edin.no-ip.com

Complete guideline:
http://unattended.msfn.org/
http://simonslick.com/Microsoft/Windows/XP/Service%20Pack%203/

Additional driver pack:
http://www.driverpacks.net/
http://forum.driverpacks.net/viewtopic.php?id=1756
http://forum.driverpacks.net/viewtopic.php?id=2264

Hotfixes downloader:
http://wud.jcarle.com/

Onepiece's EN-US Windows XP Post-SP3 All-in-One Update Pack:
http://www.ryanvm.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6438

Fix missing wallpaper after sysprep:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/329677

Integrate everything:
http://www.nliteos.com/
http://www.ryanvm.net/msfn/

Detail procedure (for RAW ISO):

1. Copy source CD with nLite, w/o SP3.
2. (Optional) Splitstream SP3 with nLite.
3. Splitstream Post-SP3 AIO package with nLite (NOTE: NOT with RyanVM).
4. Splitstream additional drivers with DrivePacks (NOTE: NOT with nLite).
5. Tweak options and services with nLite, and create ISO.
6. Test it with VirtualBox.
7. (Optional, refer to my other HOWTO) Copy I386 to harddisk and start installation with local source.

Detail procedure for installed WindowsXP:

1. Manually download update packages and install it.
2. Run Windows Update and check with any missing.
3. Create SAD DrivePack installer and update with it.

Usually we install Windows XP SP3 from CDROM, but sometime you would like to keep the installation file within local harddisk and start with it because of:

1. Faster installation. Install from local harddisk can greatly increase the installation process from around 40min to 20min.
2. Install new Windows component without insert installation CD.
3. Install new hardware without insert installation CD.

Long story short, if you have enough disk space, just free feel and try with this solution. If you are as lazy as me, this will be your cpu of tea :D

Prepare Windows XP SP3 setup files in USB flash drive

Nothing special for this part: 1. Insert both Windows XP SP3 installation CD and your USB flash drive to the PC, 2. Copy and paste all content from CD to somewhere else in your USB flash drive (or just simply copy the I386 folder, you only need it). That's all.

Well... Some more tips: You should use a valid CD key with your valid installation CD, and should verify if they are able to working together. Remember that Microsoft issue license in at least 3 difference version: OEM (e.g. CD coming from Dell, HP, IBM, etc), VL/VOL (Volume License, usually for enterprise or large organization) and Retail (that you are able to buy from retailer directly). Don't mix them up.

Prepare BartPE

Again nothing special: 1. Download BartPE installation file from official site, 2. Install BartPE master program into your PC, and 3. Insert your Windows XP SP3 installation CD and follow the guideline. It is quite simple if you are not requesting extra features.

Once everything are ready, we can now process with next step.

Process pre-installation with BartPE

The following screenshots are taken from a VirtualBox client, but the procedures are verified as valide with real PC:

1. Insert both BartPE bootable CD and USB flash drive BEFORE system boot. Remember that BartPE don't support USB pnp.
2. Boot your system with BartPE CD.
3. Format the local harddisk into NTFS with "A43 File Management Utility"
4. Copy the prepared I386 folder from USB flash drive to C:
   
   xpsp3_hda_setup-000.jpg
5. Run the following command and start the pre-installation procedure:
   C:\i386\winnt32.exe /syspart:C: /tempdrive:C: /makelocalsource
6. Follow the guideline and complete the required steps:
   
   xpsp3_hda_setup-001.jpgxpsp3_hda_setup-002.jpgxpsp3_hda_setup-003.jpgxpsp3_hda_setup-004.jpgxpsp3_hda_setup-005.jpgxpsp3_hda_setup-006.jpg
7. Once it complete you can now shutdown the PC.

Remember to unplug both BartPE and USB flash drive BEFORE next system reboot for installation. You don't need them from now.

Process real installation from local harddisk

You should now boot your PC with local harddisk. The Windows XP SP3 installer should start as usual with some trim-down:

xpsp3_hda_setup-007.jpgxpsp3_hda_setup-008.jpgxpsp3_hda_setup-009.jpg

Nothing special during the rest of installation procedure, but you will able to FEEL the speed difference. Enjoy :D

References

http://www.vandomburg.net/installing-windows-xp-from-usb/

Since I am now testing VirtualBox performance, I need to clone existing guest image for multi-testing. This mini-HOWTO will guide you though the procedure for cloning a guest storage file for a new guest, under MS Windows host.

When following the official guideline and document, using VBoxManage clonehd command for disk clone, the result image is ALWAYS not functioning. Finally I figure out that a non-documented internal command is required: VBoxManage internalcommands sethduuid.

This bug is documented in VirtualBox bug ticket system #2813.

Within this artical, I am using the following system setup:

• VirtualBox: v2.1.0
• Host: MS Windows Vista Home Basic
• Guest: Debian Lenny

Official procedure for cloning disk image (not function on MS Windows host)

Cloning an existing disk image for VirtualBox is much more than a simple copy command: it is because VirtualBox assigns a unique identity number (UUID) to each disk image, which also stored inside the image. VirtualBox will refuse to work with two image that use the same number. You need some extra handling.

