40 replies to this topic

[NightMan]

New version is out!

You can download it directly from latest WinBuilder (WB68)

History:
1. fixed network support
2. network configuration (PENetCFG)
3. faster booting process
4. small fix for shortcut
5. WSH/MDAC/HTA/WMI/XML support
6. WinBuilder 068 compatibility
7. other small fixes and updates for program

Update 1 (10.04.2007):
1. fixed WimUtil problem
2. fixed VirtualBox script
3. Infra Recorder updated
4. new wallpaper

Update 2 (20.04.2007):
updated scripts:
1. "Copy Files"
2. "Shell & Config"
3. "Xchm 1.9"
4. "FOXIT PDF Reader"

Update 3 (04.05.2007):
full WinBuilder 069 beta 4 compatible

[powaking]

New version is out!

You can download it directly from latest WinBuilder (WB68 Beta14)

History:
1. fixed network support
2. network configuration (PENetCFG)
3. faster booting process
4. small fix for shortcut
5. WSH/MDAC/HTA/WMI/XML support
6. WinBuilder 068 compatibility
7. other small fixes and updates for program

ps all documentation on my site has been updated

Getting errors when trying to do a download. I am at work but wonder if Winbuilder is using IE's proxy settings or not? If not why not and why not give an option to use proxy or not.

[JonF]

Well, I must say that I do not understand the passion people have for packing everything into the script file.

LiteStep is now all compressed into a 7Z archive. That means that, in order to get more than one column of icons on the desktop (which I consider a bug) I have to extract the 7Z file, extract desktop_icons_9x.rc from that, edit it, put it back into the archive ... oops, 7-Zip 4.42 (the most recent release) will not add the modified file back into the folder from whence it came. I have to extract the entire archive, make that one change, and re-create the archive from scratch, and then re-encode it back into the script file.

Oh, I might want to make a few customizations ... so I am going to keep those extracted files somewhere. Now I'm using the disk space for the script and the disk space for the extracted files. And whenever I want to make a change I have a couple of extra steps to go through.

I can see stuffing static files into the script file. I do not see any advantage, indeed I see severe disadvantages, in stuffing files that will be modified into the script file, and stuffing them into an archive before stuffing them into the script file is worse.

Here in the U.S. I can get 500 GB SATA-1 disks for US$120. That is under 50 cents per gigabyte for high (not highest) performance). I understand that prices are different elsewhere, but I think they are not so different as to make my mantra incorrect:

Hard disk space is free. Anything that reduces hard disk space usage at the expense of any inconvenience, no matter how slight, is false economy.

[NightMan]

Well, I must say that I do not understand the passion people have for packing everything into the script file.

1. it's better way when downloading it directly from WinBuilder
2. unset "Delete work folder" and run script, than you will be have unpacked LiteStep and can change anything, all is very simple

[pscEx]

Hard disk space is free. Anything that reduces hard disk space usage at the expense of any inconvenience, no matter how slight, is false economy.

Now my problems with this release:
Let me tell first that I'm (as described at other places) not a friend of Vista. I think I'll never(?) use it.
I did the download just to test.
BTW @Nuno: I do not like the percentages in the 'Download' tab
My equipment: XP SP2 (German) on P4 2,4 GB with 1 GB of RAM; installed WAIK (German).
WB BaseDir (with spaces in the name) on the start volume C: which is a NTFS volume.

• Download the Vista project
• Set path to my installed WAIK
• Run the project
• Avast gave me a virus warning. Because I know about a false positive, I hit the STOP button, stopped Avast: Then I was waiting for the script to come back. I had to kill WB by taskmanager in order to restart.
• On restart WB I got
  
• Deleted the complete Vista project folder
• Tried to delete custom, temp, target, ISO folders: Error message that they are hold by something
• Reboot
• Delete the above folders
• Download the Vista project again
• Set path to my installed WAIK
• Run the project, this time with Avast switched off
• During 'Finalize' I had the opinion that the system hangs. It needs 'endless' time.
  But there was the nice(?) animation of arrows coming from right and left to 'Documents'
• After finishing all, nothing happened
• As an experienced user, I tried to start the ISO at VirtualBox
  What does an unexperienced user do: Maybe he waits for ever ...
  And what about a user who does not have VirtualPC installed?
• After chosing the very first boot otion, after several seconds I saw a new, a little bit coloured background
• This background became black after a while
• I waited
• I waited
• I waited
• After about 5 minutes of waiting I switched off the VirtualBox

Result: For my German XP SP2 NTFS contellationh unusable.

