FD-ISR and Windows 7

[pandlouk]

A tutorial on how to install FirstDefense-ISR on Windows 7.

Before installing FD-ISR on windows 7 you will have to download and run either Bootsect_x86.exe (for 32bit) or Bootsect_x64.exe (for 64bit)*. Just download the attached files and eliminate the ".txt" extension.

After you executed them you can proceed with installing FD-ISR.

*They are rar compressed executables that contain the vistas bootsect.exe (32 or 64) and you can open them with winrar, 7zip, etc. They are made to invoke an UAC prompt when they are executed, because bootsect.exe needs to have administrator privileges for accessing and updating the bootsector of your partition.

Panagiotis

[pandlouk]

How to perform a fresh installation of Windows 7.

You will have to pay attention to not let Windows 7 to create the small boot partition of 100mb. FD-ISR requires that both the boot files and the OS are placed in the same partition.

Here are the steps that you must perform during the installation:

01. When you arrive at the screen that asks you "Which type of installation do you want?", you should select "Custom (advanced)".



02. Select "Drive options (advanced)".



03. Select "New".



04. Create a small partition of 100-200mb.



05. Then extend the partition you just created to a desirable size.






6. After that format the new extended partition and proceed with the installation.



Pay attention to not create other partitions because Windows 7 will use one of them to place its boot files and this is what we wanted to avoid with the above steps. When the installation is completed you can create as many partitions as you like.

Panagiotis

[pandlouk]

But what happens if one just bought a brand new pc that came with preinstalled windows?

This can be tricky, but it can be done (with a little effort).

The first thing to do, is to take an Image of the whole disk. You can use your favorite program for doing it, or the integrated Windows 7 Backup and Restore utility.

Second thing to do, is to go to your computer management console to take a look on how the disk your new pc is partitioned. Search in the task bar for "Computer Management" then click it. It is possible that you will have 1 (and sometimes 2) extra OEM partitions (beside those that you can see below) at the beging or at the end of the disk.



What we want to achieve is to "integrate" the boot files of the "system reserved" partition to the OS partition and make it bootable. Then we can delete the "system reserved" partition and with third party partition managers, we can reclaim the free/unallocated space. (Or by taking a new image of our newly modified OS partition, and then deleting that partition too, we can restore the Image to the free space that will be left by those two partitions).

Now it's time to get our hands dirty. (My favorite part)
First you must reboot and during boot-time press F8. This will give you access to the "Advanced Boot Options" menu. There select "Repair Your Computer" and press enter.



Then select your keyboard, your "Administrator account" and you will see the "System Recovery Options menu".







Now, click at the "Command Prompt".



The commands that you will have to type/execute are highlighted with yellow color. Remember to press enter after each command.

1. "diskpart"

2. "list vol"

(You should pay attention and remember the letters and the sizes of the volumes of "system reserved" and the OS; if you had given a name to your OS partition it should appear and would be easier to identify it).

3. "exit"

4. "Robocopy /s [System Reserved volume]:\ [OS volume]:\"

(The above command will copy all the necessary boot files from the System Reserved to the OS partition.)

[System Reserved volume]= the letter of the System Reserved volume
[OS volume]= the letter of the OS volume



5. "diskpart"

6. "list disk"

(The above command will give us a list of our hard disks. You must identify the one where the OS is installed and remember its number.)

7. "sel disk [OS disk]"

[OS disk]= The number of your disk that you identified at step 6.

8. "list part"

(The above command will give us a list of our partitions. Here is tricky and you should pay attention to correctly identify the System Reserved and the OS partition, by their sizes from step 2. Now you should remember their numbers).

9. "sel part [System Reserved]"

[System Reserved]= the number of the "System Reserved partition".

10. "del part"

(This command will delete the "System Reserved partition" that we selected above).

11. "sel part [OS]"

[OS]= the number of the "OS partition".

12. "active"

(This command will make our partition bootable/active).

13. "exit"

(It will close the diskpart and after that you are free to close the command prompt).




