albedoConsulting

I am working on a Bashrat based unattended install CD, and I would like to keep it all on a CD as I have some machines that do not have DVDs. I also have a limited subset of hardware, so I could eliminate some of the driver sets if I just new what drivers where in what 7z files. Or I could just remove the individual drivers that I don't need. Is there a list available somewhere of what is in each archive? Thanks, Gordon

I am building 20 new machines, which have Philips LCD monitors. I have the monitor install files (a CAT file, and ICM file and and INF file) in a folder in $OEM. On my test machine using an MSI GeForce 5700LE, the graphics driver was found automatically (Drivers on Windows CD, or perhaps Windows Update, not sure), and the Monitor was IDd automaticall. Net result, when the install was done the machine was right. Now, on my actual machines, which use a combination of Gigabyte GeForce 6600 and nVidia IGP graphics, I have to install the graphics drivers seperately, which I can do using RunOnceEX. However, because there is no correct graphics driver when Windows uses the OEM folders, I now end up with the need to manually install the monitor and change the resolution. What I am wondering is, can I use RunOnceEX to install the INF file, after the graphics card installs, and before resetting the resolution via a REG file? When I right click install the INF nothing happens. I have to actually step thru a hardware install process, but perhaps there is a command line way to use the INF file? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Gordon

Is there a reg tweak for this? I would love to get rid of this annoyance as I have the 'Shortcut to' and others, but I have been unable to find the method. TIA, Gordon

I am trying to use the Default User, first via a customized install CD, and then via the domain logon script folder, to automate some new machine installs. We have 7 physical printers in house, and 6 of them have two variations of settings (post script and non-PS, double sided/stapled and not, etc. 13 printers to set up in all, for each of 30 users. And no time to do it. Even though the shared printer on the server is configured correctly, when adding a printer on the client, only default settings come over. Thus, I had hoped to build all the printers in the Default User, so when new users are created based on that template, they would have all their printers done. Unfortunately, I can't get anything to stick. even on a machine with printers set up, I see nothing in the Printhood folder (or the Nethood folder for that matter), and new users based on the Default User have no printers. Anyone have any suggestions, even going down a totally different road (with the exception of WMI, which I would not be able to learn before next weeks roll-out). Best, Gordon

Got cha. Thanks. One other reason for stand-alone installs is that my office has a real mix of user types. Everyone gets 10 or so common apps, then one groups gets three CAD apps, three get CAD apps plus graphics apps, two get some accounting apps, etc. With stand-alone installers, it is pretty easy to build an install CD for each user or user type. I have been having some issues, so I may just make a single CD for the common apps and windows, then make seperate installers for the less common stuff. Thanks again, Gordon

I am doing a mass install using RunOnceEX for application installs, and I would like to do it in such a way as to have some standalone RunOnceEX CMD files for each app, so that later installs, reinstalls are easy. The idea would be to have each install flooowed directly by the appropriate cleanup scrips, for example REG ADD %KEY%\010 /VE /D "Acrobat Reader" /f REG ADD %KEY%\010 /V 1 /D "Acrobat Reader Install" /f REG ADD %KEY%\010 /V 2 /D "Desktop shortcut delete script" /f My concern is that all the examples I have ever seen put the cleanup as a seperate entry, at the bottom. Is this because some installs don't allow RunOnceEX to wait, and thus are not done when the cleanup script is run? Or is it that all of the 10 stuff above runs before say 10 does, but 10 1 might not complete before 10 2 runs? in which case, perhaps making all the cleanup be, say 99 1, 99 2, 99 3, etc, with each sub command a seperate cleanup, might work? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Gordon

The AutoCAD CD comes with a tool to modify network installs, which can be made to run silently as Smurf says. No need for Orca, as the tool is right there on the CD. Even AutoCAD LT has this ability, with some limitations. Best, Gordon

I notice that all RunOnceEX examples seem to do the install and perhaps some reg stuff as a single RunOnceEx group, but then cleanup like deleting the desktop shortcut is done en mass later. I would like to be able to do cleanup as part of the install, for two reasons. 1: I can create use the same few lines in another CMD to build a standaline installer. 2: I can build different RunOnceEX.CMDs for different client types, and not need a Cleanup.CMD that covers everything. So, can this be done, and if so, why is it not common? Something along the lines of: REG ADD %KEY%\010 /VE /D "Mozilla Firefox" /f REG ADD %KEY%\010 /V 1 /D "msiexec.exe /i setup.msi /qb-" /f REG ADD %KEY%\010 /V 2 /D "Firefox_cleanup.cmd" /f Thanks, Gordon

I am working on a deploy for a small office, and running into some issues with Default user stuff. First, is there a way to build printers into a default user? I have looked in the Print Neighborhood folder of a user that has all required printers, and nothing shows up, even with hidden files on and system files on. I could do it with a logon script that runs later, but I would just as soon do it in the Default User, especially as I would like printers available to the Local Admin. Second, as I understand it, the Default user that I put on the install CD will be used for ALL local users (in this case, only Local Admin, and it will be used for Domain users unless there is a Domain Default user defined. This would be better, as I want the local Admin to look very different from the Domain Users. Lastly, we are currently configured with the Local Admin using the same password as the Domain Admin, so that RunOnceEX stuff can point to a network share, rather than actually being on the CD (we have to install Architectural Desktop, MS Office, Photoshop, SketchUp, etc, way too much for a single CD). However, I would really prefer to give Local Admin a different password from domain Admin. So, how is everyone else handling this? best, Gordon

