Lazy8

Looks like the boards are back online, SCIFI. So welcome to MSFN--I hope you find what you need here.

Don't know which files you are planning to remove, but ref.chm in your Deployment Kit gives a list of components you can select to not install (Notepad is one of them). The ones listed in Winnt.sif will not need SFC disabled. I'm not sure about TCP/IP priority tweak, but this should take care of timestamp: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem] "NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate"=dword:00000001

Have you considered OOBEINFO.INI instead of net user method? If you are setting up a single user PC without need for predefined password, it will install your default user even more simply.

Welcome to MSFN forums, sai351. Winnt.sif can be written from scratch using notepad, although you'll find the Deployment Kit (linked to Unattended XP Guide) will make the job much more convenient for you. Don't forget to look over the Ref.chm help files for clarification and options for editing your .sif file. Most of it can be interpreted pretty easily by a layman. If you used Nlite for unattended prep, then you already have winnt.sif in the I386 directory of your source. Since this is your first attempt, you'll face far fewer frustrations by reining in your more ambitious plans, and stick with a fairly basic setup to work the bugs out of your initial process. Unattended Guide covers the basics of program installation. Extras and tips from members can be found here. You're encouraged to use our search bar to locate more specific information. Drivers are regarded to be simpler to install than apps. Finding them is the challenge. Your graphics card may require extraction software that you haven't tried. If you can't extract it by any means at your disposal, and you are presently using the card on your target machine, you should be able to retrieve the individual files as a backup. Double Driver is an excellent free app for that. Also, Bâshrat the Sneaky has made a number of driverpacks (linked to the Unattended Guide), which may include everything you need. USB controllers are included in Windows XP by default, so you shouldn't need to bother with them, unless you removed them from your source. Winnt.sif method is capable of installing drivers with multiple .inf's, as is nLite. You can actually prep your UA CD with only a rudimentary familiarity of the Windows registry. The UA Guide was recently appended with a terrific summary of its workings. Importing your own tweaks may be one of those enhancements best saved for later--there's nothing wrong with using TweakUI Powertoy or another app in the meantime. To save yourself time and a few bucks, record your test CDs on rewritable media, and try one of the virtual machines recommended by the UA Guide. Your single best starting place for information is the Unattended XP Guide, and Ref.chm. The topics are interrelated--I had to read through them at least once and refer to it for days before it really began to sink in--but they cover all the basics of unattended prep. Good luck on your XP Pro installation!

Hard drives may be replaced without purchasing a new license, though a new primary hard disk will require a phone call to Microsoft for authentication. Happened to me once when my hard drive was factory recalled, and I replaced CD drives in the interim.

That setting contains a ton of information specifically tailored to your preferences, Yungsters. I believe amit_talkin was asking why his IE toolbar should look exactly like yours. Perhaps you could add a description or (even better) screenshot of your toolbar layout to let others know what to expect from those settings. Whenever possible, I'll set up my toolbars on the target machine, and use Regshot to locate the settings I need. I suppose simply navigating to those points in Regedit and exporting them would be just as easy.

Use your original CD key after slipstreaming. It will be accepted with the service pack installed.

Light blue. Fish or cut bait?

Hmph...sounds like an awful lot of red tape for someone with such a distinguished drivers record. Good luck, and Happy Birthday!

The ingrates! Publishing and distributing their decision with Microsoft products only adds insult to injury (as if they had a reasonable alternative). When will the EU get off the back of the little guy?

...and I thought it was just me. Happens at T-12, probably on initiation of RunOnceEx, with these switches used: /q:A /c:\"setup_wm.exe /Q /R:N /DisallowSystemRestore\" Hasn't been more than a minor annoyance, which went away when integrating RyanVM's switchless installer into nLite. I'm still curious as to whether there are any known switches to avoid this error, in case I decide to return to the RunOnceEx method.

...Shot his good side. Also, he had sense enough not to stare into the camera when the flash went off, unlike a few of us unfortunates.

Set up a single full administrative install. Your answer files determine which Office suite gets installed--you can be as specific as you like. Just place your two .MSTs in the same location. Reference either TRANSFORMS=Standard.MST or Pro.MST (or alternate names, as you see fit) in your batch command or RunOnceEx. Extra credit for exporting your current settings with the profile wizard, and importing them during customization. Might save you the time of hunting for individual reg settings, and I doubt you'll notice the difference in installation time.

I had problems with the ISO image created, independent of the hardware used to burn it. Filenames were all in 8.3 format, no matter which attributes were selected (got this result with Nero 6 and nLite at various times). Problems disappeared after using CDIMAGEGUI for this last step. Let us know if you if try this and it works--I'm interested in giving nLite a second chance, when an improved version appears.

