DOS firm.exe character limitation

Brandon · 06-24-2008, 07:53 PM

I am seeing an interesting problem while trying to copy my disaply drivers over on some of the newer HP models we have. They now have a file called igmedcompkrn.dll. Sometimes this file isn't called during the driver install so it doesn't matter when firm renames it to DOS igmedc~1.dll. Well I have hit a model where the display drivers don't install during sysprep because it is looking for this file.

Is there a way to copy long file names with firm in DOS. Please don't tell me I have to use Linux or PE

.

Thanks.

Brandon · 06-25-2008, 01:53 PM

I added a vbscript the first time windows boots up to look for that file then rename it back. This workaround gets the driver installed but I am still curious to know if there is a way to handle 8+ char files with dos firm. Thanks.

webbcu · 07-16-2008, 06:09 PM

Brandon,

I am having the same problem as you. Do you think I could get a copy of your VB script?

Thanks!

Brandon · 07-16-2008, 06:26 PM

I just fudged this in after the OS loads for the first time. Then after the next reboot the new hardware found wizard should go away.

Code:

Dim oFSO
set oFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If oFSO.FileExists("c:\drivers\video\igmedc~1.dll") Then
   oFSO.moveFile "c:\drivers\video\igmedc~1.dll", "c:\drivers\video\igmedcompkrn.dll"
End If
set oFSO = nothing

webbcu · 07-16-2008, 06:31 PM

Thanks, Brandon. Question - as I am a bit new to Altiris...can we not say, use xcopy instead of the firm command to get our job done?

Brandon · 07-16-2008, 06:39 PM

No,

"FIRM serves as an interface between DOS and the hard disk(s). You can use FIRM commands to

manage both DOS disks and FIRM drives (FAT,NTFS, and EXT2)."

http://www.altiris.com/upload/rapideploy_6_1.pdf
Page 91

xcopy is a 32-bit app that is isn't going to work in the FAT file system (let alone 16-bit environment). And if you pretend it could run, it wouldn't see the NTFS hard disk. Essentially you need a tool that can work with all the necessary filesystems FAT,NTFS,EXT2 ....

TRYDL · 07-16-2008, 08:32 PM

Quote:

I am seeing an interesting problem while trying to copy my disaply drivers over on some of the newer HP models we have. They now have a file called igmedcompkrn.dll. Sometimes this file isn't called during the driver install so it doesn't matter when firm renames it to DOS igmedc~1.dll. Well I have hit a model where the display drivers don't install during sysprep because it is looking for this file.

You can't get around the limitations of the file system. Maybe its time to start using WinPE

On a side note, I have run into this problem and simply renaming the file is good enough and matching that to the INF which installs the driver. Thats an Intel video card driver file right? I have done that in the past with success.

andykn · 07-17-2008, 05:45 AM

Could you edit the .inf file to call the 8.3 filename?

sunshine · 12-02-2008, 08:10 AM

I'm having issues with this now. Anyone got any resolutions? The image I push is a sysprep image, so it needs to go through the steps of configuring xp along with installing the drivers. When it's installing the drivers it is unable to locate the dll because of the 8 character limit in dos (Dos names it the short name) any help is greatly appreciated.

Brandon · 12-02-2008, 08:14 AM

I don't think editing the inf worked but I can't remember. Either way if it isn't a crucial driver, just call a vbscript to rename it once Windows loads up. After a reboot or two it will auto install with the new hardware wizard:

Code:

'fix for rp5700 dislpay driver
Dim oFSO
set oFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If oFSO.FileExists("c:\drivers\video\igmedc~1.dll") Then
   oFSO.moveFile "c:\drivers\video\igmedc~1.dll", "c:\drivers\video\igmedcompkrn.dll"
End If
set oFSO = nothing

In the end, I did switch to Linux as my pre-boot environment.

