17 replies to this topic

[pscEx]

Because I think that it is a general, not Win7PE issue, here a copy of a post I made in the Win/ forum:

After building the project successful under XP SP3 32bit host, I made a new test:

Copied the COMPLETE WinBuilder directory to a Vista 64bit host.

I built the project, and got the same result Brian Hoover reported some posts ago.

A compare of the generated ISO showed, that under the 64 bit host the boot.wim was remarkable smaller that one from the 32 bit host.

My opinion:

This seems to be an issue of 'Building a WinBuilder project under 64 bit host'
Here are the same mechanisms active, which Lancelot successful fixed in LiveXP.

To make his fixes possible, WinBuilder already offers some help to work with 'Running WinBuilder in a 64 bit host environment'

• The Variables
  • %Wow64%
  • %Wow64Dir%
  • %Programs64%
• The commands
  • System,REGREDIRECT
  • System,FILEREDIRECT

The currently only open issue is that under Wow64 the %ProgramFiles% MUST be written in lowercase as %programfiles%
That cannot be handled by WinBuilder, but has to be defined in the individual scripts using this Variable.

I'm sure that with help of these explanations in some days also the Win7PE can be build on 64 bit hosts.

@YahooUK:
To avoid disappointment and support questins, before these fixes are active:

Just add under [process] in script.project:
If,%Wow64%,EQUAL,True,Begin
Set,%Msg%,"Sorry, this project cannot be built under 64 bit host"
Halt,%msg%
End

Peter

For ALL projects it seems to be necessary to handle Billy the Door's way to handle 32 bit apps under 64 bit OS

Peter

[Lancelot]

And here is the post from same topic to help further to script developers with giving example by LiveXP project.

Currently LiveXP Fully supports hostosx64

Some notes from original LiveXP topic:

***Info_X64: Gather files
Script developers, Avoid using "gather files" as script option, when hostOS is x64 (or vista) gathering files may result in gathering wrong files. (like gathering a .sys file may cause trouble)
If you have to use "gather files" as an option:
--Put a check routine to check hostos before gathering files (Example: Acronis-DiskDirector10.script)
--Gather files to a folder under %GlobalTemplates%\xxx....xxxx\ so user can gather files with a hostosxp32 computer and copy files to his/her hostos.

***Info_X64: ProgramFiles - programfiles
For compatibility, dont use ProgramFiles in script, use programfiles,
Also dont use CommonProgramFiles in script, use commonprogramfiles
Example:
Not Compatible with x64hostos, only works right with x86hostos
RegWrite,"HKLM",0x2,"WB-Software\Classes\http\shell\open\command",,"#$q#$pProgramFiles#$p\CD-Opera\Opera.exe#$q#$s#$q%1#$q"
Compatible with x64hostos and x86hostos:
RegWrite,"HKLM",0x2,"WB-Software\Classes\http\shell\open\command",,"#$q#$pprogramfiles#$p\CD-Opera\Opera.exe#$q#$s#$q%1#$q"
in contrast
Message,"#$pProgramFiles#$p",Information
shows %ProgramFiles% on x64
and
IniWrite,"%TargetDir%\%WorkDir%\CD-Opera\profile\Opera6.ini","User Prefs","Toolbar Configuration","%ProgramFiles%\CD-Opera\profile\toolbar\%ToolbarStyle_ScrollBox%.ini"
writes %ProgramFiles% to ini
>Better to use %programfiles% in scripts

[fxscrpt]

Hello,

%ProgramFiles% ( and %CommonProgramFiles%) redirection
(discussion started here)

started for REG_EXPAND_SZ values only
was extended to REG_SZ values.
Also case sensitivity maybe "fixed" in future.

However , there is another method:
Create a reg file
for %ProgramFiles% values
and for
X64 OS only
and import using 64 bit versions of regedit.exe/reg.exe.

System,FILEREDIRECT,OFF

ShellExecute,hide,"regedit.exe","/s#$s#$q%myregfile.reg#$q"

System,FILEREDIRECT,ON

Peter

[pscEx]

Some new knowledge:

At a different place, paraglider told us that he has no troubles to build a Win7PE project on his 64 bit host.

I made a test: Paraglider gave me his original project for download.
The only thing I changed, was the source CD path.

