View topic - How to make a custom version of Windows? - Windows, Apple, Application, Abandonware and Game Beta Downloads/Repository

CPCookieMan

I'm sorry, I know this has probably been asked time and time again.

I would like to make a build of Windows, but custom. My own build of Windows basically. I realize that doing this will take time and patience, but I do need a starting point. I want to be able to build something like Longhorn 2010, maybe not as complicated as that. But that spectrum of things, not some random linux distro. I know how to build those, but I think building Windows would be a lot cooler. But where do I start, how do I do such a thing?

CPCookieMan

Barabba · Last edited by Barabba on Fri Aug 05, 2011 2:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

do some search, don't be lazy

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18775&hilit=custom+version+of+Windows
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=18652&hilit=custom+version+of+Windows
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=16284&hilit=custom+version+of+Windows
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=14251&hilit=custom+version+of+Windows

there are plenty more

you also failed to specify what NT version you be using

soulman

imagecfg.exe - found in the NT3.51 Shell preview for NT4 kit, edits versions of stuff.
imagex.exe - google it if you want to take apart NT6 + (this includes WIM'd longhorns)
nlite - useful for slipstreaming updates and tweaks the easy way
resource hacker - really good and easy to use PE editor

Take apart msgina.dll, shell32.dll and ntoskrnl.dll for a quick rebrand tweak.

CPCookieMan

soulman wrote:

imagecfg.exe - found in the NT3.51 Shell preview for NT4 kit, edits versions of stuff.
imagex.exe - google it if you want to take apart NT6 + (this includes WIM'd longhorns)
nlite - useful for slipstreaming updates and tweaks the easy way
resource hacker - really good and easy to use PE editor

Take apart msgina.dll, shell32.dll and ntoskrnl.dll for a quick rebrand tweak.

But HOW? Where do I find these in the install CD, and what programs are used to open them up? Reshack? I can get them back into a bootable image with nlite, but where do I find them?

Edit: I'm planning on using NT5, at least for my first mod. I may try my hand at Longhorn or 7 later though, so NT6 instructions may be helpful.

CPCookieMan

Barabba

i386 folder

CPCookieMan

Barabba wrote:

i386 folder

I see the files now. Thanks. But how do I edit those? I found MSGINA.DL_ but that doesn't open in reshack. What do I open the DLL or DL_ files in?

CPCookieMan

linuxlove

Code:

expand X:\i386\msgina.dl_ c:\YourDirectoryHere\msgina.dll

Most all the files in \i386 are compressed. Use this command to decompress them.

soulman

expand.exe

CPCookieMan

linuxlove wrote:

Code:

expand X:\i386\msgina.dl_ c:\YourDirectoryHere\msgina.dll

Most all the files in \i386 are compressed. Use this command to decompress them.

But I'll need to recompress them too right? How do I do that? And, for ease of use only, how do I remove activation and the product key prompt?

CPCookieMan

linuxlove

expand.exe doesn't have the /? switch for nothing you know.

It may be for ease of use but for the forum rules, you'll need to leave in any activation and product key prompts.

Barabba

CPCookieMan wrote:

And, for ease of use only, how do I remove activation and the product key prompt?

use nLite with filled in information

CPCookieMan

Barabba wrote:

CPCookieMan wrote:

And, for ease of use only, how do I remove activation and the product key prompt?

use nLite with filled in information

Well that seems like a good option if you want your PK blacklisted against activation in MS servers... It's a personal key, not one I want to put all over the internet.

CPCookieMan

CPCookieMan

Yeah, good point Barabba, even though your post is gone for some reason. I'll leave the activator and PK in the setup.

Offtopic Comment

It's weird how there's so much to do with Whistler still in the official builds of XP. I see a lot of Windows Whistler Server banners inside MSGINA.DLL.

CPCookieMan

soulman

Old news, you'll find stuff relating to the server sku (in beta/alpha at the time) nearly everywhere.

