Beginner problem - doesn't use WINNT.SIF file

[Rick.Wicks]

We were running RAID-1 on a Dell Dimension 9200 computer with Windows XP-Home SP2, but the system crashed, wouldn't reboot, and we lost some data that had been marked Private, apparently because the User disappeared (but that's another problem). We've turned off RAID (and started backing up online), and I'm trying to install with Windows and Programs on one drive, Documents and Settings (for all users) on the other drive (does that make sense?).

I was told a way to do it, by changing Registry keys, but I tried it and it didn't seem to work, and besides it seems dangerous.

I was then told that I could set up the system to automatically place the documents folders of all users on the other drive by running an Unattended Install. So I've followed the beginner procedures precisely -- as near as I could figure. I made a CD to install from, and the install works, but it doesn't seem to use the WINNT.SIF file which I created and moved into the I386 folder as instructed. The first indication that it's not using it is that the install process doesn't recognize the fact that I put in the Installation Key.

So, what can I be doing wrong? Thanks! Rick Wicks, Göteborg, Sverige (Sweden)

(Any other suggestions for setting up with docs on a separate drive are also welcome -- as well as reasons why that might not be a good idea, if it's not. But then what's the other drive for? Also, is there any reason I should be using partitions on the drives? They're each 160 GB.)

[Rick.Wicks]

Well, I found the answer. First, the CD has to be bootable -- but beyond that, one has to actually boot from it!

Second, nLite (nLiteos.com) -- while it's complicated, and offers lots of possibilities to make mistakes -- has a place to make a very simple change designating the location of the entire Docs & Settings folder -- under Options/General/Profiles.