Miscellaneous discussion (SetupS)

That's a very good name-description for it. I like it!

 

Ah, sounds like if I tested it on Windows 8/8.1 I'd encounter the same problem. Admin accounts seemed so transparent to me with Win8 & 10. It had seemed that Administrators-group was the default account-type when you first install Windows and the default account-type whenever you create any new accounts. So I thought anything I run from an account that is already in the Admin-group would automatically be "run as administrator". Come to think of it, I don't remember ever setting a password for the Built-in Administrator account either like you'd be required to with earlier Windows builds -- the same password you'd then have to provide whenever you use "run as administrator". Huh.

Anyway, good to know -- thanks for clearing that up for me. I learned something new today.

Now if I can just find a W8 install... it wasn't a popular OS before so it may be a challenge now. LOL

 

Yep, which is why Win7 is so much easier to work with and mod, it doesn't require you to create a user account on automated installs (in other words use the built-in or Super Admin account), whereas with Win8-10 you cannot use the built-in Admin account so it forces you to have to create a (offline) user account in the unattend file, etc. In a way it is more secure the way they have it for Win8-10, because even having an administrative account in Win8-10 you will still see UAC enforced upon certain directories and you have to give permission to perform certain changes. Basically they took the super out of admin; low octane plus 10% ethanol, on a good day

 

And from my own experience, Win8/10 is nearly impossible to develop anything on. Just too many roadblocks -- especially if you use network drives/computers, etc. -- not to mention how difficult it is to discern stuff with all that two-tone flatness going on.

 

Yeah, no kidding, maybe my mind if not flat enough or something, but I just can't look at that Win10 interface. I know a large part of it is probably conditioning, but still I can't seem to get around the feeling that things are not clear and fluid, plus if you delete or move a file, the way explorer does this now is slow (it gives you this extended deletion or copy animation) which gives this choppy feeling to everything. Just not very optimized at all if you ask me. Maybe they say they can't give more definition to the UI but the other day I was looking at this faux/painted frame around a painting, done on 2D cloth. My point being, if they can do this in the 17th century then MS should be able to come up with a little more defined UI that they have now:



See the red and yellow frame? That's painted, it's not 3D. Suck it Microsoft.

 

Yes, and it's pretty easy too. You can either modify an existing one, such as LastOS or Kazz; or create a new one entirely (using the pre-existing ones as models). The relevant files are as follows:

C:\Program Files\SetupS.SendTo\Tools\Menus\MenuStyles.ini
C:\Program Files\SetupS.SendTo\Tools\Menus\{MenuStyleName}Menu\Definitions.ini
C:\Program Files\SetupS.SendTo\Tools\Menus\{MenuStyleName}Menu\Icons.7z
​

"MenuStyles.ini" lists the MenuStyleNames available. SetupS includes two already: LastOS and Kazz; but there can be any number of MenuStyleNames listed here.

"Definitions.ini" is the real meat of the customized Startmenu -- this is the file you'll want to study.

And finally, "Icons.7z" is just a 7-Zip archive of the actual icon-files referenced by "Definitions.ini".

​

 

There never was an Auto Logon Script it's activated via the AutoUnattend.xml file during the install, to turn it back off you use start, run "netplwiz.exe" and tick the "user must enter a user name and password to use this computer" press OK and when you reboot you'll need to type in a password again, just make sure you've made an account or you'll need to just type "password" to log in with the built in "user" user.

 

Only if you wanted to automate the elevated admin, otherwise just tick the box and it'll offer all your users on the logon screen.

 

Anyone else having trouble with SetupS not processing registry files properly or at all with Windows 10? I'm having to merge/import manually...

 

Not noticed anything lately, but then I've hardly been using Win10.

 

Freezer any and I mean any locked or protected keys in the win 10 registry can NOT be automated via any form. I tried PowerShell. God mode admin and everything I could think of. The only way to change these keys is to run regedit.exe as admin and change it manually, this still can fail on windows defender keys as they are locked and protected and checked by defenders services. You can also double click a .reg file and click yes when it asks for permission, the automated methods will fail and on top of that it will abort any following key changes. So if you have a problem key. Seperare it into a separate .reg file or put it at the end of the .reg file.

