wolfshade

Oh never mind my bad ... i managed to find something i'm pretty shore of it : these components aren' installed by default thus the name "optional components" The thing is I can't find anything about is [NetBindings] section cuz i dunnow what network bindings are

Find InstallRite(freeware) its a soft who makes snapshots of regs and/or HDD -- there are many like this i think but this i use. Just type the correct name in google and i will return a whole page of direct links to its homepage -- snaphot your regs with it before u make changes with TweakUI then use analize changes ... (u should have some experience with regs cuz it records buttons pushed sometimes(device contexts) and clearing caches or MRU's atutomatically too:) ) but it shouldn't be too hard to find what u're looking for.

I foun this info in the reference files : Although i can't understand clearly whats the sysprep folder and how to use this. 1.Sysprep folder is for distribution only? Whats the difference? 2.Sysprep folder is really the temp folder windows makes for install or the windows folder or none of the above??? And most importantly this note : Commands that make changes to an end user's preferences are not replicated to end users if they are run from Cmdlines.txt within Mini-Setup. So i don't really knwo what part of the registry will modify ... obviously not the all users section then wich? -- the admin account that is available first thing? Do i have to make changes to sysprep.inf too like in unattend.txt or winnt.sif?

There is another entry in answer file [NetOptionalComponents] but although it saiz something in reference it's not very clear about sintax just use 1/0 for enable disable and the names so i shoud use (eg.): [NetOptionalComponents] DHCPServer=0 ?

I have a problem i want windows to just install TCP/IP protocol for my adapter but he installs default component like networking, Qos and file and printer sharing. I found an entry for answer file in reference that saiz it disables\enables or demotes binding rules. Is this what i need for disabling the other default network components? The rest i configured properly like "InstallDefaultComponents=No" and i specified just the TCP/IP protocol but like that it instals the default and i need to know if that setting will disable the components i don't need.

Yeah - well i don't know how to use RunEx and i hear it more complicated than GUIRunOnce and cmdlines.txt combined(cmdlines doesn't work for me so far at all). It just struck me while looking at the TV, eating and feeling sorry for myself cuz of the horde of bugs i got in my unattend cuz of "need reboot" issues. After i will test this i will confirm that its 100% foolproof cuz i'm a lil uncertain about the shutdown>del itself stages in batch runs (logically it should make just calls and if the restart doesn't shut programs instantaneously then 2-3 seconds should be enough to allow the del itself command that comes after to take place).

Well here it is -- i think this is the solution for rebooting and resuming silent mode batch in GUIRunOnce stage: 1.The computer logs in for the first time then it runs a GuiRunOnce batch. 2.At the end of the batch i add a line to copy the batch that will follow right after reboot then i use shutdown.exe for reboot in a line right after that. 3.Whats the catch? The copy command in the first batch will be for the batch after reboot and it will copy it to "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup" so after the system reboots the batch copied will start. 4.The last line in the start-up-batch will be a delete command that will delete the batch itself. 5.This can be done an infinite number of times every time u think u need a reboot after a silent install in your unattend --- just remember to add a copy line for the batch that comes after reboot in that path then delete the file itself so it doesn't start again at reboot again. in somewhat pseudocode:) batch in GuiRunOnce call: Command0=path\batch1 batch1: 1.your stuff TO DO here 2.copy batch 2 that will start after reboot here(path\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup) 3.use shutdown.exe with its flags to restart here system reboots... start menu starts batch2 batch2: 1.your stuff TO DO here 2.copy batchN that will start after reboot here(path\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup) 3.use shutdown.exe with its flags to restart here(use timer to allow the delete command to occur) 4.delete curent batch(eg. del path-to-startup\batch2) system reboots... start menu starts batchN batchN: 1.your stuff TO DO here 2.copy batch(n+1) that will start after reboot here(path\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup) 3.use shutdown.exe with its flags to restart here(use timer to allow the delete command to occur) 4.delete curent batch(eg. del path-to-startup\batchN) Did u get the picture ? I didn't test it yet but it should work -- the only tricky part seems to be the shutdown and delete itself part. Any1 with more bright ideas of how this should be done please help here cuz i actually need this stuff.

hmmm is this a "hive" sort of thing ? ... cuz when i made my own tweaks with a snapshoter i noticed that almost everytimes it snapshots more useless entries than i aim for. i saw it once done almost the same way but it was smaller i think. i wonder if it can be done for all users or local machine cuz the current user is a lil ambiguous besides if it were in all user or global it will be available for me no matter wich user i use. i kinda nooby at this thing but i saw that the tweaks that really work are usually for all users or machine not current.