BTW: That is not a confrontation against NightMan and other authors. They did a great ingenier's job.
This is just a conclusion about Bill G's product.

Peter

[JonF]

Minor issue: The PDFREader script creates an empty folder named in some character set I don't have, as a subfolder of PDFReader, even though I have East Asian Language Support un-checked. Mkisofs doesn't like it:

mkisofs: No such file or directory. Non-existent or inaccessible: E:\WinBuilder\

Target\VistaPE/Programs/PDFReader/--+┐+-+ª+-

No harm done, but it's inelegant.

[JonF]

1. it's better way when downloading it directly from WinBuilder
2. unset "Delete work folder" and run script, than you will be have unpacked LiteStep and can change anything, all is very simple

OK, that seems good; I did not understand how to do that.

I suggest that the default for "delete work folder" should be False.

[JonF]

• Tried to delete custom, temp, target, ISO folders: Error message that they are hold by something
• Reboot

Unlocker.

[NightMan]

Now my problems with this release:

BTW @Nuno: I do not like the percentages in the 'Download' tab

i not like it too

My equipment: XP SP2 (German) on P4 2,4 GB with 1 GB of RAM; installed WAIK (German).
WB BaseDir (with spaces in the name) on the start volume C: which is a NTFS volume.[list]
[*]Download the Vista project
[*]Set path to my installed WAIK
[*]Run the project

by default project optimized for Vista DVD without WAIK, but it's may not work on all system (not work with x64, may be more), open "Shell & Config" and select "imagex"...

[*]Avast gave me a virus warning. Because I know about a false positive, I hit the STOP button, stopped Avast: Then I was waiting for the script to come back. I had to kill WB by taskmanager in order to restart.

VistaPE try install and use WIM driver...

[*]After finishing all, nothing happened

you have iso file

[*]As an experienced user, I tried to start the ISO at VirtualBox
What does an unexperienced user do: Maybe he waits for ever ...
And what about a user who does not have VirtualPC installed?

when qEmu will be support Vista, support will be added

(VistaPE only for admins and power users and user must understand what and for what hi doing )

[*]After chosing the very first boot otion, after several seconds I saw a new, a little bit coloured background
[*]This background became black after a while
[*]I waited
[*]I waited
[*]I waited
[*]After about 5 minutes of waiting I switched off the VirtualBox

sorry, you must have background with VistaPE logo, console window with startup information and then PE Shel Swapper... try add more memory to your VirtualPC and send log to me

BTW: That is not a confrontation against NightMan and other authors. They did a great ingenier's job.
This is just a conclusion about Bill G's product.

hm... may be create modular live Linux and make it from WinBuilder?

JonF

I did not understand how to do that.

hm... i not understand what you not understand, sorry

[JonF]

hm... i not understand what you not understand, sorry

I did not realize that un-checking "Delete work folder" would leave extracted files in the folder to which they were extracted, and use those extracted files as the source in the future. The meaning and significance of "work folder" is not obvious. Unfortunately, I do not have a better phrase.

[Brito]

The new release works really good on on my machine:

Laptop with Dual core CPU, 1Gb RAM and Vista Ultimate in Portuguese.

About the download percentage on the title tab - it was added to allow people keep using wb and keep an eye on the progress of the downloads.

For users with quick net access it might not be such an important feature - but on my dial up modem case - I find it very useful since it do takes a lot to become completed...

If it is a really bothering indicator - it can be removed.


About the proxy support - the web connection is not shared by any of IE's component's and proxy is supported, but it might take some time to be added.


Nice work!

[pscEx]

Unlocker.

I have unlocker and it suggested to delete in next boot

Peter

[TheHive]

I still cant get internet access. Using Vmware for running PE.

Can a gui be created instead of the DOS prompt. The one that says creating shortcuts and some other things its doing when launching the PE shell swapper.

When you quit the default Shell the Total Commander pops up and shows up on top of the PE shell swapper. Instead of just showing the SHell Swapper.

I was able to create a boot ISO. Good job.

[JonF]

Result: For my German XP SP2 NTFS contellationh unusable.

Could your problems be due to spaces in the path? (Dokumente und Einstellungen)

[NightMan]

I still cant get internet access. Using Vmware for running PE.

try test it in VirtualPC, disable firewall, may be, try use "wpeutil" for initialize network...

Can a gui be created instead of the DOS prompt.

may be, may be ... now i begin new (linux) project and have less and less time for all

I was able to create a boot ISO. Good job.

