[Preventing closure of WinPE environment]

That also sounds interesting!

I've looked at imagex and autoit myself and just out of interest, found this:

#include <GUIConstants.au3>
#include "constants.au3"
$gui = GUICreate("console stuff")
$edit = GUICtrlCreateEdit("", 10, 10, 300, 300, BitOr($WS_VSCROLL, $WS_HSCROLL,$ES_READONLY))
GUISetState()
$ping = Run(@ComSpec & " /c ping google.com", @SystemDir, @SW_HIDE, $STDERR_CHILD + $STDOUT_CHILD)
While 1
	$lineout = StdoutRead($ping)
	If @Error = -1 Then ExitLoop
	GUICtrlSetData($edit, $lineout & @CRLF, 1)
WEnd

While 1
	$get = GUIGetMsg()
	If $get = -3 Then Exit
WEnd

From here: http://www.autoitscript.com/forum/lofivers...php?t13787.html

It puts the output of the Comspec into a scrollable text window... only thing I've noticed is that once the task in the comspec has finished, the script goes into a loop. But otherwise looks quite interesting.

I'll take a look at what you've done as this would be very useful.

Neil.

[Preventing closure of WinPE environment]

Just seen AutoIt myself... interesting!

[Preventing closure of WinPE environment]

next question then as that sounds like a good idea..

What language is a good platform to create this? VB6, VB2003 + VB2005 don't appear to work.

[Preventing closure of WinPE environment]

Hi,

We are looking to use WinPE 2.0 with ImageX to deploy our builds. I've spent the last few days tweaking it as much as possible.

I have one slight concern with the ease at which the environment can be shut down. Obviously whatever I do can't protect against power off's etc, but will help stop fiddling students from closing it mid Image!

Currently we use Zenworks which allows us to lock the machine until the image has completed. Is there a way of hiding the X in the command window of WinPE, enabling ImageX to complete its task?

Cheers,

Neil.

[XP Hangs before mini-setup is reached]

Thanks I'll take a look and see what I can find. Will post back with anything interesting.

[XP Hangs before mini-setup is reached]

Hi,

Our image has been deployed probably thousands of times this year, but randomly 2 machines have recently started to hang before mini-setup. They've had hardware swapped inside, but comparing my driver database to the CD, the drivers are already on the image.

They do the initial XP splash screen but then just freeze with a black screen before mini-setup reaches the check disk stage. I'm puzzled, as I thought at this early stage, drivers weren't a problem for XP.

Do my drivers in the driver database play a part this early on? If so I'll try and add them in.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Access Denied when launching a remote script]

Ok, I ran a test script with the calls you are using and received a "User has cancelled operation" error. However, when I modified the run command it worked flawlessly. Try using shell.run("cscript i:\script.vbs") or shell.run("wscript i:\script.vbs").

Excellent, that works! Thanks!

what is the script on the server doing? some operations will not run correctly from remote locations.

I'm simply running ImageX ..

Cheers for the help!

Neil.

[Access Denied when launching a remote script]

I map the network drive with the first script on the CD

set onet = createobject("wscript.network")

onet.mapnetworkdrive "i:", "\\server\path", , "domain\credentials", "password"

This works fine but the execution doesn't.

I call the script by doing:

shell.run("i:\script.vbs")

shell is createobject("wscript.shell")

The key thing is that I've tried to execute the script manually from the server and it doesn't work, from either the Linux or the 2003 box.

I forgot to say, when I execute the script it gives a generic "User has cancelled the operation". When I execute from the command line it returns "Access Denied".

[Access Denied when launching a remote script]

Hi all,

I've put together a WinPE 2.0 (Vista) CD that will hopefully help us resolve some imaging issues as we plan to use ImageX. Part of my plan is to use vbscripts on the network server to control the process.

Windows scripts are working as I'm using a fairly complicated windows script to access the other script on the server.. but whenever I try to launch the network script, it gives me an access denied error.

