Windows XP Embedded Service Pack 2 Feature Pack 2007 Community Technology Preview (August 29, 2006)

Chat Topic: Windows XP Embedded Service Pack 2 Feature Pack 2007 Community Technology Preview
Date: Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Please note: Portions of this transcript have been edited for clarity

Wendy [MS] (Moderator):
Welcome to today’s chat. Our topic today is Windows XP Embedded Service Pack 2 Feature Pack 2007 Community Technology Preview. This is the second of the series of chats on the Feature Pack.

*Introductions

Wendy [MS] (Moderator):
Now, let me introduce myself. I am Weijuan (Wendy) Shi, Program Manager of the Embedded Windows team. We are pleased to welcome our Experts for today’s chat. I will have them introduce themselves now.

MattKell_MSFT (Expert):
Hi everyone. My name is Matt Kellner, and I'm an SDET with the XP Embedded Team. I work with the tools and several EEFs, including EWF and El Torito, and I am the current developer for CMI Explorer / XPeCon.

jimmedd_MSFT (Expert):
Hi, I'm Jim Medding. I'm a SW development engineer with the XPe test team.

lyallen_MSFT (Expert):
Hi, I'm Lynda Allen. I'm a tester on XP Embedded, focused mainly on Componentization and component integration.

Andy_MS (Moderator):
Howdy everyone, I'm Andy Allred, the Test Manager for XP Embedded.

mikemoin_MSFT (Expert):
This is Mike Moini. I am a developer on XP embedded team.

Nick [MS] (Expert):
Hi and good morning! I'm Nick - a member of the Embedded Windows test team.

shaynab_MSFT (Expert):
Hi, I'm Shayna Begun and I am a program manager on the XP Embedded team.

Wonhee Lee [MS] (Expert):
Hi, my name is Wonhee, developer in XP embedded team

Cuong [MS] (Expert):
This is Cuong, and I'm a Program Manager on the Windows Embedded team.

Kedar_Borhade[MS] (Expert):
Hi, I am Kedar and I work as a Software Development Engineer in Test with XP Embedded team

Milong [MS] (Expert):
Hi, My name is Milong Sabandith. I'm a developer on the Windows Embedded Team.

Steffen [MS] (Expert):
Hi, I'm Steffen Schreier a Program Manager on the XP Embedded team.

Shweta [MS] (Expert):
Hi, My name is Shweta Garg and I am an SDE on the Embedded Windows team.

shivks_MSFT (Expert):
Hi, I am Shiv, I am an SDET with the Windows Embedded Team

Thomas Yong (Expert):
Hi I'm Thomas Yong, a program manager in the Windows Embedded team

johndoy_MSFT (Expert):
John Doyle - Windows XP Embedded Product Manager

*Start of Chat

Andy_MS (Moderator):
Q: How stable is this version?
A: The Feature Pack is pretty stable, especially wrt the component work and Target Designer/Component Designer where we've made significant improvements to quality compared to SP2. For the new features like FBWF and USB Boot, we're anxiously looking for feedback from customer like you to help us ensure we're doing the right thing and that they meet your requirements.

mikemoin_MSFT (Expert):
Q: Are there any plans to add the ability to commit a single file without rebooting in EWF RAM (Reg)? Or is FBWF supposed to replace EWF to provide this ability?
A: When you are trying to commit only a single file, it is best to utilize FBWF and not EWF.

Cuong [MS] (Expert):
Q: What size specifically of storage for the USB because I have 1gig and my friend has a 32mb, and they vary in size
A: The size of your XPe image determines the size of the UFD (USB Flash Disk) needed. Typically 256 MB or more should suffice the size of the UFD.

Joe_Msft (Expert):
Q: If I boot from USB, does it mean there must be nothing else on the Drive?
A: Target the runtime with all selected components to the USB drive then boot. It's the same as booting from IDE or Flash

Joe_Msft (Expert):
Q: Can XPe, under FP2007 or earlier, be deployed into and run from on-board flash memory that is on the mother board? I know you can use IDE CF, etc, but what about raw memory? Pointers to doc would be helpful, thank you.
A: XPe currently only boots from USB Flash or ATAPI/SCSI storage. You could check the BIOS and see how the onboard FLASH is addressed, if it uses INT13 and looks like an ATAPI drive you may be able to boot from it. USB Boot storage is just like Flash or ATAPI disk.

jimmedd_MSFT (Expert):
Q: I never been able to run WinXPe on a DOM disk with NTFS, I have to use FAT. Why does it happen and how can I fix this? I use EWF with RamReg mode.
A: Generally, one doesn't want to use the NTFS file system with EWF because it's a very "noisy" file system. We've posted several help files on our blog and MSDN that address how you can turn off some of the NTFS chatter. If you don't, then the RAM overlays will fill up and the system will stop operating.

