Probably a newbee type question but...

[que3jxp]

I have been trying to get an unattended installation of Windows 2K or XP to work for a year (Yes a year :) ) with no success.

Every time I test, it makes it all the way to the start of the GUI portion and stops at the EULA.

I have all of the proper settings in the answer file and have renamed the answer file to winnt.sif.

Is there something that I am missing that would be so consistently causing this problem?

Thank you in advance!

Jason.

[Alanoll]

YOu don't have all the proper settings in your answer file.

That's the only thing I can think of. Perhaps post it? Use CODE tags (there are button when you post, it may help to use them)

[que3jxp]

Here is the answer file

;SetupMgrTag
[Data]
AutoPartition=1
MsDosInitiated="0"
UnattendedInstall="Yes"

[Unattended]
UnattendMode=FullUnattended
OemSkipEula=Yes
OemPreinstall=No
TargetPath=\WINDOWS

[GuiUnattended]
AdminPassword="********"
EncryptedAdminPassword=NO
AutoLogon=Yes
AutoLogonCount=1
OEMSkipRegional=1
TimeZone=50
OemSkipWelcome=1
ProfilesDir="D:\Documents and Settings\"

[UserData]
ProductID=*****-*****-*****-*****-*****
FullName="York Funeral Home"
OrgName="York Funeral Home"
ComputerName=*

[Display]
BitsPerPel=16
Xresolution=800
YResolution=600
Vrefresh=60

[TapiLocation]
CountryCode=107
Dialing=Tone
AreaCode=506

[Branding]
BrandIEUsingUnattended=Yes

[URL]
Home_Page=www.yorkfh.com
Search_Page=www.google.com

[Proxy]
Proxy_Enable=0
Use_Same_Proxy=1

[Identification]
JoinWorkgroup=WORKGROUP

[Networking]
InstallDefaultComponents=Yes

Here is the content of my unattend.bat file

set AnswerFile=a:\winnt.sif
set SetupFiles=e:\i386

e:\i386\winnt /s:%SetupFiles% /unattend:%AnswerFile%

Thanks,

Jason.

[sparks660]

Try the guide at http://www.overclockers.com

start with part I thyen do part II. you can't go wrong !!!

[que3jxp]

I have done everything that is in those guides and a dozen others.

Actually, I found that article this afternoon and that is how I came to find this forum.

Thanks though.

[killerbee]

hi,

please add this in [unattended]:

   UnattendSwitch="yes"

and try again

hope this helps a bit

cya

Killer Bee

[que3jxp]

I have never heard of that one before!!!

I will try it tonight when I get home.

Thanks,

Jason.

[Solid as a rock]

I have never heard of that one before!!!

I will try it tonight when I get home.

Thanks,

Jason.

UnattendSwitch="yes" instructs Windows XP Setup to skip the "Welcome to Windows XP" screens, where user account and Internet setting-up takes place. If you didn't skip this then it wouldn't really be "unattended" would it? :-) (Although we'll worry about User Account creation by going to the Add Users & Auto Logon page later.)

[que3jxp]

That is fine and dandy that I know that, but I am going to be a lot happier when I can get past the EULA at the very start of the GUI install portion. Way before you get to that stupid Welcome to WXP screen.

If that is all that switch is going to save me, then I need more help.

Thanks,

Jason.

[homiebrah]

Just refer back to this site for info: http://unattended.msfn.org/

[que3jxp]

Ok. It looks like I need to explain myself a bit here...

I am well aware of how to configure an unattended setup. I know the switches for the winnt.exe. I know the critical options in the winnt.sif file....

What I dont know is the answer to the following........

I start the unattended install...

The first file copy runs...

PC Reboots...

The second file copy process starts....

PC Reboots...

(P.S. -- ALL of the above performs completely unattended.)

PC starts in GUI for the VERY FIRST TIME...

Bullet Points at the left are about to be proceeded through...

BOOM!!!!!!!!

The install will not do the bullet point portion of the install unattendedly. It kicks up the EULA screen and then the rest of the install is very much attended.

I am NOT talking about anything after windows is fully installed, nor am I talking about that inconcequential (yet annoying) Welcome to WXP wizard (Which I am pleased to have the switch to stop now. Thanks)

This is what is going on. Please stop suggesting that I go and read something that I already have read.

Thanks,

Jason.

[que3jxp]

Ok.

I tried adding the following to the [unattended] section:

UnattendedSwitch=yes

This took care of the stopping at the EULA. But I am still getting the stupid "Welcome to WXP" wizard that asks for the IDs that you want to set up on the PC so if anyone has the switch for that, it would be great.

Thanks,

Jason.

[Aaron]

Its UnattendSwitch=Yes under [unattended] that stops the Welcome to Windows XP wizards, note that it has no 'ed' on the end of Unattend. UnattendedSwitch=yes isn't a valid command.

OemSkipEula=Yes is what skips the EULA in text-mode setup. This also goes under [unattended]

[que3jxp]

Ok... That is funny because the help file has no "ED" either and I managed to put the "ED" and it still basically worked except for the very last wizard.

WIERD!!!!

Anyhow, I am about to test a more extensive answer file so I will take the ED off the line.

Thanks for catching that!!

[que3jxp]

I tested my more extensive answer file and all is very well.

In the process, I guess I discovered a new option for the [unattended] section:

UnattendSwitch=Yes

This will give you the fully unattended install (I must say that it is not very well documented in the deploy help file)

UnattendedSwitch=Yes

This will make all but the VERY last portion of the GUI install be unattended. Having the "ed" at the end of Unattend seems to be accepted but I cannot find it documented in the deploy help file.

Thanks for the help!

Jason.