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There are legacy DOS utilities that still do as good or better of a job than some Windows and Linux utilities. This is a method of creating a DOS Boot CD using scripts and support files provided by the creator of BartPE.

1. Download [local copy] and extract Bart’s Boot CD (version 1.1.1 at the time of this writing).
2. Optionally download the Nero wnaspi32.dll file and place in the bcd111/bin directory if you wish to enable automatic ISO burning. Otherwise, the scripts only generate an ISO file for you.
3. Download [local copy] and extract the contents of Bart’s Boot Floppy (version 1.0.7 at the time of this writing) to the bcd111 folder, overwriting any files that already exist.
4. Download [local copy] and extract the contents of the CDROMMI packageto the bcd directory.

Visit Bart’s Network Boot Disk page for instructions on packaging your own drivers to support your network card or to find an existing one. The driver files for each card should be placed in .cab files under bcd111/cabs/drivers/ndis. In addition, you can use Bart’s instructions to turn this disc into a modular boot disk, allowing for all sorts of locally installed utilities that may come in handy. I’ve focused on getting networking up and running as quickly as possible because I like to store any utilities I’m going to use on a network share. Mounting a share from the disc once you have the network running is easier and allows you to mix and match utilities without burning multiple discs.

1. Boot the CD.
2. Choose option 2 from the boot menu.
3. Run automatic network detection but when you get to the Identification Settings window you need to specify at least the IP address and hostname of the machine hosting the share in the lmhosts file.
4. Check off the lmhosts option and click OK. Type the IP address of your server and its netbios name separated by a space and Alt-X to exit.
5. You can then use the “net use” command to map the drive as you normally would once presented with a prompt.

[addendum]

Something that wasn’t apparent from the instructions on the BartPE’s website was how to force a rebuild of the boot image. Linux is used to load the boot image file (cds\cdrommi\files\isolinux\msnet.img) which contains your network drivers. If you add custom drivers and fail to delete this file before rebuilding the CD the drivers will not appear as available. Simply delete this file before you build your CD with custom drivers and the build scripts will create a new one that includes your driver files.

[addendum to the addendum]

Even after I deleted the msnet.img file and let a new one generate the scripts didn’t seem to pick up the new NDIS drivers I had installed.  Instead I had to open msnet.img with WinImage and manually insert my cab file (created with Microsoft’s CAB SDK) and edit _msnet.pci and _msnet.nic to add entries for my new driver additions.  A bit of a pain, but I haven’t had a chance to investigate why the build script doesn’t work as it should.

The recommended Debian way of adding a script to the SysV init standard boot sequence is to add the script to /etc/init.d and then run update-rc.d scriptname defaults. The defaults option puts a link to the script in runlevels 2-5 and 0, 1 and 6.

0 — Halt
1 — Single-user text mode
2 — Not used (user-definable)
3 — Full multi-user text mode
4 — Not used (user-definable)
5 — Full multi-user graphical mode (with an X-based login screen)
6 — Reboot

This is a guide to using a set of scripts called HFSlip to slipstream the latest patches and software updates into your copy of Windows XP SP2 so you need not download many (if any) Windows Updates upon installation. There are many other ways to achieve this end but I like this particular script’s straight-forward manner and ease of use.

You will need the following materials.

1. HFSlip
2. The mkisofs.exe and cygwin1.dll files from an existing Cygwin install.
3. LegitCheckControl.cab from the Windows Genuine Advantage installer.
4. The MSICabExtract program (optional).
5. Bart’s Boot Image Extractor.
6. A bootable Windows XP SP2 Pro install disc.
7. All current hotfixes and software updates. At the time of this writing that includes the following KB references and executables:
893803, 909502, 902344, 891122, 873339, 885250, 885835, 885836, 886185, 887472, 887742, 887797, 888113, 888302, 890046, 890859, 891781, 893066, 893756, 896344, 896358, 896422, 896423, 896424, 896428, 898461, 899587, 899589, 899591, 900725, 900930, 901017, 901214, 902400, 904706, 905414, 905749, 905915, 908519, 910437, 912919, 900325
HMTCDWizard_enu.exe
MP10Setup.exe
msxmlcab.exe
WindowsUpdateAgent20-x86.exe
890830

(Note that dotnetfx.exe, the .Net Framework 2.0 installer, and wmcsetup.exe, the Windows Media Connect 2.0 installer, both fail to install given this method and are not listed above as a result. I believe they need to be repackaged as switchless installers, but since I was mainly concerned with security updates I have not taken the time to attempt it.)

