WinNTSetup v5.4.1

[Atari800XL]

Thank you! I will start experimenting...

[Atari800XL]

So after WinNTSetup is done with the apply fase (just prior to first reboot), would that be the appropriate time to do the settings for a name change, or is that "too soon"? (ie. is the random name fase still to come, so changing the name this early would have no effect?). Just wondering (before having done any testing yet).

[jaclaz]

30 minutes ago, Atari800XL said:

So after WinNTSetup is done with the apply fase (just prior to first reboot), would that be the appropriate time to do the settings for a name change, or is that "too soon"? (ie. is the random name fase still to come, so changing the name this early would have no effect?). Just wondering (before having done any testing yet).

Well, it is a "queer" question IMHO.

You just asked to have this done by WinNTSetup, i.e. before the first reboot.

If this is possible, it is possible, if it isn't the problem cannot be solved by WinNTSetup anyway.

I mean, when does the autounatted,xml run?

The doubt is (or should be) more about the potential need of changing some other keys (and/or setting a flag of some kind) besides changing the relevant keys values.

If you prefer, does the WMIC command "WMIC ComputerSystem where Name="currentname" call Rename Name=newname" only chnage those four name instances or does it do *anything else*?

In any case (for experimenting), there is normally no issue to add the WMI environment to a PE, I don't think that later PE's have changed since PE 2.x/3.x:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/143622-how-to-install-wmic-in-winpe/

 

jaclaz

[JFX]

Don't get it, what's wrong with setting computername in unattend.xml?

[Atari800XL]

JFX, yes, this would normally be done in unattend.xml, just wondering if I could make something to act as a sort of "override" for incidental use.

Jaclaz, yes, I asked if WinNTSetup could "manage" it, but *if* that would be the case, I don't know at what particular stage that would happen, like JFX said, it would normally be done by unattend.xml, so I was just wondering if setup would execute that *earlier* or *later* in the process than changing it in the registry myself (=after apply, before first boot).

But from your reactions, I can already see that this will not be the new "killer" feature for WinNTSetup 4.0! :-)
(meaning: it wasn't such a great idea in the first place. I believe I first got the idea when a buddy of mine was setting up Server 2016 in a VM, which doesn't ask for a computer name, and thinking this would be nice to spare a reboot later. Something like that...
This also brought up the question of why a Hyper-V generation 2 VM is so picky when it comes to bootable iso's, but that's a whole 'nother topic).

Thanks for listening, anyways.

 

 

Edited August 27, 2017 by Atari800XL

[jaclaz]

@Atari800XL

I am still perplexed/unsure.

When does autounattend.xml run?

After "apply" AND after "first reboot", right? 
And you want to try to change the name BEFORE that, i,e. after "apply" and before "first reboot", is this correct?
So you can try, on a PE with the WMIC enabled if this can be done.
And if yes, then try to replicate it manually without needing the WMI environment, by either mounting the offline registry and applying a .REG or by using the offline registry library.

jaclaz

[Atari800XL]

Yes, I will try all of that (in time).

And to perplex you even more: maybe the coolest idea would be for WinNTSetup to modify an existing "autounattend.xml" on the fly with the new name (if desired). That way there would be no misunderstanding on when to apply what. But I'm sure JFX will not bother :-)

Thanks again for listening guys, just trying to learn here...

[jaclaz]

34 minutes ago, Atari800XL said:

Yes, I will try all of that (in time).

And to perplex you even more: maybe the coolest idea would be for WinNTSetup to modify an existing "autounattend.xml" on the fly with the new name (if desired). That way there would be no misunderstanding on when to apply what. But I'm sure JFX will not bother :-)

Thanks again for listening guys, just trying to learn here...

That is exactly the thing that makes little sense (to me), it would be only an "added feature" to WinNTSetup without any particular advantage (saving one reboot maybe), I mean, cannot the  autounattend.xml be created (and/or modified if needed) before and besides using WinNTSetup?

jaclaz

[Atari800XL]

4 minutes ago, jaclaz said:

cannot the  autounattend.xml be created (and/or modified if needed) before and besides using WinNTSetup?

Yes, that's it. Best solution, case closed. Thanks again!

[jaclaz]

19 minutes ago, Atari800XL said:

Yes, that's it. Best solution, case closed. Thanks again!

Hmmm. 

Allow me to completely and utterly disagree. 

That is not how cases are closed, this is how cases are opened and later ignored, without investigating them. (possibly because of lazyness by the investigator )

jaclaz

Edited August 27, 2017 by jaclaz

[JFX]

1 hour ago, Atari800XL said:

And to perplex you even more: maybe the coolest idea would be for WinNTSetup to modify an existing "autounattend.xml" on the fly with the new name (if desired). That way there would be no misunderstanding on when to apply what. But I'm sure JFX will not bother :-)

Hmm, right click on the unattend label and check/edit the xml if necessary.

[Atari800XL]

I'm really not so sure about asking this, but I just "have to", somehow...

I don't know if you've heard about the great new "UUP Dump" project by MKuba50, but it's a very nice set of php scripts that allow you to download Windows UUP files directly from the Microsoft Update servers. I know, I know, you don't want to mess with Insider Previews, but I'll try to restrict this purely to Release versions of Windows 10: Version 1703 (build 15063) is also available as a "UUP" edition.

I have done some tests applying these files directly (without going through converting all ESD's to WIM, making ISO, etc.) and it seems to work just fine:

(1) There are a bunch of CAB files that need to be converted to ESD (done in a few seconds, best done before hand, I guess). The bulk of the files are already in ESD format, though.

(2) After that, all different SKUs are available from the set of ESD files (Pro, Edu, etc.)

(3) Apply can be done by adding an extra command line option for the ESD stuff, for example:

using DISM:

DISM /Apply-Image /ImageFile:Cloud_en-us.esd /Index:3 /ApplyDir:Z: /SWMFile:*.esd

using Wimlib-Image-X:
wimlib-imagex.exe apply professional_nl-nl.esd 3 c:\ --ref=*.esd

Once again: I really don't expect you to jump on this immediately, but I'm sure you understand I was thinking of WinNTSetup as well, when I was experimenting with this.

The new 1709 version will probably be out this week, and I expect that the UUP files are available a week (or more) earlier than the ISO/ "normal" full ESD version.

Edited September 17, 2017 by Atari800XL

[JFX]

Hmm, wasn't able to download these UPP dumps without errors.

Currently the -ref: cmd parameter is ignored in this case, but will be fixed in next version.

[Atari800XL]

So that's not a flat-out "no" to the idea?

What did you use to download the UUPs? The tools are in constant development at the moment... Did you use a fully automatic solution, or did you start the download from a list of URL's (they sometimes time-out after a few minutes already!)

 

Edited September 19, 2017 by Atari800XL

[JFX]

Yes, it should be supported, but will require the command line ref option.

There is no way to tell that these esd are not standalone ones.

I did try it yesterday and today. I choose the fully unattended option.
But maybe the problem is my poor Internet speed. Well it took some hours to download these 5 GB.