dboone

Take a look at the batch script attached to my first post.

You could create a simple batch file that is setup to install all the apps silently. Then, if desired, create an sfx archive that's set to run that batch file when opened. For Example: here' s part of a script that I created to install a number of apps silently. This particular script is designed to run from a cd, however it could easily be edited (by changing the file path) to run from wherever you want. CLS @echo off FOR %%i IN (D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) DO IF EXIST %%i:\CD.txt SET CDROM=%%i: :: -------------------------------------------------------------------:: TITLE "Apps Install" ECHO. ECHO. Installing Windows Taskkill utility (for XP Home) ECHO. start "Taskkill" /wait "%CDROM%\07-apps\Windows_taskkill.exe" ECHO. ECHO. Installing Mozilla FireFox ECHO. start "FireFox" /wait "%CDROM%\07-apps\FireFox_3.5.2\setup.exe /S" ECHO. ECHO. Installing Adobe Apps ECHO. start "Adobe" /wait "%CDROM%\07-apps\Adobe\Adobe.cmd" ECHO. ECHO. Installing CCleaner ECHO. start "CCleaner" /wait "%CDROM%\07-apps\CCleaner\ccleaner.cmd" ECHO. ECHO. Installing Misc System Utilities ECHO. start "sysutil1" /wait "%CDROM%\07-apps\System_Utilities_1.exe" start "sysutil2"/wait "%CDROM%\07-apps\System_Utilities_2.exe" ECHO. ECHO. Applying OEM Branding ECHO. start "oem" /wait "%CDROM%\07-apps\OEM_Branding.exe" ECHO. ECHO. Running Final System Cleanup ECHO. start "cleanup" /wait "%CDROM%\08-cleanup\80-pick_os.cmd" ECHO. ECHO Restarting the PC in 10 seconds... ECHO. shutdown.exe -r -f -t 10 -c "Windows XP will now restart in 10 seconds!" EXIT

I ran into the same issue a few years back when I was working at a small shop doing computer repairs and had to reformat about 10 pcs a week. With many long nights (often spent reading this forum) I ended up with the following. 1) A set of unattended OS disks, including every version I could get my hands (retail, oem, vlk, etc). Each disk included the following: - Latest service pack and many other update (IE, WMP) slipstreamed into it - An unattended answers file setup using the "defaulthide" method so that I could still enter the proper product key - Registry tweaks loaded @ T-12 via cmdlines.txt so that they apply to all users 2) I then created a separate disc that installed any additional hotfixes that were not slipstreamed into the OS discs, along with a number of additional applications that I would normally install on all machines (adobe players, java, a/v codecs, etc). All of these were installed via RunOnceEx. Everything was automated so that no user interaction was required. I chose to go this route as apposed to bundling everything together on the OS discs so that I would only have to update 1 disc when new hotfixes or apps were released. The only time I had to update the OS discs was when a new service pack or other major update was released. One day I hope to change the design of the disc and make it menu driven so that I can manually choose which apps I want to install however I have yet to find the time to do so. If your still interested (I see this post is almost 2 months old) I'd be happy to zip together the batch files that I use so that you can see how it was done. PM me if your interested.

Comcast Business Class Northern, IL

Using your guide, i was able to make a working installation, however after it finished, an msn toolbar window popped up as if I had selected it during the installation. Also, an attempt to change my homepage was made. I must have missed something, but I don't know what. any ideas?? thx, Darin

So far so good, I'm about half way through the install. I was hoping it would be something simple like that I just managed to overlook. Sometimes I almost try TO hard to solve a problem. Thx again.

Setup cannot copy the file: pnp680r.sys To retry, press ENTER. blah blah blah If I press escape, it will continue on to the next file... Setup cannot copy the file: sil680r.inf After pressing escape again, setup will continue copying the rest of the files, once it is done I get the blue screen of death (no specific error message). I will give it a shot. Thx

I'm about to run it again. I'll post the exact message shortly. Darin

I am attempting to install Server 2003 on to an IDE Raid I have tried 2 different controllers.. 1) Silicon Image SiI0680 (PCI) 2) Promise MBFastTrak133 Lite (on-board) (PDC20276) Text setup recognizes the controller and allows me to create my partitions and start the install. After the partition is formatted and the file copying begins I get an error message saying that "insert driver file" cannot be copied. I have tried all of the following with no luck. - Both controllers (PCI & on-board) - Different floppy drives - Re-downloaded drivers, used different floppy - Windows XP & Server 2003 I am using a Gigabyte GA-7VAXP v1.1 Motherboard with the latest bios F15. Any Ideas????

