64 replies to this topic

[was_jaclaz]

You two seem to be arrived at the same place Alexei and i were end of last year.

For the record, I was ALREADY there (since 2005) when you and Alexei arrived :
http://www.msfn.org/...tpe-t41208.html



jaclaz

[was_jaclaz]

As jaclaz states...

I usually tend to be a bit less verbose that that....

Changing the paths is a "standard" setting for unattended, it's even documented by MS, and even the "not recommended" manual way is documented:
http://support.micro...kb/236621/en-us

I am not sure to understand what is the problem/difficulty.

In "ye old" reduced 2K I put all "system directories" inside the main "system directory", to be able to move the thingy easily.

jaclaz

[MedEvil]

For the record, I was ALREADY there (since 2005) when you and Alexei arrived :

Wow! 3 years ago!
And still nothing released. And i thought i was slow!

@ispy
Don't take this the wrong way, but could you try to write a bit less elaborately or at least jump less around?
When reaching the end of your posts, i always have to start over to figure out what the point was you were trying to make.

[Brito]

Wow! 3 years ago!

I was there too..

Spent my christmas vacations in 2004 figuring out how to make a bartPE smaller.

Published the steps for others to replicate a 46Mb sized BartPE in May 2005 but I guess it was a bit too complicated for others to achieve the same results without losing too much time - http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=12067

This was probably the reason that led to a script engine that would make these results easier to replicate for others.

--------

It would be wiser to avoid nLite if you really want to keep XP on the bare minimum size and understand exactly what you'll be removing, it's also more efficient to build a very small sized install (50Mb) from scratch using something like wb than having all the work to modify the install source to later install on a VM and then reapply modifications to remove files and services.

The only thing you need is the portion that creates the registry from the source windows and Peter has already completed this step some time ago with his puzzle XP development.

[was_jaclaz]

Wow! 3 years ago!
And still nothing released. And i thought i was slow!

By your own admission (or presumption ):
http://www.boot-land...?...=2425&st=15
I am an Admin, NOT a coder: I am not supposed to release anything.

Whatever of my little things got public was just an internal leak, (double personality, you know) and should be considered as an accident.

BTW, OT but not much, it would be interesting however to have a referenced index of all the releases you made in the last three years, they are so many that I have problems in my Admin role in keeping track of ALL of them.

jaclaz

[MedEvil]

however to have a referenced index of all the releases you made in the last three years, they are so many that I have problems in my Admin role in keeping track of ALL of them.

Do the ones you didn't let me post count too?

[MedEvil]

Have I missed any?

I don't quite understand, what you're looking for.
There are tons of other files without which XP won't boot.

[was_jaclaz]

Do the ones you didn't let me post count too?

No, sorry , but they don't exist anymore: my 1 Tb storage NAS was filled up to the brim with them, I needed some space and I had to wipe it with a single 00 pass, I haven't yet stored anything on it, do you think you can recover your releases?

jaclaz

[MedEvil]

do you think you can recover your releases?

Wow, jaclaz beliefs i can do something he can't, has hell really frozen over?

[was_jaclaz]

@ispy
will search for the backed up files and let you know when I find them.

Wow, jaclaz beliefs i can do something he can't, has hell really frozen over?

Actually I don't believe that you would be able, nor anyone else, that was the original point:
http://www.boot-land...?...c=2683&st=8

To recap, I can believe that a single 00 pass is enough, you cannot.



jaclaz

[was_jaclaz]

You mean making the "DOS BOX" (no, it is NOT DOS ) appear larger?

There is no "direct" way I know of, but you can change the Registry keys that manage the size of fonts and the number of lines:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Console\%SystemRoot%_system32_cmd.exe
(do not change the width to more than 80, as most console programs will display "strangely")

From the start menu, choose "Run" and type in the box CMD.EXE.

Once the console opens, use the options menu to change it's size, font, etc., then choose to save this settings for all instances.

Then navigate to the aforementioned key and see what the values are.

