Unattended Network Installation?

[Scuba Steve]

Is it possible to convert the unattened installation methods learned here into a network installation where you put a network boot disk in the computers and they pull the files off the server?

This would make it eaiser to install lots of applications with the unattended installation becuase we wouldn't be limited on 700 mbs on a cd. This would just make it easier and FULLY automated, because I wouldn't have to go around and swap the cds during installation.

Let me know if you can help me in this matter.

Thanks,

Justin

[likuidkewl]

This can be easily applied to a netowrk install, Microsoft knowledge base has alot of articles on how to do it, as well as these forums, via RIS,WinPE, etc., All you really have to do is move placement of your I386 folder and point to an unattended setup file.

Check out this KB article:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documen...icb_ui_ubiq.asp

so when you call the install file say using winnt32 will look like this:

*Note yours will look different depending on your paths*

<SERVER>\<SHARE>\I386\winnt32.exe /s:%SetupFiles% /unattend:%AnswerFile%

These variables are set by these:

set AnswerFile="<SERVER>\<SHARE>\I386\unattend.txt"
set SetupFiles="<SERVER>\<SHARE>\I386"

[Burger]

Hi,

This would make it eaiser to install lots of applications with the unattended installation becuase we wouldn't be limited on 700 mbs on a cd.

I have made a Bootable DVD, why don´t you try this ? There will be 4.3 GB for your Installationfiles.

There is a Project on sourceforge which discripes a Network install without RIS or other M$ Products.

The URL is http://unattended.sourceforge.net

I think you will find would you are looking for there.

[rustycaps]

I run my setup files from the HDD, so it makes it easier to work with, and saves worrying about fitting files onto a cd. I just have a winsetup folder on another partition on the drive, which has Office, MSN, DX9, etc in it, as well as reg files, and runonceex just runs off that - anything to reduce the need for the cd (I even have a reg file which changes the source files to a folder on the same partition as the winsetup folder, so it kills the need to stick the cd in all the time.

This should be easy enough to do via "net use" and mapping to the share on the server, using the necessary switches and commands. Then all you'd need in runonceex would be to have e.g. h:\office2003\setup.exe..... etc, where h: is the mapped drive.

[Scuba Steve]

Do you have to buy anything additional software components to do a network install? What is better CD or Network?

Thanks,

Justin

[Burger]

Hi,

Do you have to buy anything additional software components to do a network install?

Difficult Question, we Don´t know what you have licenced.

For the Method which is mentioned by rustycaps you need two Pc´s,

The Server and a CLient.

The Operating System of the Server could be every Operating System which could make Networkshares. Windows 9x, 2000, xp. Or the Server Versions of M$. You could also use Linux and Samba.

But what you need is a networkbootdisk which allows you to get Access to the networkshare on the Server.

A Dos Bootdisk which supports the NIC in your Client.

What is better CD or Network?

Hmm, which method is better lies in the eye of the beholder, so you will get varying opinions on which ones to use.

My prefert way is Networkboot via PXE.

But this requires a Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2003 Server or more then

a little knowledge in Linux.

The M$ Method functions good, and i knew only one cause to use the Linux method : The Money, if you don´t wan´t to spend the Money for Windows 2000 oder 2003 Server, you have to spend TIME with the Linux method.

There is a "How To with linux" on Sourceforge

Bye

[Scuba Steve]

I already have a Windows 2000 or 2003 Server with plenty of space to host the distribution shares.

What do you use for your network boot disks?

Do you use WinNT.exe or WinNT32.exe to do the unattended setup?

I need to use WinNT32.exe so I can get aroung the 64 character file path length restrictions placed by MS-DOS when using WinNT.exe.

BUT, in order to run WinNT32.exe you need to be running in a 32-bit OS. I have done a little research and found Bart's PE that is free, or Win PE that is outrageously priced. I am not sure that Bart's PE will allow you to run WinNT32.exe, I posted on the message boards there and we'll see what comes of it.

Can you give me some pointers for using Windows 2000 or 2003 Server?

Thanks,

Justin

[thieske]

Justin,

That bootdisk thing u where asking for...

I need such a bootdisk to, i have created a share with the i386 folder in it... but then i want to boot the client in such a manner that i can access the folder on the server and run the unattend.bat...

But 1st i need that bootdisk, some help would be greatly appreciated

[rustycaps]

What do you mean by the following statement regarding my post?

For the Method which is mentioned by rustycaps you need two Pc´s,

The Server and a CLient.

It runs perfectly fine on this system which only has the one drive, with 4 partitions - c: for OS, d: for swap file, e: for apps, and f: for my stuff, which is where the files are sourced from in runonceex - the only thing that I use the server for during setups is for NAV Corp updates and WU, but I could run it free of the network if it wasn't setup to run off a server (server only handles the DHCP and NAV Corp side of things, then mapped drives once in Windows).