Well, that didn't work as planned. I had two versions of the command (one for each of the two Office packages available), and I had used the appropriate code in the first place. I accessed Microsoft Update, took the automatic download this time, and retrieved the patch from the WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download temp folder afterwards. The file, released on the same date as FP5AUTLff.msp, is considerably smaller than the first patch. I've integrated the new FP5AUTLop.msp, and test it (after resolving some other unrelated issues). I'm just relieved to see this degree of success in order of integration, and that the worst result was the occasional patch that didn't stick. Small potatoes for now.

Pretty sure. It's right here in the summary: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=832671 When I last hooked up to the update site using only the updates I suggested, only KB890829 was missing--hardly a concern when I installed only the basic Office suite. If you include Frontpage, be sure to reference PROPLUS.MSI, instead of PRO.MSI. That should integrate it.

Hahaha! Actually, it's part of my strategy to enter at the corporate management tier. Being simultaneously lazy, overbearing, and clueless is tougher than I imagined, though.

Ahh...a nice classic--but only part one of the gag. Watch 'Young Doctors in Love' for the complete version. That's all...I don't wanna be a spoiler.

I may have answered my own question...the updates appeared to slipstream smoothly when applied in the chronological order I mentioned earlier. Your method (while harmless) is redundant, rado354. Service Packs are cumulative...if you already have SP3, then it's safe to toss out the previous two. Here are the updates I found necessary after a full install of OfficeXP with SP3: My guess is that the remaining ones are unnecessary for your setup. Hang onto them until you check the installed program against the Office Update site, in case I'm wrong. Unpack your service pack & updates according to the Unattended Windows Guide, and write a command to slipstream them--or adapt my .cmd to suit your needs: msiexec /p C:\OXP\updates\sp3832671\MAINSP3ff.msp /a C:\OXP\OfficePro\PRO.MSI SHORTFILENAMES=TRUE /qb msiexec /p C:\OXP\updates\oxp833858\VSDEBUGop.msp /a C:\OXP\OfficePro\PRO.MSI SHORTFILENAMES=TRUE /qb msiexec /p C:\OXP\updates\oxp873379\MSCONVff.msp /a C:\OXP\OfficePro\PRO.MSI SHORTFILENAMES=TRUE /qb msiexec /p C:\OXP\updates\oxp832332\SHAREDff.msp /a C:\OXP\OfficePro\PRO.MSI SHORTFILENAMES=TRUE /qb msiexec /p C:\OXP\updates\oxp837253\OFFICESPSop.msp /a C:\OXP\OfficePro\PRO.MSI SHORTFILENAMES=TRUE /qb msiexec /p C:\OXP\updates\oxp873352\SHAREDff.msp /a C:\OXP\OfficePro\PRO.MSI SHORTFILENAMES=TRUE /qb msiexec /p C:\OXP\updates\oxp890829\FP5AUTLff.msp /a C:\OXP\OfficePro\PRO.MSI SHORTFILENAMES=TRUE /qb msiexec /p C:\OXP\updates\oxp895589\WINWORDff.msp /a C:\OXP\OfficePro\PRO.MSI SHORTFILENAMES=TRUE /qb msiexec /p C:\OXP\updates\oxp904018\MSACCESSff.msp /a C:\OXP\OfficePro\PRO.MSI SHORTFILENAMES=TRUE /qb msiexec /p C:\OXP\updates\oxp892841\OLKINTLff.msp /a C:\OXP\OfficePro\PRO.MSI SHORTFILENAMES=TRUE /qb No problems with mine, once I worked the typos out. Now I'm off to test it on the update site. Good luck with yours!

Alright, now that we got to the happy ending, I guess it's time for me to take the bait... Why so many sound cards?

%systemdrive%:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\User Account Pictures\Default Pictures\ You can probably just add a set of 48x48 .bmp's to your $Docs folder, or add it to the laundry list in a cleanup.cmd, with an additional command to copy new ones from CD (if replacement is your intent).

I hadn't considered that, Sonic. Updates by nLite were taking so long, that I began to do it manually once again. If you are correct, then switching back to nLite will shorten install time. Simply ridding myself of that svcpack folder will free up 62MB of CD space (more, if nLite recompresses everything after integration).

Welcome to MSFN, ali. I've yet to use Microsoft Works, so I'm unsure how to tackle your problem. But you might get a better response if you post it the Software Discussion forum, here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showforum=19 Good luck!

Advanced installation procedures in the Unattended Windows guide... http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/45/ ...cite the importance of integrating individual updates in a specific order. The updates themselves do not correspond to those currently required, though. The instructions list a set of updates that have obviously been incorporated into the next service pack. How will I determine the correct order to run the new ones? My best guess is to integrate them in order of release date--will this work?

[nLite rant] Does Windows too thoroughly--broke nose on sliding glass door. Extremely smug users add insult to injury. [/nLite rant] ...well, that's about the worst I can think of it. There's enough going on in other forums to keep you busy awhile, too. nJoy!