FireGeier
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GUIDE UPDATE:
No new HowTo this time. But I've added a sitempa/toc, added a short explanation how to use the batch modules, unitized the layout and have tried to make it a bit more concise.
Comming soon:
1. HowTo: Adapting boot.wim to start your own tools/scripts/shell before unattended setup (German Version here)
2. "Workarounds" for OEM DVDs
Regards,
Martin
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still no-one has an answer on this
?Hello ashleyoneill!
I've no experiences with WDS but I think this thread on MSTechNet could may help you out.
Regards,
Martin
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wusa c:\_del\*.cab /norestart /quiet
This does not work with cab files. Will work for msu files only.
start /w ocsetup c:\_del\*.cabstart /w pkgmgr /ip /m:c:\_del\*.cab /s:c:\sandbox
Do you get any kind of error messages?
Martin
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Hello again!
I'm talking about the oobeSystem \ Windows-International-Core. I don't think you remember list it as a requirement to add. Maybe I'm wrong.Well, you're partly right. Haven't mentioned that in Basic Answer File section, cause I'm using SkipMachineOOBE tag there, so you will not be prompted for the language. This was working fine for US English and German. Cause both are the main languages and they are not localized - like Canadian English for example.
I've listed this setting later in the guide (Copy profile section).
But you're right! If you use a localized language Version. Than you need to add that, to get it setted for the final desktop. I will add that to the guide!
Thanks, for pointing me to it!
EDIT:
Strange!
I start loosing the overview of my own guide! Here it's listed already!I'm having some trouble with the MS Updates slipstreaming. Is it just me or that install.wim doesn't exist?Do you do it manually or using the batch. If you're using the batch, you need to let run preplab.cmd of VU Batch Modules to prepare your system first OR you need to adapt the pathes inside offline_update.cmd.
If you do it manually have you copied the Vista DVD to your hd?
If you still should have problems, please describe a little more detailed, what kind of error messages you're getting and where your Vista DVD is located on hd or if you've done everything using VU Batch Modules.
Thanks and Regards!
Martin
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Hello spacesurfer!
If online and file is an MSU type, can you not just double-click the MSU file in Vista to install?You're right, you can certainly. But you will may see a GUI (disclaimer, prompt for reboot).
Also, the files that are downloaded in SoftwareDistribution folder -- are they MSU or cab? I thought they were cab files.You're right again. My mistake. Haven't done the cab installation under running Vista, but supposed to work using OCSetup.
1. right click command prompt and choose run as Administrator, cause OCSetup needs to run with administrative privileges.
2. type the following command into command prompt window:
start /w ocsetup <pathToCABfile>
But haven't tried out yet. Just got it from WAIK help.
Regards,
Martin
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Hello Sgt_Strider!
Are you saying that if I go with the .infi method, the Nvidia Control panel won't be installed?Yes, this is what I want to say. You could try to install the control panel separatly in auditUser pass, like the other apps! If this does not work, than you would have to install the whole dirver package during auditUser pass. But than you will may prompted for driver signing. Found no way so far to disable driver signing control.
I have to mention, that the whole driver installation is more complicated, than it was in XP. That is the worst part of Vista unattended setup.
Btw, do you have a complete list of registry tweaks that works with Vista?It's not my list and it's still under progress, but I think this is what you're looking for. There was a further list here on forum, if I remember right.
Also for your guide, I notice that you forgot to include a pic regarding the language input option. You only included the picture for Windows PE, but not for the actual Vista installation.Are you talking about the language you're prompted for in Windows Welcome screens? If yes, I've explained that later in the guide. If no, than please let me no which setting you're talking about exactly, cause you may have to set it for localized languages than. I would add it to the guide, once I know what you're talking about exactly.
Thanks for the feedback!
Regards,
Martin
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Hello swbchen!
If you want to install them "online" you use the following command:
wusa <pathToMSUfile> /norestart /quiet
The switchs /norestart and /quiet are optional certainly.
Regards,
Martin
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Hello wax21!
I could imagine that you may have to use a data image to capture the user folder stuff from the other partition and apply that, too. Or you may have to use user folder location tag again when applying the image. But I'm just thinking, cause haven't done that before.
Regards,
Martin
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If FireGeier give me the go-ahead, i'll share my "FireGeier_UAVista_Guide.pdf" here.
Regards
coucou
Hello coucou!
I appreciate your help in building a pdf. But please do not publish it for the moment, cause I still remove some mistakes from the guide and change the layout a little bit. This weekend I brought out the English partitioning guide, which is more actual and a little bit better again than the German version.
