Gew Posted April 29, 2010 Share Posted April 29, 2010 Hi guys!I hope someone here could help me out. I'm sort of an XP fanboy. I was so annoyed by the standard folders eg. "Documents and settings" and "Program Files" so I found my way of creating a customized install disc. I simply extracted my whole install disc into a folder, used notepad to create a file called WINNT.SIF in the i386 subdirectory, where I entered the following:[Unattended]TargetPath=\WProgramFilesDir="\Prg"CommonProgramFilesDir="\Prg\~C"[GuiUnattended]ProfilesDir="%SystemDrive%\Usr\"I then extracted the boot header and simply used Nero to create a new bootable project, and voila, the new, customized XP install disc was made. Now the installation put default directories the way I want them to. It's awsome.Now, yesterday, I decided to "step up the game" and try Microsoft's newest operating system, Windows 7 (I've completely skipped the "Vista era", never ever had it installed, barely taken a look at it, darn s***ty excuse for an OS). So, the OS looks pretty descent, but the folders does not appear the way I want them to.So, if some enthusiast could please tell me the simplest way to proceed here? I guess copying that old WINNT.SIF into an extracted copy of the W7 install is out the question.I've looked around (Google), but I found the documentation not fully satisfying. It seems like there is mostly advanced guides for whole-network-domain-installations, using some ~gigabyte large util pack called "WAIK" or whatever. Seems like a real mess. I would like just being able to push a text document someplace, and have it instruct the install to use different standard paths. I've heard about the following four filenames of interest:autounattend.txtautounattend.xmlunattend.txtunattend.xmlWhich of these ones are correct? It is said that I shall put the file in the root of the installation tree. Is this correct? Will the installation disc automatically detect either of these files and act according to its values? Some articles says that you need to go through some sort of boot disk and start the installation manually by eg. "win32install.exe /u:textfilewithsettings.txt" , or something like that. Seems like a mess, please tell me that this is not the case.Gah, it seems like my wish is harder to achieve in Windows 7 than in my favored old Windoze XP, pity, awrgh. Or(!), it's just me not having my facts straight -- yetHopefully some enthusiast here could shed some light on this one.NOW, after having downloaded WAIK documentation, I believe I've found the correct lines for half of my desired settings. It goes like this:<FolderLocations><ProfilesDirectory>%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Usr</ProfilesDirectory><ProgramData>%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Prg</ProgramData></FolderLocations>Juding from this documentation (unattend.chm), it seems like the possibility to change installation directory (from default \Windows\) is deprecated since Vista. I guess I'll have to suffice. After all, "Program Files" and "Document and settings" is the ones I've found most disturbing. However, also the possibility of changing the "Common files" directory seems to be deprecated, at least I can't find any information in unattend.chm! :/I would be glad if someone could validate/confirm/dismiss this fact.Oh, finally..Would it be okey if I just put the XML data above in eg. unattend.txt, or am I missing any required XML headers? If someone who knows things for a fact could drop the correct ".xml answer file" it would be just awsome.Ty in advance!Add a reply Revove from the list of quoted messages Add to the list of quoted messages Quick edit Edit this messageI've found these utils. vLite..7Customizer_0.4.4.rar7Lite_RT-1.05B.msiThing is, they all require me downloading that 1-2 GB pile of garbage "WAIK", I need to get around that. I only need a XML answer file containing those little modifications, I don't see the need for a 1,7GB blast for that. Do you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripredacus Posted April 29, 2010 Share Posted April 29, 2010 If you are interested in working with unattended installs, then the WAIK is not a bunch of garbage. Anyways, we have an unattend forum, which I am moving this topic to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin34 Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 Hey Gew, I am just getting into the Windows 7 unattended myself. I was a big fan of the XP style and did everything manually except for integrating drivers. I know it is completely different and a bit overwhelming at first because I was looking for shortcuts to get all of my previous XP settings moved to 7. To be honest it will just take some time. There really isn't a short way to do it or anything just take your time and learn the new way, not really another way to do it chief. Best of luck pal.Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gew Posted April 30, 2010 Author Share Posted April 30, 2010 (edited) If you are interested in working with unattended installs, then the WAIK is not a bunch of garbage. Anyways, we have an unattend forum, which I am moving this topic to. Sorry for putting the thread in the wrong shed, my condolences.I've come to understand that WAIK is powerful, yet I find it superfluous to my simple needs.Hey Gew, I am just getting into the Windows 7 unattended myself. I was a big fan of the XP style and did everything manually except for integrating drivers. I know it is completely different and a bit overwhelming at first because I was looking for shortcuts to get all of my previous XP settings moved to 7. To be honest it will just take some time. There really isn't a short way to do it or anything just take your time and learn the new way, not really another way to do it chief. Best of luck pal.KevinYeah, I've come to realize that. However, as it seems, it's only a matter of getting it right, what I'm trying to achieve is fully possible. Recent information tells me that you could actually just put autounattend.xml on a SD card / USB memory, and your original Windoze installation disc will automatically detect and parse it. If this is true, I only need to get my answer file right. This is what I've come up with so far:<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend"><settings pass="oobeSystem"><component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup"publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS"processorArchitecture="x86"><FolderLocations><ProfilesDirectory>%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Usr<ProfilesDirectory<ProgramData>%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Prg</ProgramData></FolderLocations></component></settings></unattend>So, now I lay this question out for all you experienced enthusiasts out there. If I put the code above in an UTF-8 encoded text document called autounattend.xml, and lay it in the root folder of my FAT32-formated USB stick, and then boot up with my OEM W7 Ultimate install disc, will setup automatically detect and parse my answer file?I'm thankful for all answers,Regards~G. Edited April 30, 2010 by Gew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripredacus Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 You got it right. I love how it will find the XML automatically. Its a lot easier to fix a file on a USB Key than having to reburn CDs every time you want to change something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxXPsoft Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 will work from a usb or a floppy, in fact on root of any drive Win 7 will see it on. for dvd install that is, must be named autounattend.xml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gew Posted May 1, 2010 Author Share Posted May 1, 2010 (edited) Thanks a lot for all kindness / really helpful answers.Now, the only thing that bugs me is that I've received information about that the <ProgramData> setting is actually not re-targeting \Program Files\, but the \ProgramData\ folder, which is -- from what I've understood -- Vista/W7's replacement for 2K/XP's old %UserProfile%\Local Settings\ folder. If this is correct, I can't seem to find any real unattend flag to change/re-target the \Program Files\ dir. If anyone could confirm/deny this, would be awsome.Regards~G. Edited May 1, 2010 by Gew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrJinje Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 Confirmed. There is no known method as of yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxXPsoft Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 But if you want to move them things go here. http://www.bbearren.com/set7free/set7free.htmlShould figure out how to do it unattendedly from that, I see how but i'm not into that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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