sunshine · 12-02-2008, 08:27 AM

I'm also using linux automation, but I have a new laptop model (EliteBootk 6930P) that works in dos only. I've updated the drivers for linux automation, but didn't have any luck. I'm running 6.9.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brandon

I don't think editing the inf worked but I can't remember. Either way if it isn't a crucial driver, just call a vbscript to rename it once Windows loads up. After a reboot or two it will auto install with the new hardware wizard:

Code:

'fix for rp5700 dislpay driver
Dim oFSO
set oFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If oFSO.FileExists("c:\drivers\video\igmedc~1.dll") Then
   oFSO.moveFile "c:\drivers\video\igmedc~1.dll", "c:\drivers\video\igmedcompkrn.dll"
End If
set oFSO = nothing

In the end, I did switch to Linux as my pre-boot environment.

sunshine · 12-02-2008, 08:42 AM

FYI:
I just renamed the file to the short name in the inf file and it worked.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brandon

I don't think editing the inf worked but I can't remember. Either way if it isn't a crucial driver, just call a vbscript to rename it once Windows loads up. After a reboot or two it will auto install with the new hardware wizard:

Code:

'fix for rp5700 dislpay driver
Dim oFSO
set oFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If oFSO.FileExists("c:\drivers\video\igmedc~1.dll") Then
   oFSO.moveFile "c:\drivers\video\igmedc~1.dll", "c:\drivers\video\igmedcompkrn.dll"
End If
set oFSO = nothing

In the end, I did switch to Linux as my pre-boot environment.

gerardsweeney · 12-04-2008, 01:38 AM

I hate using WinPE, as I had no end of hassles trying to get it to play nice with the assorted SATA hard drives and NICs in my environment.

So I used DOS, and I use 7za to archive my drivers folder to 1 file, copy that over, and have CMDLINES.TXT run a batch which unpacks it, and then rescans for hardware.

Bit of a bodge, but it makes the copying down process a whole lot faster.

Of course, I've now hit a problem with DOS FIRM.EXE apparently not copying files down correctly with larger FAT32 partitions. ARRGHH!!! (That's another thread, by the way)

Cheers,
Gerard

ZeroTonight · 01-21-2009, 06:17 PM

The way that we handle this is that we just put the driver on the image in the correct folder. It doesn't seem to happen too often, and the files are so small that it doesn't seem to make a difference. There have only been a few times we have had to do this, and even with the 2 dozen models and handful of files, our basic image is still under 1.6gb.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunshine

I'm having issues with this now. Anyone got any resolutions? The image I push is a sysprep image, so it needs to go through the steps of configuring xp along with installing the drivers. When it's installing the drivers it is unable to locate the dll because of the 8 character limit in dos (Dos names it the short name) any help is greatly appreciated.

gerardsweeney · 01-22-2009, 04:47 AM

That's not really an option for our HII setup, though, I'm afraid..

Using the HII methodology that we have set up, pretty much any base image (*) can be used for any other model of PC that we capture the drivers for using SmartDriver CLI mode.

I suppose in theory, you could do something like this..

1. Create your base image PC with support for all of the MSD you are likely to come up against.

2. Run a small script which edits the registry to look in:

C:\drivers\001
..
c:\drivers\999

3. Create your image file

4. Collect the drivers for PC model 1 using SmartDriver

5. Either run a script or manually rename the folders created to 001 upwards.

6. Document somewhere the range (001-whatever) that PC model 1 uses.

7. Inject these renamed folders into your base image file

For subsequent PCs, repeat steps 5-7, obviously modifying the numbers to suit.

That's about the only way I can think of doing it for multiple models.

However, you're then faced with the issue that if model1 that you do in January and model17 that you do in October have the same sound cards, I'm not sure which version of the driver either model will use - will it (Windows' driver installer) pick the first one it finds, or is it smart enough to go with the most up-to-date one?

Of course, all of this is theory - take it with a massive pinch of salt!

Cheers,
Gerard