Result:

Black screen ...

The difference is that my PC has a German version of 64 bit Vista / Win7 ( I tried both!)

Voodo or explainable?

If explainable:
Can a change of WinBuilder help?
Can changes of some Win7PE scripts help?

BTW: nativeEx_barebone and LiveXP run w/o troubles on my 64 bit OS-es

BTW2: I did a compare:
Main difference between 32 bit and 64 bit host generated %TargetDir% were the registry hives.
The binareies are different at some places. But the exported *.reg files are identical.
An additional difference: x64 had two more BCD.log files ???

NO OTHER DIFFERENCES!

If I make an ISO on x32 from the x64 generated %TargetDir%, this ISO also runs on x32 into the Black Screen.

Peter

[Lancelot]

If I make an ISO on x32 from the x64 generated %TargetDir%, this ISO also runs on x32 into the Black Screen.

well with my last test, i was (and always) using 2k3x64 english for building win7pe (i reported in detail on win7pe topic) which resulted black screen too. Just reminding, Conclusion up to you...

[pscEx]

Looks like that paraglider has a 'magic app or service' on his system.

@Paraglider, can you offer this 'magic app or service' for download?

Seriously: What may be different ?

Peter

[Lancelot]

Seriously: What may be different ?

my usual suspect, local settings (regional and language options). Well this shouldnt cause an error but who knows what Billy the door thinks .

[paraglider]

What version of the WAIK are you using? The version I have installed is from Jan 2008 ( 1.1 ? ) for Vista sp1 + w2008.

[pscEx]

What version of the WAIK are you using? The version I have installed is from Jan 2008 ( 1.1 ? ) for Vista sp1 + w2008.

I have 6.0.6001.1800 from 2008-Jan-22

Peter

[paraglider]

Yes that the one I am using.What antivirus software are you running - I am running nod eset 4.0.424?. Have you tried disabling during the build and see if that makes any difference.

Was your win7 rc1 x64 install a clean install or an upgrade install? Mine was a clean install

[pscEx]

Yes that the one I am using.What antivirus software are you running - I am running nod eset 4.0.424?. Have you tried disabling during the build and see if that makes any difference.

Was your win7 rc1 x64 install a clean install or an upgrade install? Mine was a clean install

It is a clean install onto a new partition. It does not even contain 3rd party antivir software. Just the windows defender.

Peter

[paraglider]

Maybe its down to the processor type. Mine is an Intel Core I7 965.

[pscEx]

Maybe its down to the processor type. Mine is an Intel Core I7 965.

I have E5200

Peter

[paraglider]

Maybe it only works if you live in the US.

[pscEx]

Maybe it only works if you live in the US.

In about 40 minutes my English download will be finished ...

Peter

[pscEx]

I installed 64 bit Win7 RC1 EN-US and tested there

Same black screen!

But then I downloaded 32 bit RC1 EN-US, too and tried as source.
It works!

So it seems that German RC1 source brings the black screen.

I'm going to reinstall the German 64 bit Win7 and try English source.


Peter

[pscEx]

Now it is definite:

Building Win7PE on 64 bit host, independend whether Win7 RC1 German, Win7 RC1 English, Vista SP1 German:

The build from an English source CD runs into PE
The build from a German source CD runs into black screen.

Maybe here are some people who can test other languages?

Peter

[was_jaclaz]

Maybe useful maybe not, cannot say:
http://blogs.sepago....on-windows-x64/

WoW64 includes several mechanisms to separate file system and registry information for 32-bit applications from 64-bit applications in order to run unchanged on Windows x64. One of the tasks of WoW64 is file system redirection which makes 32-bit tools and libraries available in the expected location: On Windows x64, the 32-bit version of %SystemRoot%\System32 (as found on 32-bit Windows) is relocated to %SystemRoot%\SysWoW64. For 32-bit applications to work properly, WoW64 redirects every access to the new location.

As a very nasty consequence of this design, 32-bit applications are not able to call 64-bit tools located in the original %SystemRoot%\System32 because of the redirection. Fortunately, Microsoft has included most tools in both versions (32- and 64-bit). However, some useful tools are only available in 64-bit versions including shutdown.exe, logoff.exe, msg.exe, tsdiscon.exe and tsshutdn.exe.

jaclaz