Randy Rhoads

Same here with 98 buts its better than having to dig out the cd key and type it in every time. Unless theres an extra master switch one can add that works simular to the auto-reboot switch does in XP i wouldnt know how it can be done or why it does that with some and not with others. Maybe its a differnce in retail and OEM cd's?

Its kool man..just a long day.

It was posted as a refernce for future requests and search results. Ive read through 10 threads here that only one person gave a simple answer of using a msbatch file but explained nothing about how to create it and most were just filled with replys like this one. I still use 98, im sure more people use 98, or would like to add a 98 of this fashion in a All in 1 DVD or simular situtation. If you dont use 98, then there was no need to reply or even read the thread was there? Getting by the cd key was a bad choice of words. All it does is just skips that section kind of like "270" works with the 2000 cd. I didnt hack the cd to make this a available option, Microsoft coded the setup to allow these switchs for admins i would assume or it wouldnt work so complain to them. I dont mean to come off as an @ss just that it rubs me the wrong way to get replys like this when im trying to provide some help and after reading 300 older threads of simular replys when i was trying to find that info.

Parts of this i was able to get from searching all day here and other sites, reading lots of dead end threads that never got anywhere or just hinted at some areas of making a simular cd. One could go way overboard and create a custom msgina file, add a custom bootscreen, etc, but the info i collected below is just to get a Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition cd to install and operate with most all the Workstation conversion tweaks already applyed. Now, all the info is located in one thread. Theres probally alot of this that can be done with inf files, but i never found anyone who had all the stuff neeed in one collection. The easiest way ive seen to do this was from a old thread i found using the Windows 2003 Server Optimize Tool v1.44 By Sala along with a answer file renamed to 2k3ounat.sif. 1) Rename the downloaded Optimize Tool to: Win2003.exe and edit the 2k3ounat.sif file added below to your liking and save changes. 2) Create a $OEM$/$$/system32 in the root of the cd contents and copy these 2 files inside the system32 folder. 3) Create your WINNT.SIF file and add the info below along with the other settings: [unattended] OemPreinstall=Yes [GuiUnattended] AutoLogon=Yes AutoLogonCount=1 [shell] CustomDefaultThemeFile="%WinDir%\Resources\Themes\Luna.theme" [GuiRunOnce] Command0="%windir%\system32\Win2003.exe /u" Or add themes in the $OEM$, and a patched UXTHEME.DL_ inside the I386 as you would on a XP cd and point to the theme file of choice as the default because Themes will be ready to use. If you use cmd files to install other apps you wont need the "PC shutdown in 1 minute" line because the Optimize Tool will reboot the PC automatically after it makes the changes so be sure to add the command to run this after your CMD files have finished. In short, add the Command0= line after your cmd lines in the GuiRunOnce section of Winnt.sif. OK..heres the 2k3ounat.sif contents; Read each line carefully and add a 1 or 0 to enable or disable what you want. *Note: this file explains to use a floppy, its much better to have the cd do the work as explained above* Heres my registry tweaks to the start menu and Internet Explorer:

What you do is create a file named msbatch.inf and place it in the WIN98 folder, or WIN95 folder for Windows 95 and reburn the CD. The program that creates these are already on your CD's. Its a program called Batch.exe. The batch.exe for 95 will only run in 95, but the one for 98 runs ok on my XP. On the 95 cd its located on the CD at: admin\nettools\bsetup\ On 98 its located at: \tools\reskit\batch\ Just install and run the program and you can specify cd key,IE homepage, what apps to install, etc then when all the options are set the way you like it outputs them to a msbatch.inf file. I was able to bypass the cd key in 95 by adding this under the setup section of the msbatch file: [setup] ProductType=1

Incase you didnt already know, one can use the old 98-ME themes in 2000 (they will work in XP as well if you copy over the old themes.exe file and set XP to classic in the Appearance tab). The steps with 2000 or XP is to add an environment varible and coping over the themes from ither a Plus! 98 install or downloaded 98 themes. Below is the registry entry one can add to there reg tweaks file to have 2000 or XP ready to use the old themes after setup. Compress your old themes inside a folder of the same name using WinRar as a SFX and have it do a silent install to the: C:\Program Files\Plus! folder. I used this line in the Advanced SFX options in WinRar as where to install. %systemdrive%\Program Files\Plus! Place this inside the install folder of your $OEM% and just add a line in the cmd files to install it like a program. Themes.exe is located in the system32 folder on 2000, just throw a shortcut to the desktop after 1st boot or create one for Windows setup to copy during the install. On XP you will need to include the old Themes.exe file as well.

I agree and will add that using Windows in any form is a security risk. All hail SuSe.

To add to that, when you save the pics in this manner and import them to say Photoshop you will notice that alot of the plugins will be disabled because the pic is saved in that manner. Open them with Irfanview and increase them to 16,7 Million, save the pic, open it with Photoshop and do your editing, then decrease the color back to 256 before importing them with reshack.

Welcome..its no probelm..that was my 1st lesson learned when i started messing with the custom setup file.