According to official document, what you need is the console command VBoxManage clonehd, e.g. (host with MS Windows):

or (host with Linux):

VBoxManage clonehd hda.vdi hdb.vdi

Therefore VirtualBox will copy your disk image, assign a new UUID for it, and import to its virtual media manager. You can now use it for your new guest system.

Alternative non-documented solution

As now you understand how the vboxmanage clonehd work around, what we needed is a new-and-unique UUID for our cloned disk image. There is a non-documented internal command which target for this procedure: VBoxManage.exe internalcommands sethduuid.

So what you needed for are:

1. (Optional) Shutdown your target guest before disk clone.
2. Manually copy the existing disk image, e.g.
   
   copy hda.vdi hdb.vdi
3. Set a new UUID for the cloned disk, e.g.
   
   "C:\Program Files\Sun\xVM VirtualBox\VBoxManage.exe" internalcommands sethduuid hdb.vdi
4. Manually add this newly cloned disk image though VirtualBox "Virtual Media Manager".
5. Create a new guest profile as old system, and point the primary harddisk to your newly cloned disk image.

My Samba is working fine before but some days ago, it keep on generating some '*Zone.Identifier*' files, e.g. DskPerf.zip:Zone.Identifier:$DATA, when copy file from WinXP SP3 to Samba. I can't delete them from both Windows and Linux, and I don't even understand why it come out suddently...

Finally, openSUSE forum give me a workable solution (http://forums.opensuse.org/network-internet/387779-samba-file-transfer-c...). Just add the following line to smb.conf:

vfs objects = streams_xattr

After restart Samba no more '*Zone.Identifier*' files will be generated :-)

I can't control myself laughing when read though this good article: DIE IE - Down with Internet Explorer. If you are web designer or theme developer as what I am, you should have similar feeling. Especially when I am now hosting 4 Drupal themes in parallel, I hate IE6 even more than else before: the standard CSS implementation are often become NOT compatible in IE6; providing IE6 support become my nightmare ;-(

So what can we do for it? Simply educate other users NOT to use IE6 but other better web browsers, e.g. Firefox, Opera or Safari. Or if you are using Drupal for your personal blog and willing to do so, add a custom block within your blog header region by:

1. Log into your Drupal blog, and go to "admin/build/block/add".
2. When create the new custom block, use "Time to upgrade your web browser" as block description, and left block title as blank.
3. Copy and paste the following code snippet into the block body, and use "PHP code" as input format:
   
   <!--[if lt IE 7]><div style="margin: .5em; padding: .5em; color: #f00; border: 1px solid #d77; background: #fcc;">The web browser you are using is ancient and extinct... like the dinosaurs. Internet Explorer Sux (6) is a menace to society and every web designers' worst enemy, not to mention being unsecure and prone to collecting malware. It is also not supported by Microsoft anymore. Please upgrade to <a href="http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/" target="_blank">Firefox</a> | <a href="http://www.opera.com/" target="_blank">Opera</a> | <a href="http://www.apple.com/safari/download/" target="_blank">Safari</a> or any other browser that doesn't suck. It only takes a few minutes and you are doing yourself a favor. To read more about why it is a good idea to stop using Internet Explorer altogether <a href="http://themebot.com/articles/tips-and-tutorials/die-ie-down-with-internet-explorer">Click Here</a> and then scroll down to read the article.</div><![endif]-->
4. Back to "admin/build/block" and you should able to find your newly created block with description "Time to upgrade your web browser". Put it into your page header region (or some elsewhere).

And that's it! Now whenever someone browse your site with IE6, they will be warned with using a suck web browser :P

P.S. Firefox3 will ready for download on June 17, 2008. Are you ready for that? Let's join and set the record for most software downloads in 24 hours :)

P.P.S. Opera 9.5 already released on June 12, 2008, too. I give a quick try for it: it is fast and stable, but RTL support seems a bit broken (which is totally fine for 9.2)...

P.P.P.S. I try IE8 Beta1, too... But it sucks once again... Layouts which are function under both IE6/7 are broken in IE8, unless running it as "Emulate IE7"... Margin/padding are once again render in wrong style, and RTL support is CRAZILY broken... What's the hell of that!? Oh, Beta2 is coming in Auguest!? So let's forget about buggy Beta1 now...

what's happened to my server ??
sqlservr.exe can use up to 2xxMB of memory !?
so what is this ??
sqlservr - sqlservr.exe - Process Information

ok so why it use up such many of memory ??
ISA SQL Instance Using a Lot of Memory

and here is the final solution to fix it:
You may experience high memory usage on an ISA Server 2004-based computer that logs messages to an MSDE database

will this setting be reset after reboot ??
i don't even know that
and i will test it out later

here i post the related .sql file
i have limit the sqlservr.exe to use only 32MB ram
see how to use these files in the above linkage