kenneth11zz

Nice job. I really love v2.0. Do you have any plan to add a feature that allow us to add and create our own registry tweaks? Keep up the good work. It's awsome. -Kenneth

Hey guys, thanks for the quick tutorial on the batch commands. This is very helpful indeed. How would like someone write the code where the user picks up a menu choice and after it is done with that choice, it automatically continues on the installation without going back to the menu? For example, if I wanted to create this menu. 1. Install Windows XP with original default. 2. Install Windows XP (Tweaks Only) 3. Install Windows XP (Tweaks and Themes) etc.. Also, is there a way to log the output of display in a batch file? The line below the the CALL statement, is that a regular command file (filename.cmd)? I'm to all this stuff. -Kenneth

Hi, If I create a user account during the GUI Mode Setup instead of the pre-gui setup mode that uses the cmdline.txt, will Windows still login with the new user account but not the Adminstrator account? Or do you have to create the user account in cmdline.txt? And then finally install the applications and hotfixes, etc... using the newly created user account. -Kenneth

devil270975, yes I do have the registry tweaks applied and then create a new user account after that in the text mode setup using the cmdline.txt. However, I only have one tweak which is to recover the phrase "shortcut to" when creating a shortcut as a test for this unattended installation. There is no other tweaks included. Therefore, I don't think the tweaks have anything to do with the problem that I'm having. Futher, I only apply registry tweaks and create new user account in the text mode setup. After, I use the gui setup mode to install the applications and then do the cleanup and futrther customization of Windows. -Kenneth

Yes I have the a pause in between those two NET commands in my user.cmd when testing my unattended files. Creating the user account is fine but adding to the user as an adminstrator isn't. I'll try your method tonight after work. I'll let you know what the result. By the way, what is the difference between a domain and user group? -Kenneth

Hi Guys, Is there a working registry tweaks that saves the Visual Effects setting which is located in "Control Panel > System > Performance > Visual Effect"? I notice when i change the settings and then go the Registry editor, nothing changes shows up. I also tried to use a registry tracer with such luck too. That's what puzzle me. Any hints guys onthis? Also, is there one for the Views Option for Windows Explorer? -Kenneth

To answer your quesiton, Atomic7431. It is best use the ntuser.dat method for clean installation. Meaning a new installation, not an upgrade or repair installation. When you do a clean installation with the ntuser.dat copy over to the Default User in the cmdline.txt, it will effects all new user accounts that is created. The ntuser.dat only saves the Current User and Local Machine registry settings. Please correct me if I'm work on this. -Kenneth

What you need to do is add this two commands from the above post that I show you. net user "Sky" /add This will create a new user called Sky. net localgroup "Administrators" "Sky" /add This will add the user Sky as and Administrator. To remove the Welcome Screen, in the winnt.sif, make sure the UnattendSwitch is set to "Yes" in the [unattended] section. Looks like this. UnattendSwitch="Yes" You can check by going to Control Panel > User Account to verify it after the installation. -Kenneth

I agree, the registry method is the preferred way. By the way, I notice my values for the quick launch hack is different from what you gave us. Does that matters? I haven't got the chance to test it yet because I'm waiting to correct other bugs that I have in my unattended files and also organizing my various tweaks. It really sucks that there is no easy way to save settings for Visual Effects and Windows Explorer's Folder View settings. I think the only workaround is to install a new installation and make the tweaks and save the ntusers.dat and copy over to the Default User profile. I wish someone can write a nice tools that save all the common Windows setting. Anyone Windows programmer for this? -Kenneth

Welcome... Now I have a question to you guys. this is the code to user.cmd @ECHO OFF REM ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ECHO Setting Up User Accounts ECHO. ECHO Creating a default user account with no password set net user "Sky" /add net localgroup "Administrators" "Sky" /add PAUSE Press any keys to continue... EXIT It created the Sky User Profile after the installation. But I still get this error message. Can someone tell me why I'm getting this and how to correct it? I think I'm getting the syntax mess up or something. The user or group acount specified cannot be found. The user was successfully created but could not be added to the USERS local group.

Welcome... Now I have a question to you guys. this is the code to user.cmd @ECHO OFF REM ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ECHO Setting Up User Accounts ECHO. ECHO Creating a default user account with no password set net user "Sky" /add net localgroup "Administrators" "Sky" /add PAUSE Press any keys to continue... EXIT It created the Sky User Profile after the installation. But I still get this error message. Can someone tell me why I'm getting this and how to correct it? I think I'm getting the syntax mess up or something. The user or group acount specified cannot be found. The user was successfully created but could not be added to the USERS local group.

Thanks for the explaination. I'll test them. Can you explain how to the NET command syntax? When I do a net /?, it only display a list of switches but provide not explaination or examples how to use it. In my user.cmd @ECHO OFF REM ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ECHO Setting Up User Accounts ECHO. ECHO Creating a default user account with no password set net user "Sky" /add net localgroup "Administrators" "Sky" /add PAUSE Press any keys to continue... EXIT When executed, I'm getting this error message but the Sky user is created and seem to work fine even thought I got the above message. To be safe, I wanted to correct it. The user or group acount specified cannot be found. The user was successfully created but could not be added to the USERS local group. -Kenneth

Thanks RyanVM and GreenMachine for the replies. Yes, I'm using the PAUSE trick to check and verify my testing. And Yes, you are right about the xcopy switches needs to be after the source. I was trying to make my cmd file have a consist look but guess not all command switches can added after the command. hehe... In another topic, you show us to use the SET and PAUSE command to get a list of environment variables. Indead the %profilesdir% doesn't exist. But the %userprofile% does exist. I'll try use it and see what happen. I'll let you guys know what the result is. If it is possible, how do you create your own environment variable? And where you do specify that at? -Kenneth