Can someone explain what i am doing wrong here. My shortcut to setup.exe looks like this, and works. \\Srv_2\installs\Business_Apps\MSOffice2003\SETUP.EXE TRANSFORMS="\\Srv_2\installs\Business_Apps\MSOffice2003\THA Standard.MST" /qb- now, when using RunonceEX, I believe I need to move the quotes around everything, not just the Transforms, thus: REG ADD %KEY%\065 /V 1 /D "\\Srv_2\installs\Business_Apps\MSOffice2003\SETUP.EXE TRANSFORMS=\\Srv_2\installs\Business_Apps\MSOffice2003\THA Standard.MST /qb-" /f However, this fails to install. Other stuff found at this same place on the netwrok install fine, so it is not that. I am pretty sure it is something in the syntax here. Any suggestions? thanks, Gordon

I have a client with a Win98 machine that sometimes randomly restarts, sometimes crashes an app but allows a save, sometimes crashes an app but doesn't allow a save, etc. All very random. My thought is to test the CPU, memory, and perhaps the power supply. Thus, does anyone have a suggestion for a good RAM & CPU burn in/test app? I would like to at least try to isolate the problem before I suggest the machine go to the LCS to have a multimeter put on the PSU. Best, Gordon

Thanks for the info, and FWIW, the office has the required number of seats of Acrobat 6, I just want to avaid the task of going machine to machine installing the upgrade, putting in the 6 CD, finishing the upgrade, etc. In a perfect world Adobe would just offer a site license for small offices. Heck, even Micro$oft has the brains to do that. Personally I am lobbying for CutePDF or some other non Adobe solution, as I generally hate Adobe products. If I can't get CutePDF or a silent install of Acrobat, then I will finish my automated install and leave the machines for the in house IT staff to deal with. just hoping to get that much closer to a 100% user ready system via automated install. Best, Gordon

Perhaps I am dreaming, but is there any way to create a silent install of Acrobat 7, when the actual Acrobat package is an upgrade version? The actual CD install would ask for the 6 CD, but perhaps a silent build with that already out of the way is possible? Thanks, Gordon

So it would seem that I can use the language I am familiar with, but I am still going to see a bit of a command line dialog. Oh well, not a big deal really. Thanks, Gordon

I am curious why all the examples I have seen use a CMD file for setting up RunonceEx stuff? I am thinking about building an install CD that builds RunOnceEx stuff based on machine name (wks_01-20 are admin machines, wks_21-XX are graphics machines with different apps), and I would rather handle the conditional stuff in VBScript, assuming I could even do it in a CMD. So, is there some reason why WSH isn't being used here? Best, Gordon

I have a WindowsXp install i am working on, using the RunOnceEX method for application installs, with the install stuff on a network share (I am installing AutoCAD, PhotoShop, InDesign, MS Office, Sketchup, etc. Lots of big installs). I am also trying to do some test runs using Microsoft VirtualPC as I only have one test machine to work with. My problem is, when I do the install, the application installs fail because the network is not 'ready' when the installs start. So, I am wondering what the best way to address this is? I read recently about a Group Policy setting to force logon to wait for the network, so that Group Policy stuff is guaranteeed to be applied imediately, and I was thinking perhaps i could create a Group Policy for the Local Administrator group? Or I could just do some sort of pause in the RunOnceEX, to wait for the network before doing the actual installs. I don't like that option, as it sounds a bit kludgy. So, anyone dealt with this? Is there a good answer? Monday I will wipe the physical machine and verify that I do NOT have the same problem wth a real build, but if I don't, I would still like to find an answer for my VPC testing. best, Gordon

I am trying to get an office of 20 people setup, and the only reference I can find in the forums for the RealTek 655 is Bashrat the Sneaky's stuff. While I hope to download the driver packs at home, right now I want to just understand what is going on, and get this office set up. Can anyone offer some insight on doing just a RealTek 655 unattended install? best, Gordon

In the past my old office has set up a Local Administrator account that uses the same password as the Domain Administrator account, so that when logged in as Local Administrator, both for automated installs and for maintainance later, the login has full access to the network. That has worked somewhat well, though I would like to have some sort of Maintainence account on the domain, with roaming profile, so I can log on and have the settings I want. However, I am wondering what everyone considers Best Practice here? * Same password for Local and Domain Admins? * Seperate passwords? (and if so, what do you do to make software installs work?) * Disable Local Administrator * Some sort of Installs Domain User, or login as Local Admin for that? NOTE: We are doing a CD based automated install, rather than booting from the network, SMS, RIS, etc. Also, this is for a 30 person office, with relatively minimal security issues. Suggestions based on what 500 person Fortune500 companies with $billions in stealable info is not necessary. More of a Small Business Best Practice. I have done a search, and seen suggestions on HOW to implament different approaches, but not suggestions on which approach to use and WHY. Any suggestions would be very helpful. Best, Gordon

Hi all, first post, while in the midst of a 20 user install. Looking forward to time to peruse at leasure (is that a sign of psychosis, MSFN as leasure reading? ) Anyway, the issue at hand is trying to include IntelliPoint and IntelliType in my distribution. I tried running the EXE with a /r switch, hoping to make a response file, but it seemed to ignore the switch and do a standard install. I also did a Microsoft KB search for IntelliType Silent Install, and got some reference to WinNT4. Any suggestions? DOH! I post, then I find the Application Installs forum, and 'Universal Silent Switch Finder 0.1'. Proceeding from there. Thanks. Best, Gordon