Dynamic unattend.xml question

[randalldale]

Hi Guys,

First thanks again for all the help you have provided and continue to provide. Now onto the reason I'm writing this request.

I do some imaging for my company and in recent releases I would build my unattend.txt and sysprep.inf files dynamically, (on the fly), that way anyone could install the OS. They only had to answer questions and then the vbscript I built would create the file needed using the inputed data such as users name, serial number of PC used for PC name, asset tag information, also languages required and location along with time zone. This way I could use some WMI scripting and determine the serial number and system ID then use them alog with the typed information as needed for the OS install.

Now I still have all that code and also have created a dynamic unattend.xml coding. What I would like to know is has anyone done this sort of installation?

If so, where do you copy the unattend.xml to when you apply the .WIM image? c:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\?

How do you add applications say for a runonceEX or a GUIrunonce? Is there such a file now? Got to admit the Windows System Image Manager is pretty confusing, especially since I upgraded to v1.1 and it no longer runs.

That should generate enough emails for the moment.

Thanks again for the help,

Randy

[leen2]

We use a similar approach on the server side to install everything from Windows 2000 OS through to Windows Server 2008 x64. We do not use sysprep however, we use Winnt32.exe or Setup.exe (for Server 2008) with a /unattend: switch and the location of the Unattend.txt or Unattend.xml file that is dynamically written out based on the answers provided by the user. In this manner we do not maintain images, we run a full scripted setup everytime.

To answer your question, the Guirunonce can now be done as Synchronous commands:

under

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" ....etc.....>

<FirstLogonCommands>

<SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">

<CommandLine>c:\mycommand.cmd</CommandLine>

<Description>My commands</Description>

<Order>1</Order>

</SynchronousCommand>

</FirstLogonCommands>

</component>

You will also need to set autologin under the same component

<AutoLogon>

<Password>

<Value>xxxxxxxx</Value>

<PlainText>true</PlainText>

</Password>

<Enabled>true</Enabled>

<LogonCount>1</LogonCount>

<Username>username specified</Username>

</AutoLogon>

[neuropass]

Your .xml file has to be placed in the folder where the setup.exe and the other siles and folder are...