Vista system files win.ini / _default.pif

[Guest x64@favorite.my]

I am writing an MSI installation package which needs to give Users

access to win.ini and _default.pif, and further to overwrite

_default.pif with a new file. Both of these are in the system root

directory which is usually c:\windows

 

The code I have come up with is;

 

takeown /A /F %systemroot%\win.ini

 

takeown /A /F %systemroot%\_default.pif

 

icacls %systemroot%\_default.pif /grant Users:F

 

icacls %systemroot%\win.ini /grant Users:F

 

This works for Vista. However \windows\_default.pif is a windows

protected file so when the installer tries to write to it, it fails

and the original file remains in place. How can I get around windows

file protection so my installer can write a new _default.pif file?

Alternatively how can I edit the _default.pif file in the MSI install

so the "close window on exit" checkbox gets unchecked, which is what I

am trying to achieve?

 

Next question. How can I differentiate between XP and Vista in my

batch file / command script? I can find no environment variable to

tell me which version of Windows is running, although there is a ver

command to tell the user the version number. Can I pipe the output of

the ver command somehow to get the version number, how would I do

this, and is there a simpler way using a return code from a small C

program or something?

 

Thanks very much for answers. Sorry about the mega crosspost but I

really need to find some answers to these questions.

[Guest x64@favorite.my]

I think the file _default.pif cannot be overwritten by my MSI because

it is under Windows File Protection. Even if I delete the file the MSI

still cannot write a new _default.pif

 

Is there any way around this?

 

 

 

On Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:19:05 +0000, x64@favorite.my wrote:

<span style="color:blue">

>I am writing an MSI installation package which needs to give Users

>access to win.ini and _default.pif, and further to overwrite

>_default.pif with a new file. Both of these are in the system root

>directory which is usually c:windows

>

>The code I have come up with is;

>

>takeown /A /F %systemroot%win.ini

>

>takeown /A /F %systemroot%_default.pif

>

>icacls %systemroot%_default.pif /grant Users:F

>

>icacls %systemroot%win.ini /grant Users:F

>

>This works for Vista. However windows_default.pif is a windows

>protected file so when the installer tries to write to it, it fails

>and the original file remains in place. How can I get around windows

>file protection so my installer can write a new _default.pif file?

>Alternatively how can I edit the _default.pif file in the MSI install

>so the "close window on exit" checkbox gets unchecked, which is what I

>am trying to achieve?

>

>Next question. How can I differentiate between XP and Vista in my

>batch file / command script? I can find no environment variable to

>tell me which version of Windows is running, although there is a ver

>command to tell the user the version number. Can I pipe the output of

>the ver command somehow to get the version number, how would I do

>this, and is there a simpler way using a return code from a small C

>program or something?

>

>Thanks very much for answers. Sorry about the mega crosspost but I

>really need to find some answers to these questions.</span>

[Guest x64@favorite.my]

I do the following;

 

takeown /A /F C:\Windows

 

icacls C:\Windows /grant Users:F /inheritance:e

 

takeown /A /F %systemroot%\win.ini

 

takeown /A /F %systemroot%\_default.pif

 

icacls %systemroot%\win.ini /grant Users:F

 

icacls %systemroot%\_default.pif /grant Users:F

 

 

But my MSI install package still does not overwrite _default.pif.

However I can use "copy" command to overwrite _default.pif.

 

How do I get MSI install package to overwrite the file, what do I need

to do? I could perhaps install _default.pif in some other directory

and issue a "copy" command but that would be a roundabout and indirect

way of doing it.