Win2K/RIS/RunOnceEx: Apps not installing properly

[stuffman]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this forum, but from what I've seen there are lots of users who know a lot about my situation. I've searched the archives and haven't found my exact situation though, so here it is:

I have configured RIS to install windows 2000 to the workstation without problems. The computer installs all drivers properly, joins the domain and restarts. I've tried many different approaches to installing the applications once the OS has installed, but none of them work quite right.

What makes our image so difficult to script is the fact that our company wants all program files installed to e:\. So the layout would be:

c:\ - OS

d:\ - CDROM

e:\ - Program Files

f:\ - Data

GuiRunOnce:

I've used the GUIRunOnce portion of ristndrd.sif to install my apps. Here's how it looked:

[GuiRunOnce]
    Command0="net use z: \\appinstallpoint\share"
    Command1="z:\diskpart\diskpart.exe /s z:\diskpart\diskpart.txt"
    Command2="convert e: /FS:NTFS"
    Command3="z:\Apps\Internet\IE6SP1\ie6setup.exe /q"
    Command4="z:\Apps\Internet\IE6SP1Update\q813489.exe /qb"
    Command5="z:\batchfiles\md.bat"
    Command6="z:\apps\productivity\msoffice\office2000\setup.exe TRANSFORMS=z:\Apps\Productivity\MSOffice\Office2000\setup.MST /qb"
    Command7="z:\batchfiles\shutdown.bat"
    Command8="z:\apps\productivity\Adobe\Reader6\English\Installer\AdobeReader6.0.msi INSTALLDIR=E:\Progra~1\Adobe\Acroba~1\ /qb"
    Command9="z:\Apps\Utilities\PCAnywhere11\custominstall\Deployment\SymantecPCAnywhere-NetworkHostOnly.msi /qb"
    Command10="z:\batchfiles\pcanywheresession.bat"

This worked as far as mapping the drive, running diskpart with the appropriate script file, converting e:\ to NTFS, installing IE6SP1 and (after a reboot) the cumulative update. Md.bat creates directories in their full pathname (such as:e:\Program Files instead of e:\Progra~1) so that the programs to follow can be told to install to e:\Progra~1 and will end up in the right place. The problem with this setup is that the commands wouldn't wait for one to stop before the next started, which confused the installers and caused all subsequent installs to fail.

I thought I had found the answer with a batch file that used "start /wait", but that command does not work as it is supposed to under Windows 2000. The apps all still step on each other. We run Win2K with SP4 slipstreamed, if that means anything to someone.

I tried using a .cmd file which adds the commands and parameters to the RunOnceEx portion of the registry:

cmdow /HID
@echo off

SET KEY=HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx

REG ADD %KEY% /V TITLE /D "Installing Applications" /f

REG ADD %KEY%\001 /VE /D "PC Anywhere Network Only Host" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\001 /V 1 /D "z:\Apps
productivity\pcanywhere\deployment\SymantecPCAnywhere.msi /qb" /f

REG ADD %KEY%\002 /VE /D "Adobe Reader 6" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\002 /V 1 /D "z:\apps\productivity\Adobe\Reader6\English\Installer\AdobeReader6.0.msi "INSTALLDIR=E:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\ /qb" /f

REG ADD %KEY%\025 /VE /D "Microsoft Office 2000" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\025 /V 1 /D "z:\apps\productivity\msoffice\office2000\setup.exe TRANSFORMS=z:\Apps\Productivity\MSOffice\Office2000\setup.MST /qb" /f

shutdown -l

exit

This presents a whole new set of problems. The Adobe Reader parameter "INSTALLDIR=" wont work because the destination path has a space in it. I've tried every variation of double/triple/quadruple quotation marks that I could think of without any luck. If I tell it to install to e:\progra~1 it actually creates a directory called e:\progra~1 rather than install itself into the directory that has been created for it. As you can see, I gave MS Office the last spot in the priority list, because it allows other windows installer-based installs to run before it has completed, which makes them fail.

Does anyone know how I can make these apps wait their turn to install, install to e:\, and install into the right folder? I know the adobe thing is just a syntax issue, I just can't figure it out. I would GREATLY appreciate any help. Thanks a lot,

Shawn

[/\/\o\/\/]

for the WAIT option, this wil only work within ONE GuiRunOnce-command

it will work in a batchfile (no need for START)

problem is that they are all in different CMD-sessions, so there is nothing to wait for.

so put them in the right order in a batch-file, and then add the batchfile to the GuiRunOnce-secrion as 1 command

gr /\/\o\/\/

[stuffman]

Thanks for the reply, but what would the syntax look like if I didn't use 'start'? Isn't it required for '/wait'? Thanks,

Shawn

[/\/\o\/\/]

when you don't use a CALL statement, the command will wait (you don't get an extra commandwindow.)

yust put the command that you need to process in serial in 1 batch file

start will open a NEW commandwindow

gr /\/\o\/\/

[Torak]

Well the syntax issue in the RunOnceEx-method is quite simple. Just change:

REG ADD %KEY%\002 /V 1 /D "z:\apps\productivity\Adobe\Reader6\English\Installer\AdobeReader6.0.msi "INSTALLDIR=E:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\ /qb" /f

to:

REG ADD %KEY%\002 /V 1 /D "z:\apps\productivity\Adobe\Reader6\English\Installer\AdobeReader6.0.msi \"INSTALLDIR=E:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\" /qb" /f

I.e. you have to use a back slash before quotation marks inside the "REG ADD" string. You should reach your goal by using the RunOnceEx-method, as it waits for the previous install before going to the next one.