6 ms·

Windows recovery environment and bootable USB creator in 200kb

195 points by _ol1s 2y ago

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
letaem77 2y ago
What a name!
kosolam 2y ago
Eli5?
- windozedev 2y ago
  Extract the zip into a new folder. Insert a w10/w11 disc or mount an ISO. Enter basic mode, it will take you through the steps.
userbinator 2y ago
AFAIK the "Windows Recovery Environment" is actually a stripped-down minimal version of Windows missing most of the normal userland and parts of the kernel, which people have extended and customised in various ways.
- _ol1s 2y ago
  The overall design was inspired by the simple text based ui of clockworkmod recovery for android. There are zero dependencies as well.
  - robotnikman 2y ago
    >clockworkmod recovery Now there's something I haven't heard of in a while. I remember using it on the original Droid phone when messing with roms
torphedo 2y ago
Wow, this is the largest batchfile I've ever seen! And I thought my 200-ish line one from high school was pushing it. Honestly huge respect for having the dedication to go this far with batch. I knew about the pseudo-function-calling features and a little bit of the weird syntax, but just skimming there's a lot of stuff in here I haven't seen before. Usually people saying "X in Y KiB" are doing some crazy linker shenanigans, so this was refreshing. Also, "Windows To Go" and "Windows To Stay" are really funny feature names.
- Firehawke 2y ago
  Not to get TOO far off topic, but you just reminded me of the 300+ line batch file I was using for my BBS back in the early 90s. Lots of errorlevel checks to handle door transitions, Fidonet, etc. You could get some ridiculously complicated batch files if you really needed the added functionality.
  - efdee 2y ago
    Wow, unexpected trip down memory lane. Thanks. Press ESC twice for nostalgia.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- Mogzol 2y ago
  Speaking of large batch files, if anyone has ever softmodded a Wii, there is a good chance you used ModMii, which is by far the largest batch program I've seen. The main script [1] is a batch file that clocks in at over a megabyte. I used to be pretty into the Wii modding scene and remember talking with the author of that script about random batch things a few times. I can't imagine maintaining a file that big. [1] https://github.com/modmii/modmii.github.io/blob/master/Support/ModMii.bat https://github.com/modmii/modmii.github.io/blob/master/Suppo...
  - nyanpasu64 2y ago
    It's sad that so many projects simply stopped updating a decade or more ago... the first 90% of work is building a USB loader and the second 90% is maintaining it, and neither the author nor I want to figure it out. I read online that SNEEK lets you screenshot games... it doesn't work (wrong filesystem? neek2o and sneek have a different feature set?). Also god all those Exception (DSI) and learning a decade later they were segfaults... yummy memory-unsafe embedded programming. I found that ModMii leaked some global variables from a (failed) SNEEK install to a system menu mod('s help file), and being written in Batch certainly explains things...
firecall 2y ago
Looks cool, but what does this do that the standard Windows Recovery Environment Partition doesnt do? Maybe situations where the standard recovery env is borked? Was that the case in the recent CrowdStrike debacle?
- neRok 2y ago
  > Was that the case in the recent CrowdStrike debacle? Nah, it still worked fine on my work laptop and allowed to boot in to safe mode, which also worked (didn't crash).
  - theGeatZhopa 2y ago
    The biggest 3. problems in resolving clownstrike debacle are to know what and where to delete (if you don't know, you also can delete everything as well), bitlocker locked hard drives and having a lot of VMs running on Windows out there. The first problem, however, is more significant, but you even won't come to solving if you've encrypted filesystem. And then you have to do it for each and every device/VM. It's just too much. if you could boot into safe mode, then you already knew what to do and what to delete. Just imagine - bsod - you don't know why. A hint may be shown ;)
4jck 2y ago
can I use this to install monitor drivers? make a bootable usb, add the installer onto the bootable usb and install the firmware? https://www.lg.com/au/support/product-support/cs-32GS95UE-B.AAU/#manual-tab https://www.lg.com/au/support/product-support/cs-32GS95UE-B.... I thought about doing it through WINE, but that kinda scares me. unfortunately my monitor received new firmware only installable through an exe, I only have my linux desktop
- windozedev 2y ago
  There's a few ways you could do it, but it's a windows command shell script and only works under windows.
- zxexz 2y ago
  My process for this is usually: - Poke at the EXE for a few hours to days. Sometimes it's just a self-extracting executable and you can just find the raw firmware binary. Sometimes you have to spend a few days relearning the basics of R2/Ghidra, and eventually can grab the firmware. - Then, if you've found it, figure out how to load it. When you think you have an idea, make sure it's really late and you're deliriously tired, so you're SURE you can do it without bricking it. Plus, where's the fun in not bricking it? You can always take that random Pomona SOIC knockoff clip and start dumping random ROMs off whatever chips. - Finally, if you were awake enough to not fall for the previous step - scrap all the work you've done, and commit to spending a while figuring out how to create a bootable windows USB. Or, if you can't get that to work for one of the many possible reasons, borrow a windows laptop. But you're probably too tired for that at this point anyway, so create a windows VM in QEMU, and repeatedly restart your machine as you mess with configs to get passthrough working for whatever you need to get the VM to connect to the device. Launch the utility, start the EXE - it starts working. Get so excited, you accidentally disconnect everything halfway through. Somehow the monitor seems to still work, but you swear there's just something not quite right about it. A few years later, take out the SOIC clip again. (based on an agglomeration of my personal mishaps) In all likelihood, yes - this project will likely allow you to do that perfectly fine! But I'd be prepared for the installer to be total bloatware that doesn't work or works for most of the process before something goes wrong.
- 2y ago
rosywoozlechan 2y ago
There's no license specified for what it's worth.
- theGeatZhopa 2y ago
  [flagged]
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
proneb1rd 2y ago
Insane. 3k loc shell script. I admire people that can maintain things like this. For me it’s unapproachable hot mess.
- diggan 2y ago
  Is it really that unapproachable? I confess, I also prefer files that aren't 3k lines long, but when I have to deal with them, I basically deal with them as I deal with many files, one tab/split per "area" I want to work with. So if I'm working with three areas, I have three splits open that are focused on each area, and jump between the splits. Basically the same as if it was three files.
heraldgeezer 2y ago
Reminds me of stuff like hirens boot cd but this seems more complex to use
holysheet 2y ago
One of the more impressive shell based tools that I've tried. Fitting into 200 kilobytes is an accomplishment in and of itself. Clever.
zx1000 2y ago
Dude...
arthur2e5 2y ago
Really bad nitpick, but: I cringe at FOO'S-type plurals. Just break out of the uppercase and say VHDXs if you find VHDXS too confusing. https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/writing/seven-sins-of-writing/4 https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/writing/seven-sin...

