Change icons in Acronis OS Selector?

[cbmkgd]

Same version of Acronis Disk Director: v10.0.2117 ?

Same md5 for the original ossmain.exe ?

[pauℓzurrr.]

I got the same version, but i got a other md5: B0C527A8AA0CE309D3A714FB6C9FA92A

[U.C.]

Yup it doesnt work. Can u pls upload it. Delete a day later, pls, pls. I have a different version. The Zip extracts, files are replaced but Acronis doesnt work.

[cbmkgd]

Yup it doesnt work. Can u pls upload it. Delete a day later, pls, pls. I have a different version. The Zip extracts, files are replaced but Acronis doesnt work.

• I will assume you did the test of: removing the zip from the ossmain.exe, testing that the zip was not corrupted, then reinserted the zip at the end of the stripped-off ossmain.exe, and then checking that the md5 of the original and manipulated file were the same. That way you're sure you know the instructions are clear and understood (and if not, I'll see what I missed in the instructions and revise them).
  
• I assume then that you passed the test successfully, and then tried to modify the files in the zip file by only changing the three icon sets without changing the names; and that you then reinserted the zip as before. Also, it is important that it is not the folder containing the files that is zipped, but all the files inside, without the folder; i.e. when you open the zip, you shouldn't see the folder that you kept them in! I've just added this detail in my procedure to make sure.
  
• I also assume that you are testing within vmware just to be on the safe side.
  

So:

• I should say that the Acronis OS Selector within vmware is quite slow, and vmware might not totally understand what's going on when it simulates the booting process; I had instances where aoss seemed to freeze, mouse wasn't moving, and also had to go from vmware full screen to not full screen, or vice versa, to see the acronis menu. But if I press Enter, then the virtual win98se (say) is loaded. Or if I rebooted the virtual machine, I could eventually access the menu normally with the mouse.
  So, if acroniss oss doesn't seem to work in vmware, try rebooting the virtual machine until you get the menu.
  This being said, I have tested the changed ossmain.exe on a normal machine, and it goes smoothly, confirming that the above was a vmware issue.
  
• If people have different versions, I obviously can't/won't up a file that might not interact well with other components of the version. Another reason is that in future versions/builds, the above method might still work, and the shared file most probably will not.
  
• If it still doesn't work then I might have failed to communicate the process adequately, and I'll need you to help me make it more clear.
  

[MacSpaces]

where do i find the ossman.exe? i already have boot selector installed did a serach cant find it..

[cbmkgd]

where do i find the ossman.exe? i already have boot selector installed did a serach cant find it..

When you installed it, you may have chosen where to install it (if you chose custom). It's on that partition, in the BOOTWIZ folder. It's hidden, so you'll have to tell windows explorer to show hidden folders.

If you chose typical install, it's probably in your main system's partition (C:\).

In any case, it's in a hidden BOOTWIZ folder.

[U.C.]

1) I am not retarded. I did the procedure properly, pasted it at the right address. But my Version is diff than yours, so i searched for the hex string you gave. Now instead of only finding 1 instance, it found like 20. So i took the first instance

 

2) I extracted the file, it turned out to be 1.55 Mb ZIP. Then I replaced the OS2 Icons with the Apple Logo. WinRAR replaced em, succesfully. Put it back.

 

3) Joined together, Saved it using HexEdit.

 

4) Acronis Doesnt work. I just pressed F6 to go into XP and restored the backup.

 

5) So can you pls, upload it on yousendit.com and PM me the link.

 

6) Anyway thanks for the great guide. Ill try to get the new version of Acronis DD too

[cbmkgd]

1) I am not retarded. I did the procedure properly, pasted it at the right address. But my Version is diff than yours, so i searched for the hex string you gave. Now instead of only finding 1 instance, it found like 20. So i took the first instance.

Sorry if my reply sounded as if you were a newb, but I had to take the occasion to underline some points for other people to read also, so had to be as precise as I could be.

 

And yes, there are many other instances of 50 4B 03 04 in the ossmain.exe and the first one is the one to take, as state earlier in my post #11. I'll add this detail in the procedure in case of, thanks to underline this.

 

NOTE: I made a studip typo in the second part (alternate part) of the tuto, where I had written 50 4B 03 03 instead of the correct 50 4B 03 04. Since the former isn't to be found in the ossmain (at least not in mine), at least that's not the problem. I made the correction.

 

Curious as to why it doesn't work in a previous version: is it because they did a crc check then? or maybe they had many zips instead of a big one? So maybe I got lucky with this particular version (10.0.2117).

 

See your PM for an additional info (not an upload).

[U.C.]

Ill dl 10.0.2117 and tell u peeps.

[U.C.]

Here's the link for modified ossmain.exe. Put it in your C:\BOOTWIZ. Now select another icon for OSX, you should see it.

 

http://www.filefactory.com/?d2ec82

http://rapidshare.de/files/23902265/ossmain.zip.html

 

Anyway, here's what I did

1) Went to demonoid/isohunt

2) Searched for Acronis

3) DL'ed this torrent : Acronis Disk Director Suite 10.0.0.2117

DEMO dont work, so dont bother

4) Followed 'cbmkgd's guide to the dot (My md5 checked out)

5) Wheee, it works

 

 

EDIT: Forgot to add, the OSX icons are by 'cbmkgd'

[cbmkgd]

Glad it worked for you.

 

A couple more tweaks:

.

• As suggested by domino, you can also change the bootmenu_logo.png to personalize the one you get on the full screen menu;
  

.