Press restart.



And enter again at your "Computer Management" to verify that the "System Reserved partition" is gone for good.



Now take a new image of your updated "OS partition". (Better safe than sorry).

As I said above you can use it to reclaim the free space, instead of using third party Partition managers.

Congrats, you are ready to install FD-ISR; (after you run the correct Bootsect exe mentioned at the beginning of the tutorial).

Panagiotis

[pandlouk]

How can we install Windows 7 on an empty snapshot?

1. First you need to create an empty snapshot



2. Then boot to the newly created new snapshot. (Do not insert the windows 7 dvd yet).

3. It should give you an error that "ntldr" or "bootmgr" is missing. Now before rebooting again, insert your DVD.

4. Boot from the dvd and install windows 7 without formatting the disk.

When the installation finishes install FD-ISR; (after you run the correct Bootsect exe mentioned at the beginning of the tutorial).

Panagiotis

[pandlouk]

Originally Posted by pandlouk

A warning to those that use FD-ISR to dualboot windows xp/ windows 7.
Do not try to remove you all your 7 snapshots and remaining with only with the xp snapshots; there is a very high propability that it will kill your partition and you will be unable to recover any data even from a pe disk.
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=184009

Originally Posted by pandlouk

If you are using FD-ISR with Vista and/or 7 you should add the following entry in your "Excluded Files" (you will find the menu under "Tools -> Options -> Tasks"):

*{3808876b-c176-4e48-b7ae-04046e6cc752}

Those are files created by the Volume Shadow copy Service in the "System Volume Information" folder and should be excluded from the snapshots.

Tutorial finished...

Panagiotis

[demoneye]

NICE WORK pandlouk YOU ROCKS!!

[Acadia]

Thank you, thank you, thank you ... ad infinitum ...

Acadia

[Acadia]

pandlouk, now a question: your post number 4 above, How can we install Windows 7 on an empty snapshot?, does that mean that I could simply use my current installation of XP and create a blank Snapshot, then install an off-the-shelf new Win7?

If it is that easy, is there something "complicated" or tricky that I am missing about the procedure?

It sounds to me like it would be easier to add Win7 to my current system and retain XP "just in case", almost seems to simple or good to be true.

Thanks again for this.

[pandlouk]

Originally Posted by demoneye

NICE WORK pandlouk YOU ROCKS!!

Originally Posted by Acadia

Thank you, thank you, thank you ... ad infinitum ...

Acadia

You are welcome guys.

Originally Posted by Acadia

pandlouk, now a question: your post number 4 above, How can we install Windows 7 on an empty snapshot?, does that mean that I could simply use my current installation of XP and create a blank Snapshot, then install an off-the-shelf new Win7?

If it is that easy, is there something "complicated" or tricky that I am missing about the procedure?

It sounds to me like it would be easier to add Win7 to my current system and retain XP "just in case", almost seems to simple or good to be true.

Thanks again for this.

Yes it's that easy.
The only "tricky" thing is if you have other primary ntfs partitions.
If you do you should "hide" them with a partition manager or with diskpart by changing the System ID with the "setid" command; if not Windows 7 could use one of them to place its boot files.

Panagiotis

[Acadia]

Originally Posted by pandlouk

Yes it's that easy.

Ok, the new Snapshot which would contain Win7, would I need to reinstall original classic FD-ISR? If so, what would I do with the FD-ISR still in my XP Snapshots, uninstall it but keep any old XP Snapshots that I would want to keep?

Acadia

[pandlouk]

Originally Posted by Acadia

Ok, the new Snapshot which would contain Win7, would I need to reinstall original classic FD-ISR? If so, what would I do with the FD-ISR still in my XP Snapshots, uninstall it but keep any old XP Snapshots that I would want to keep?

Acadia

Off course, you must install it. (this was the reason of the entire thread)
You don't have to uninstall anything when you'll install it in 7 you're ready to go.
I assume that you have already updated your snapshots & archives with the Unified Leapfrog version, right?