Windows 8 also had this problem. The LUA settings and the UAC when disabled leave a bunch more protected keys accessible, that is why my aitounattend.xml disable it on firstboot and why I apply last10 tweaks before logon and after logon. No doubt win 10 sucks. But it isn't going anywhere so why fight it.

 

In my lite image testing I've come across situations with obsolete, protected keys and wanted to remove them. I used RegOwnershipEX live in VM's to remove them. Not sure if or how this would work for Win10 as the download only has the app for Win7 and for Win8.

 

Well that was rather disappointing news. I was getting ready to clean up the some of the Startmenu sorting anomalies seen with the various editions of Windows 10. But now even that seems like a lost cause. Ugh.

Anyway, double-clicking the .reg file worked for me and the key got entered -- and it was the same file that SetupS had failed to process. You'd think it'd be the other way around and SetupS would have had the better success since itself is reg'd as "RunAsAdmin". But it was just that one ssApp I tested (and the only one I've encountered so far with this problem). And it was just a simple serials key too -- it is after all a basic function/feature of SetupS. I don't recall Windows 10 rejecting any other ssApps or ppApps requiring serials either. Just in this one case:

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MT Solution]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MT Solution\PartitionWizard]
"SE-SN"=hex:{serial withheld}

I'm going to have to do some tests. Figure out why Windows 10 takes some serials and not others.

 

Weird, I have not had a user defined key fail like that - except AVG and other virus scanners. so the fact the above key doesn't get entered is a weird problem and unlikely to be related to permissions and instead be a SetupS glitch, you will need to trace the problem, best start with a very simple compiled AutoIt script separate to Setups to make sure it has the ability to set it then trace and debug what it attempts to add to the registry it may actually be parsing through your replace function and changing the -SN to just N because -S is a command line argument and it makes sense that something weird is going on. if you upload the app I'll have a play later, we're having a big house clean up currently so will be later tonight.

 

It was MiniTool Partition Wizard v9.1 Server Edition. The exact same .apz installs perfectly via SetupS for Windows XP, 2003 Server, & Windows 7. It only fails with Windows 10 Enterprise x64. Yet double-click the ssApp.reg and it takes.

... check your underwear (after you're done house cleaning)

 

I installed it and it made the reg key entry fine, I have an Administrator user and LUA and UAC are enabled, so maybe if you do not have UAC enabled, SetupS isn't being elevated to the full Administrator level causing a problem? I dunno, but using my mod of Win 10 LTSB doesn't have anything else special than Enterprise would have.

 

That's a bit of a relief to hear then. As I said, I'll have to do some tests. Thanks for the feedback and help!

 

Cool. Let us know what you find.

 

Freezer, I think this has something to do with how the architecture is determined by SetupS or something; the included .reg file writes the entry to local machine\...\Wow6432Node\... even though that is not designated in the .reg file. So somehow it converts it to "software\wow6432node\mt solution\..." and nothing to "software\mt solution\..." so that must have something to do with it. When applying the reg file manually, it works fine (as you said) so it is SetupS putting it in wow6432node for some reason.

EDIT: Hmm, installed some old screensaver ssApp with local machine\software entries and it generated both software and software\wow6432node entries where no wow6432node was indicated in the ssApp.reg file. It doesn't appear to do this with ppApps.

EDIT2: weird, it appears to install the SN to the wow6432node WITHOUT any reg file included... Wha? Included in the installer already?

 

Not sure if Glenn tested on an x64 LTSB Windows 10; but this would make sense. I too had been wondering if it was a WoW64 (#is_x64#) issue related to the registry.

 

Yes. I only use x64 and LTSB is my current os. I installed part wizard by double clicking the apz . then after pressing allow run as admin it went to non wow64 for me. I am not sure how to replicate the problem people are having. It is very easy to have regedit open and refresh it between setups execution. Also easy to watch task manager to watch for the 32 bit .exe being used over the x64 if you spot it is executing wrong.