Barabba

thats b'coz Whistler server continued development for some time after XP went out

Offtopic Comment

and for the record to mods, I didn't wrote anything on how he should do his cracking or whatever

voyager8907

What would I use if I wanted to make some mods to Longhorn Build 5048?

soulman

imagecfg.exe - found in the NT3.51 Shell preview for NT4 kit, edits versions of stuff.
Vista AIK - use it for imagex
resource hacker - really good and easy to use PE editor
hedit30 - decent hex editor

CPCookieMan

linuxlove wrote:

expand.exe doesn't have the /? switch for nothing you know.

It may be for ease of use but for the forum rules, you'll need to leave in any activation and product key prompts.

The /? switch doesn't tell me how to recompress the files. Do they need recompression or can I rename then back to *.DL_?

CPCookieMan

soulman

use compress.exe

CPCookieMan · Last edited by CPCookieMan on Fri Aug 05, 2011 5:18 am, edited 1 time in total.

voyager8907 wrote:

What would I use if I wanted to make some mods to Longhorn Build 5048?

As I have learned here it is not a program that you use. I personally have made a few changes to Windows XP using reshack.

Basic Editing Tutorial:
1. Copy the installer CD contents to your hard drive for editing.
2. Extract MSGINA.DL_ NTOSKERNEL.EX_ and SHELL32.DL_ with the command "extract [INPUT.DL_] [OUTPUT.DLL]" This is the same command for EXE.
3. Open the extracted files one by one and poke around, maybe replace some stuff with reshack.
4. Save the files
5. Get compress.exe from Google
6. Use compress.exe with the opposite syntax of the extract command to recompress.
6. Make the finished product into a Windows installer ISO with nLite (NT5 Based) or vLite (NT6 Based).

It's not too hard, except for the fact that I don't know how to recompress yet. Most of the easy stuff to edit is in BMP format, you can pull it into Photoshop or GIMP... Heck, you could pull it into Paint.

CPCookieMan

CPCookieMan · Last edited by CPCookieMan on Fri Aug 05, 2011 5:11 am, edited 1 time in total.

soulman wrote:

use compress.exe

Compress and compress.exe both say not found when I run them in PowerShell. Help?

EDIT: Anyone care to chat in an IRC channel to help me? Might be a little easier than this. I have an IRCNet, but if there is a better suited one for this, just say so.

CPCookieMan

soulman

They're not in PowerShell... Google compress.exe and find the download link for it, whether it's in an OS OEM kit or not.

CPCookieMan

soulman wrote:

They're not in PowerShell... Google compress.exe and find the download link for it, whether it's in an OS OEM kit or not.

Alright thanks, I'm downloading the Windows Resource Kit Tools for Server 2003. Seems to work just fine on Windows 7.

CPCookieMan

soulman

You're welcome, just make sure you've searched before you need extra assistance

voyager8907

CPCookieMan wrote:

voyager8907 wrote:

What would I use if I wanted to make some mods to Longhorn Build 5048?

As I have learned here it is not a program that you use. I personally have made a few changes to Windows XP using reshack.

Basic Editing Tutorial:
1. Copy the installer CD contents to your hard drive for editing.
2. Extract MSGINA.DL_ NTOSKERNEL.EX_ and SHELL32.DL_ with the command "extract [INPUT.DL_] [OUTPUT.DLL]" This is the same command for EXE.
3. Open the extracted files one by one and poke around, maybe replace some stuff with reshack.
4. Save the files
5. Get compress.exe from Google
6. Use compress.exe with the opposite syntax of the extract command to recompress.
6. Make the finished product into a Windows installer ISO with nLite (NT5 Based) or vLite (NT6 Based).

It's not too hard, except for the fact that I don't know how to recompress yet. Most of the easy stuff to edit is in BMP format, you can pull it into Photoshop or GIMP... Heck, you could pull it into Paint.

CPCookieMan

Do you extract with Command Prompt?

How to make a custom version of Windows?

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