wwwmario

mhmmm... maybe you can also use: REG ADD HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager /v BootExecute /t REG_MULTI_SZ /d .................. but... the problem this time is to have reg.exe accept such a string (autcheck autoconv \\??\D: /FS:NTFS); right now I don't know escape chars to force reg.exe not to acquire the "\\" as switches... maybe someonelse does?! Ciao /Mario

No one has a clue?

Hi vbussiro, tha syntax I'm using is for adding reg keys from inf files. So, you should use REGEDIT /S %path_to_your_convert.reg%\convert.reg [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager] "BootExecute"=hex(7):xx,xx,xx,xx,xx,xx,.... I'm not 100% sure this is the correct syntax to indicate a REG_MULTI_SZ. The problem here is that u must "translate" "autcheck autoconv \\??\D: /FS:NTFS" to a hex value... not such stuff with INF files. 8-) /Mario

Hi, I see the DOS/bootdisk problem. Anyway putting it the reg key in BootExecute works fine for me. Convert.exe asks volume name if you invoke it via a commandline, but here you're putting in the reg keys it puts after you run it. Ciao /Mario

Hi vbussiro, if you want to automatically format your systems from an unattended cd your first need to creat a bootdisk (linux/dos you choose) and then use its image as the cd bootsector. PC will boot in floppy emulation mode, mount the WinXP cd track, do all the stuff you require and finally call winnt.exe from the mounted CD. That way you can script disk partitioning and formatting the way you like and you're not bound to the unattended.txt filesystem sections. If you're going this way use the oformat.com and cvtarea.exe to maximize the NTFS convertion (convert.exe); efficiency later. /M

...obviously "CurCtrlSet\Ctrl" is to be read "CurrentControlSet\Control".... /M

Hi vbussiro, yes there is. I suppose you're using inf to control the conversion so you can put something like this: HKLM,"System\CurCtrlSet\Ctrl\Session Manager","BootExecute",0x00010000,"autcheck autoconv \\??\C: /FS:NTFS /CVTAREA:xxx.xx","autcheck autoconv \\??\D: /FS:NTFS /CVTAREA:xxx.xx" Since I work with unattended network installs, I use the oformat.com and cvtarea.exe tools to optimize NTFS conversion, but if you don't you can safely omit the "/CVTAREA" switch. I run this at the T-13 mark so after setup completes and reboots the system the conversion takes place. Hope it helps /Mario

Hello, given that all my systems will feature 2 partitions and that I want to add a static paging file on the partition that is not the BOOT neither the SYSTEM. With XP's way of assigning drive letters, I should always have C: & D:. Now, it's pretty easy to put a HKLM\System\CurCtrlSet\Ctrl\Session Manager\Memory Management\ "PagingFiles" REG_MULTI_SZ with what I want during RunOnceEx (it doesn't work before @ T-13), and I will find the correct paging file after the 2nd autologon. How can I set the old paging file in C: to be deleted after the 2nd logon? I've tried recursive calling of INFs that put RunOnceEx keys, but that doesn't work as the key gets wiped @ shutdown. Any ideas? Thank you /Mario

Hi guys, after spending lot of time reading you guides and posts on the msfn (really helpful); I'm starting to guess that most of you are actually creating unattended installs of WinXP for your home computers or for a relatively small number of different systems for which you know what hardware is installed. (I'm really looking 4 someone that tells me "ya're wrong, dude!" My concerns are especially related to device drivers; looks like Yonderboy has had my same kinda problems (see_post). I'm preparing a network unattended distro-point for WinXP via bootdisk/RIS and I'm trying to cover the most of the ~300 systems the customer I'm developing for has. (of course they're to many to get a whole picture of all the different hw components systems feature). 1)As Yonderboy writes, many driver packages come in a self-extracting compressed archive that once extracted shows a setup.exe plus some or many non-ms cabs and some dirs containing plain .inf files. As him, I'm not sure whether getting all the .inf, .cat, .sys and .dll, putting them inside $OEM$\$1\drivers\xxx_xxxx and fixing the OemPnPDriversPath is enough or will result in some install errors (unfortunately I can't make a reality test in my lab cuz' I haven't such different hw...) 2)I don't think the silent install from whatever method (runonceex.inf,cmdlines.txt, .cmd, etc.); can be an option in this scenario as I can't think of a way to call only the packages needed for devices that are present in the systems. It's true that all latest packages feature a device detector, but how it will behave in a silent install if it doesn't find a device is still a "?". 3)I noticed the following post see_post but I think I lack some knowledge on how to modify win's txtsetup.sif to include all I need. Shrinking the distro-point size it's not important (pheeew); so at least I can allow myself to be not so sleek in including data. Anyone has adv?! Thanks, /Mario