195 points by _ol1s 2y ago

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

letaem77 2y ago

What a name!

kosolam 2y ago

Eli5?

windozedev 2y ago
Extract the zip into a new folder. Insert a w10/w11 disc or mount an ISO. Enter basic mode, it will take you through the steps.

userbinator 2y ago

AFAIK the "Windows Recovery Environment" is actually a stripped-down minimal version of Windows missing most of the normal userland and parts of the kernel, which people have extended and customised in various ways.

_ol1s 2y ago
The overall design was inspired by the simple text based ui of clockworkmod recovery for android. There are zero dependencies as well.
- robotnikman 2y ago
  >clockworkmod recovery Now there's something I haven't heard of in a while. I remember using it on the original Droid phone when messing with roms

torphedo 2y ago

Wow, this is the largest batchfile I've ever seen! And I thought my 200-ish line one from high school was pushing it. Honestly huge respect for having the dedication to go this far with batch. I knew about the pseudo-function-calling features and a little bit of the weird syntax, but just skimming there's a lot of stuff in here I haven't seen before. Usually people saying "X in Y KiB" are doing some crazy linker shenanigans, so this was refreshing. Also, "Windows To Go" and "Windows To Stay" are really funny feature names.

Firehawke 2y ago
Not to get TOO far off topic, but you just reminded me of the 300+ line batch file I was using for my BBS back in the early 90s. Lots of errorlevel checks to handle door transitions, Fidonet, etc. You could get some ridiculously complicated batch files if you really needed the added functionality.
- efdee 2y ago
  Wow, unexpected trip down memory lane. Thanks. Press ESC twice for nostalgia.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
Mogzol 2y ago
Speaking of large batch files, if anyone has ever softmodded a Wii, there is a good chance you used ModMii, which is by far the largest batch program I've seen. The main script [1] is a batch file that clocks in at over a megabyte. I used to be pretty into the Wii modding scene and remember talking with the author of that script about random batch things a few times. I can't imagine maintaining a file that big. [1] https://github.com/modmii/modmii.github.io/blob/master/Support/ModMii.bat https://github.com/modmii/modmii.github.io/blob/master/Suppo...
- nyanpasu64 2y ago
  It's sad that so many projects simply stopped updating a decade or more ago... the first 90% of work is building a USB loader and the second 90% is maintaining it, and neither the author nor I want to figure it out. I read online that SNEEK lets you screenshot games... it doesn't work (wrong filesystem? neek2o and sneek have a different feature set?). Also god all those Exception (DSI) and learning a decade later they were segfaults... yummy memory-unsafe embedded programming. I found that ModMii leaked some global variables from a (failed) SNEEK install to a system menu mod('s help file), and being written in Batch certainly explains things...