lyallen_MSFT (Expert):
Q: when can we expect for the embedded release?
A: Feature Pack 2007 is scheduled to be released in the 4th quarter of 2006.

lyallen_MSFT (Expert):
Q: Once XPe reaches PDE, does that mean no more patch updates, no support help, or other?
A: Once a product has reached it support expiry date, additional updates and support are only available through Product Support Services for customers who have purchased a Customer Service Agreement that extends support for them.

lyallen_MSFT (Expert):
Q: Is there a full install option or will we have to install SP1, then SP2, then FP?
A: If you have no previous version of XP Embedded installed you would have to install SP1, then SP2 and then apply Feature Pack 2007 - it is an incremental update.

lyallen_MSFT (Expert):
Q: Do we need to have all the QFEs installed on our XPe toolkit before we install the FP2007 upgrade?
A: No - you do not have to have all the QFEs installed, but you do have to have SP2 Database and Tools installed before you will be able to install Feature Pack 2007. The security updates released for SP2 are rolled into Feature Pack 2007.

Thomas Yong (Expert):
Q: Do you plan another CTP ("beta") release of FP2007 before the official release in 4Q06?
A: We are looking possibly to do another one during 4Q to collect more feedbacks

Andy_MS (Moderator):
Q: Any plans to provide a rollup MSI for XPe so that we don't have to do three installs, or are we stuck with SP1->SP2->FP2007?
A: I agree that it is a pain right now. I'm not sure if we'll have time during this Feature Pack to integrate all the disks and/or MSIs but is definitely a topic we're looking into trying to accomplish post FP2007. You're welcome to file a bug on this issue at the MSConnect site so we can collect your feedback.

Andy_MS (Moderator):
Q: how long ago was it that this FP project began?
A: The planning for this FP began in the Spring, we released a tech preview about 4 weeks ago.

Cuong [MS] (Expert):
Q: Can you describe how device servicing is envisioned on a device that employs FBWF and / or Reg WF? Walk us through it...
A: At the time of this writing, there are 3 phases: (1) disabling FBWF and/or RegWF, (2) servicing, and (3) [re-]enabling FBWF and/or RegWF.

Cuong [MS] (Expert):
Q: On the device servicing, are reboots required for (1) and (3) ?
A: One reboot for (1) and one reboot for (3). One reboot may or may not be necessary for (2).

Cuong [MS] (Expert):
Q: Ouch. We have a very hard time with rebooting - The device is unavailable for several minutes during each reboot, and since the devices are usually remote it leads to great anxiety that the device isn't coming back...
A: What kind of devices do you have?

Cuong [MS] (Expert):
Q: It is a solid-state industrial computer. No moving parts, lots of I/O, EBX motherboard and Intel PIII-M CPU.
A: Let us discuss details offline, please.

Cuong [MS] (Expert):
Q: I need to install a certificate on my image. I’d like to do this during FBA (to not install it manually), is it possible? A specific component will be released for this job?
A: You might want to take a look at the crypto APIs on MSDN. For example, search for CertAddCertificateContextToStore. The APIs should be available during FBA.

Andy_MS (Moderator):
Q: On remote desktop, I'm unable to do a copy/paste from my local system (XP SP2) to the remote system (XPe) and vice-versa. Will this function be enabled with FP2007?
A: I think this is a function of the remote desktop clipboard (rdpclip.exe). I would expect this to just work without having to configure the component in TD or the mstsc.exe application. We can investigate this on XPe and see if we can reproduce the problem you're reporting and ensure it's working in FP2007. If you haven't tried FP2007, please check it out and you can file any bugs via the Connect site. This link has sign-up details to the FP: https://blogs.msdn.com/embedded/archive/2006/07/31/684728.aspx

Cuong [MS] (Expert):
Q: Does anyone use NTFS encryption in their XPe scenarios? If so, can you describe it? Thanks.

Thomas Yong (Expert):
Q: Will the new Monad command line shell, MSH, be made available on XPe? If so, then is there an ETA?
A: It is not available yet, we'll be looking into it in the near future to see if it can be backported to XPe

Nick [MS] (Expert):
Q: Will it be easy to use the SLX file designed with XPeSP2, with FP2007?
A: The SLX files utilized with SP2 will work just the same with FP2007. Just like any previous product update release (Gold -> SP1 -> SP2 -> FP2007) you will have the same upgrade options as before. (EG - you can choose to upgrade it or not)

MattKell_MSFT (Expert):
Q: Thank you very much for the answer. I thought that NTFS was the best option instead of FAT. And another question: I am developing a commercial application with XPe, is it pretty much safe to use the FP2007 or is better to use the old SP2?
A: We would definitely like to encourage you to work with FP2007, but please keep in mind that what has been released so far is a Community Tech Preview - this is Pre-Release software. For all production environments, you should stick with SP2 until FP2007 is fully released.

