Tripredacus

The DHCP server is the PXE server. You configure its PXE response option to point to the IP\hostname and bootrom path of the WDS. For an example of this, see step 4 of my WDS guide: Its for 2003 but it should give you an idea.

This isn't a unique situation. I had encountered this with a Compal notebook in the past 6 months, but it would only refuse to boot off the CD if the OS on the HDD was in Hibernate. Any time it wasn't in hibernate it would work fine. Does your notebook have a boot menu where you can select the boot device?

If you really want to do a recovery on the system, we can probably ignore the SVCHOST issue. You are getting the STOP 0x7B with an XP CD via a USB CD-ROM because the USB driver is not in the XP CD. Because you can boot OPHCrack doesn't help (other than it means you have a usable drive) because that OS (Linux) either has the driver for the USB in it or doesn't try to use it the same was the XP disc does. You have two options. You can learn to slipstream the USB drivers into your XP MCE CD, but you will need to have a working CD writer. The other option is you can build an XP install on a USB Key. So for the moment, I'll put this topic in XP Unattend section.

You can use the BOOT.WIM from the DVD and put it on the USB key. You can make an XML that looks at your network drive for the INSTALL.WIM. I haven't tried something like this but I know it is possible. I am going to guess you aren't using a specific server technology?

You are right. Even tho I install the IE9 x64 package, the default browser is still the 32bit client. I had to go out of my way to open the x64 version. I confirmed that Silverlight does not work with it.

64-bit IE is hardly a common browser (probably well below 1%). Not that I would use silverlight in the first place as not enough people have it installed (nor is its future certain). And the percentage of browsers that properly supports a decent subset of the HTML 5 features is still WAY too low to be "viewable universally" like you want. Flash has a good install base but it's not supported by a some devices, like the iphone/ipod/ipad and a bunch of other mobile devices (including a lot of android devices). If you can live without those gadgets, then HTML 4 + Flash is still an option. Where does this tidbit come from? I just did a test, deployed Win7 Pro x64, and installed IE9 x64 with Silverlight. My test page was http://www.mahorney.net and that site works fine. I did have to install a newer version of Silverlight for it to work, however.

I can certainly download it, but why bother running it? Alas, why write a program that just deletes autorun.inf when I can do it using the Delete key?

Here's a question I've been wondering about but haven't really cared about finding out the answer. So I'll throw it in here and see what you guys think. I have an answer file that creates 1 or 2 accounts during the oobe phase, it also sets a logon count for one of them. One complaint I hear about is that the Password will expire on any of the accounts after a certain amount of time. This can be fixed manually by checking the Password never expires box on the Account Properties, but how can this be done with the answer file?

Not all Win7 DVDs will have all the versions inside the INSTALL.WIM. You can run IMAGEX /INFO on it it see what you have available to you. This is only for WSIM to know where the CLG file is that you build the XML with. It is not used by setup. Also, setting flags isn't going to mean anything for what you are doing, so you can omit that step alltogether. The only programs I've seen make use of the metadata set by flags is by the RECENV.EXE that is part of Windows RE. This is likely why it was removed from the Windows 7 documentation (although Imagex won't error if you use it). Also the method to create a recovery partition in Vista was more "manual" than in Windows 7. In Windows 7, you don't even need to use /flags anymore when creating a recovery partition. Createa a Windows Image for Multiple Architecture Types

The term "shareware" has gone by the wayside. Shareware was the idea that you could have a disk (or CD) and install the programs, then give it to a buddy to do the same. The correct term to look for is "trial" software, although some software will have a "limited" or "lite" version.

Surely, Server Core does not support audio. See the following: General Development Considerations for Server Core

Jcarle has a tool you might like then! http://www.msfn.org/board/forum/147-windows-updates-downloader/

But windows backup will make "normal" .vhd files and NOT .wim ones, AFAIK. Question is seemingly about .wim images jaclaz In Backup and Restore, on the left there are two options: - Create a system image - Create a system repair disc The System Repair Disc requires a Windows DVD to read from first in order to create. The "System Image" is indeed a WIM file. I had used this once, but never tested the ability to use this WIM with Windows Backup and Restore on other systems. I'll do a test real quick to confirm if it is a WIM or not. Edit: Jaclaz is right, it makes a VHD. I don't know where I figured it made a WIM, but either way a DVD can still be made.

Does the Windows 7 that is installed work? As far as getting new media, only the recovery partition could make the DVDs. However, you might be able to purchase the DVDs from Toshiba. Otherwise you can try the Microsoft method: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326246

WinRE should just give you the binaries to run RECENV.EXE. I haven't tried that package so I'm not sure.

Did you get the recovery DVD with it?

Wouldn't it be easier to join one of the existing projects and help them complete those goals?

Are there no silent install switches for this program? Can you open the "Set-up.exe" with WinRar to find the real installer?

The situation you are running into is hardly rare. In my last company and my current company I always have to tell our techs that if an image fails, try it again. If it fails again then there is something wrong with the system. This is because the images (and boot environments) are known to work across multiple hardware platforms. If the problem is persistant, get that PC into repair to find out what is wrong and get it fixed.

Windows 98 isn't dead by a long shot. The reason you have been finding these problems is because you are trying to use Windows 98 like you would a current OS. What you need to do is find a use for 98 instead. For example, it is still perfectly fine for my purposes: - media server for the lan (I'm in process of moving this role to another PC) - MAME - Quake 3 Dedicated Server I do not try to use it as an every day system, I have Windows 7 for that, and before that it was XP. As soon as my Win98 became my secondary computer, it became more of an appliance for me, and it has worked out fine for that. I did use it as my backup system (I've even had to use it to post here when my PC was dead) prior to me getting a netbook.

OP can use Windows Backup, which is designed for this function. It doesn't matter that there are programs installed elsewhere, or how you manage their backup strategy. The use of Windows Backup is hinted to in the What Is Windows RE? article on Technet. I have seen the automatic prompting of using a recovery image after running WinRE, but never made it do that on purpose.

This type of install will creates an ini file in the Temp folder, which it uses as its answer file. It makes it based on the choices you make in the GUI. I didn't see any other switches that let you provide an answer file, also not even the /Chrome one you mention. The main setup uses something called "SFXSTUB" while looks to just do an extract, however the files it extracts doesn't have a normal .exe from what I can see.

I'll check it out again this weekend. I totally forgot about winipcfg!

Oh yeah, definately didn't think about if you are trying to script concurrent installs or not. All my installers will use RunWait() and rarely have to script any waiting like Iamtheky recommends.