Panagiotis

[Acadia]

Oh, I won't be ready to do this for a while, I haven't even purchased Win7 yet. So, let me get this straight then I won't bug you again until its time for me to actually do this, , I keep BOTH installations of FD-ISR, the one that I originally did in XP, and the new one in Win7, and they "become as one" without messing each other up?

Acadia

[Sadeghi85]

Originally Posted by pandlouk

But what happens if one just bought a brand new pc that came with preinstalled windows?

This can be tricky, but it can be done (with a little effort).

Another way would be to use BING on a CD, no need to install. Assign a drive letter to the 100mb partition, then navigate to the partition in explorer, copy all its content to the Win7 partition then boot to BING, in partition work, delete the 100mb partition, resize Win7 to reclaim the free/unallocated space, final part is to do a BCD edit on the Win7 partition.

[osip]

Absolutely fantastic tutorial Panagiotis !

I tried before this the method from the other thread by executing bootsect.exe in " run/cmd.exe as admin" in an already installed win 7. FDISR installed after this okey but showed error RII-01 in the preboot screen. Went back...
My diskmanagement shows as follows, no system reserved partition, no integration obviously needed:


Do you figure the reason for this ?

---------------------------------------
ADDED:

Oh my god, I forgot about my own earlier diskeeper/fdisr incompatibility warning...I have it on my laptop. Suspect this to be the reason...Will uninstall and repeat operation.

[pandlouk]

Originally Posted by Acadia

Oh, I won't be ready to do this for a while, I haven't even purchased Win7 yet. So, let me get this straight then I won't bug you again until its time for me to actually do this, , I keep BOTH installations of FD-ISR, the one that I originally did in XP, and the new one in Win7, and they "become as one" without messing each other up?

Acadia

Correct. FDISR program files are placed inside the $ISR folder, and are common for all the snapshots.

Originally Posted by Sadeghi85

Another way would be to use BING on a CD, no need to install. Assign a drive letter to the 100mb partition, then navigate to the partition in explorer, copy all its content to the Win7 partition then boot to BING, in partition work, delete the 100mb partition, resize Win7 to reclaim the free/unallocated space, final part is to do a BCD edit on the Win7 partition.

Agree. There are various ways to achieve this but the reasons of the one that I described in the thread are:
1st. There is no need to use any external media (not even the windows dvd).
2nd (and most important). You do not have to perform any correction afterwards, like "bootrec" or "bcdedit".

Panagiotis

[Sadeghi85]

True

Just wanted to mention another way of doing this for those who might be interested.

[samy]

Hi Pandlouk

First of all Thank You for this great job

Regarding the question asked by Acadia i.e. installing Win 7 on a PC running XP with FD-ISR.

1. In the thread
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showt...=233932&page=2
most/all the attempts failed because it was necessary to modify the Boot Sector due to the differences between XP and Vista/Win7 boot sectors.

2. In your post above "How can we install Windows 7 on an empty snapshot?"
it is not requested to ran one of the Bootsect_xXX.exe file.
Is it correct.

thanks for your time

[pandlouk]

Originally Posted by osip

Absolutely fantastic tutorial Panagiotis !

I tried before this the method from the other thread by executing bootsect.exe in " run/cmd.exe as admin" in an already installed win 7. FDISR installed after this okey but showed error RII-01 in the preboot screen. Went back...
My diskmanagement shows as follows, no system reserved partition, no integration obviously needed:
Attachment 216359

Do you figure the reason for this ?

---------------------------------------
ADDED:

Oh my god, I forgot about my own earlier diskeeper/fdisr incompatibility warning...I have it on my laptop. Suspect this to be the reason...Will uninstall and repeat operation.

You are welcome.
Please confirm if this is a diskeeper/fdisr incombatibility. If it is I suspect is because it defrags costantly the file "C:\$ISR\0\$ISRBIN". Try to exclude it and report back.
Seems that FD-ISR updates its location when the service is loaded; This means that if its moved you can restore at the second reboot.