Give me one more week please. Than you may could redo the pdf with actual version. Is that ok?
I want to avoid, that different versions of the guide are in the wild. That could cause confusions and a lot of requests.
Hope you will understand!
Thanks again for your effort!
Regards,
Martin
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Hello Sgt_Strider,
Nice guide and I have a question regarding the Microsoft updates part. If I follow instructions that you provided in Part 1 then I don't need to follow Part 2 right? Part 2 covers the batch install?That's right! The batch is an alternate only. Part I and II doing the same thing at least.
Also regarding driver install. When you mean you want the .inf files, it's similar to Windows XP's unattended method where only the .inf files are used?That means, you can't use exe. or .msi installations. You can extract .msi or .exe driver packs certainly. So you will have folders with infs. You could install these infs than using the method. But keep in minde that some of these packages install applications - like most video adapters do. These applications will not be installed using the described method. It could cause trouble if you install the infs first, using the described method and install the apps of the drivers later. But you have to trial and error for that.
Is it normal for Vista to ask for network settings after it hit the desktop even though I set it in the answer file to "Home Network" settings?Yes, that is a know problem and alreday described in Guide. Look here.
Why did you set logon count to "2" and not more? What does the numerical value mean?This value describes how often Administrator will be loged on automatically. "2" is the lowes value that works for me. So it should log on Administrator 2 times only. But if you don't have created an other account so far it will still log on the Administrator automatically. Don't know if I should call that a bug.
I set the "protect your PC" value to "3" and yet auto updates is still enabled. Why is this the case?If I remember right that happens if you use SkipMachineOOBE on true. Try to remove SkipMachineOOBE from your answer file and than follow the steps described here on MSTechNet.
Ask again, if this was not detailed enough!
Regards,
Martin
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You're right xochipilli!
I've answerd without thinking!
Where is your Autounattend.xml located? In the root? Than you could try to move it into sources folder? There are seven further locations where you could put it into. Look here on MS TechNet for more information:
http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista...3.mspx?mfr=true
May be one of these locations will work better for you.
Regards,
Martin
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Hello xochipilli,
I found out, that it can take - depending on system - up to 20 seconds untill USB stick is mounted durign PE pass. So in worst case it can happen, that setup is started already and has looked for Autounattend.xml before the USB stick is mounted.
To toubleshoot that you need to adpat boot.wim and put in a cmd that loops for a while. So system has enough time to "wait" for the stick. Look here to get an idea what I'm talking about.
Regards,
Martin
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Thanks a lot folks!
Good to hear, that my free time seems not to be wasted than!
Thanks again!
Regards,
Martin
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I use a OEM DVD. Could this cause problems?
Yes, that's part of your problems. OEM DVD will hold an oobe.xml. This could interfear your oobe settings. Mount install.wim and check out here for an oobe.xml:
%WINDIR%\system32\oobe\info\oobe.xml
%WINDIR%\system32\oobe\info\default\<language>\oobe.xml
%WINDIR%\system32\oobe\info\<Country>\<language>\oobe.xmlIf you find it rename it, unmount and commit install.wim and try again.
Rename $OEM$ folder on the root of your DVD, too.
Regards,
Martin
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So the error does come up when you apply an image, that you've captured before? Right?
Regards,
Martin
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Hello kretmatt,
These are "dead" tags:
<Gadget1 />
<Gadget2 />
<Gadget3 />They will cause problems, so remove them!
Note:
This will troubleshoot the Sidebar problem only - hopefully.
Don't use <SkipMachineOOBE> on true, if you try to create an user account in oobe pass. Remove the <SkipMachineOOBE> tag completly and do all the settings, described here.
BTW, what kind of Vista DVD do you have? OEM, Upgrade or Full?
Regards,
Martin
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Hello wax21!
Could you please tell a little bit more details? When does this error message come up?
Regards,
Martin
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@ FireGeier,
removing the path section from the xml file works!
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Strange, but it works perfectly like u suggested, thanks alot!
Hello extrasoft!
Thanks for the feedback. Like urie said, Setup does not like empty tags inside xml. But what's realy strange is, that for some it's working with the path entry and for others it is not.
I think I will change the guide than, and remove the path section or add a note.
Thanks,
Martin
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Hello extrasoft!
Please try to remove the following section from your Autounattend.xml:
<Path>install.wim</Path>
Regards,
Martin
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Hello Phorze!
