[Initiating windows setup from dos]

Thanks for the response I already have a batch file that does the trick. My primary concern is that windows doesn't recognise the ntfs drive.

@echo off
DEL winnt.sif

set /p serial="Serial: "

set /p username="Gebruikersnaam: "

set /p companyname="Bedrijfsnaam: "

set /p computername="Computernaam: "

echo [Data] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	AutoPartition=1 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	MsDosInitiated="0" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	UnattendedInstall="Yes" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	AutomaticUpdates=1 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [Unattended] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	UnattendMode=FullUnattended >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	OemSkipEula=Yes >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	OemPreinstall=Yes >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	TargetPath=\WINDOWS >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	UnattendSwitch="Yes" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	WaitForReboot="No" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	DriverSigningPolicy=Ignore >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	NonDriverSigningPolicy=Ignore  >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [DiskConfig] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Disk1 = "Disk1.config" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Disk2 = "Disk2.config" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Disk3 = "Disk3.config" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [Disk1.config] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Size1=* >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	PartitionType1=primary >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	FileSystem1=ntfs >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Quickformat1=yes >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [Disk2.config] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Size2=* >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	PartitionType2=logical >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	FileSystem2=ntfs >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Quickformat2=yes >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [Disk3.config] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Size3=* >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	PartitionType3=logical >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	FileSystem3=ntfs >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Quickformat3=yes >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [GuiUnattended] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	AdminPassword=* >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	EncryptedAdminPassword=NO >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	OEMSkipRegional=1 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	TimeZone=110 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	OemSkipWelcome=1 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	DetachedProgram="%SystemRoot%\system32\DRVZ.EXE" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [UserData] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	ProductID=%serial% >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	FullName="%username%" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	OrgName="%companyname%" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	ComputerName="%computername%" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [Display] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	BitsPerPel=32 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Xresolution=1024 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	YResolution=768 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Vrefresh=60 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [RegionalSettings] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	LanguageGroup=1 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	SystemLocale=00000413 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	UserLocale=00000413 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	InputLocale=0413:00020409 >> q:\winnt.sif

[Initiating windows setup from dos]

I am building a new unattended installation that (1) needs to format the disk, (2) read a custom winnt.sif, and install windows. With a program (I believe it is called ntfs4dos) I have read and write acces to the ntfs partitions. However, winnt.exe doesn't recognise the ntfs disk.

Is it possible to manually copy the windows setup files to the ntfs partition, reboot, and continue the setup manually? What winnt.exe does is basicly the same I think.

Edit: What I want is an installation that formats the drive, ask for user input (serial, username, etc) and generate a winnt.sif file with that data included. Then install windows using that winnt.sif.

The advantage? No need to pause the installation, as serial and username are already included.

[Formatting from dos?]

creating partitions from dos, I use gdisk.exe. It is a partition tool from Symantec, comes with ghost. If you don't have that then you can use some other ones, not sure which, because I haven't used DOS is at least 2 years, moved everything to WinPE to do what you describe, easier to work with IMO.

The partitioning is not the problem, the formatting is. gdisk.exe cannot format into NTFS, and I don't think any program is able to do that from dos. The only solution is therefore the windows setup.

[Formatting from dos?]

What I want:

I want an unattended setup. First it needs to make several partitions. A batch file is run, asking for serial & username, and then making winnt.sif answer file. Windows needs to start after that using the winnt.sif answer file, format the drives, and start setup.

What I have:

The CD boots a dos environment, starting a tool which partitions the hard disk in the way I want (NOTE: Partition, not format). It also creates a RAM-drive. After that a batch file is started, which ask for serial, un, and so on. It writes this info to an winnt.sif file, which is then created on the RAM-drive. So far so good.

The Problem:

This is where the problem kicks in. I try to start the windows setup by executing winnt.exe (Ofcourse with the command switches to use the new winnt.sif). However, windows starts to complain there is not enough space available, which is quite logical considering there are no formated partitions.

When the setup started from the normal CD, it was possible to format the drives in NTSF through the setup,and unattended. Why not now?

Is there a possibility to start the windows formating tool from a dos-environment?