Sounds great guys, I'll give it a shot today. Off to work I go..

I run a small computer repair shop. I often have to transfer data between hard drives due to a reformat or upgrade. During which I sometimes run into problems with file permissions that are set on directories or files from previous user accounts. I can sometimes override these setting by forcing new ownership through windows security settings however it doesn't always work right or doesn't change all the sub directories. I would love to find a way to automatically clear all previous permissions and force new ones. A batch files would be great but all I can find so far are ones that remove file attributes. Any Ideas from all you wonderful and knowledgeable people would be greatly appreciated. - I need something that will work with both XP Home and Pro Thx, Darin

Thxs, I'll give it a shot

My motherboard has 2 LAN adapters built in. My winnt.sif is set to assign a static IP to one of these adapter, but it is assigning it to the wrong one. Is there a way that I can instruct the UA to assign that IP to a specific adapter? Maybe via it's MAC address? Thx, Darin

I ended up doing an install of XP with SP2 only, NO hotfixes. I then wrote down all of the hotfixes listed through windows update, downloaded then and added them to my UA via nlite. Now, obviously this didn't give me everything that the RYANVM pack has but it atleast gave me the most critical updates. And it installed alot quicker. I saw this same advice on the RYANVM forums, are there any downfalls / side effects to doing this?

I found some info on this problem on the RYANVM forum, it appears I'm not the only one pulling my hair out over this. We'll see what happens.

Well after lots of playing I beleive I've narrowed the problem down to the RYANVM update pack. I don't know if it's a problem with the update it self or something that I've done or not done. My UA's work fine in all different configurations with different hardware, etc. But once I put the RYANVM update pack (1.3.1) on, it dies on me. I took out the unattended portion of the install so that I was left with a basic slipstreamed XP Pro CD. It runs fine up intill right after the first reboot. The it slows down. I sat at 39 minutes for about nearly an hour.

The DVD burner I'm using now (on my secondary machine) is a Plextor 8x (PX-708A). However for some reason Roxio will only let me burn DVD's at 2x, so don't think slowing it down more will do any good. I did remake the ISO a couple of times throughout this process so far. The only different that I can think of from this UADVD to any of my other that have worked fine is that I am using the CDIMAGE GUI instead of the older straight batch file.

I changed my UADVD (sorry, it is a dvd not a CD), so that it loads the drivers directly off of the DVD (http://unattended.msfn.org/intermediate/drivers/cd.htm). And left the rest of my OEM folder as it was. This seems to be working ok so far. Yes I did use the same winnt.sif file, and to clarify all of the UAs I'm speaking of have been DVDs. I did go through the exisiting file to make sure no changes need to be made.

Here's my winnt.sif. Would someone be kind and look it over for me. Maybe there's something obvious that I've missed. Thanks, Darin

On a hunch I took out my video drivers (They are the first drivers to load during the text setup). I just deleted them from the "OEM Drivers Path" in my winnt.sif, and left the actual files on the disk. NOW, while watching the text setup I noticed that it copied the video drivers (the ones NOT listed in winnt.sif) at a normal speed, BUT once it got to the second set of drivers that were listed it slowed back down to a crawl. I'm Stumped.

After some searching I found an old UACD, it worked fine. So it's definetly NOT hardware related. I'm gonna do some digging around in my current CD and see if I can figure anything out.

I re-burned the DVD and tried a different DVD-ROM drive, no luck with either. It fly's through the initial copying phase, but once the percentage bar disappears the system slows way down. My HD and DVD lights go from nearly solid to an occasional flicker every few seconds. I guess I'll try a different HD next and look through my UACD at the same time. Other than hardware issues, anyone have any ideas on what if anything could be wrong with my UACD that would cause something like this? Thanks, DB

It's possible the disk is bad, I'm gonna try and burn another one, problem being the iso in on my secondary HD in that machine... So time get out the screwdriver. Most of the PC is brand new, doubt it's hardware related, but of couse it's a computer.. It has a mind of it own so who knows.

There are about 30 programs to be loaded, the biggest one being MS Office. However, I wouldn't think that this should slow down the time it takes to transfer individual files. It's been running now for approximatly 3 hours.

I just finished putting together a new unattended DVD, but am having a problem getting it to install. The initial install, where the system copies all of the files to the HD (not sure what "stage" it is) starts out fine... until it gets to the end where it starts copying all of the files from my $OEM$ folders over. At that point the file copying slows down dramatically. It literally takes 45 seconds to copy one .dll file. Something is serious wrong, but I have no idea what. I've performed many other unattended install before and have never had this problem. Any Ideas??? Thx, Darin