• If you have many OSes installed but you don't like the order in which they appear on the boot menu, you can't change it from the menu itself, and although on the Acronis help forum they said it wasn't possible, there is a way: you have to edit the bootwiz.oss file -- a text editor that support UTF-8 encoding will do (eg notepad in windows, as long as you keep utf-8 encoding -- otherwise didn't test consequences). It's an XML file, and you have to look into the section between the <oses> and </oses> tags. There you'll find booting partitions in the order they appear on the menu. A booting partition is identified by its id: <id123454321.....> ... </id123454321> (your id's will be different from this), with some lines between the two tags. Once you identify your OSes, you just have to put them in the order you want. I've tried it with one on the list and it worked for me.
   
  For example, if your OSX's id is id222333444, which you want as the first logo but is presently at the end of the booting list, then move all the lines (5 in all) beginning with <id222333444...> and ending with </id222333444> to the begining of the list, just after the (first) <oses> tag. And so on, as you desire. Just in case, make a backup of your original bootwiz.oss.
   
  I guess Acronis didn't want to give such sensitive editing moves as instructions, and they might implement a GUI-based method in the menu itself to order the icons to one's desires transparently.
  

.

Enjoy.

[pauℓzurrr.]

Unstable Connection could you please upload the file to rapidshare or files.to because filefactory sux, every time i download i got corrupt rars

[Tizzy]

corrupted here also

[Rammjet]

ditto

[cbmkgd]

I just added in the tutorial a precision about the exact version on which the procedure is working.

I also reworded some parts, added some remarks, tried to make it more understandable, and maybe less daunting for those who are not used to working with hex editors.

 

A remark: trying to use UC's upload on a different version is risky.

Try installing the right version before using it.

Or install it, then follow the instructions; UC confirmed it was a working procedure.

 

Good luck.

Edited June 23, 2006 by cbmkgd

[U.C.]

Goddamn Filefactory................ARGHHH

 

http://rapidshare.de/files/23902265/ossmain.zip.html

 

BTW cbmkgd, look there is nothing wrong with your guides. Ppl like me are just too lazy

[pauℓzurrr.]

Thanks, works now. i'll test it later =)

[cbmkgd]

BTW cbmkgd, look there is nothing wrong with your guides. Ppl like me are just too lazy

Modifications were not directed at you.

Who knows who'll come in a month or later, and want something less complicated.

And I think I can make it better.

 

I have now added a simpler method with two batch files that handle scripts for the xvi32 editor: just double-clicks, that should do it?

[pauℓzurrr.]

Your method doesnt work I got the same md5, when i click aosplit i need to type Y/N so i do Y.

Afters this XVI32 pops op with a error: Error reading ossbeg.000 Error 2: File not found, then i click OK.

Then i get a error: Error in line number 1: ADR $280880 Can't go to adress: $280880. I'm i doing something wrong here?

[cbmkgd]

1. I just tested again with those batch files with xvi32: worked well in Win2000 and WinXP. Hadn't tested in Win98se, but now I did and can confirm the batch file aosplit.bat isn't liked by win98se. I don't know what went wrong in your case though, sorry, I can't reproduce those error messages.
   
2. Nevertheless I wasn't satisfied myself with all those batch files, nor with xvi32.
   So I finally replaced them with a little utility I compiled, which I put in Method1. Go back have a look.
   In this case, just unpack the new zip and put ossmain.exe in the same folder as the two executables. Follow instructions in the readme file.
   This time, I've tested this in Win98se also, as well as Win2000/XP, successfully.
   And there's better error checking than in simple batch files.
   

[U.C.]

Thanks a lot cbmkgd for the little utility described in method 1.

[cbmkgd]

Has been fun.

 

Now there's a Method 0, still simpler: double-click, and that's it, if my icons in the menu is the only change wanted.

[kHz]

has anyone tried Reshacker yet?

 

it seems that it would be easier than dealing with all that hex mumbo jumbo

 

i would download acronis os selector again and try it but i have no reason for it for now

[cbmkgd]

Reshacker applies to 32bit executables; ossmain.exe isn't in that category. Even if it worked, it would extract the zip itself, on which you would then have to work, then re-embed. The icons are not mere image files directly embeded in the exe. The zip file is decompressed on execution, and its contained resources then used.

 

If there is already an utility out there that can easily handle/extract the zip file, or even work on it directly from the exe, then that would be great.

 

About that 'hex mumbo jumbo': this was in an early stage, and there has been many edits since then, culminating in the first two methods (0 and 1) you see.

At first I just wanted to deliver the knowledge of where the stuff was, for more knowledgeable (sp?) programmers and talented artists to work on. Only later did I create batch files, then executables, to handle the stuff. And I especially wanted to avoid posting w@rez links on this board.

So if one wants to avoid the 'mumbo jumbo', then one should use Method 0 and Method 1 which don't require the user to use hex editor/adresses (and they even check the md5 for him!)

 

I leave the other methods there because they can be used as templates for future versions, if Acronis doesn't furnish customizations then.

Also, I think it's better to leave the knowledge about how it was done, rather than just furnish a utility that do things nobody knows what; this way, the procedure can be adapted and bettered by anyone.

Think of it as open source : if you just want the software, just download the binary; if you want to modify or know how it works, download also the source. Same here: just use Methods 0 or 1 if you just want to do the modifications; explore the other Methods if you want to go further.

[EricJD]

Thanks guys, I got it workin.