Panagiotis

[pandlouk]

Originally Posted by Sadeghi85

True

Just wanted to mention another way of doing this for those who might be interested.

This is the way (not with bing but with a winpe) that I had done it on my pc and I had lost the "Repair Your Computer" ever since.


Panagiotis

[pandlouk]

Originally Posted by samy

Hi Pandlouk

First of all Thank You for this great job

Regarding the question asked by Acadia i.e. installing Win 7 on a PC running XP with FD-ISR.

1. In the thread
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showt...=233932&page=2
most/all the attempts failed because it was necessary to modify the Boot Sector due to the differences between XP and Vista/Win7 boot sectors.

2. In your post above "How can we install Windows 7 on an empty snapshot?"
it is not requested to ran one of the Bootsect_xXX.exe file.
Is it correct.

thanks for your time

No, the first step with Bootsect_xXX.exe is always necessary.

The only time that you won't need it is if you upgrade from Vista to 7; is the only scenario where 7 installation, does not modify the bootsect of vista.

Panagiotis

[samy]

Thanks for the clarifications.

If understood correctly, in post #4

2. Then boot to the newly created new snapshot. (do not insert the windows 7 dvd yet).

3. It should give you an error that "ntldr" or "bootmgr" is missing. Now before rebooting insert your DVD.

4. Boot from the dvd and install windows 7 without formating the disk.

When the installation finishes XXXX install FD-ISR.

XXXX =

Before installing FD-ISR on windows 7 you will have to download and run either Bootsect_x86.exe (for 32bit) or Bootsect_x64.exe (for 64bit)

- Is the above correct
- In this case (i.e. installing Win 7 on a PC running XP with FD-ISR.) will Win 7 create the small boot partition of 100Mb which has to be 'removed' as per post 2 above except w/o reformatting?.

Thanks

[pandlouk]

Originally Posted by samy

Thanks for the clarifications.

If understood correctly, in post #4


XXXX =

correct
XXXX = "Before installing FD-ISR on windows 7 you will have to download and run either Bootsect_x86.exe (for 32bit) or Bootsect_x64.exe (for 64bit)*. "

Originally Posted by samy

- Is the above correct
- In this case (i.e. installing Win 7 on a PC running XP with FD-ISR.) will Win 7 create the small boot partition of 100Mb which has to be 'removed' as per post 2 above except w/o reformatting?.

Now I lost you. How do you intend to install on an XP system and FD-ISR by reformating?
Windows 7 does not always create a 100mb partition. If have formatted before hand the disk and it finds another (second) primary ntfs partition on the system it will use that as the boot partition.
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showp...24&postcount=9

[osip]

Originally Posted by pandlouk

You are welcome.
Please confirm if this is a diskeeper/fdisr incombatibility. If it is I suspect is because it defrags costantly the file "C:\$ISR\0\$ISRBIN". Try to exclude it and report back.
Seems that FD-ISR updates its location when the service is loaded; This means that if its moved you can restore at the second reboot.

Panagiotis

It was Diskeeper...To exclusions doesn't help. Had to completely uninstall. Your bootsect.exe_86 was perfect...No errors in the preboot. Another thing is that you have to have a legal win7 copy, otherwise your win activation will fly..
Thanks again for your efforts...

[PoetWarrior]

Excellent work pandlouk. Thank you.

[pandlouk]

Originally Posted by osip

It was Diskeeper...To exclusions doesn't help. Had to completely uninstall. Your bootsect.exe_86 was perfect...No errors in the preboot. Another thing is that you have to have a legal win7 copy, otherwise your win activation will fly..
Thanks again for your efforts...

Thanks for reporting back.
Well if you really want make them coexist you can try excluding the entire "$ISR" folder.
Or try the excellent and free for fome use Puran Defrag.
http://www.puransoftware.com/Puran-Defrag-Download.html

Originally Posted by PoetWarrior

Excellent work pandlouk. Thank you.

Panagiotis