Windows Installs itself on E:

[cdusseau]

So I need to run unattended installs on some OEM machines I have and I am bound by a couple rules:

1) The machines must be loaded from an original OEM disc (aka NO slipstreaming)

2) The install must be completely unattended

I basically have everything working except for one small problem. My setup consists of 4 things:

1) Hard Drive (wiped and not formatted)

2) Optical Drive (OEM install CD)

3) Floppy Drive (hosts winnt.inf and a couple other config files)

4) USB Key (hosts ethernet drivers for the different systems I will encounter)

Basically I wipe the HDD so it skips the "Press any key..." prompt. It will then proceed and do an unattended install just fine. The problem comes when I actually get into windows, the HDD is drive E: (in most cases) and my USB is drive C:. I'm not well versed on letter assigning, but I think it has something to do with the HDD not being formatted, and the USB is seen and assigned prior to the HDD.

What I need is a solution that will let me use my current setup, but wind up with my HDD being C: and no software issues if I have to change from E: to C: post-install. I would really like to find a way to circumvent the press any key prompt and have the HDD as C:.

Thanks

[uid0]

You can set the drive letter using migrate.inf, but I suspect it might need to be in I386, which would break one of your rules...

[cdusseau]

I assume migrate.inf is referenced during install and not a config file I could copy an altered version of right after?

[uid0]

Yep, and you'd have to have it match the disk signature and partition offset too. And if you'd created a partition already, setup will probably assign it c: anyway. Hmmm.

I'd insist to whoever sets the rules that you need to be able to install from custom media - if they trust you to install stuff from your usb drive, they ought to trust you to build install media. You're bound to get a machine without a floppy drive at some point, so another approach will be needed.

[cdusseau]

Heh, I wish I could change the rules, but for some reasons beyond me we are required to do it this way. And USB floppies work pretty well. =)

I'll just leave the HDDs partitioned and deal with the press a key prompt until we can just go ahead and use custom media.

Thanks

[jaclaz]

Heh, I wish I could change the rules, but for some reasons beyond me we are required to do it this way. And USB floppies work pretty well. =)

What about circumventing them rules ?

Example:

boot from the stick a PE of some kind (remapping the HDD's with grub4dos) and install (still from the OEM CD) with WINNT32.EXE

What about simply cheating ?

Example:

boot from the stick (remapping the HDD's with grub4dos) and start the install (still from the OEM CD) chainloading the SETUPLDR.BIN in CD's \I386\ , thus bypassing the BOOTFIX.BIN (please read as "The thing that makes the Press any key... message appear")

jaclaz

Edited October 6, 2010 by jaclaz