Some lines from my runonceex file

REG ADD %KEY%\009 /VE /D "DirectX 9.0b" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\009 /V 1 /D "f:\winsetup\DirectX9b\dxsetup.exe /opk" /f

REG ADD %KEY%\011 /VE /D "Windows Media Player 9" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\011 /V 1 /D "f:\winsetup\mpsetupxp.exe /Q:A /R:N" /f

REG ADD %KEY%\013 /VE /D "Adobe Acrobat Reader 6" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\013 /V 1 /D "f:\winsetup\Acroread6\AR6.msi /qn" /f

REG ADD %KEY%\015 /VE /D "WinRAR 3.20" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\015 /V 1 /D "f:\winsetup\wrar320.exe /silent" /f

REG ADD %KEY%\017 /VE /D "MSN Messenger 6.1" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\017 /V 1 /D "f:\winsetup\MSN\MsnMsgs.msi /QN" /f

WRT the network boot, isn't there a way to connect through the BIOS setup and somehow do it that way? i.e. how most boards have onboard LAN that can be booted off - not sure how it works, but I know it's there.

[lallius]

hi,

I'm currently making a network unattend install.

I needed the following things ;

1. a WinPE boot cd (not BARTPE)

2. a DHCP server.

3. a file server.

I needed to do the following;

step 1:

create a windows distribution share on your file server with setupmanager (found in deploy.cab)

this will extract the I386 folder.

In this folder place your $oem$ folder with all the tweaks and 3rd company apps.

step 2:

adjust the unattended.bat that the setupmanager generated for you.

mine currently looks like this ;

@rem SetupMgrTag

@echo off

set AnswerFile=.\unattend.txt

set SetupFiles=r:\I386

r:\I386\winnt32 /s:%SetupFiles% /unattend:%AnswerFile% /copysource:lang /noreboot /makelocalsource

exit

*notice the /makelocalsource, this will copy the install files over to the destination computer before it begins installation, this way networktraffic is reduced.

This can be handy when dealing with multiple computers that you want to install.

the EXIT command on the last line is also required to make winPE reboot.

step 3:

by this time your distribution share should look like this:

1 folder named i386 (this would contain your $oem$ folder)

1 file named unattend.txt

1 file named unattend.bat

now boot the destination computer up with the WinPE cd...

step 4:

after booting the dhcp server assign an ip adress dynamically, and then give you full controll of the command line.

type the following on the command line ;

net use x: \\servername\distributionfoldername

servername = name of your file server (find out what yours is)

distributionfoldername= the folder that contains the i386 folder.(by default "windist")

step 5:

then switch to x: (or a letter you might have used in the net use command)

step 6:

type the following ;

unattend.bat

step 7:

sit back and watch your installation run over the network

I hope this helps you in some way...................

PM me if you got any questions.

greetz

[likuidkewl]

hi,

I'm currently making a network unattend install.

I needed the following things ;

1. a WinPE boot cd (not BARTPE)

2. a DHCP server.

3. a file server.

I needed to do the following;

step 1:

create a windows distribution share on your file server with setupmanager (found in deploy.cab)

this will extract the I386 folder.

In this folder place your $oem$ folder with all the tweaks and 3rd company apps.

step 2:

adjust the unattended.bat that the setupmanager generated for you.

mine currently looks like this ;

@rem SetupMgrTag

@echo off

set AnswerFile=.\unattend.txt

set SetupFiles=r:\I386

r:\I386\winnt32 /s:%SetupFiles% /unattend:%AnswerFile% /copysource:lang /noreboot /makelocalsource

exit

*notice the /makelocalsource, this will copy the install files over to the destination computer before it begins installation, this way networktraffic is reduced.

This can be handy when dealing with multiple computers that you want to install.

the EXIT command on the last line is also required to make winPE reboot.

step 3:

by this time your distribution share should look like this:

1 folder named i386 (this would contain your $oem$ folder)

1 file named unattend.txt

1 file named unattend.bat

now boot the destination computer up with the WinPE cd...

step 4:

after booting the dhcp server assign an ip adress dynamically, and then give you full controll of the command line.

type the following on the command line ;

net use x: \\servername\distributionfoldername

servername = name of your file server (find out what yours is)

distributionfoldername= the folder that contains the i386 folder.(by default "windist")

step 5:

then switch to x: (or a letter you might have used in the net use command)

step 6:

type the following ;

unattend.bat

step 7:

sit back and watch your installation run over the network

I hope this helps you in some way...................

PM me if you got any questions.

greetz

Thanks for taking the time to type it out. I just didn't feel like it.

[lallius]

[Burger]

Hi,

What do you mean by the following statement regarding my post?

For the Method which is mentioned by rustycaps you need two Pc´s,

The Server and a CLient.

hmm...don´t knew anymore...you are right all suggestion need 2 Pc´s accept the one with the DVD.

bye

[arnageddon]

Justin,

That bootdisk thing u where asking for...

I need such a bootdisk to, i have created a share with the i386 folder in it... but then i want to boot the client in such a manner that i can access the folder on the server and run the unattend.bat...

But 1st i need that bootdisk, some help would be greatly appreciated

You can use barts network bootdisks and winnt.exe

look under www.nu2.nu

You have to do some script work for it to automate everything. If youre are interested if made a special version of it with some hardware detection for the oempnpdriverspath settings and so on. Please let me know whether there is some interest for it

Best wishes

[yourtech]

here's some interest ->