MrJinje

Here is a description of how they are added at runtime, I assume it should require you build you PE with the scripting environment if you have not already done so. These path variables will get reset each time the script is run. So be aware of that if you are writing multiple scripts that need these variables. They need to be specified in each script. It starts about a third the way down. The PATH Environment Variable http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/environment.htm If you read further in the thread it describes how to preset them via the registry. I assume this could be applied somehow into the HIVE's inside your PE.wim. Or integrated into your WIM via a registry setting .INF file. But it seems easiest just to set them at run-time. EDIT: On second read, I suggest this "path = %PATH%;newdir " or "path = %PATH%;C:\MyPath" as that is non-destructive to existing path variables.

If you are going x64 why not just use W2K8-R2, AFAIK it is already slip-streamed. Otherwise, I think the x86 slip-stream got limited to TechNet and MSDN Subscribers. Dreamspark might sell you a copy cheap if your school is eligible. EDIT: Just tried to find ISO link for R2, it says I need to register and yada yada yada. Sorry, cannot find you a direct URL to the ISO.

Try vLite, uncheck all options except create disk.

Is this a small buffer exploit, or would it work with a normal filename as long as the file does not exist and it throws an error. start blablatesterrormessage.......exe I'll assume it doesn't work if you just run the explorer.exe command alone.

Not sure, I'm gonna assume you followed all the create a dummy user stuff. In all fairness, you did ask that it prompt you to enter a computer name everytime. Looking at the GUI, maybe one cannot be done without the other. I'd try going back to <COMPUTERNAME>*</COMPUTERNAME> and then find a way to rename it via script later. What kind of naming convention does your company use ?

HKLM reg settings are fine from SetupComplete.cmd - I have a number of environment reg settings I push to each machine at this phase. I also force reboot before first login, so that these settings are available on first login (remove pagefile, etc..) HKCU settings do not work as the user account is not active until after first login. (roughly 10 seconds after setupcomplete finishes). I have not tested the <COPYPROFILE> setting within AutoUnattend.xml yet to determine if we can capture HKCU settings into the default user NTUSER.DAT yet. Wording in the .CHM is vague and I'm not sure at which stage during installation the profile is copied.

1) What is a domain controller or D.C. Short answer - It is a server that maintains and provides a security database for the organization. If I were to really dumb it down, I would say it is like the Master Control Program from Tron. In a corporate environment every aspect of a domain computer can be controlled via the settings at Domain Controller. 2) What Services - Don't have a definite list, let me poke around MSDN. Off top of my head, with a standalone machine, DHCP, DNS, and a few specific to Active Directory and the various Domain Roles. Also security services like kerberos and probably a few others things I am forgetting. 3) DHCP DNS - Usually/Maybe in smaller/midsize environments, but most larger companies I've work with prefer non-windows alternatives for these important things. 4) 30-50 users on 2K3 standard, likely can be done with an older laptop. Newer QUAD Xeon's with plenty of RAM can scale to thousands of users, assuming only the DC/ Active Directory roles. Not saying you should buy an old laptop, just saying that you can do more with your DC in a smaller environment (Exchange Server is good example). 5) More than 1 DC. Actually having multiple DC's is preferred as they replicate between each other to maintain copies of the aforementioned security database. No single point of failure. 6) Exchange does work from a DC. As does SQL Server, Sharepoint, and about 95% of all applications. Have a look at Small Business Server

Nope VBS not gonna work for you. Maybe a better question is - Have you already seen GImageX ? Not sure if it will work for you, but it is an Auto-It based GUI, so no .NET requirement. As for thin apps, installing is very easy, just copy the compiled thinapp to your USB drive and double click. They are portable sandboxed applications - no installation required. To get the idea, check out ThinDownload.

Dumb question - Since it is an .INF you are trying to install, why not just use DISM /ADD-DRIVER and integrate directly into the WIM ? Then you don't need worry about SetupComplete, it will be part of your image.

This probably won't help the OP, but if anyone wants to run .NET apps from PE, it is possible with ThinApp. http://www.vmware.com/products/thinapp/ http://blogs.vmware.com/thinapp/2008/11/step-by-step-in.html __________________________________________________ Does WimPE support VB Scripting by default. If the OP's app does not require any VB.NET features, it probably could be rewritten in .vbs. But I cannot remember if you need to specifically include the script host package separately or not. __________________________________________________ Can you give a link to this version of Windows PE you downloaded. In the past, I always had to make my own with DART, WAIK, or OPK, never seen a pre-compiled ISO for download.

Didn't miss anything, I mistakenly assumed everyone was familiar with the WIM image format and never posted the list.Here you go - These are the default images inside an untouched ISO - obviously vLite users who remove all images can disregard. they only have 1 image in their iso's x86 1 - Starter 2 - Home Basic 3 - Home Premium 4 - Professional 5 - Ultimate x64 1 - Home Basic 2 - Home Premium 3 - Professional 4 - Ultimate Hope that helps.

