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Wait.. how do you modify the sysprep.inf file before the reboot? This is the part I'm confused about. Is your sysprep file sitting on the network share or WDS server or is it sitting on the sysprepped machine?

I'm confused. Been using RIS to install Windows XP. Now they want to switch to WDS. We do not have Vista and probably won't be using it for a while. I'm trying to learn all I can, but it gets confusing. I have been only working with RIS a few months (the guys who set it up and everthing left) and have just started getting "somewhat" comfortable, but now we need to switch to WDS. So.. a few questions I really need clarification on.. I'm a real noob with this so bear with me.. 1. What's the difference between WDS and WAIK? Is WDS = "Newer RIS" while WAIK is just extra tools to help do the process? 2. When do I exactly use ImageX to create the WIM? After the sysprep?! And where do I do this, on the reference computer or the server? We have an existing RIS Server, but will not touch that. Instead we put up a test wds server. Installed RIS, then installed WDS (along with WAIK) on top of it. I RIS'd a reference computer (workstation) and attempted to sysprep it (my first time doing this) by extracting Windows XP deploy.cab to c:\sysprep Copied a SIF file from the original RIS server and saved it as sysprep.inf. Ran it under setupmgr.exe and *hoped* it cleaned it up doing it that way. Once that was done, I ran: sysprep -bmsd sysprep -clean sysprep -reseal -mini -pnp -reboot It reboots, I hit F12.. goes to boot menu I select the NIC option.. it fails.. 3. What does sysprep actually do? (i know they say it "preps" the image.) And why (when F12 fails) when it reboots, it goes to the Windows Installation Menu and asks for product key and all that (Even though I have it specified in the sysprep.inf file) and then when I click done, it just loads the normal Windows Environment (it doesn't actually do a reinstall of windows, just the initial windows install screens).. And why does it KEEP doing it everytime it starts up?! What exactly is supposed to happen after this? And when am I supposed to start using ImageX to create the WIM and where do I even GET ImageX?! Is that included in the WAIK install? (Meaning I need the CD on the reference computer to do it?) And because it failed to PXE boot to WDS - does that mean I have some settings wrong on the WDS Server, which prevented it from connecting? Help, please!

