LieboOSBA

Other than those listed, are there any more hotfixes that cannot be slipstreamed? I know about KB25333552 and this is in a "post install" script that it run before the computer is renamed to the asset tag and then rebooted. KB2603229 however doesn't seem worthwhile - is this even being pushed via Windows Update? Same for KB2506143, it is actually being pushed via WU?

To conclude this issue, we ended up using WDS to launch a PE environment based on 7/2008 R2 (cannot remember which). This then runs the script I've already posted to format the partition etc but instead launches the winnt32.exe to start the setup, pointing to an unattend file rather than uncompressing a WIM. So, we boot a computer, press F12 to PXE boot, select Windows XP setup, this loads PE, formats and partitions and sets active the drives, maps a network share, triggers the setup to copy files thought the GUI mode from the network share (I assume its making a local source) and then reboots. Windows XP setup starts again at text mode setup as though we've booted off of a CD. The drivers for all types of desktops and some laptops are integrated. I've even merged two textmode driver packs for Intel and AMD chipsets so that both types of SATA and SCSI controllers are supported (we have some Dells have a SATA mode whose default is a "SCSI-Emulation" instead of AHCI in the BIOS). Some "prerequisite" hot fixes are slipstreamed to the network copy of the XP setup files to save a number of Windows Update related reboots. A "first run" script installs .NET Frameworks 3.5 and 4 because there are some other prerequisite fixes needed before these appear via WSUS. The first run scripts also re-names the computer based on the asset tag in the BIOS, deletes the entry from AD based on the XP given name and re-creates itself with the new name in AD before auto-rebooted. All in all a very successful process if I dont mind saying so myself.

The WinPE disc with the following modifications: imagex.exe (Add - from WAIK) startnet.cmd (Amend) wpeinit formatbat.cmd formatbat.cmd (Add) regedit /s vdsalign.reg diskpart /s delpart.txt echo Y | format c: /fs:ntfs /v: /q bootsect /nt52 c: /force /mbr net use p: \\QNAP\XPInstall imagex /apply P:\XPProWIM\XPINST.wim 1 c: exit vdsalign.reg (Add) [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\vds\Alignment] @="Alignment Settings in Bytes" "Between4_8GB"=dword:00000000 "Between8_32GB"=dword:00000000 "GreaterThan32GB"=dword:00000000 "LessThan4GB"=dword:00000000 delpart.txt (Add) select disk 0 clean create partition primary assign letter=c active exit Using reference http://support.microsoft.com/kb/303906 for assistance. Interestingly, if we run the normal XP setup by booting the CD after formatting etc with diskpart, it will install correctly (the unattend is set to leave the file system alone). The "disc read error" message only seems to appear AFTER the WIM is applied.

I created a WinPE disc and booted it in VMWare. I formatted the disc and partition exactly as described. I performed the "make local source" install of Windows XP as described. I took an image to WIM via ImageX as described New VMWare session, with WinPE, formatted the hard drive and run the bootsect command however had to add "C:" as one of the switches to make the command work. i.e. "bootsect /nt52 c: /force /mbr" instead of "bootsect /nt52 /force /mbr" Restored the WIM to the hard drive as instructed Rebooted without WinPE mounted and it should have started the XP setup... Instead, there is a disc read error and to press control + alt + delete There is a KB article about this but it seems to have no affect when you try the solutions: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931760 Thanks in advanced.

Thanks for replying. If anyone else has tried to use it (responding with a "yes"), they could have reported as to the success of following the instructions. The issue with following the instructions is that the WIM is captured what I believe to be successfully, the hard drive doesn't boot and you get "Disc read error, press control + alt + delete to restart" or something to that affect. I believe the problem is the formatting/partitioning/MBR creation part of the process that isn't working. The ultimate goal would be to have a WIM image that can be deployed via WDS of the setup files for Windows XP (the hard drive install as you put) with an unattended script including drivers and post-SP3 hotfixes slipstreamed. This is because as we all know, Windows XP images are HAL dependant and having a few different types of PC, making separate "sysprepped" images and maintaining them is unfeasible. I know Windows FLP is basically XP with "WIM" deployment (using a version of WIM from a Longhorn build IIRC) so it must be possible to deploy HAL "independent" Windows XP via the method I quoted or similar.

Having trouble following this guide, anyone else used it?