[NightMan]

Could your problems be due to spaces in the path? (Dokumente und Einstellungen)

try not use very long names ... i test project (007 version) with russian letter and spaces in the path, but the path was not very long... may be you can send log file?

[MichaelZ]

New version is out!

You can download it directly from latest WinBuilder (WB68)

Update 1 (10.04.2007):
1. fixed WimUtil problem
2. fixed VirtualBox script
3. Infra Recorder updated
4. new wallpaper

Problem with Update 1

VistaPE 008 was working perfectly. Since a day or so I only get black screen with cursor after boot. I'm pretty sure this happened after I loaded Update 1. Unfortunately I don't have plain 008 anymore and with WinBuilder you only get 008-1. Where can I get VistaPE 008 plain without update 1?

Many Greetings
Michael

[martinr]

@ MichaelZ
Just for the record, let me say that I downloaded Update 1 today. Apart from basic selections (screen size, language etc) I made no changes to the basic setup. It built and ran perfectly. I am sure that there is nothing in the update to give you the problems you are experiencing.

I would suggest that you start again from scratch. Set up a new folder, put WinBuilder 068 into it, and download VistaPE again. Once you have a basic working setup, then start making your changes, introducing your own scripts etc, but do it gradually, so that if anything goes wrong you know what to correct.

Good luck this time!

[martinr]

@ MichaelZ
I should have said that I made my build using imagex.

I see from another post that you have been using wimutil. So I did another build using this method. The result was equally successful, and so my original advice still stands.

[MedEvil]

Just a thought, could the problem be language connected?
Wouldn't be the first time.

[MichaelZ]

@ martinr
Thanks for your hint. I had already tried with a fresh directory, fresh downloaded WB068, fresh downloaded VistaPE. It did not help.

Just a thought, could the problem be language connected?
Wouldn't be the first time.

I run WB on a German Windows XP SP2, patched up-to-date (could the April patches be the problem?).
As source I tried German WAIK, German Vista DVD and English Vista DVD, always with WimUtil and ImageX.

Fortunately I have a somewhat decent ISO from a few days ago, probably that's my last VistaPE

Many Greetings
MichaelZ

[pscEx]

I run WB on a German Windows XP SP2, patched up-to-date (could the April patches be the problem?).
As source I tried German WAIK, German Vista DVD and English Vista DVD, always with WimUtil and ImageX.

As mentioned in the 'Black screen' topic, I have some issues, too.
And I'm running a system like MichelZ.
So maybe it has something to do with German...

Peter

[MichaelZ]

.
.
........................

Fortunately I have a somewhat decent ISO from a few days ago, probably that's my last VistaPE

No problem anymore !!! I have built a new VistaPE !!!

As mentioned in the 'Black screen' topic, I have some issues, too.
And I'm running a system like MichelZ.
So maybe it has something to do with German...

Yes indeed, it is a language problem.
I booted an English Windows XP SP2 (patched up-to-date) and installed an English WAIK. WinBuilder068 produced a VistaPE 008 Update 1 ISO that did not have the black screen problem anymore. I used ImageX, English Vista DVD and packed boot.wim. I also did not select the language tweak.

@NightMan
What can I do to help you find out what the problem with the German version is?

Many Greetings
MichaelZ

[MedEvil]

Simple. Compare the english build with the german one and make a list of the differences found.
Pay special attention to missing files in the german build and english foldernames that should be german.
If all that checks out, the problem lies somewhere in the configuration files.
Some folder name is hardcoded in english and can't be found on a german VistaPE.

[MichaelZ]

Simple. Compare the english build with the german one and make a list of the differences found.
Pay special attention to missing files in the german build and english foldernames that should be german.
If all that checks out, the problem lies somewhere in the configuration files.
Some folder name is hardcoded in english and can't be found on a german VistaPE.

Probably it is not that easy :-(
I did not find the difference. I guess a more skillfull person should have a look at it.

I attach the log-de.html from the WinBuilder that was running on the Germen Windows XP and the log-en.html that was running on the English XP. Also I attach the directory listings of the cd and of the boot.wim on the cd, each in -de and -en version. Then I also attach (only from the non working build on the German XP) some during startup used files.

I did also copy the system and software registry hives from both German and English XP created VistaPE and mounted them on my XP in regedit. Even though the binary files differ heavily between -de and -en, the export as .reg-file did not show any difference.

Very mysterious that thing.

Many Greetings
MichaelZ