I noticed that when i changed the font of that text and it made the text bigger and some of the text couldnt be read at all. The text on the left and the title's of the text on the right were ok. It was the paragraph text that created the mess. You might want to leave that set to Tahoma and see if it helps. The string table that controls the paragraph text is located at sting table 2: 19, "Tahoma" If that doesnt help take the text out by backspacing the entries, leave a space and leave the quotes: Example: " " Dont save it as: ""

It has to be 256 color (8PP) BMP file. There is no other options on quality..they have to be saved in that manner. Irfanview saves them in the correct format without degrading the pic that much. Thats what i meant.

You need to decrease the color of the bmp. Use Irfanview which is free and saves the pic at a good quality.

M$ site says to add this in the WINNT.SIF: [unattended] UnattendSwitch=yes Link: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=294801

I got my cmdlines info from another site before i found this one and while i havent seen any errors in my install the registry tweaks have shown to be applyed and ive no probelms without the / before the S but will add it anyway. Thanks for the heads up it was just something i spotted differnt in my cmdlines file from his and thought maybe it was an issue.

I noticed you have DriverSigningPolicy=Ignore twice in the WINN.SIF at the top.

Are the cmdlines.txt and registry.reg in the root of the $OEM$ Folder? I also place the registry file inside the install folder and call that from the main batch.cmd. I think the whole purpose of adding the cmdlines and reg inside OEM folder and running it from there is to apply the registry tweaks on the default account thats made after setup and just before that runs during your login. Inside my cmdlines mine reads like this: [COMMANDS] REGEDIT S regtweaks.reg Mine doesnt have the "/" before the S..not sure if that makes any differnce. It sounds like the tweak settings are not being applied to that account. The apps section should be applied to All users but when you create that default account that account will bootup without the reg tweaks applied if you dont have the cmdlines.txt and the reg file together in the root of the $OEM$ folder.

Are you saying you used just the modified file to replace all those files but renamed them the original names?

Thats how i would have done it as well but i havnt went down this road yet. Best bet is to search the forum and find some past conversations about it untill someone chimes in.

You dont need to edit anything if you redownload the attachment i added and delete the original one. 1) Download the Media Center 2005 theme attachment and extract it. 2) Download the royale.rar file from the link i gave, extract it, look inside its contents and find the royale.mssstyles file. Copy that file inside the MediaCenter folder from my attachment. Now the theme is done and you wont need the rest of the contents that was extracted from the royale.rar file. Copy the contents of the finished Media Center 2005 folder inside the $OEM$ section and edit the WINNT.SIF file following the directions i gave in my 1st post.

You didnt need to edit the royale.msstyles file just the Media Center 2005.theme in my 1st attachment to save you from having to redownload it over. Will be easier to just redownload the attachment i updated. I added a wallpaper in the updated attachment also.

Cant help you with the Nero. The custom bootscreen file, was it made from the same build as the rest of the windows files? Your not using an old SP1 bootscreen file on a SP2 slipstreamed? If not, how are you applying it? I havent went through these steps yet but remember reading about doing that here and wasnt the instructions to rename the file and add the custom file in the: $OEM$>$$>system32 folder. Then use a registry hack or boot.ini hack to point to the renamed file? If you use the same build file couldnt you modifyPE the custom file then compress with makecab and just replace the file inside the i386? Not much help i guess just throwing some ideals.

Guys sorry, whoever downloaded the attachment will need to grab it again as i edited the theme file with the new Media Center 2005 names but forgot to edit the line pointing to the msstyles file, i did get the wallpaper string correct though. Ither download the attachment over or open the .theme file with notepad and scroll down to where you see: [VisualStyles] Path=%WinDir%Resources\Themes\MediaCenter\Royale.msstyles Above in bold is what i forgot to edit, Yours will say royale2005 and it needs changed to the above. Sorry for the mistake im half asleep. I did add you a wallpaper in the attachment already named correct and in the correct folder. It looks nice with this theme.

You can get the original files here: Royale Theme *Edit: Should have said that isnt the edited theme i posted, its a link to the original msstyles files. Just grab the msstyles file from the download and use it in the instructions i posted.*

Here ya go. Just extract this attachment and copy your Royale.msstyles file inside the MediaCenter folder, everything else is included. Inside there add your wallpaper inside the Wallpaper folder, but rename the wallpaper to MediaCenter.jpg Once this is done add the files inside the $OEM$>$$>Resources>Themes folder. To tell Windows to use this by default add below inside your WINNT.SIF file: [shell] CustomDefaultThemeFile="%WinDir%\Resources\Themes\Media Center 2005.theme" I would have added the msstyles file, but compressed with Winrar i couldnt get it below 170k and they have a 150k limit. Media_Center_2005.zip

Tweak of the color app or my setup file? I posted a screenshot of my last BBU file..it was the UK setup. I have a non sports related one working now however. I have the UK and Duke setups done. Heres the screenshot of how i changed the color app. I just made the layout more detailed and added a icon resource so you dont see the ugly white box. I packed the file using the free UPx app to compress it from 53k to 40k.