Auto partition creation?

[Lingxor]

So my nlite xp is 100% automated now EXCEPT for the partition creation screen that comes up when you first boot the setup disk...

Is there a way to get my xp setup to automatically create a full partition on the hard drive? I can't seem to find out how in any of the guides...

[Dblake1]

no, i dont think there is a way.. ive been trying to get this to work myself with no success

[Guest Odi719]

You actually can kind of do it. You can modify your WINNT.SIF file and add an option to Autopartition.

When you use nLite, sometimes the first section is [DATA]. Find that in your WINNT.SIF file. If you don't see it, just add it as the first section.

The code should appear like this:

[Data]
Autopartition=1
FloppyLess=1
MsDosInitiated=0
UnattendedInstall="Yes"

The Autopartition can be set to either 1 or 0.

0 = Windows XP install won't select the partition, instead user has to choose the desired partition for the installation

1 = Windows XP will choose the best partition with maximum free space, and proceed with installation in to that partition

Note: Based on personal experience.... ...be sure to unplug any external USB hard drives before you begin the install....

[Kaneda]

what happens if I want to autocreate two partitions (I like to split the profiles directories to another partition...).

All other partition I can create after install with partmagic or some other tool, but for the initial installations of my Windows boxes I always need to use some Knoppix CD to create two partitions.

Let's say, I want:

C:\ to 50 GB

D:\ all that is left.

Can that be automated as well?

[gospeed]

Bump! I have the same question/problem. I want to automatically partition about 20gb to a d:/ drive and the rest to the c:/ drive. The c:/ drive will be the biggest, so I wonder if using autopartition= 1 will default to it anyway? I am currently using autopartition set to 1 but I am formatting the disc as one

[hatethisplace]

whoops im a newb

post deleted

Edited November 27, 2008 by hatethisplace

[IcemanND]

With XP you can't do it automatically via setup. You have to do it from a Windows PE environment (Windows PE or BartPE, or equivalent) then you can create and format the partitions then start the OS install.

[AverageJoe]

This is the most relevant thread in the search so I'm posting here.

Few questions, thanks in advance.

[Data]

Autopartition=1

FloppyLess=1

MsDosInitiated=0

UnattendedInstall="Yes"

What does the FloppyLess switch do?

Are the quotes in UnattendedInstall="Yes" intended? Why?

With XP you can't do it automatically via setup. You have to do it from a Windows PE environment (Windows PE or BartPE, or equivalent) then you can create and format the partitions then start the OS install.

This went over my head, can someone put this in simpler tems, or expand please?

Edited December 22, 2008 by AverageJoe

[infiniti25]

Google is your friend for WinPE and BartPE.

As for the floppyless I believe its telling the windows xp install that you have no floppy drive in the machine so don't look for sata/raid/ahci drivers on floppy, but I didn't find that on google, I just guessed, wildly.

Oh and next time it would be more relevant to create your own thread for a new question, that way things stay on topic.