Crashed Hard Drive with auto install

[Judgement]

Hi Guys

I use ref from the web

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Install-Windows-Vista-From-a-USB-2-0-Flash-Drive-48396.shtml

http://www.askvg.com/how-to-create-bootable-usb-drive-to-install-windows-vista/

to create a 4 GB bootable pen drive.

But the problem here is the hard drive has crashed and not formated and not accepted the lincence during auto install

I used Windows System Image Manager to code the xml and validate it. No probs here

Code

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">

<settings pass="windowsPE">

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">

<SetupUILanguage>

<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>

</SetupUILanguage>

<InputLocale>0409:00000409</InputLocale>

<UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>

<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>

<SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>

</component>

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">

<DiskConfiguration>

<Disk wcm:action="add">

<CreatePartitions>

<CreatePartition wcm:action="add">

<Order>1</Order>

<Type>Primary</Type>

</CreatePartition>

</CreatePartitions>

<ModifyPartitions>

<ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">

<Active>true</Active>

<Format>NTFS</Format>

<Label>Win_OS7</Label>

<Letter>C</Letter>

<Order>1</Order>

<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>

</ModifyPartition>

</ModifyPartitions>

<DiskID>0</DiskID>

<WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>

</Disk>

</DiskConfiguration>

<ImageInstall>

<OSImage>

<InstallTo>

<DiskID>0</DiskID>

<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>

</InstallTo>

</OSImage>

</ImageInstall>

<UserData>

<ProductKey>

<Key>1111-11111-11111-1111-11111</Key>

<WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI>

</ProductKey>

</UserData>

</component>

</settings>

<settings pass="oobeSystem">

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">

<OOBE>

<HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>

<NetworkLocation>Home</NetworkLocation>

<ProtectYourPC>2</ProtectYourPC>

<SkipMachineOOBE>true</SkipMachineOOBE>

<SkipUserOOBE>true</SkipUserOOBE>

<HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>

</OOBE>

<TimeZone>GMT Standard Time</TimeZone>

<UserAccounts>

<AdministratorPassword>

<Value>VgBpAGMAawBpAEcAVAA3AEEAZABtAGkAbgBpAHMAdAByAGEAdABvAHIAUABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkAA==</Value>

<PlainText>false</PlainText>

</AdministratorPassword>

<LocalAccounts>

<LocalAccount>

<Password>

<Value>VgBpAGMAawBpAEcAVAA3AFAAYQBzAHMAdwBvAHIAZAA=</Value>

<PlainText>false</PlainText>

</Password>

<Description>Myself</Description>

<DisplayName>Gordon</DisplayName>

<Group>Administrators;Users;</Group>

<Name>Gordon</Name>

</LocalAccount>

</LocalAccounts>

</UserAccounts>

</component>

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">

<InputLocale>0409:00000409</InputLocale>

<UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>

<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>

<SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>

</component>

</settings>

<settings pass="specialize">

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">

<ComputerName>Home</ComputerName>

<CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile>

<RegisteredOrganization>Home User</RegisteredOrganization>

<RegisteredOwner>Gordon Walch</RegisteredOwner>

<Display>

<ColorDepth>32</ColorDepth>

<HorizontalResolution>1024</HorizontalResolution>

<RefreshRate>60</RefreshRate>

<VerticalResolution>768</VerticalResolution>

</Display>

</component>

</settings>

<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="catalog:g:/system/orginal/system/vista64bit/1/sources/install_windows vista ultimate.clg" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />

</unattend>

cannot pass insallation stage as it gives me an error ""

much greatful for your help

Edited January 22, 2012 by Judgement

[Judgement]

Changed the format to Fat32 and instalation to 32bits of Vista without autoattended.xml. EVerything seems to be ok

[Grandma]

From the owner of the largest computer sales and service store for 15 years - south Orange County, CA

(I will not plug my store - no name provided)

You had a good start - use a USB Bootable Drive - that's step 1

You can also use an external USB hard drive - but won't need that to get started.

Step 2: go to another PC

Step 3: download a small bootable version of Linux that boots off a USB Flash Drive.

You might not stick with it later - they often lack features that Windows has

but as a TOOL to do this job - get your data back - its the best thing since

its free and boots right off a USB Flash Drive on 90% of all PCs out there today.

DO NOT download some mega-large Linux hard drive recovery tool.

Honestly, most of them are junk - even at free - and take a long time to download.

Good Choices are:

a) Pocket Rocket Linux - easily reads NTFS data automatically - small and fast to download

B) Tiny Core Linux - probably the smallest of them all but requires a bit of configuration to read NTFS drives

c) Puppy Linux - a bit fatter than A or B, but can be configured to read NTFS

d) Knoppix - usually installs from CD - not USB - so its the biggest/fattest to download and that can take hours.

Suggest A or B

Step 4: configure your BIOS to boot from a removable device first - i.e. your new USB flash drive

Step 5: insert finished USB drive (5 minutes using A or B, 60 minutes using C, 3 - 6 hours using D) and reboot

Step 6: connect a large external USB hard drive (not Flash Drive) and most of the Linux packages above will see it

Step 7: right click - select all - copy - drag and drop/paste the key folders and files you want. Usually My Documents is a good place to start.

Step 8: figure out what is missing on your Windows system. You can even get online - get other tutorials - and then go to your original Windows boot CD to find the exact file you need - just recopy that and you're often fixed and don't need a complete install.

This is important, since keycodes expire after a certain number of installs.

DO NOT (be careful) download specific Windows files - they are often infected. Try to use your original, manufactured/authentic Windows CD.

Hope this helps.

[jaclaz]

This is important, since keycodes expire after a certain number of installs.

Really?

I thought that the issue might be with activation and not with "expired keycodes"

If it can take hours to download a Linux distro such as Knoppix, you might want to upgrade your connection to the internet, BTW.

jaclaz