unattend&preinstall from CD but

[wolfshade]

I thought a while and the best solution for me would be to make the folowing unattend: Burn the slipstream XP Pro+SP1 on CD and keep the postinstall files even the preinstall on HDD but i've got some questions about it, so:

1. I would require to keep the unattend.txt and batch files on floppy so i can change them always. Is it posible to put the answer file on floppy while booting from CD?

1.1. If this would work then i guess i can name the answer file how i please?

1.2. At what point it would be safe to remove floppy cuz it would be needed for setup (unattend.txt) and after for batch files for postinstall. [a:after the install finishes is this correct cuz the setup wont copy anything from a:\ to HDD?]

(this would require keeping BIOS setting on autosearch floppy to off so the setup would take the path A:\ but don't mount it as a boot device).

2.If so as u might understand theres no rule on that u should keep any files in $OEM$ unless u do a full CD unattend. If it is posible to keep pre/post install files on HDD then it can be done in fixed dirs wich u could work as software is updated all the time.

3.I would add the path to /u:a:\unattend.txt (AUTORUN.INF) and [GUIRunOnce] > Command0=a:\batchfile1, Command1=a:\batchfile2 etc right?

4.The post install files/directories would reside on one of my partitions other than the one i am installing on so i can always update soft. My partitions are all NTFS - will the setup detect preinstall files on HDD cuz i'm thinking of putting the OEMPnPDriversPath=e:\specificdirs ?

So the main point is i want clean slipstreamed XPSP1 on CD but every preinstall and postinstall file even answer file to HDD respective the floppy what do u think?

[Alanoll]

1. I hear it's possiable. You'll have to start setup from floppy I think. I'm sure others have had success with having the unattend.txt file on floppy without it, and they'll say how.

1.1 Probally not.

1.2 Once TXTMODE is done, and it does the restart after the file copy, remove the disk. The answer file will be copied off of it.

2. You could use fixed dirs, assuming you don't have to reformat you drive everytime. Perhaps second drive? But then the letters wouldn't be the same sometimes during install.

4. You can't put e:\. According to the documentation provided by microsoft, %systemdrive% is prefixed to all paths in that line.

[wolfshade]

2. Since the setup will get the unattend from floppy then i have to put batch files for postinstall on HDD too if i remove the floppy -- I remember that the stupid install finds the floppy and asks for removal even if theres no danger of booting from it(floppy autosearch bios disabled). I put unattend.txt on floppy cuz the setup won't read the NTFS partitions at start and keep windows on CD cuz it's a readable file system - after he unattends he will be able to read my NTFS partition to get soft postinstalled but i can't get when is the windows setup able to read the NTFS partitions in my system so i can do preinstall devices from HDD too - postinstall should work for sure if MS made the GUIRunOnce as it should but not sure about NTFS reading during setup and OEMPnPDriversSetup.

4.I don't want to install windows on e: i just want to keep preinstall and postinstall non-MS files in it for retrieval/installing purposes. I have to be sure cuz the path's role is to point to wathever i give him(its the setups job of reading the path contents).

One more step needed if all of this works : Where to put answer file so i can modify it anytime and be able to read it too at anytime w/o the setup asking for floppy removal w/o any point or can't find it cuz of NTFS.

Hmmm some software company had been already capable of releasing NTFSDOS wich can mount all NTFS volumes from DOS -- why can't MS do it in the setup of windows?

Please help with any suggestions /test results - every bit counts.

OOPS! Almost forgot the $1 directory would be the system drive while $$ the windir so actually it would be logical to put the files anywhere in the install drive but the question is at what point of setup is windows capable of seeing the other NTFS partitions\ volumes? -- this would determine if its really possible to keep non-MS files on HDD ;I am almost sure although i didn't test it, i can keep files on an FAT32 partition and read all even the answer file from it.

[wolfshade]

BTW different commands in GUIRunOnce will run all at one or one at a time e.g. Command0=stuff will run in the same time with Command1=stuff ???

[Alanoll]

I believe it's one at a time, just like in RunOnceEX. But I'm not sure. I usually only had one file to execute anyways (a batch file)