Walchinc

The stability issues are about look and feel, program crashes, conflicting files, not loading programs, system registry conflicts. Futhermore upto 300MB extra backup when upgrading to another operating system, just a waste of space. When I tested XP Pro script and tried to install MCE components, there was no option in the add and remove components. Any registry changes "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\WPA\MediaCenter and then making a DWORD "Installed" with value "1". may not copy and the files across and there are more registry values needed to run MCE interface and programs and settings.

Upgrades are not worth it because of the system stability issues. The only way here is to create a another partition split into 2 Instead of upgrading XP to MCE select "New Installation". This will give you the opportunity to make XP as a back operating system and MCE as the main system. This is my procedure if anything goes wrong, XP operating system can give me opportunity backup my files to a external media . If you like to use the DOS based installation use the procedure above but do not format the hard drive and select a different partition to install. The upgrade procedure will scan the hard drive and find existing operating system and allow you to select another partiton to install MCE.

Please refer to my post installation script http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=65305 1 Copy the script to a floppy disk and change it to your country code, area code, Admin Password, Name, Orgaanisation, Product Key, Computer Name and Documents and Setting drive letter. Mine is Drive F If you do not have a floppy disk drive (like Dell) copy to the main directory of the pen drive or image the cd and place the sif into the i386 folder with the use of ultraiso or WinISO 2 Copy all the essential documents and settings to a external media 3 Format the hard drive and Partation it in to three. C:\ = system d:\ = Documents and Settings and E:\ = Backup for ghosting across with Norton Ghost Now boot from the MCE disc one with the first screen "Setup is inspecting your computer'shardware" now insert floppy disc straight away and at some stage it should ask you to validate you previous operating system. Now insert Win XP, 2000 ME or 98 CD as your previous operating system and confirm acceptace, when finish and when asked, replace previous operating disc with disc one of MCE and carry on with installation. This should ask you for Disk 2, then Disk one again to finalise installation. My previous XP Pro silent installation script for MCE as the first disc was XP Pro caused errors in visual design appearances and errors updating, installation additional components and never installed media centre edition components. I do not trust upgrading installation, this causes errors in the registry, instablity of operating system and visual design and directorys installation reverting back to the old style, especially 98/Me operating system. I re-installed XP Home for a friend of mine, the system was a complete mess.

Depending on which country you live in, the sif file could be changed for your needs. But unattended script decreases the time to install windows. Normally 35 minues but 20 - 25 minues with the unattanted script. I created the script to allow user to store files in another partition, so allow the user to store files a safe location. This is because of a system crash, the user will not loose thier files and its formats. Normally basic installation uses C:\Documents and Settings as the main directory to configure user accounts, well if drive C : has to be formatted they will loose everything from favouriates, my documents and its contents, email, address book, desktop items. Other members who submit their scripts, the users will have to alter the script anyway to cater for their needs. A friend of mine did a basic installation, the system crashed losing 4000 backed up mp3 music from his Itunes folder and eveything else Well with me I have a max of three operating systems Windows 2K (C:\), Windows XP Pro (D:\) and Windows MCE (E:\). Windows MCE is the main operating system, XP Pro is a testing system for faults, installation testing and Windows 2k is backup system to backup files for XP Pro and MCE and my Documents drive is (F:\). All partitons have a size limit, because I know what each systems uses in MB and in GB When looking at a family members new laptop, the drive contents were the same as mine. So companies are adaopting a new method of installing Windows systems. Over years, I have had a fair share of heartaches with pcs (that have 1 partition on their drive) . Which the drive has to be taken out from the machine and place it in a enclosure and then backup the hard drive that way, before re-organising the hard drive to proper standards

Well I have the systems builder disc from microsoft to fully customise windows installation inc software drivers. All work great on XP Home & Professional but visual interface was altered and detectability of cds while installing MCE crashed on me. Thats why I had to recode the sif file

Well after a week I have managed to silent install Windows MCE. In the first three days I have been messing around with the Windows XP Pro/Home from my previous disks. The script but messed up the media centre interface and changed it to XP Pro and never asked for CD2 or insert disk 2 and never asked to re-insert disk 1 again. It also never installed the updates for MCE components from Microsoft Update site My script asked you where to install it to a drive letter and partition and what user names you want to create I am giving you my script to install Windows MCE, just make chnages to your Product Key, Name and Oranganisation, Profiles Directory and telephony info. Rename the file name to winnt.sif If you want to change the Admin Password use text between "". This also applies to your Name and Organisation