XP SP1 vs SP2 - UP/MP HAL + Sysprep

[_jd_]

I'm working on migrating my unattended installs/sysprep images from XPP SP1 to SP2 and i've noted something odd re: uniproccessor/multiprocesor HAL's. My XPP SP1 images would apply to P4-based systems that use either ACPI Uniprocessor (ACPIAPIC_UP) HAL or P4 HT-based systems that use APCI Multiprocessor (ACPIAPIC_MP) HAL. No problems. Everything was sorted after mini-setup completed and before the first user logged in. With XPP SP2 i'm seeing different behaviour. Applying an XPP SP2 sysprep image to a system that uses the ACPI Multiprocessor HAL results in a prompt on the first user login re: reboot to finish installing hardware. If I check setupapi.log the last device to be enumerated/installed was the HAL.

I'm looking for a fix on this. I have clear direction that there are no be no prompts post-clone. Users are to be able to login cleanly to their workstation once it's up. I also want to avoid doing any automatic post-clone admin logins as well. Anyone else experiencing this w/ XPP SP2? If so, how are you dealing with it? I really don't want to build a second image for this... seems foolish.

Thoughts? I'm working through some stuff at the moment just to test out a few hunches.

[_jd_]

Doing some testing...

I just built a fresh XPP SP2-based sysprep image on an Intel P4 non-HT PC, which is identified in Device Manager as "ACPI Uniprocessor PC". I then dropped the image on an Intel P4 HT and on the first login I received the message listed above.

I'm going to try the process in reverse and build the image on the Intel P4 HT then drop it on the non-HT.

I've seen the "UpdateUPHAL" entry for sysprep.inf but haven't tried it yet - didn't need to XPP SP1.

[_jd_]

Image built on Intel P4 HT and applied to Intel P4 non-HT results in "APCI Multiprocessor PC" being used. No good.

I rebuilt the image on the Intel P4 HT and added "UpdateUPHAL=APCIAPIC_UP,%WINDIR%\Inf\hal.inf" in the "[unattended]" section of sysprep.inf. When restored on the non-HT system I no longer see the prompt on login and Device Manager reports "ACPI Uniprocessor PC".

I'm trying in reverse again, just for fun. Build on Intel P4 non-HT, add "UpdateUPHAL=ACPIAPIC_MP,%WINDIR%\Inf\hal.inf" to sysprep.inf and restore on Intel P4 HT system.

[_jd_]

Ok. I rebuilt another image on a P4 non-HT w/ "UpdateUPHAL=ACPIAPIC_MP,%WINDIR%\Inf\hal.inf" in sysprep.inf. The master PC was detected as "ACPI Uniprocessor PC" in Device Manager prior to running sysprep. The resulting image was then restored on a P4 HT system and there was no message re: "finished installing hardware" on the first login and "ACPI Multiprocessor PC" was listed in Device Manager.

So, it looks like mini-setup is entirely capable of implementing the required HAL between uniprocessor and multiprocessor systems.

[kickarse]

Looks like you figured it out

This function is really helpful because you really only need two images...

Quick question though, how do you support smaller disk sizes?

[_jd_]

Actually, i'm only using one image... I just build on the multiprocessor system and allow sysprep to downgrade the HAL to uniprocessor if need be. Luckily, I don't have to support anything below a Northwood P4 on an i845G chipset.

As for disk sizing, i'm using Ghost at the moment... I simply build the image for the lowest common denominator. I can then set the partition sizing when restoring the image. Generally, most of the systems use a 40GB HDD or larger...