( Solved ) Windows xp embedded pos 2009

[Sardine]

This is a query for any windows expert

I work with coffee expresso machines and one of the machines uses a custom intel atom based itx. With 12v power and lcd ldpr and compact flash with serial comms.

These boards are obsolete and I’ve found on ebay close matches but not perfect.

I’ve managed to migrate the xp install to a sata dom and it boots fine with pico psu ( 12v ) and lcd driver pcb.

I’m having an issue where i need to update the display driver.

The old driver is in add/remove programs. O uninstall then install the new driver. Change some resolution settings and all is working perfectly that’s until i reboot or powercycle

All my changes are undone. Its like i never uninstalled the old driver and everything is back to as it was at 1st boot.

Where do i look to see if there is some sort of backup registry that being re-written at boot time ??

Im at a loss why all my changes are being undone

I’ve checked restore but that’s already disabled.

Help. This is the only stumbling block from my fitting this board into the coffee machine

 

[StrongARM]

Have you compared both drivers? Seems that the newer one is either not signed or the old one has a kind of special signature / checksums.
Custom drivers for such special purposes are usual.

I have no clue what's really loaded during startup/boot with your special distro.

 

[Watson]

The old driver is still in the Windows driver database even after you uninstall.

Normally a driver will revert to the previous when there's an "incompatibilty" or something.

Drivers are stored here: C:\WINDOWS\Driver Cache\oemdrv

Sorry I cannot be of any further help, i'm no expert when it comes to the OS, just the hardware.

 

[Sardine]

Thanks for your replies

What I’m doing is perfect. Everything works as it should. Old drivers uninstalled from add/remove programs. New correct driver installed.

Like i said everything is perfect


Until

I reboot or power cycle. The old driver is back in add/remove. Any changes I made are undone

It’s as if at boot a backup registry is copied over the current.

Its like i didn’t do anything the pc went 10 minutes back in time to before i did anything

 

[StrongARM]

Actually I think there is a "routine" in this which checks(ums) the installed drivers and then reverts back to their special "signed" drivers if the current ones doesn't match.

And probably it's something about (hidden) firmware and technician setup in this case.

 

[Sardine]

sorry your not getting it...

forget the drivers.

uninstalling the driver from add/remove programs it should be GONE no amount of signed etc would bring them back.

any changes i do via settings ( even when i run explorer.exe and control panel via task manager as its a stripped down POS embedded xp distro ) the history of what i typed gone.
any desktop settings gone, res selection gone, install new drivers inc software is THERE until rebooted then GONE in add/remove, change the desktop background or fonts ANYTHING..


as soon as I reboot or powercycle its as if the pc went back in time before i did anything.

its NOT a driver issue,, its a reverting to its last state issue undoing anything I do.

it must be recovering from a default backup of the registry and i cant see what script or where it does this.

this is the only thing stopping me from completing the repair.

the boards used for this machine are asrock kino industrial itx atom and discontinued in 2018, im trying to rescue a number of coffee machines where a number of these boards have failed with similar off the shelf consumer boards but enough differences to cause a few tweaks req in the drivers. heck the menu uses the old flash swf files.

so,, ignore the driver issue,,, its a time-capsule issue and i dont know where to look,,

ive tried the win and system.ini, autoexec etc, the startup folders , services , looked for scheduled events and also run & runonce in the reg but nothing pointing to what is reverting the reg to a previous state,


help!!!!!!!!!

 

[Watson]

Maybe there's an hardware issue?

 

[Sardine]

nope

 

[qz3fwd]

I think what was being said is that after you replace the driver in XP and then once you boot, there may be a custom firmware on the device which only allows whitelisted drivers and upon reboot the firmware checks and notices your new driver and reverts to what it thinks is legitimate? IOW goodbye your new driver and hello again to the old driver it likes. This would be transparent to the operating system.

 

[qz3fwd]

Did you check the event viewer?

 

[wmsteele]

Not sure if its the same but have worked with WinXP embedded a few times (a while back now) and the system could be setup to always boot to the same state by using a tool to prevent write actions to the actual boot drive (as compact flash is limited here, so it would help them live longer as the system would only ever read from the boot drive). Write actions are re-directed to the RAM disk on the fly, the tool was EWFMGR (Enhanced Write Filter Manager).

 

[StrongARM]

Right, that is embedded strategy. That is why I mentioned firmware. There must be some kind of firmware on the device...

But because I don't know the device really it is just a shot in the dark from my side.

 

[Sardine]

The original hardware ( an industrial itx ) had died

This is a consumer itx foxconn 45cs intel atom. So no firmware issues

No cf issues as I mirrored the xp installation to a 16gb sata

I can write to the ssd no issues. Copy files etc they stay put. Its as if at boot a backup registry is being copied over undoing all changes

 

[lilwashu]

Do you have the embedded write filter enabled? If so it will do exactly as you describe and you can “commit” changes with the ewfmgr command (have a google for syntax etc, I think it’s /commit).

edit: someone already posted this above

 

[Sardine]

I’ll have to Google that thanks and wmsteele thanks also. I’m out of the depot but when i get chance I’ll try that. Makes sense that it looks like I’m making changes that don’t stick and get undone at reboot or powercycle

 

[moggsie]

I'd not heard about embedded write filter before. Very interesting.
@Sardine have a butchers at this.

 

[Sardine]

Popped into the office this morning. Didn’t have much time. Ewfmgr. Bad command or file name. So its not installed ( the tool )

Tried looking in the reg for any reference to ewf. None

I do suspect your all correct but I’ll have to download the tool and try that

I suspected summit fishy was going on because if you try chkdsk with /f its fail’s with drive being used by another process im guessing write filter of some sort

I’ve tried add/remove windows components and install the “ management utils” but ewfmgr still missing

I downloaded the iso from microsofts website xp embedded pos 2009
That’s what’s installed. A very cut down version no desktop etc you have to bring up task manager and run cmd, contol or explorer.exe

 

[moggsie]

I've got a simpler suggestion, Kev.
Kettle.
Cup.
Spoon.
Jar of Coffee.
Bottle of Milk.

Sorted.

 

[Watson]

I've got a simpler suggestion, Kev.
Kettle.
Cup.
Spoon.
Jar of Coffee.
Bottle of Milk.

Sorted.

That's a lot of effort and a waste of coffee, unless you're suggesting he drinks it lol

 

[fatbob_gb]

@Sardine Did you start the Command Shell as administrator? Your problems definately sound like the write filter is enabled (I had the exact same problem with a Windows 10 install only the EWF is now called UWF).