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Using Sysprep in an unattended installation


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Does anyone has an idea how to ad sysprep to an unattended xp cd?

I already made a cd with all specials and stuff but now I want to add sysprep to it.

Should I only copy a sysprep folder to the systemdrive, or must I do this after run-once has done installing applications? :)

Thx in advanced!

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How do you mean, launch it?

Doesn't sysprep launch itself after you installed your xp?

Cause that's what I mean, so when I burn an unattended cd, I can lend it to someone I know without having to worrie about username and stuff :)

Greetz

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You can place your sysprep folder under $OEM$\$1\Install, and it will be copied over to %SYSTEMDRIVE% ... once there, you can call a XCOPY function through the cmd script and copy it where you want ... Sysprep doesn't run itself ... but note if you do run Sysprep, all applications called from cmdlines.txt and RunOnceEx.cmd will be runned again once you restart computer after sysprep ...

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but note if you do run Sysprep, all applications called from cmdlines.txt and RunOnceEx.cmd will be runned again once you restart computer after sysprep ...

Is there anyway around this?

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For some reason it will ... I've spent 2 days creating unattended Win CD, and couldn't find any way around this problem. Yesterday I've started with XPlode project, and that onw works just fine ... since deletes $winnt$.inf after installation ... then you can run Sysprep ... make sure your Sysprep is located on the root of your %systemdrive% as if placed on other locations your Sysprep.inf (answer file) for Sysprep will not work. Once Sysprep is done, it will remove itself and corresponding folder from the root of %systemdrive% ... You should use Sysprep ONLY if you plan to create an image of that computer, otherwise you don't need it ..

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For some reason it will ... I've spent 2 days creating unattended Win CD, and couldn't find any way around this problem. Yesterday I've started with XPlode project, and that onw works just fine ... since deletes $winnt$.inf after installation ... then you can run Sysprep ... make sure your Sysprep is located on the root of your %systemdrive% as if placed on other locations your Sysprep.inf (answer file) for Sysprep will not work. Once Sysprep is done, it will remove itself and corresponding folder from the root of %systemdrive% ... You should use Sysprep ONLY if you plan to create an image of that computer, otherwise you don't need it ..

Can I edit the $winnt$.inf file and take out this bit to stop it asking for start.cmd?

[GuiRunOnce]

"%systemdrive%\install\start.cmd

Or can I just delete the $winnt$.inf

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  • 2 weeks later...

I still don't see the point for dealing with sysprep this way. Sysprep is used for rolling a machine back through hardware detection and naming and licensing.

If you are making an unattended windows CD, why deal with sysprep at all.

If you are syspreping a system, why are you dealing with unattended windows.

The only things I can think of is a) you are a reseller loading software on multiple PCs and don't want to do it by hand, or B) you are in a corporate IT department looking to automate the IT dept production of new/updated images. (I am B)

In either case, all you need to do to use sysprep, is to copy the files(sysprep.exe, sysprep.inf, and the other one *cl.exe, whatever it's name is) to c:\sysprep and execute sysprep -mini -reseal -reboot

Be sure to have a floppy in the drive to catch it when it reboots. then you ghost or drive image it

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