Installing apps thru xml is not working

[music5_5]

Hi All,

I have been following firegeier guide to install unattended copy of vista and it has been working great until now. Now I am at step where I would like to install apps and I want my apps files to reside on the DVD (inside install folder). I have created a file call CDROM.txt on root of dvd but still unable to install any application. here is what it looks like in my xml file:

<RunSynchronous>

<RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">

<Order>1</Order>

<Credentials>

<Username>administrator</Username>

<Password>U814sure!</Password>

</Credentials>

<Path>cmd /c "FOR %i IN (C D E F G H I J K L N M O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) DO IF EXIST %i:\CDROM.txt SETX CDROM %i: -m"</Path>

<WillReboot>OnRequest</WillReboot>

</RunSynchronousCommand>

<RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">

<RunSynchronous>

<RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">

<Order>10</Order>

<Credentials>

<Username>administrator</Username>

<Password>U814sure!</Password>

</Credentials>

<Path>cmd /c %CDROM%\Install\Firefox\Firefox Setup 2.0.0.12.exe -ms</Path>

<WillReboot>Never</WillReboot>

<Description>Firefox Installation</Description>

</RunSynchronousCommand>

</RunSynchronous>

For now I am trying to install firefox only to see if this works but after finishing setup vista will auto login and displays welcome center. It would not install any app at. can anyone help please?

Thanks,

[MAVERICKS CHOICE]

Try setting your apps from first logon as below sample, you still need to set your variable as you have in <RunSynchronous>

<FirstLogonCommands>

<SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">

<Order>10</Order>

<CommandLine>cmd /c %systemdrive%\Hotfix\Windows-KB890830-V1.30.exe /Q</CommandLine>

<Description>Hotfix</Description>

</SynchronousCommand>

<SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">

<Order>20</Order>

<CommandLine>cmd /c %systemdrive%\Hotfix\msxml4-KB927978-enu.exe /Q</CommandLine>

<Description>Hotfix</Description>

</SynchronousCommand>

The other thing is to remember to have all your paths & directories correctly set & in place.

[music5_5]

Try setting your apps from first logon as below sample, you still need to set your variable as you have in <RunSynchronous>

<FirstLogonCommands>

<SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">

<Order>10</Order>

<CommandLine>cmd /c %systemdrive%\Hotfix\Windows-KB890830-V1.30.exe /Q</CommandLine>

<Description>Hotfix</Description>

</SynchronousCommand>

<SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">

<Order>20</Order>

<CommandLine>cmd /c %systemdrive%\Hotfix\msxml4-KB927978-enu.exe /Q</CommandLine>

<Description>Hotfix</Description>

</SynchronousCommand>

The other thing is to remember to have all your paths & directories correctly set & in place.

If I copy my command from <RunSynchronous> and then paste in <FirstLogonCommands>, would it work?

Do you know how to set value for order? According the guide first comand was set with order value of 1 and then later it was some like 10 or 20.

Thanks,

[music5_5]

Hi I have tried to paste my commands in <FirstLogonCommands> and it still did not work. Here is what does it look like in xml file:

<FirstLogonCommands>

<SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">

<CommandLine>cmd /c %CDROM%\Install\Firefox\Firefox Setup 2.0.0.12.exe -ms</CommandLine>

<Description>FIrefox</Description>

<Order>20</Order>

</SynchronousCommand>

</FirstLogonCommands>

do you know how can point installation to root of my install media?

Thanks,

[MAVERICKS CHOICE]

So long as CDROM.txt & your Install dir are both in the root of your disc you should be fine to go.

Edited February 19, 2008 by MAVERICKS CHOICE

[music5_5]

Once my Vista installation was done then I have look and under my computer CDROM was pointed to CD_ROM. Do you know if I have to change my %CDROM% variable to %CD_ROM%?

Thanks a lot for your help.

[morgancroft]

Music5_5,

Dont take this post the wrong way, but why did you change the variables that were in the guide? I will show you how mine looks, and it works fine. (My apps install from the Vista DVD which sounds like what you are trying to accomplish).

This is from the Specialize Pass...

 <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
 <RunSynchronous>
 <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
  <Order>1</Order> 
  <Path>cmd /c "FOR %i IN (C D E F G H I J K L N M O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) DO IF EXIST %i:\AppsRoot.txt SETX AppsRoot %i: -m"</Path> 
  </RunSynchronousCommand>
<RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
  <Order>2</Order> 
  <Path>%WINDIR%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /quiet /audit</Path> 
  </RunSynchronousCommand>
  </RunSynchronous>
  </component>

Here si the AuditUser pass where the apps are being installed...

 <settings pass="auditUser">
 <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
 <RunSynchronous>
 <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
  <Order>1</Order> 
  <Path>cmd /c start /wait %AppsRoot%\Install\Flash9\install_flash_player.msi /qn</Path> 
  </RunSynchronousCommand>
 <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
  <Order>2</Order> 
  <Path>cmd /c start /wait %AppsRoot%\Install\Reader8\AdbeRdr811_en_US.exe /sAll</Path> 
  </RunSynchronousCommand>
 <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
  <Order>3</Order> 
  <Path>cmd /c %AppsRoot%\Install\Office2007\setup.exe</Path> 
  </RunSynchronousCommand>
 <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
  <Order>4</Order> 
  <Path>%WINDIR%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /quiet /oobe /reboot</Path> 
  </RunSynchronousCommand>
  </RunSynchronous>
  </component>
  </settings>

And of course, make sure AppsRoot.txt exists in the root of the DVD...

Hopefully this will help you...

[music5_5]

Hello morgancroft,

I have tried as it is stated in the guide but still were not able to install any apps. I have attached my xml file with this, can you please let me know if this will work or not.

Thanks,

P.S. I am using vmware to test my installation, hopefully that should not have impact on unattended install.

Autounattend.xml