Note: For reference, here is a section from my winnt.sif:

[DiskConfig] 
 Disk1 = "Disk1.config" 
 Disk2 = "Disk2.config" 
 Disk3 = "Disk3.config" 

[Disk1.config] 
 Size1=* 
 PartitionType1=primary 
 FileSystem1=ntfs 
 Quickformat1=yes 

[Disk2.config] 
 Size2=* 
 PartitionType2=logical 
 FileSystem2=ntfs
 Quickformat2=yes 

[Disk3.config] 
 Size3=* 
 PartitionType3=logical 
 FileSystem3=ntfs 
 Quickformat3=yes

[Nero Custom Applications Builder (NCAB)]

I'm sorry to say this but I've got a problem running ncab.exe . In compability mode it doesn't report anything, under normal mode it report this:

C:\DOCUME~1\Administrator\Local wordt niet herkend als een interne
of externe opdracht, programma of batchbestand.

and then just stops. Any solutions perhaps?

[Setup is restarting....]

Try replacing, in your presetup.cmd this:

reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Driver Signing" /v Policy /t REG_DWORD /d 1 
reg add "HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Driver Signing" /v BehaviorOnFailedVerify /t REG_DWORD /d 1 
reg add "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Driver Signing" /v Policy /t REG_BINARY /d 01

by this:

reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Driver Signing" /v Policy /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Driver Signing" /v BehaviorOnFailedVerify /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Driver Signing" /v Policy /t REG_BINARY /d 01 /f

Worked for me, and I had the same symptoms.

[Registering File Extensions Unattended]

@Timorad you just need this .reg file

I know about the ability to export settings to a reg file. When the unattended installation is finished, archived files are not directly opened by winrar. It just pops up the standard windows-window, asking with what program I want to open the file. Only AFTER I manually start the winrar executable, the settings are read out, and the files are actually associated with winrar.

It isn't a big problem (I guess I can start winrar in the unattended process, and kill it afterwards), but I was hoping there would be a better solution.

[Registering File Extensions Unattended]

Does anyone know how to register archives (zip, rar, cab etc) to winrar?

options>export/import>export settings to file on the winrar main gui

Yeah I figured this. However, Winrar needs to be started first before the file extensions are actually taken over by winrar.

[Registering File Extensions Unattended]

Does anyone know how to register archives (zip, rar, cab etc) to winrar?

[Unattended Problem - Device Drivers?]

I've send Pyron an email, reffering to this thread.

[Unattended Problem - Device Drivers?]

Any progress? Does Python know about this error?

[Unattended Problem - Device Drivers?]

Is there something we can do?

[Unattended Problem - Device Drivers?]

*bump*

This is really annoying, as apart from this error, my cd is finished

[Unattended Problem - Device Drivers?]

I was running it from WMWare, but here goes:

Motherboard: Asus A7N8X

Harddisk: Maxtor 80gig

Memory: 1024MB RAM, 512 allocated for VMWare

Processor: AMD XP 2600+

I don't think much more is relevant.

I've used method 2, and didn't use nlite.

[Unattended Problem - Device Drivers?]

Same happens to me.

[Registry Tweaks]

I've got a slight problem with the start menu, and specificly the list of recently ran programs. Somehow, after applying the tweaks, this list just stays empty. Has anyone encountered this before or knows the solution to this?

No-one? Am I the only one, or is everybody using the classic start menu?

I just dont want this list! its very annoying to me... Perhaps you have the regtweak applied (like me) to disable this list... check your regtweak files!

I can understand that people find this feature annoying, however I'm kinda used to it

I've got NoStartMenuMFUprogramsList commented out, so that can't be the problem. Any ideas?

[Registry Tweaks]

I've got a slight problem with the start menu, and specificly the list of recently ran programs. Somehow, after applying the tweaks, this list just stays empty. Has anyone encountered this before or knows the solution to this?

No-one? Am I the only one, or is everybody using the classic start menu?

[Registry Tweaks]

I've got a slight problem with the start menu, and specificly the list of recently ran programs. Somehow, after applying the tweaks, this list just stays empty. Has anyone encountered this before or knows the solution to this?

[Registry Tweaks]

Hi I have a problem with my start menu go into classic mode, im just wondering if someone could have a look my reg tweaks to see what im doing wrong.

I have the same problem

Me too.