How to get multiple EWF RAM Modes on the same device?

[Guest]

Hi,

I need to support my software running on XP Pro to run on XPe. And I need to
test my software against the following XPe configurations:

Without EWF
EWF RAM Mode
EWF RAM Reg Mode
EWF Disk Mode

BTW, my target desktop is partitioned as

Disk0: C:\XPe, D:\XP-Pro, E:\XPe-EWF-Disk, unallocated space
Disk1: F:\XPe-EWF-RAM-Reg, G:\XPE-EWF-RAM, extended partition, unallocated
space

Thanks to the suggestions from KM, Slobodan, and others, I am now able to
get all these running (independently) on my target desktop PC. However,
article
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d.../xpehelp/html/xerefEWFVolumeConfiguration.asp
states that "Only one EWF volume is created on your device, regardless of how
many disks are in the system."

In which case causes a problem on my setup such that EWF-RAM and EWF-Disk
cannot co-exist on my target desktop. I deployed EWF-Disk and it runs fine. I
then deployed EWF-RAM and it runs fine. But if I boot back to EWF-Disk, the
protected volume configuration is no longer valid since it was replaced by
that of EWF-RAM.

If I deployed EWF-RAM first then EWF-Disk, then booting back to EWF-RAM
gives the EWF Type as "RAM (Reg)".

Both of these cases have been confirmed with the ewfmgr command.

Is there a nice trick to fool the protection volume configuration for
EWF-RAM and EWF-Disk to be placed on separate locations? There have been many
undocumented tricks of this sort, please let there be one for my case.

Thanks and regards,
Ed

P.S., one alternative I can think of would be using virtual PC for each
image. But, I have already invested so much time on my current setup and I
don't want to give it up just yet.

 

[KM]

Ed,

Actually in the previous thread I told you are going to have problems with different EWF modes if you don't delete the EWF config
partition everytime you start with new image.

In other words, when you finish testing first image (EWF RAM, e.g.) and want to switch to another image with another EWF mode, you
should delete the EWF Config partition first (etprep /delete, diskpart, or some of 3rd party tools that will ignore the "hidden"
type of that partition).

There is no really a way to control the location of EWF overlay :-(

 

[Guest]

KM,

Thanks for your reply again.

Yeah, the ewf volume could be an issue since I really don't finish my test,
per se. My job is to configure these XPe images for the QA team to run their
tests on every release of my software. Having one designated target PC
containing all XPe images would be ideal, but when push comes shove, I think
will have to deploy some images on to the virtual PC (on the targe desktop
still). But then I need to have more expensive (more RAM at least) target PCs
:-(

Another issues include inconsistent testing environment, performance, etc.
Or ultimately, additional PC for each QA member. My boss probably don't like
that :-(

I am sure not too happy about the situation. I still don't understand why we
cannot control where the ewf volume resides. Maybe it's time to send a
feature request to good old MS.

Regards,
Ed

 

[KM]

Ed,

I am sure not too happy about the situation. I still don't understand why we
cannot control where the ewf volume resides. Maybe it's time to send a
feature request to good old MS.

Absolutely! Which reminds me I own EWF feature request list to Product Team :-(

Feel free to send you suggestions here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/embedded/community/community/feedback/feedxp/default.aspx