Thomas Yong (Expert):
Q: Are there plans to incorporate an MS antivirus component into XPe FP2007? FP2008?
A: There is no plan at the moment. We may be looking into this if there is a compelling demand.

Steffen [MS] (Expert):
Q: Are you planning to upgrade existing devices currently deployed in the field with features from the Feature Pack or do you plan to use the Feature Pack upgrade only on new devices currently under development?

Steffen [MS] (Expert):
Q: To Steffen, regarding what we plan on upgrading to FP2007... just products under development, no XPe deployed products yet. If we were doing field upgrades, any advice?
A: We are currently looking into providing a solution that allows you to upgrade a device in the field. Stay tuned for more information. In order to provide a great solution we would like to know how YOU plan to service your device.

Steffen [MS] (Expert):
Q: How do you service your devices in the field? How do you upgrade your device?

Steffen [MS] (Expert):
Q: To Steffen, regarding how we plan to service our devices in the field: Boot of an alternate kernel and download new image for full updates. Some in-line patch scheme would be required for virus and security updates (of course we need antivirus on FP.
A: Thank you for the information. Stay tuned on the blog and newsgroup for new ways to upgrade your system.

MattKell_MSFT (Expert):
Q: I have a question for the audience: Has anyone here tried the new Console Application for XP Embedded (XPeCon)? This is a major update to CMI Explorer, the command-line tool that was previously released as a value-add script in SP1. The new version, xpecon.wsf, is considerably more powerful and is included in the FP2007 CTP Tools Update - if you have installed this update, the new script resides in your Bin folder.

MattKell_MSFT (Expert):
Q: I haven't tried XPeCon. What are some of its best features? Why would one use it?
A: I'm glad you asked. XPeCon is a command-line interface to the XPe tools - it provides most of the functionality offered by the GUI tools, but its most requested feature is the ability to script and automate common build tasks, mainly so you don't have to use the manual Target Designer environment, which can be slow and cumbersome for some tasks. XPeCon also provides the ability to research component relationships, import custom components, and perform various management tasks such as deleting components from your database. The tool includes full internal help (via the HELP command), a How-To document available on the MS Connect site, and the ability to read script "batch" files, which can be prepared by hand or via automation scripts.

mikehall_ms (Moderator):
Q: can any expert tell me the difference between Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional
A: this information is available on the microsoft.com/windows site

MattKell_MSFT (Expert):
Q: The last chat made mention of restoring the database after installing FP2007. Is this correct? Won't that undo some of the beneficial changes that FP2007 brings in?
A: Generally, backing up your database is a recommended procedure for any major update, especially in the context of a CTP release. If you ever need to back out the changes made by an update, the easiest way is generally to restore a backup of your database. In the case of the FP2007 update, the message was intended to let you know that you should make a backup of your SP2 database before you install FP2007, so that you can revert to SP2 later. This step will be required when the final version of FP2007 is released, mainly to make sure your database is clean and stable.
A: BTW, we do plan to make this process easier for you in the next CTP and the final release of FP2007.

MattKell_MSFT (Expert):
Q: the msn messenger is not working. It gives the error as ""sorry we were unable to sign you into the msn messenger at this time. Please try later 80072efd
A: Is this problem occurring in an XP Embedded runtime?

sachins_MSFT (Expert):
Q: Can anyone field the question regarding FP2007/2008 vs Vista Embedded? Won't support be difficult for FPs once XP is retired.
A: https://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=3223

sachins_MSFT (Expert):
Q: For XPe and other MS products... when a product reaches PDE, does that mean it has reached "support expiry date" mentioned by an expert's prior post? Sorry, but boss wants to know...
A: https://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=3223 . As per the link XP mainline support will end 2 years after Vista is released. And then there is extended support for 5 more years. So, right now XP will be supported at least till 2012

sachins_MSFT (Expert):
Q: Can anyone field the question regarding FP2007/2008 vs Vista Embedded? Won't support be difficult for FPs once XP is retired.
A: We will provide the detailed support policy for the feature packs on the support website soon.

Wendy [MS] (Moderator):
Thank you for joining us today with Embedded Windows Team to talk about Windows XP Embedded SP2 Feature Pack 2007 Community Technology Preview.

I want to remind you that please submit your feedback to the chat before you log off.

If you have further questions, we’d certainly welcome you to post in the Microsoft.public.windowsxp.embedded newsgroup.

For more information on this topic please visit the following URL(s): https://connect.microsoft.com and sign up. The instructions can be found on our team blog site: https://blogs.msdn.com/embedded/archive/2006/07/10/660998.aspx.

A link to the transcript will be posted to the newsgroup shortly.

We hope to see you again for a future chat!

Have a great day (or evening)!

MattKell_MSFT (Expert):
Have a great day!

*End of Chat

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