Of Course i have OEMPreinstall=Yes -- I know all that stuff i'm not marooned but still cmdlines won't work well or the unattend -- i dunnow what the random factor is in this cuz every time i test it it chooses soem other bugs. 1. Administrator account is made instead of mine wich i provided names for -- i guess i can set it in a batch using the net app but how do i set it to be my default user to log or when do i set it cuz administrator user will be the first under windows register and mess up my settings -- maybe under cmdlines.txt but since that wont work... 2.The IE icons just dissapear from quick launch and desktop(wich i don't care but for QL) and the start menu icon gets replaced with internet opions instead cuz something messes with teh settings on start menu !!! I DON'T USE ANY TWEAK FOR IT THOUGH!!! -- not to mention the only icon that remains in QL is the "Show desktop". 3.My video driver is installed like setup -s (ATI) but when i try to install control panel it tells that drivers don't exist/not installed properly allthough it works if i do it manually like the batch would do it. 4.Network isn't always installed properly although i have the same drivers in place always -- also it won't install just TCP/IP as i specified but the default protocols 5.Chipset, sound and LAN wich are the drivers are installed on a random basis sometimes they work sometimes they don't allthough i can tooo install them manually as the unattend should do it. Below i will add my files in case some1 cares to look at them allthough i don't know what problem it sould be... files.rar

I read that the .\ should be there signifying current path its optional though i think and i'm sure of everything else -- they are in place but the magic won't happen i use catalyst for video and the chipset stuff worked before i added the cmdlines -- its in $OEM$\$$\somedir\00_chipset and set in the answer file -- its getting tedious doing everything by the book and still anything won't work right. It just comes up with different bugs everytime i test it its unbelievable.

I have a series of problems -- i thought i can fix with cmdlines.txt. I put it in $OEM$ folder but it won't run anything; here it is : [Commands] ".\installs.cmd" installs.cmd calls this : start /wait E:\PostInst\postregs.cmd start /wait E:\PostInst\postdrvs.cmd i dunnow what am i missing. I'm runnig a silent videodriver install but i think it also needs an reboot before it activates so i can install the control panel for video too and it seems i can't do it with [GuiRunOnce] If i would use RunOnceEx how would i do it ? Replace [GuiRunOnce] with [RunOnceEx] in answer file? Do i call batch files the same way? : command1=batch, command2=batch? etc. This is so messy the last time i tested it, it didn't install even the chipset -- i need some serious tutoring since this is more complicated than i thought or it should be -- either i get this right or i leave it i wasted enough time already on microsoft sake

Thank u does any1 know the anser to my second problem and most important i might add Maybe i did something wrong in the answer file cuz i get all default protocols instead of only TCP/IP how i thought i specified : [Networking] InstallDefaultComponents=No [NetAdapters] Adapter1=params.Adapter1 [params.Adapter1] INFID=* [NetProtocols] MS_TCPIP=params.MS_TCPIP [params.MS_TCPIP] DNS=No UseDomainNameDevolution=No EnableLMHosts=No AdapterSections=params.MS_TCPIP.Adapter1 [params.MS_TCPIP.Adapter1] SpecificTo=Adapter1 DHCP=No IPAddress=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx SubnetMask=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx DefaultGateway=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx DNSServerSearchOrder=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx WINS=No NetBIOSOptions=2

1.Could some1 pla provide me with the path vars like %AllUsersProfile%??? 2.I restrict from the answer file that only TCP/IP protocol should be installed (or so i thought) but instead setup is installing by default MS Networking , File Sharing and QoS protocols\clients -- isn't there a way to get read of these installs???

I want setup to install just the TCP/IP protocol with the specifications i handed it but instead he goes on and install ms networking and QoS as usual am i doing something wrong in the answer file? Here's my relevant code inside the answer file. [Networking] InstallDefaultComponents=No [NetAdapters] Adapter1=params.Adapter1 [params.Adapter1] INFID=* [NetProtocols] MS_TCPIP=params.MS_TCPIP [params.MS_TCPIP] DNS=No UseDomainNameDevolution=No EnableLMHosts=No AdapterSections=params.MS_TCPIP.Adapter1 [params.MS_TCPIP.Adapter1] SpecificTo=Adapter1 DHCP=No IPAddress=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx SubnetMask=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx DefaultGateway=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx DNSServerSearchOrder=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx WINS=No NetBIOSOptions=2 Since i tell him what to install and how why does it keep installing it wrong not to mention he messes with the TCP/IP setings i give him like he asks for a contiguous mask although what i give him is good. Does any1 know how to uncheck the "register DNS name" too?

