How do you make your life/unattended Install easy ?

[wyvernshill]

Lo everyone,

I have been using this board for quite some time and there are some issues that i have with a recent build of an XP PRO SP3 unattended install DVD.

Ok, what i wanted to ask is, how do you (yes you there in the corner) make the installation of your unattended install CD/DVD easier ?

I'm doing this as follows and i can't help but feel that it should be easier ....

* OK, i use an XPPRO with SP1 (havent got anything else) it is not an OEM but one i use here at work for all our clients so it can use the same key.

* I integrate SP3 with nlite then install the image with vmware.

* In vmware i will do a windows update in internet explorer 6 to view the needed updates. I print those updates out.

* I download all those updates manually from the MS site.

* I integrate those updates by nlite except for instance the microsoft genuine, malicious tools and those others that cannot be used with the switch /INTEGRATE.

* I make a new image with those updates and install it in vmware. I do again a windows update and print out the next wave of updates.

* I take the original image with the first wave of updates and integrate the next wave of updates with nlite.

* rince and repeat

* I integrate the AIO .NET and a modified IE8 package to install with the use of nlite.

* install in vmware again and download the updates to integrate them. etc ...

After that i only have 4 updates waiting (im not installing the windows search 4.0), those updates are :

kb961118

kb926139

kb898461

kb969497

The disk is installing perfectly with all the updates , AIO, IE8 etc ... but not yet the updates mentioned just before.

The moment i integrate one of those last updates (they all cause it) , be it with nlite or with the switch /integrate and install the resulting image in vmware it seems he reverts back to internet explorer 6 and does not display the list with installed programs anymore. (add/remove programs is completely empty while before it showed IE8 and the .net installations)

But when i just install the working image without those updates and then do the windows update in windows XP itself all goes well.

Am i goofing up somewhere in the sequence, or have you got other easier ways to make a new CD ?

[mooms]

Instead of integrating each updates one by one, you can use an update pack, similar to a service pack, it will replace the files directly

Check this forum, very handy

http://www.ryanvm.net/forum/index.php