Littlebr00k

You should have gone to http://www.no-ip.com. You can sign up there for free, forever. On their site, once you have signed up with your email address and password go to the downloads section and download Windows Dynamic Update Client. Install this on the machine you want to connect to, then create a host on the www.no-ip.com, (which will be something like 1howmanyunamesaretaken?@no-ip.org. you can pick any name / domain you want from a list. A few are free and some are pay for, a free one is all you need.) Enter your email addy and password into the dynamic update client, this will then pull in the hostname you have created, put a tick in the box next to your hostname so it updates when the ip changes, choose how you want the client to run eg on startup, as a service, no gui etc and save your setting. You pc is now accessable by the hostname you created from anywhere on the internet eg http://1howmanyunamesaretaken?@no-ip.org. Hope this helps

1) edit you post and remove your XP setup key. 2) you need to let us know which method you use to install your additional programs so we can help you. Do you use *.cmd / *.bat , runonce.exe, WPI or something else.

Alway like to keep mine clean and simple

eCli the syntax for the commands under the [GuiRunOnce] shouldn't make a difference your right as long as you are not running more than one command from there.

First of all when posting ensure you don't include any sensitive information like username, password or product key even if it is fake better to replace them with 'X' or leave them blank. Couple of things I noticed that could be causing you problem: Under [unattended] change UnattendSwitch="Yes" to UnattendSwitch=YES Under [GuiRunOnce] change %systemdrive%\Install\start.cmd to Command0=%systemdrive%\Install\start.cmd And finally ensure hat the file is named winnt.sif with no extra extensions (eg .txt) if you have been editing it in notepad and that it is save in your /I386 directory as you said. Hope this helps. Let us know how you get on.

The application is called PQIBrowser.exe and should be located under %ProgramFiles%\Symantec\Norton Ghost\Browser\PQIBrowser.exe Not sure if its installed automatically or need to select it as an install option.

A batch script would do what you want, also a self extracting archive made with 7zip, winrar, winzip etc. But if you want a professional looking install, that will also give your customers the ability to uninstall the application and all changes made to their system then try NSIS available Here. Its free and open source.

Yes it is easily changed. You need to replace the oemlogo.bmp file with a picture of your own choice. The file is found in your system32 folder, there are limitations to the picture size and colour depth unless you hack a file that I can't think of a the moment, but searching in this forum or google will supply the answer. Also if you have a button next the picture called support information, you can amend the info in there by editing the oeminfo.ini file also found in system32. If you dont have the oeminfo.ini file you can create one yourself to display the info you want.

It is certainly possible with a program call Acronis True image, you don't even need a CD with it, you just press F11 during boot up to access the True Image menu, click on restore and your pc is returned to your preffered state. You can also do incremental backups with this so you can choose just how far back to intial setup or how close to the present day you wish to restore to. All the backups are held on a hidden partion that can be password protected as well as the backups can be password protected to avoid accidental deletion or being overwritten. Last time I used ghost these options weren't available, but that was a few years ago.

It all depends on what program you are using to create your unattended cd. The .bin file is a copy of the firmware for the adapter and is only needed if a firmware update goes wrong. The .exe file installs the drivers and any utility software under windows. See if you can extract the files in the .exe with something like winrar, which will then give you the .inf files needed for intergration. Otherwise you could just install the .exe file through your runonce.cmd or install.cmd file.

The desktop icon colour is hardcoded into windows. If you have a dark background colour (not wallpaper), you get a white text, and vice versa if you have a light background colour your get black text. This is all done by windows with an algorythm. The only way to get a different icon text colour is to use a 3rd party application there are many out there but the best (AFAIK), is TransText available Here. Hope this helps.

First of all, has the virtual W2K3 server had its virtual network card installed and is it functioning correctly? Second, if both network cards are working, ensure both your pc and the virtual pc are using ip's in the same range and subset. Third, I wouldn't suggest that you run a domain on the virtual server as with only 256mb of ram between the two pc's response will be terrible. Instead make them both a member of the same workgroup. Fourth, It would be better in workgroup mode as the server will not be up and running when you first start your pc, therefore your pc will have no domain to find and will not spend a few seconds extra on login searching for the server everytime.

Hope I answered that on my previous post. Clustering is when servers distribute the workload between them to finish the request. Active Directory allows all settings, shares, passwords etc, to be maintained over several servers when just amending the details on one. The amendments are replicated over the domain when workload and network resources allow.

Yes that's all you do, M$ did get that bit right - especially were active directory replication is involved. Just connect it to the network not directly to your other server and away you go. The fact that you have a static ip address makes no difference. Obviously no two computers can have the same ip on a network so if your original server is 10.0.0.1 make the new one 10.0.0.2 or 10.0.0.254 or any number inbetween, Dont allow the backup server to obtain it's ip via dhcp, assign it one this save's all pc's and the original server seaching for it. No it's not the same as clustering, as in clustering all servers work together to distribute the load. With a backup server, the backup server sits idle 99% of the time and only starts answering requests if the main server doesn't respond in a timely fashion or crashes. The transfer of work load is seamless and is handled by the backup server. You don't need an outside tech to do it, just read what the wizard says and you will have no problems. Run backup servers here created this way and all of them take up the load within a fraction of second of the main server going down.

If this is your main server then I asssume it's the domain controller running W2K3 and this is what you want to provide a backup for in case the first fails and no one can login to the domain share files etc. All you need to do is get yourself another server with enough resources to handle what trhe first server is doing and perhaps a little extra to give you a bit of leeway. Boot up your new server and assign it an ip that is consistent with your network and then connect it to your network. Then run the manage your server wizard and select the custom installation option when it gives you the list of what can be installed select Active directory option then click next, it then asks if this server is for a new domain or a backup to an existing domain, select the backup option and then follow the wizard through to the end, it will copy over the existing domain setting and shared files and configure you original server to know it has a backup domain controller. Acess to shared files etc will be quicker while both servers are running as both will communicate with each other and provide load balancing and a degree of fault tolerence. If its a different OS than Server 2003 then please post the OS so I can you you a quick walkthrough of what to do.

Navigate your way to the I386 folder and find the file called WINNT.sif, open it up in notepad and make sure The entry looks like this [userData] ProductKey=XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX replacing the X's with your valid cd key If you had the UnattendMode=FullUnattended in the Unattended section then it would fail remeber to save the file without changing the extension before closing notepad. recreate your iso and try again. If it fails again post your WINNT.sif file so we can see if there are any other errors in there.

The quickest way is to set the connection name in your winnt.sif for new installs so you don't have to change it later [params.Adapter1] INFID=* ConnectionName="Type name of connection here" params.Adapter1 is usually the network interface parama.Adapter2 is usually the 1394 connection you may have to experiment as it depends on how you mobo bios detects its inbuilt devices and pci cards. If your system is already up and running the easiest (I find anyway), is to open network connection - right click on the connection you want to change and select rename.

Go to Here to download boot images.

Yep, thats right. Should have said standby not hibernation. Still the same advice though. Best to disable standby in the power options and see if that resolves the problem.

It could also be that the Pc's are going into hibernation after a long period of inactivity. Quite a few BIOS's don't fully support this feature and have problems resuming from it (you can check if the PC is in hibernation as usually the power led blinks on the PC). First check the BIOS of PC to see what the wakeup key is set to and try using the specified key to reume the PC, if the key stated doesn't exsist on the keyboard change it to the spacebar and try that. If that doesn't work then disable the hibernation feature in the OS and your probems will be solved.