Maybe u rebooted that time cuz services resume their status after a reboot if tweaked -- id disabled it just wont start anyway, if manual it might start when it is needed -- when set to automatic, sytem or boot it will always start so try to configure after u're own needs. Help Service resets to automatic alone regardless of setting(even if disabled) if u run it just once

I made a test just now with an usual answer file nothing more and my user account isn't made but i always log on as administrator even if i specified user name organization etc. Do i have to make the user in a batch file? What stage should it be run?

U can use a reg tweak to speciffically set wich to start on auto or whatever. It will be obvious to you wich key are wich since they are commented by me. Here's my file from xpsp1 unattended : services.reg

it seems very simple to me : u just use the batch file while in windows before rebooting to reinstall windows -- its just one click double-click

I followed the exact steps: copy wincd, extract sp1 update from update dir with command line flags etc. Anyway i downloaded the latest VMWare Workstation and it seems to work fine and 200% faster:) i'm still having trouble simulating the postinstall section thats gotta get the soft from another partition -- and one more thing it installs AMD PCNET Family PCI Ethernet adapter instead of my VE 100 NIC -- anyway problem fixed so it seems 10x guys. If any of u know by chance how to specificate my hardware to VMWare please do so -- it seems that it doesn't simulate my actual hardware and i found no other options that do so.

U can put it in GuiRunOnce or RunEx anyway till u get a solution and get read of t-x stage problems And 10x for the link i dunnow how did i overlooked it

Hmmm i don't think the inf.file is missing just search for it. Then put it in u're $OEM$\$1\[Dirname] along with cat file and the rest of the needed files and edit the answer file at (and add) OEMPnPDriversPath=[dirname] ... u can entre several paths separated by ";" U can get DriverGuide Toolkit even trial it will help u extract the curent drivers for example and give u an idea what u need(look in the inf that it extracts it saiz what cat it requires too) - this won't necesarely work(i don't use it but its usefull). There are a lot of Driver extractors over the internet if u can't find u're the drivers u need to put for preintall but it helps a lot if u try to search in u're cabs and .msi setup or so that install u're device it might help

That was a different problem i think... u used a virtual machine? i don't use usb anything either on real machine (mine) or the virtual machine.

Heres what the reference file says (you can find it in deploy.cab on your windows cd if u didn't find it allready -- it contains all sintax explanation) : "Value: path_to_$OEM$_folder Specifies the path to the \$OEM$ folder (containing OEM files) if it does not exist under the i386 folder of the distribution share point. The path can be a UNC(Universal Naming Convention) name. Enclose path_to_$OEM$_folder in quotes if it is a long file name. For more information about the \$OEM$ folder, if you are a computer manufacturer, see the Microsoft Windows XP OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) User Guide. Otherwise, see the Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Deployment Guide." "Universal Naming Convention A convention for naming files and other resources beginning with two backslashes (\), indicating that the resource exists on a network computer. UNC names conform to the \\SERVERNAME\SHARENAME syntax, where SERVERNAME is the server's name and SHARENAME is the name of the shared resource. The UNC name of a directory or file can also include the directory path after the share name, with the following syntax: \\SERVERNAME\SHARENAME\DIRECTORY\FILENAME." Of course u can use floppy and even HDD if u have FAT32 i don't think it will read NTFS partitions during clean setup. Hope the 1.44MB space hold out for ya but i don't think it will i'm trying to keep the files that i want up to date all the time on HDD but don't want to give up NTFS either. The only problem i got is with preinstall stage that won't read NTFS partitions i think -- lemme know if it worked for u and how.

I used CD-Image_Pro Kit that i downloaded from the guide page in unattended.msfn.org it comes with a batch to remove attributes and make the iso right with cdimage.exe util. U mean this util isn't working right? (using vmware4 too)

Ermmm almost forgot, here's the link to VMWare for all of u who want to test your unattend w/o destroying curent windows: http://www.vmware.com/download/