peter,

I was going to post a question on the possibility of copying the graphic driver from HDD to PE. I guess you have just given me the answer. Thanks

[pscEx]

Peter,

I was going to post a question on the possibility of copying the graphic driver from HDD to PE. I guess you have just gave me the answer. Thanks

BTW: Two or three years ago, when I worked with BartPE, I could not get my graphic driver there, too.

Peter

[pscEx]

I was hoping that none (ideally) of them need special treatment, which is what my experience is with Bartpe so far.

It is a hard job to add to all the advantages and features of WinBuilder also some BartPE features.

Thunn did so. Maybe in his project you will find a kind of solution.

Peter

[cdd]

It is a hard job to add to all the advantages and features of WinBuilder also some BartPE features.

Thunn did so. Maybe in his project you will find a kind of solution.

Peter

I appreciate all the hard work & help from you and others in this forum. If my skill level were higher, I would contribute more. So far my contribution is limited to testing and reporting for bugs and suggesting for improvements.

[cdd]

Thunn did so. Maybe in his project you will find a kind of solution.

I have never worked on Thunn's Project before. What are the fundamental differences between his project & yours that you think may help in the detection of "special" NIC? Are you saying that Thun has combined Bart & WinBuilder features in his project?

I notice that he uses PENetcfg for network detection in his project.

[pscEx]

I have never worked on Thunn's Project before. What are the fundamental differences between his project & yours that you think may help in the detection of "special" NIC?

I notice that he uses PENetcfg for network detection in his project.

I also never worked with his project. So I can only answer theoretically.
He uses a BartPE project as the start to be topped with a couple of WinBuilder scripts.

Maybe you can put your NIC issues into the BartPE part (if it works there) and build the WinBuilder PE of your choice with this BartPE part inside.

But sorry, as I told previously: I never worked with it. And therefore I'm not sure whether my opinion is correct. It is just a theoretical consideration ...

Peter

[Galapo]

@cdd

Please post a link to the driver install files or upload them here. I have an idea I want to trial.

Regards,
Galapo.

[cdd]

@cdd

Please post a link to the driver install files or upload them here. I have an idea I want to trial.

Regards,
Galapo.

Attached Files

•  WinXP.rar   41.78KB   282 downloads

[Galapo]

Nope, my idea didn't work...

One long way to get it to work under the current environment could be:

1. Run 'devcon rescan'
2. And then install the driver through device manager.

Regards,
Galapo.