firecall 2y ago

Looks cool, but what does this do that the standard Windows Recovery Environment Partition doesnt do? Maybe situations where the standard recovery env is borked? Was that the case in the recent CrowdStrike debacle?

neRok 2y ago
> Was that the case in the recent CrowdStrike debacle? Nah, it still worked fine on my work laptop and allowed to boot in to safe mode, which also worked (didn't crash).
- theGeatZhopa 2y ago
  The biggest 3. problems in resolving clownstrike debacle are to know what and where to delete (if you don't know, you also can delete everything as well), bitlocker locked hard drives and having a lot of VMs running on Windows out there. The first problem, however, is more significant, but you even won't come to solving if you've encrypted filesystem. And then you have to do it for each and every device/VM. It's just too much. if you could boot into safe mode, then you already knew what to do and what to delete. Just imagine - bsod - you don't know why. A hint may be shown ;)

4jck 2y ago

can I use this to install monitor drivers? make a bootable usb, add the installer onto the bootable usb and install the firmware? https://www.lg.com/au/support/product-support/cs-32GS95UE-B.AAU/#manual-tab https://www.lg.com/au/support/product-support/cs-32GS95UE-B.... I thought about doing it through WINE, but that kinda scares me. unfortunately my monitor received new firmware only installable through an exe, I only have my linux desktop

windozedev 2y ago
There's a few ways you could do it, but it's a windows command shell script and only works under windows.
zxexz 2y ago
My process for this is usually: - Poke at the EXE for a few hours to days. Sometimes it's just a self-extracting executable and you can just find the raw firmware binary. Sometimes you have to spend a few days relearning the basics of R2/Ghidra, and eventually can grab the firmware. - Then, if you've found it, figure out how to load it. When you think you have an idea, make sure it's really late and you're deliriously tired, so you're SURE you can do it without bricking it. Plus, where's the fun in not bricking it? You can always take that random Pomona SOIC knockoff clip and start dumping random ROMs off whatever chips. - Finally, if you were awake enough to not fall for the previous step - scrap all the work you've done, and commit to spending a while figuring out how to create a bootable windows USB. Or, if you can't get that to work for one of the many possible reasons, borrow a windows laptop. But you're probably too tired for that at this point anyway, so create a windows VM in QEMU, and repeatedly restart your machine as you mess with configs to get passthrough working for whatever you need to get the VM to connect to the device. Launch the utility, start the EXE - it starts working. Get so excited, you accidentally disconnect everything halfway through. Somehow the monitor seems to still work, but you swear there's just something not quite right about it. A few years later, take out the SOIC clip again. (based on an agglomeration of my personal mishaps) In all likelihood, yes - this project will likely allow you to do that perfectly fine! But I'd be prepared for the installer to be total bloatware that doesn't work or works for most of the process before something goes wrong.
2y ago

rosywoozlechan 2y ago

There's no license specified for what it's worth.

theGeatZhopa 2y ago
[flagged]

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

proneb1rd 2y ago

Insane. 3k loc shell script. I admire people that can maintain things like this. For me it’s unapproachable hot mess.

diggan 2y ago
Is it really that unapproachable? I confess, I also prefer files that aren't 3k lines long, but when I have to deal with them, I basically deal with them as I deal with many files, one tab/split per "area" I want to work with. So if I'm working with three areas, I have three splits open that are focused on each area, and jump between the splits. Basically the same as if it was three files.

heraldgeezer 2y ago

Reminds me of stuff like hirens boot cd but this seems more complex to use

holysheet 2y ago

One of the more impressive shell based tools that I've tried. Fitting into 200 kilobytes is an accomplishment in and of itself. Clever.

zx1000 2y ago

Dude...

arthur2e5 2y ago

Really bad nitpick, but: I cringe at FOO'S-type plurals. Just break out of the uppercase and say VHDXs if you find VHDXS too confusing. https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/writing/seven-sins-of-writing/4 https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/writing/seven-sin...