Problem 1: Applications are not installed
I've just recognized that I haven't add the AutoLogon in auditSystem mode to the guide. So this was my mistake. Sorry for that. I've updated it now. So please check for the change:
You need to add Windows-Shell-Setup \ AutoLogon component to auditSystem pass. Than use Administrator as Name and set LogonCount to 5 or may be more if you need some reboots.
Problem 2: Prompted to create user account
You don't have the following part from basic Autounattend.xml inside your xml:
<OOBE>
<HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
<NetworkLocation>Home</NetworkLocation>
<ProtectYourPC>2</ProtectYourPC>
<SkipMachineOOBE>true</SkipMachineOOBE>
<SkipUserOOBE>true</SkipUserOOBE>
</OOBE>Note:
It's not recommended to use <SkipMachineOOBE> set to true, so please check out the Copy Profile section, if you want to create your own accounts and find out how to by pass welcome screen without using <SkipMachineOOBE>.
Regards,
Martin
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Well I guess, that they are using an install.wim which they've captured before. So it's may not like the "original" install.wim and it has already been modified.
Martin
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No, it's not that easy with Vista, cause there is no real installation procedure anymore. That means that the folder structure of the later Vista OS is already present inside install.wim. Setup is just extracting this folder structure to your target system and does some configuration (drivers etc.). So, changing the Windows directory would be more complicated.
Don't missunderstand: I don't say that it's impossible but it's not that easy defenetly.
Regards,
Martin
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Using wildcards makes peimg to install all in order (if you don't use wildcards just install them in ascending order) and since all the Hotfixes are the full version (not express version) you don't need to check for dependencies (Keep in mind that the Packs are getting installed AFTER Packages)
As for Microsoft's WAIK better check again Maybe you need this WAIK_doc_update_1.zip it's the update for WAIK User's Guide (Date Published:4/2/2007)
I WILL ALWAYS PREFER SIMPLE STRAIGHTFORWARD WORKING SOLUTIONS
,but if you prefer complicated ... to a simple working solution be my guest!!! Hello Mercury_22!
First of all: I don't want to dispute!
I've just one question:
Is there any side effect using peimg for a full Vista Version, cause actual WAIK help says:
PEimg.exe is command-line tool for creating and modifying Windows PE 2.0 images offline.So from "official" side it's not designed to integrate something in the full Vista image. Don't missunderstand: I know that this does not mean automatically, that it does not work for a full image as well. It may work and it seems to work fine, but I can't tell for sure, cause I don't have the knowledge. So if you know exactly than please let me know.
WAIK help (actual) does say about pkgmgr:
Package Manager (Pkgmgr.exe) is a command-line tool that you can use offline to install, remove, or update Windows packages. You can add packages, provided as .cab files, to an offline Windows image. Package Manager can also enable or disable Windows features, either offline or on a running Windows installation....
Benefits of Package ManagerPackage Manager can do the following:
- Install or uninstall hotfixes provided by Microsoft.
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- Accept an answer file as input (offlineServicing settings only).
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- Add packages to an offline Windows image.
- Install or uninstall multiple packages with one command string.
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Some packages require other packages to be installed first. Because of this dependency requirement, if you are installing multiple packages, do one of the following:
- Use an answer file. By passing an answer file to Package Manager, multiple packages can be installed in the correct order. This is the preferred method for installing multiple packages.
- Install or remove multiple packages in a single command as a semicolon-separated list. The packages can appear in any order. Package Manager installs or removes the packages in the correct order.
So if I use package manager I know for sure, that it will install the updates correctly to a full Vista image and check dependencies. This is the ONLY reason why I prefere this mehtod. It's not better or worser than yours and it's not more complicated or less complicated than yours. It's just the official way of doing it.
So far no one could answer or has answered my question and so I stay with the "official" way of doing it.
Expect from that I respect your and all the others work for sharing this mehtod and the knowledge about!
But an exact answer of my question would be highly aprecciated!
Thanks 'n' regards,
Martin
0 - Install or uninstall hotfixes provided by Microsoft.
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I start loosing the overview of my own guide! 
Run Simple Apps from Autounattend.xml
in Unattended Windows Vista/Server 2008
Posted
If you're using an OEM DVD activation is done by *.xrm-ms file, which is located in $OEM$\$$\SYSTEM32\OEM, AFAIK.
So to get it worked like described in guide AND to keep the auto activation, you need to create a new ISO that contains the $OEM$ folder from original OEM DVD but remove the folders Setup and Panther from $OEM$ folder before creating the new ISO file.
Confirmations about that procedure would be apreciated, cause I don't have an OEM DVD, so these informations I got as feedback from others.
Regards,
Martin