Because we don't actually have many 2003 licenses available, I'm actually using a Linux box with a Samba server as the network store.. I don't see how it can be the Linux box as I can browse, read and write to it. I've noticed other people having access denied errors, but aren't using vbscripts.

Any help would be appreciated. Oh, I've actually managed to test it on a 2003 box and it does the same thing!

Cheers,

Neil.

[Ordering partitions on setup]

Thanks for that. I'd already found WinPE but not sure if we have a license. I'll give BartPE ago. Thanks!

[Ordering partitions on setup]

Hi all,

I've recently setup a system that uses 3 partitions. The C:\ partition with XP on is great, and always maps as C:\.

My problem is that D:\ and E:\ aren't in the order I'd like them to be in but I can't fathom a way of sorting this out. They just seem to vary from image to image.

My image process is as follows. I use Zenworks to create the partitions and put the information required in the correct place. On reboot, sysprep simply sets up the hardware etc and then windows is ready to use.

I found an article here:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=67395

to make you unatend easier, make a script to look fo a marker file on the drive, so that when it finds the drive that has that file.... it uses that drive letter....

Can someone shed a little more light on this subject? I can quite easily insert marker files but have no idea how the script would work.

Is it as simple as have a windows script running at startup? Or is it part of the mini-setup?

Any help would be appreciated.

Neil.

[Changing the Sysprep.inf after image]

Thanks for the information, its been most helpful.

Neil.

[Changing the Sysprep.inf after image]

Well the changes I made worked... but I can't get the network card settings to fully complete..

Under the DNS settings for TCPIP on the network adapter, I can't get sysprep to fill in the DNS Suffix for this connection

My TCP section in the sysprep.inf is as follows:

[NetProtocols]

MS_TCPIP=params.MS_TCPIP

[params.MS_TCPIP]

DNS=Yes

DNSSuffixSearchOrder = xxxx.ac.uk

UseDomainNameDevolution=No

EnableLMHosts=Yes

AdapterSections=params.MS_TCPIP.Adapter1

[params.MS_TCPIP.Adapter1]

SpecificTo=Adapter1

DHCP=Yes

DNSDomain=xxx.ac.uk

DNSServerSearchOrder=dns1,dns2

WINS=Yes

WINSServerList=xxx,xxx

NetBIOSOptions=0

The item in bold on the Adapter settings is what I'm assuming is correct to fill the DNS Suffix for this connection section in. Am I correct in my assumption?

Neil.

[Changing the Sysprep.inf after image]

Hi.

I've taken an image of a PC load after running sysprep on a Windows XP SP2 Machine.

Our imaging tool has an image explorer which enables us to alter the contents of an image once stored, including the sysprep.inf file.

Would changes made to the sysprep file in the image explorer have an affect on the sealed windows system, or does the sysprep info get stored elsewhere?

Neil.

[Rebooting XP Setup]

Hi,

I've put together an XP setup CD with updates etc and all is fine, I even have my own theme as the default which is cool!

I run into trouble when I start trying to install my own software. I've looked at http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/19/ and followed the instructions, as well as various other sources on the net. All specify different places where install.cmd should go but I've followed the above example and I still get the problem.

I've placed my install.cmd file in $OEM$\$1\install\install.cmd on the XP Setup ISO and specified its location in the WINNT.SIF file under [GuiRunOnce] as "%systemdrive%\install\install.cmd". Every time I run the ISO with the install.cmd in place and the setting under [GuiRunOnce] the setup reboots after it reaches the Installing Network, circa 30 minutes. If I remove this setting then it works perfectly, but of course my files don't install! Can anyone explain why it does this?

The contents of install.cmd is:

cls

@echo off

TITLE Installing Applications and Drivers

ECHO.

ECHO Novell Client Install

ECHO Please wait...

%systemdrive%\install\novell\setupnw.exe /u staff.txt

Cheers for any help,

Neil