Unattended install...then what?

KGhaleon

I can create a simple unattend.txt with the necessary .bat and .udb files, but what exactly do you need to do to get this installation started on another PC? I was reading this:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457062.aspx

And it states unattended installations are only for upgrading when working over a network. Is this true? I take it that if I needed to perform an automated clean install, I would have to do it directly from the CD?

I can change unattend.txt to winnt.sif, but what is this "El-Torito No Emulation CD-ROM boot support?"

KG

royal

1. Rename to winnt.sif and place in i386 folder and create a bootable ISO out of those files
2. Rename to winnt.sif and place on floppy. Install will check for file.
3. Leave it as unattend.txt and boot off of a network boot disk and run the winnt.exe command with the appropriate switches. The winnt.exe as well as the rest of the files should be located on the network share.

Here's another thread that might be relevant.
http://www.techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23962

KGhaleon

Thanks, when I get back to my apartment I'll give the first two a try on my laptop. Am I suppose to add the .udb as well if I'm doing it to multiple computers?

The last one is a bit tricky. I went to here:
http://www.nu2.nu/bootdisk/network/makedisk/

I suppose this is what most people use for network bootdisks?

I also have some Linux LiveCDs and a single WinInternals LiveCD. I don't know if those would work for connecting to network shares and running winnt32.exe. I'm guessing Linux definately won't.

KG

KGhaleon

Alright, I had some success. I threw the winnt.sif onto a floppy and inserted it along with a copy of XP Home edition, and it put all the answers in for me. I selected "read-only" in setup manager so it would show me my answers...but it didn't show me anything. It just put them in anyway.

All seems well...but I input multiple computer names and it gave my machine a random name instead...so I guess it didn't use the .udf file on the floppy? Am I suppose to use a switch with winnt32.exe?

KG

KGhaleon

Sorry to ask another question, but when exactly do you insert the floppy containing the answer file? It doesn't make much sense to insert it before the text-mode portion of setup...should I only insert it for the GUI-portion?

KG

sprkymrk

KGhaleon wrote:

Sorry to ask another question, but when exactly do you insert the floppy containing the answer file? It doesn't make much sense to insert it before the text-mode portion of setup...should I only insert it for the GUI-portion?

KG

You insert it before you begin as long as you are not set to boot from the floppy before you boot from the CD. It looks for the .sif file right away.

stlsmoore

royal wrote:

1. Rename to winnt.sif and place in i386 folder and create a bootable ISO out of those files
2. Rename to winnt.sif and place on floppy. Install will check for file.
3. Leave it as unattend.txt and boot off of a network boot disk and run the winnt.exe command with the appropriate switches. The winnt.exe as well as the rest of the files should be located on the network share.

Here's another thread that might be relevant.
http://www.techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23962

Man I just can't seem to get the switches to work right.

I boot with a network floppy and point to the I386 share where the unattend.txt file is located and then type the following switch:

winnt.exe /u:unattend.txt

After that it just gives me a list of switches to use...oh well I guess I have to play with it some more

stlsmoore

Blah I went ahead and just did the unattend on a floppy option. I figured out the correct syntax I had to specify where the file was located so it looked like:

winnt.exe /u:unattend.txt /s \\computer\i386

But once I do this I always ran into problems installing over a network because it would never copy the files from my distribution server. I always figured out what the prob. was but I don't have time to do it now. I'm positive if I did fix it that it would work over the network like normal.