I don't know if this concerns you but I highlighted a bit I found from one of the WDS docs. (I threw in the rest as well in case anyone wanted to read it... ) Using unattend files with Windows Deployment Services Windows Deployment Services allows you to automate both the Windows Deployment Services client and the latter stages of Windows Setup. This two phase approach is accomplished by using two different unattend files. The Windows Deployment Services unattend is stored on the Windows Deployment Services server in the \WDSClientUnattend folder and is used to automate the first phase of setup. The file used to configure unattend options during Windows Setup is stored in a sub-folder (either $OEM$ structure or \Unattend) in the per-image folder and is used to automate phases two through seven. To automate either phase you will need to create an Unattend.xml file, copy it to the appropriate location and assign it for use. “Assignment” may be performed at the server level or the client level. The server level assignment may further be broken down by architecture allowing you to have differing settings for x86 and x64 clients. Assignment at the client level overrides the server level settings. Prerequisites for using unattend files • Complete the steps in the section, "Configuring Windows Deployment Services." Administrative credentials To complete this task, you must be a member of the Local Administrators group on the Windows Deployment Services server and have sufficient permission to add a computer to a domain. Known issues with using unattend files You might encounter the following issues when you configure unattend options: • Windows Deployment Services management tools only support setting install image unattend for Windows Vista and Windows Server "Longhorn" images. Down-level images require using your existing Sysprep.inf files and manually creating a $OEM$ directory structure. Steps for using unattend files Unattended installation is configured through the following steps: 1. Creating an appropriate unattend file depending on whether you are configuring the Windows Deployment Services client, Windows Setup or legacy setup. The Windows System Image Manager, included as part of the Windows AIK, provides an excellent environment for authoring unattend files. 2. Associating the unattend file with an image or machine type. The following procedures describe how to configure for unattended installation by architecture, per computer, and for Windows Setup. Configuring Windows Deployment Services unattend To associate a WDS client unattend file by architecture using WdsMgmt 1. Create a directory under the RemoteInstall directory called WDSClientUnattend. 2. Create an Unattend.xml file with settings applicable to the Windows Deployment Services client. 3. Rename the Unattend.xml file to WDSClientUnattend.xml. 4. Copy the WDSClientUnattend.xml file to RemoteInstall\WDSClientUnattend. 5. Start the WdsMgmt MMC. 6. Expand the list in the left-hand pane to show the Servers list. 7. Right-click the Windows Deployment Services server containing the Windows Vista or Windows Server "Longhorn" image to which you want to associate the unattend file, and then click Properties. 8. Click the Windows DS Client tab. 9. Click Enable Unattend Mode. 10. Click Browse next to the appropriate architecture. 11. Browse to the WDSClientUnattend folder, click WDSClientUnattend.xml, and then click Open. 12. Click OK. 13. To close Server Properties, click OK. To associate a WDS client unattend file by architecture using WDSUTIL 1. WDSUTIL, the Windows Deployment Services command-line management tool, requires elevated privileges to run: click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run Elevated. 2. At a command prompt, type: WDSUTIL /set-server /wdsunattend /policy:enabled /file:filepath /architecture:x86 Where filepath is the path name and file name of the unattend file. Note Help for WDSUTIL is available by typing WDSUTIL /? at a command prompt. To associate a Windows Deployment Services client unattend file per computer • From a command prompt, type: WDSUTIL /set-device /device:computername /ID:GUID or MAC address /WdsClientUnattend:relative path Where relative path is the path from the REMINST share to the folder containing WdsClientUnattend.xml. Note A sample WdsClientUnattend file is included in Appendix A of this guide. Configuring Windows Setup unattend To associate a Windows Setup unattend file to an image using WdsMgmt 1. From the WdsMgmt snap-in, click to expand the image group containing Windows Vista or Windows Server "Longhorn" images. 2. Right-click the image you want to associate the unattend file to and click Properties. 3. Click Allow image to install in unattend mode. 4. Click Select File. 5. Enter the name and path, or browse to choose the unattend file and then click OK. 6. To close Image Properties, click OK. To associate a Windows Setup unattend file to an image using WDSUTIL 1. WDSUTIL, the Windows Deployment Services command-line management tool, requires elevated privileges to run: click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run Elevated. 2. From a command prompt, type: WDSUTIL /set-image /image:imagename/imagetype:install /imagegroup:imagegroupname/unattendfile:unattendfile Where imagename is the name of the image with which to associate the unattend file, imagegroupname is the name of the image group containing the image file and unattendfile is the path and file name of the unattend file to associate with the image. To associate Sysprep.inf with a down-level image 1. At a command prompt, change directories to the image group containing a down-level image. 2. In the image group containing the legacy image, create a directory with the same name as the WIM to which you want to associate the image: Md C:\RemoteInstall\Images\imagegroupname\imagename 3. Create an $OEM$ directory structure: Mc C:\RemoteInstall\Images\imagegroupname\imagename\$OEM$ 4. Copy a Sysprep.inf file appropriate to the image to the $OEM$ directory: Copy C:\Sysprep.inf C:\RemoteInstall\Images\imagegroupname\imagename\$OEM$ 5. Add files or make other changes as necessary and appropriate, following conventions for $OEM$. 6. After the image is applied, the entire $OEM$ directory will be copied over and the contents will be applied to the image. Note For more information about Sysprep.inf and the $OEM$ directory, see Designing Automated Setup Tasks (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=66136).

Hey guys.. I don't know if this is a dumb question (not even sure if this is the right section), but I'm having trouble figuring out what to do. I am trying to update the software baseline for where I work. They originally have Windows Media Player 10 and I want to update it to 11. I have already extracted and created the MSI file. I use Winbatch to script the WMP install (after XP is installed) and used /qb-! /norestart to make it install silently and stop from restarting. The problem I have is that during the install, no matter what, a window pops up saying it failed the Windows Logo Testing. And then it asks if I wish to continue. Is there a way to "hide" that or have it automatically click "OK" to continue? Once I click OK a couple times (it has the same warning over and over), it continues with the install and everything is fine and dandy. The Windows XP image is valid with appropriate licenses and stuff (I work in govt) but I have a feeling that the way they created the image might not have been the best way and perhaps that may have affected it? Is there a fix to this or am I just doomed to making the unattended install -> "attended"?

For Adobe, you can download Adobe Customization Wizard 8 to create MSI and MST. (Adobe has released Adobe Reader 8 btw). As for a "general" way to create MSI's.. I'm still trying to figure that one out.

From my experience (or lack of ), the RIS uses the SIF file located in your I386/templates folder. You can create additional SIF files to create different versions of your Windows XP install (so you don't have to tamper with the original). I was able to do a RIS on a Dell GX270 and GX280 with no issues. You sure you got the right drivers? The files you extracted should consist of INF, SYS, and CAT files. You will also need to copy the SYS and INF files to the I386 directory.