Unattended Installation asks for Windows CD

[bdunn]

Hello All,

After spending a week googling for a solution I thought this may be a good place to turn to solve my problem. I am currently trying to use a modified version of unattended.sourceforge.net to install Windows 2003. I was able to add the necessary Mass Storage drivers to my image and boot to the textmode portion of the setup, but after the drivers finish loading, I am presented with this message:

insert the CD labeled:

"Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition CD-ROM"

into your CD-ROM drive

For some reason, instead of being copied from local disk, the installer wants to copy the files from the OS CD. I've looked through all of the MS documentation on the subject and I believe my setup looks fine.

This is what is copied to my hard disk during the PXE portion of the installation:

$/ - contains drivers from i386/$oem$

$ldr$ - copy of setupldr.bin

$win_nt$.~bt/ - contents of i386 directory and the i386/system32 directory

$win_nt$.~ls/ - contains the i386 directory

boot.ini

ntdetect.com

ntldr

txtsetup.sif

my boot.ini file looks like:

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=2
Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
[Operating Systems]
C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT = "Installation/Upgrade Windows"

My C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\winnt.sif file looks like this:

[Components]
    iis_pwmgr=On
    iis_doc=On
    iis_www=On
    iis_inetmgr=On
    iis_common=On
[GUIRunOnce]
    command9=%SystemDrive%\DPsFnshr.exe
[Networking]
    InstallDefaultComponents=Yes
[Display]
    Xresolution=1024
    BitsPerPel=32
    Vrefresh=75
    YResolution=768
[params.MS_TCPIP.Adapter01]
    DefaultGateway=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
    IPAddress=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
    SubnetMask=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
[UserData]
    ComputerName=XXXXXXX
    ProductKey=XXXXXXX
[_meta]
    z_password=XXXXX
    format_cmd="format /y /z:seriously /q /u /a /v: c:"
    macaddr=XXXXX
    z_user=XXXXX
    z_path=XXXXX/install
    fdisk_cmds="fdisk /clear 1;fdisk /pri:4000;fdisk /activate:1"
    x_path=//XXXXX/other
    replace_mbr=1
    OS=win2k3
    fdisk_confirm=0
    fdisk_lba=1
[NetOptionalComponents]
    LPDSVC=1
[GuiUnattended]
    OemSkipWelcome=1
    TimeZone=35
    OEMSkipRegional=1
    AdminPassword=XXXXX
    AutoLogon=yes
[Unattended]
    DriverSigningPolicy=Ignore
    FileSystem=ConvertNTFS
    OemSkipEula=Yes
    UnattendSwitch=Yes
    NonDriverSigningPolicy=Ignore
    UnattendMode=DefaultHide
    OemPreinstall=Yes
    ExtendOemPartition=1
[Data]
    UnattendedInstall=Yes
    AutoPartition=1
    MsDosInitiated=1
    floppyless=1
    OriSrc="A:\I386"
    OriTyp=5
[LicenseFilePrintData]
    AutoMode=PerServer
    AutoUsers=5

Does anyone see anything wrong with my setup that could be causing this issue?

Thanks in advance!!

[zorphnog]

Try adding InstallFilesPath=<path to i386 directory> to the Unattended section of your winnt.sif.

[bdunn]

First and foremost, I would like to commend you on your use of Raoul Duke.

Secondly, pardon my ignorance, but how do I reference $win_nt$.~/ls/i386 in InstallFilesPath?

[midi2k6]

look like you have INCORRECT PATH, ~ character need to be Fix, change C instead of %systemdrive%

[soporific]

Hello All,

After spending a week googling for a solution I thought this may be a good place to turn to solve my problem. I am currently trying to use a modified version of unattended.sourceforge.net to install Windows 2003. I was able to add the necessary Mass Storage drivers to my image and boot to the textmode portion of the setup, but after the drivers finish loading, I am presented with this message:

insert the CD labeled:

"Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition CD-ROM"

into your CD-ROM drive

I dunno if this helps, but i get a very similar message when i forget to include the root directory files from the Windows source. Ie, when trying to make unattended CD for Windows XP Pro SP2, if you don't include "win51ip.sp2" in the root directory, setup asks for the CD. Have you included all the files in the root directory of your source CD in your project?

[bdunn]

soporific,

I just tried copying those files into the os root directory. The $win_nt$.~ls directory now looks like this:

autorun.inf  i386  readme.htm  support  win51ia  docs  printers  setup.exe  win51

Still the same issue. It wants to grab the files off of the CD.

So I understand this better, does the $win_nt$.~ls/i386 directory end up as c:\i386?

[soporific]

soporific,

I just tried copying those files into the os root directory. The $win_nt$.~ls directory now looks like this:

autorun.inf  i386  readme.htm  support  win51ia  docs  printers  setup.exe  win51

Still the same issue. It wants to grab the files off of the CD.

So I understand this better, does the $win_nt$.~ls/i386 directory end up as c:\i386?

The $win_nt$.~ls directory is used by setup as the location of the source for all install files. It doesn't 'become' i386, it is deleted after setup has finished using it. But i'm commenting on an unattended method i'm not familiar with. Sorry i can't help further.

Edited October 24, 2007 by soporific