XP Embedded Image Difference Engine Evaluation

 Windows XP Embedded Image Difference Engine Evaluation

Interesting title, huh! What am I supposed to do with such a thing?! You can upgrade your device from Service Pack 1 to Service Pack 2 or Feature Pack 2007. Not convinced yet? Just imagine that you can create one update package for all your operating system security updates and hotfixes, configuration changes and third-party application updates. Image Diff will compare two images that are in a readable offline format and produce a folder with all the resources that are different between the two images. You package that folder together with the Image Diff Applier and the update is ready to go.

The basic end-to-end process to upgrade your image to Feature Pack 2007 is as follows:

1. Store your existing Windows XP Embedded with SP2-based device image in a readable offline format that is accessible from the development machine.

2.  Upgrade the SP2 component database to FP2007 and of course, do not forget to back-up your database.

3.  Upgrade the SP2 configuration (.slx) file to FP2007.

4.  Build and deploy the FP 2007 image.

5.  Boot and test the image on a sample device. Rebuild as needed until it works and is configured properly.

6.  Store the image in a readable offline format that is accessible from the development machine.

7.  Run Image Diff (IDIFF.EXE) against the original SP2 image and the new FP2007 image. The resources that are different between the two images are collected into a folder.

8.  Package the diff folder along with the Image Diff Applier (IDA.EXE) so that it can be deployed and applied.

9.  Test the package on a sample device.

10. Test the upgraded device for compliance and parity with the original FP 2007 image.

Ten easy steps to success, where do you get that nowadays?!

You can access the Image Difference Engine Evaluation tool via the same Microsoft Connect website as the Feature Pack (https://connect.microsoft.com/windowsxpembedded).

If you did not signed up for the XPe Feature Pack check out Andy’s article XPe Feature Pack 2007 Community Tech Preview released!

Enjoy!

- Steffen, Program Manager for Embedded Windows

Comments

• Anonymous
  October 24, 2006
  The xpecmd is a good work, but the help document about it is too simple. the document of compents cmi* properties should be a part of the help of xpecmd. xpecmd needs a commad to commit a script file containing xpecmd actions in xpecmd shell like "exec" or "source" command in other script language interpretor.

• Anonymous
  October 24, 2006
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  October 24, 2006
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  October 24, 2006
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  October 24, 2006
  @ dones not show the commands started before showing information for those commands,  an enhancement command of @+ to "echo" the command started before show information for each command will be helpfull

• Anonymous
  October 24, 2006
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  October 24, 2006
  how to make comments in a .rsp file like /*  comment */ in C , "REM comment" in bat  or "# comment" in sh ?

• Anonymous
  October 24, 2006
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  October 24, 2006
  when dump mycfg, output message usually goes out of the cmd window. in this situation, the "/p#" switch and especially "log on <file>/log off" may be helpfull.

• Anonymous
  October 24, 2006
  Hi pdfan - can you please post any new issues as bugs at the msconnect site? By entering it at that web interface on the connect site you're basically filing bugs directly into the product team's bug tracking database. I'd really appreciate it. Thank you for the feedback so far! -andy

• Anonymous
  December 31, 2006
  It's new years eve, the end of quite an interesting year in the mobile and embedded group. Here's a quick