With SBS 2003, you should be fine, all you really need is a single SBS 2003 server with CAL's for 50 people. SBS 2003 can handle up to 75 users and CAL's can be purchases separately in 5 packs. Any more than 75 users and M$ requires you to pay for a more expensive server product. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Small_Business_Server Largest benefit of SBS is that it integrates Exchange and has some management gui's that groups a lot of basic tasks into the same gui. It is just easier to use right out of the box. As for the Standard version of server 2003, I believe it's limitations were more hardware/domain related and not number of user related. Standard version does not come with all the goodies inside SBS, so if you are looking for a no frills servers standard is the way to go. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server_2003#Standard_Edition

Mike Stevens method looks rather user intensive, Acronis does 99% of that for you (if you can afford it)Dead system, not a problem for Acronis. As long as his hard drive is still working (should be), Acronis can capture the image from the HDD and the Universal Restore add-on will be able to create a hardware-independent image. It will fully preserve all settings, favorites, applications as the OP requested. The only thing that will be different is during the first boot you may need to add drivers for things on the new equipment. Mostly I just need to run the chipset drivers when I move my machines around.

No the "Administrative Templates" section of GPEDIT.msc settings are contained in the C:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicy folder. Use method listed in the third post. That method didn't work for the OP because I failed to remember the local security (SECPOL.msc) policy was included inside the GPEDIT.MSC. See my second post. It should work for you since both your settings are "Group Policies" per se.

Can you check that your power cable is connected to your electrical socket. J/K kinda drunk, real advice is check out these PCI tester cards.

Easy way would be to use Acronis Universal Restore Probably are a few other P2P (physical to physical) applications that can do similar things, but I have not heard of a free one yet. If anybody knows a freeware Application for this, speak up.

I don't like doing anything like this during business hours. Major drain on the network.Users should be informed to leave their machines on overnight or weekend, and you schedule SP3 to install silently Friday night. On Saturday, you connect through the VPN and or drive to office, and run some scripts to determine what machines failed, on Monday you and your team take care of the machines of users who didn't leave their computer on. With 9000 machines, it will likely take multiple weeks before you can truly finish them all, people will take machines home, you know the drill. Which patch platform are you using SMS, Altiris, Tivoli, or are you doing this another way. (yikes WSUS server ?) One large office tip is, try to do smaller batchs in 10-15 minute waves, so that the local mirror of the DFS doesn't get overloaded. 9000 requests for a 350MB file will kill any office network. Maybe start with a test run of 500 machines and see how it goes. Do you have GBe to the desktop or only 100MB ? But again I must stress, do it during the off hours. Just because you can install it during the day, doesn't mean you should. Use only as last resort.

Go into Computer Management > Users and Groups > and double click on user PC1 - Tell me if that account is currently "disabled", if so here is easy fix. net user PC1 /active:yes If it works, then add that to your batch file. Guess the "Setup Security.inf" had a few extra settings in it I wasn't expecting. If I remember right, there was a setting that creates all accounts as disabled by default. Instead of activating each account, another option might be to find that setting in the .INF file, change it there, so accounts don't get disabled by default.

Get a PCI SATA Controller Card Link Then think about adding an external SATA drive dock. eSATA is just like USB, except 20 times faster and you can boot from it.

There is a token restore backup method, Paymyrent over at MDL has created an easy to use application that does this. Token Restore is not a loader, and it cannot be used as such. It cannot activate a non-activated Windows machine or anything illegal. All it can do is back up and restore an existing retail activation of a single machine. This does not break any of the rules under my interpretation. Here is a link to the original thread. Link for Paymyrent's Token Restore - for Retail Windows 7 only. I will send him a PM and ask him to join up and start his own thread at MSFN.

Take own command can be altered to this and work Multi-Lingual.http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/take-...s=1#post-119543 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas] @="Take Ownership" "NoWorkingDirectory"="" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas\command] @="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant *S-1-5-32-544:F" "IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant *S-1-5-32-544:F" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas] @="Take Ownership" "NoWorkingDirectory"="" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas\command] @="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\" /grant *S-1-5-32-544:F /t" "IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\" /grant *S-1-5-32-544:F /t"

I'd quick delete all that loader talk, not allowed on this forum. See Rules 1.A 1.a This is not a warez site! Links/Requests to warez and/or illegal material (e.g., cracks, serials, etc.) will not be tolerated. Discussion of circumventing WGA/activation/timebombs/license restrictions, use of keygens, or any other illegal activity, including, but not limited to, requests for help where pirated software is being used or being discussed, will also not be tolerated. You will be warned on your first offence. Technically I am not a mod so I cannot warn you, but you have been warned.

Think it goes in the [userData] section not the [Components] section. [userData] ProductKey="XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX" I assume you already checked for typos. Does yours match this sample and still fail.

Most machines don't come with DVD's. Can the OP open diskmgmt.msc and tell us if there is a recovery partition. If so, at least you have a legit copy of vista to fall back on.Judge Wapner Asks: Which is it Wolf, did he say it was Windows 7 eligible, or did he flat-out lie. If you have both a recovery partition and the A15 bios, it is likely the seller was telling the truth, at least as far as this comment is concerned.Can you post a link to his item listing, I'd like to see how he worded it, before I assume he is scumbad.

Iceman is right, the password setting is part of the local security policy and not part of the "Administrative Templates" Here is the default policy, I was able to edit the file and import it via secedit.exe C:\WINDOWS\security\templates\Setup Security.inf Make a copy of Setup Security.inf, rename the copy secedited.inf, and change this setting from this. to this Edit this command to suit your file names/paths. Should be able to schedule this via RunOnceEx in your WINNT.SIF Above script expects the file to be here XP_ROOT\$OEM$\$1\secedited.inf.The secedited.db file did not exist until after I ran this script, so don't ask where to find it, the script is creating it. If that doesn't work, re-run it without the /QUIET and report back any error.