Okkie...I'll stick to registry file method. The other method is a bit too mess to play with. By the way, do you know the tweak to save the setting to Control Panel folder, including both the settings to the toolbar and folder view? -Kenneth

Quick question. This is my first time installing hotfixes using the unattended installation for a clean installation. In the past, I have installed hoftixes on an existed Windows XP using Windows Updates that creates so many Uninstalls in the Remove and Install Program list. Will this also do the same that adds Uninstalls into the Remove and Install Program list which I hated it? -Kenneth

Sweet, I'll look forward for it. Thanks for alot. -Kenneth

Snooz, thanks for re-writing a more thorough guide on this. *hug with a beer for you* From what you are saying, it doesn't matter if you remove the "/" mark or not if you are using the tweak in a registry file, right? The method that you mention in using to load the tweak into the Default User ntuser.dat. Is it possible to import a registry file directly into the Default User ntuser.dat from another user account or adminstrator account when using Windows normally but not during the installation? -Kenneth

I would like to try the registry method. But I'm a bit confuse of the directory structure and where to place various files at. Can someone write a mini guide on this? Thanks in advance. -Kenneth

I'm a bit lost here of how to apply this tweak. After you guys tested and learn it how to apply, can someone re-explain this for those who having a hard time like me? Thanks in advance. -Kenneth

Copy this code and try it again. Or verify it looks something like this. I replace "User" with "Sky" so you can tell where the username goes. Also, I notice you are missing "[comand]". in the first line of the cmdline.txt. code for the cmdline.txt [COMMANDS] ".\tweaks.cmd" ".\user.cmd" code for user.cmd @ECHO OFF REM ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ECHO Setting Up User Accounts with no password set ECHO. ECHO Creating a default User... net user "Sky" /add net localgroup "Administrators" "Sky" /add ECHO. ECHO Applying Root Registry Tweaks... REGEDIT /S %systemdrive%\install\Reg_Root_Tweaks.reg ECHO. EXIT That's all. By the way guys, does it make any difference betweent this two syntax? net user "Sky" /add net localgroup "Administrators" "Sky" /add net user "Sky" /add net localgroup "Administrators" /add "Sky" -Kenneth

By the way, anyone know how to automote so Windows automitcally sort the "All Program" folder in Start Menu with this hack: ; Start Menu - Enable automatic sorting by alphabetial order in Start Menu [-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder\Start Menu] [-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder\Start Menu2] [-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder\Favorites] You have to run this registry tweak whenever you manually re-organize the icons or folders in the "All Program" folder to make auto sorting again. Currently I have to run a batch file in the Startup Folder to regedit. Is there another way to do it without this batch hack? -Kenneth

First of all, I wanted to thank you Webmedic and GreenMachine for such a nice explaination on the cmmlines.txt. Even myself was confuse at first about the rules and etc... Now I got good a concept and understanding of it. I went through my third time and I got everything running except still having trouble copying files over to the Default User folder. I'm getting this error message when executing this statement in the tweaks.cmd. Statement 1: XCOPY /E /C /Y /Q /H ".\Profiles\*.*" "%ProfilesDir%\" Error Msg 1: Access Denied Statement 2: "COPY /y ".\Tweaks\winxp.bat.lnk" "%ProfilesDir%\Default User\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\" Error Msg 2: "Unable to create directory - E:\Default User" Here is my code for tweaks.cmd REM ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ECHO Customizing Windows using the Default User profile. ECHO. ECHO Importing Restiry Tweaks START "Importing Restiry Tweaks" /WAIT REGEDIT /S ".\Tweaks\tweaks.reg" ECHO. ECHO Customizing the Quick Launch and Start Menu... XCOPY /E /C /Y /Q /H ".\Profiles\*.*" "%ProfilesDir%\" ECHO. COPY /y ".\Tweaks\winxp.bat" "%ProgramFiles%\" COPY /y ".\Tweaks\winxp.reg" "%ProgramFiles%\" COPY /y ".\Tweaks\winxp.bat.lnk" "%ProfilesDir%\Default User\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\" ECHO. PAUSE ECHO Press any key to continue... EXIT Here is my $OEM$ directory structure $OEM$\Profiles\Default User\Application Data\ $OEM$\Profiles\Default User\My Documents $OEM$\Profiles\Default User\Start Menu $OEM$\Tweaks\ -Kenneth

Guess what, it seem the cause to my cd problem is that I was using WinISO to add files to the ISO which this time it didn't work. Guess the shortcut isn't foolproof. So I use the long method where u manually copy cd content to hd and then burn it with a bootable img. That solve the issues. -Kenneth

You are right. I forgot to turn off the hidden system feature in Windows Explorer. I normally have that turn on. hehe... I just burn another copy and am doing a second test. But for some reason this time, I'm getting this error message when the setup is copying the setup files over to the hard drive. "Setup cannot copy the file: bootcfg.exe" So I insert my orginal Windows Setup CD and it is fine but also complaints "Setup cannot copy the file..." for another file. And I have to switch back to the Unattended Setup CD and it copy it fine. Any reason why it is causing? I have check my cd-rw is good if I burn it another copy of the orginal Windows Setup CD. So, definitely, it's not the cd-rw disc that is causing the problem. The only difference is that I added the $OEM$ stuff and winnt.sif to i386 folder. Anyone else getting this error before. I tried to search this forum but no such luck. -Kenneth

I'm just wondering... Is there a way to tell Windows Setup not to copy the programs to hard drive to install the programs from the $1\Insall folder? Why it can't simply just install it directly from the CD? I'm just curious. -Kenneth