You can then use a .reg file to apply them.

jaclaz

[MedEvil]

Any way in a command in batch command to open CMD.EXE/Command prompt (XP) in a larger window area?

You can do that with a shortcut to cmd.exe.

[ispy]

Hi folks ,

@ Jaclaz -Many THANKS for the info post#39 stuff downloaded and deleted link or sorry about to Del link anyway! In respect of the current info in the latest post also many thanks. Will need to write a batch that will auto create the relevant reg key then a sub routine to regedit to engage it. The font sizing is not really an issue they can remain the same, its just the window size that requires alteration
However this leads me onto the details that MedEvil has posted in respect of a the creation of a short cut. This is 1 cool tip & is worthy of expansion! For anyone out there who needs to do the same

1) Search & find CMD.EXE or if you are idle like me Start>All Programs>Accessories>Slide down to command prompt right click from the opening menu select shortcut you will see a new shortcut in the accessories menu right click it, select properties then select "Layout" tab in this window you can alter the size etc of command prompt here is a screeney to illustrate:


2)To expand Command prompt window to the full height of the page & roughly centralize (To have access to the start button and task bar within XP Note the Check boxes & settings to achieve this apply and exit. The next time you open using the short cut "Command Prompt" will be a whole lot bigger, like the thumb nail illustration above!
Oke Cokey, I'm not sure with having to apply changes that these settings are not stored in the registry So I will Check for the relevant reg key export it & see if this full height centralized setting can be duplicated, "now where did I put "Karen's registry ripper", suitable undo routine will need to be sought also!

@Jaclaz I will need time to read & inwardly digest the info you sent there seems to be a lot there, nearly as long as 1 of my posts, well thats maybe a slight exaggeration.

One further observation I have been doing additional research on language files & keyboards etc & have stumbled on an invaluable resource in connection with them, nLite does NOT remove all the lang files & I have discovered an additional 3.6Mb's (.Nls) that are just sitting there with nuthin to do. I have determined the mandatory ones for the UK & also only UK keyboard left on active system.
Here is a how to:

Delete all C_*.NLS except C_1252.nls and C_850.nls <-[UK].
Additionally you have to delete the reference to the C_*.NLS
now it works without error messages and any problems. other files also constitute the core file set needed but had no probs thus far!

Depending of witch windows version and language you use you may leave other C_*.NLS undeleted.
This gave me about 3,6 MB of free space.
Now then many may already know this but the INTL.INF File has extensive info both on file set Language info & reg keys & also country codes many thanks bart for that gem!

Hovering around the 213Mb full install but I suspect & with the help of depend.exe & process explorer more may need to be added for compatibility & stability.

R&R,

ispy

[was_jaclaz]

You won't find those settings in the Registry, since you did

Start>All Programs>Accessories>Slide down to command prompt

thus you used the shortcut settings, what I told you to do was:

From the start menu, choose "Run" and type in the box CMD.EXE.

No need to search and find anything , just type 7 characters and press Enter key, it doesn't seem to me that much work, even if you are "idle"
when you change the settings of this window, it will go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Console\%SystemRoot%_system32_cmd.exe

And changing font size is the only way to make the Console window wider without altering the 80 columns.

jaclaz

[MedEvil]

I don't understand you two, i thought ispy wanted to have the console in fullscreen view.
To get that, simple create a shortcut and check display mode: fullscreen.

[was_jaclaz]

I don't understand you two, i thought ispy wanted to have the console in fullscreen view.
To get that, simple create a shortcut and check display mode: fullscreen.

Yep, but then, calling a shortcut from batch isn't as straightforward as it may seem :
http://www.computing...file/16269.html

@ispy
the extension for batch files meant for NT/2K/XP/Server 2003 and possibly Vista should be .cmd, this has two advantages:
1) at first sight one can see that it is a batch meant for a NT system
2) it won't run if clicked by mistake under 9x/Me

On the contrary batches meant to work on both 9x/Me and NT systems should have .bat extension.

jaclaz

[ispy]

Hi folks ,
HOME BREW BATCH FILE.
Sorted me probs with CMD from a batch file which auto runs with the additional benefit of a blue background and white foreground text config. I have tried it and it works without the short cut, it uses a combination of a registry hack, which the batch files manufactures the reg file "on the fly" & activates it with regedit.