1. Download and unzip HFSlip. Run the included HFSLIP*.CMD file to generate the necessary directories.
2. Add mkisofs and cygwin1.dll to the hftools directory from an existing Cygwin install.
3. Put LegitCheckControl.cab in hfcabs to allow for Windows Genuine Advantage installation.
4. Add MSICabExtract.exe to the hftools directory (optional).
5. Extract the boot sector from the Windows install CD via Bart’s Boot Image Extractor with the command bbie [drive letter] and place the file in the hftools folder. Retain the program for future use in the top level directory of hfslip in its own bbie directory.
6. Copy i386, WIN51, WIN51IP, win51IP.SP2 from windows XP SP2 Pro Corp disc to source folder.
7. Place all hotfixes and software updates in the HF directory with the exception of 890830.
8. Place 890830 into the hfsvpk_sw directory.
9. Run the HFSLIP*.CMD file to generate an iso of your newly slipstreamed Windows XP.

For more information about why certain updates go in certain places refer to the script’s source or visit the HFSlip home page linked from the file download’s description above.

Looking for two items in a text file and more comfortable with grep?  You can use | as an OR operant as long as you enclose the statement in parenthesis and escape the special characters with a backslash.

grep \(this\|that\) file.name

You can extend this idea further to increase your grepping powers.  Or you could just learn sed.

I’ve looked for ways to remotely or automatically add a TCP/IP printer to Windows for what seems like forever. Here’s a note from USENET that sounds like precisely what I’ve been looking for:
“First, read these:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=189105
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314486

It is pretty bad documentation, but you can probably find the incantation you need by tweaking the examples. For example, the following command works for me to install a direct connection to an HP LaserJet 4050:

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /b “patlhack” /if /f %windir%\inf\ntprint.inf /r “http://laserjet.example.com/ipp” /m “HP LaserJet 4050 Series PS”

This creates a printer with a friendly name of “patlhack”, using the Windows network print driver (ntprint.inf), with a port name and driver name suitable for my printer. Modern HP printers support IPP (the Internet Printing Protocol) via the URL < http://[printer]/ipp>, and that is what you should use if you can. Try using the Add Printer Wizard and supplying a URL like “http://jetdirect/ipp”. If it works, then something like the command above should do the trick for you. Otherwise, you will probably have to use a port name like “IP_192.168.0.1″ instead of the nice URL. Either way, you must provide the driver name to the /m switch.”

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For months I’ve believed that Eudora 5.1.1 was negotiating with the mail server using SSL for both incoming and outgoing connections. After all, under Tools > Options I had set STARTTLS as required for both incoming and outgoing connections. Only recently, after receiving reports of logins via plain text, did I check this setup more thoroughly. Even though the settings I describe were indicated clicking the Last SSL Info button next to said option indicated that SSL had never been used for either sending or receiving. The only way I could get the setting to stick was to click on Tools > Personalities and then right click on the Dominant Personality to inspect its Properties. From there I switched STARTTLS from Required to If Available and back again for both IMAP and SMTP. Once done the Last SSL Info button reported the receipt of an SSL certificate.

I just realized that Windows XP Hibernate will allow you to boot from another device while your current OS is in hibernation.  This makes sense but I’m not quite sure this ability has an actual use.  Perhaps it would come in handy if you were running a dual boot setup and wanted to switch to the Linux or other OS side without closing all programs and going through an entire reboot. To explore the potential put a bootable disk in one of your removeable media drives.  Put Windows XP into hibernation and then turn the computer back on.  You will boot to the OS on the device.  Remove the disk and reset the power and you’re back to your saved Windows XP session.