It is Dependant on regedit being in its default location but hey ho nuthin is perfect! It creates the reg file in the root of C:\ but once it is activated with regedit is deleted just for clean up. Mode con delivers the CMD color, width & depth that CMD will be presented!

Now I can have a centralized CMD window 80 chars wide with a blue background white text & will be the full depth of the monitor screen. With this routine in mind I can now write Language file settings into the batch with a user choice menu. If anyone else would like to use the batch or would like to adapt it to their own preferences here is the batch code:

@echo off
ECHO Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 > C:\CENTRAL.REG
ECHO.>>C:\CENTRAL.REG
ECHO [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Console]>>C:\CENTRAL.REG
ECHO "WindowPosition"=dword:000000b1>>C:\CENTRAL.REG
C:\
CD \
C:> CD .."\Windows"
regedit.exe /S C:\CENTRAL.REG
C:\
CD \
DEL C:\CENTRAL.REG
CMD /t:1f /K mode con: lines=100 cols=80
goto :EOF

The settings do not appear to be permanent so all well & good & is automatic in application
Crude & not very pretty but it works & I like the Default C:\> prompt also always a good place to start!

ENJOY!
R&R,

ispy

[was_jaclaz]

And why not using reg.exe?
http://www.ss64.com/nt/reg.html

REG ADD HKCU\Console /v WindowPosition /t REG_DWORD /d 0xb1

No temporary file.

jaclaz

[ispy]

@ Jaclaz ,

And why not using reg.exe?No temporary file.

REG ADD HKCU\Console /v WindowPosition /t REG_DWORD /d 0xb1

Indeed why not I have never used Reg.exe so this info comes as a bit of a revelation to me
One very small picky alteration to your line of code I tried it to try it out and received the following querie
"Value WindowsPostion exists, overwrite (Y/N)?"
So for others who may drop in:

@echo off
C:\
CD \
C:> CD .."\system32"
REG ADD HKCU\Console /v WindowPosition /f /t REG_DWORD /d 0xb1
CMD /t:1f /K mode con: lines=100 cols=80
goto :EOF

Please note the "/f" switch (in bold) which forces the overwrite without prompting!
Reg.exe ships with XP just a regedit does, albeit in a diff default dir but note by comparison the length of code using Jaclaz's way & my half baked way, both work but no temp reg files need creation with this method & its a lot shorter.
Jaclaz gets the "gold star"

R&R,

ispy

[was_jaclaz]

Jaclaz gets the "gold star"

Actually he already has it

C:\
CD \
C:> CD .."\system32"

"translates" to:

CD /D "%Systemroot%\system32"

Would this get me the "platinum" one?

Though I cannot see why you want/need to change directory to a directory that is (or SHOULD be) already in your PATH

Try entering:

SET PATH

in a console window.

jaclaz

[was_jaclaz]

[sarcasm]
I would add an option button to the extent of
"I agree with the disclaimer and wish to continue but strongly claim that 212 Mb should be called medium XP"
[/sarcasm]





jaclaz

[was_jaclaz]

No, don't even think about giving up.

NOW it is 212 Mb, but if you call it like that you will not be prompted to further better it, squeezing some more juice, and get, say to 200, and then to 180.....

Since "Medium XP" does not suit you, how about WDXP, acronym of either:
Well Done XP
Will Decrease XP
Wild Deer XP (if a Linux release can be called Gutsy Gibbon....)
....




jaclaz

[rawr]

SOS-XP (because the smaller it gets the faster it boots!!)
interesting logo possibilities
...

[MedEvil]

Love the name SOS-XP.

[TheHive]

Yeah! That "SOS-XP" name sounds good!