How to use WinPe for Network Unattend Install?

[odopey]

Hey,

I've been reading a lot of the threads but haven't really found what I'm looking to do. I'd like to create a WinPE cd that is bootable and will connect to my server and then start a Window XP Pro SP 2 Unattended install.

I'm sure it can be done just not sure how to go about it.

Can someone point me in the right direction.

Thanks,

[likuidkewl]

Just look in the OPK.chm or the Winpe.chm depending on version. It is well documented

[edg21]

Once you have network support enabled, you can use this. Maps network drive, starts services needed by diskpart, partitions the hdd, formats the hdd, copies i386 folder from network to local hdd, then starts the install from the hdd.

net use u: \\bender\unattend
net start dmserver
net start dmadmin
diskpart /s diskpart.cfg
format c: /fs:NTFS /v:"" /Q /Y
xcopy u:\cabs\xp\vlk c:\i386 /E /I
c:\i386\winnt32.exe /s:c:\i386 /unattend:u:\config\xp\vlk\unattend.txt /syspart:C: /NOREBOOT

[TheWave]

can you post your diskpart's configuration script?

[Jotnar]

You could use something like this:

select disk 0
clean
create partition primary size=20480
select partition 1
active
assign letter=c

Cheers

[edg21]

can you post your diskpart's configuration script?

Select Disk 0
Clean
Create Partition primary
Active
Assign Letter=c
exit

[TheWave]

thanks.

I have bartspe and tried to run xp's install from it and it just exit the setup after few minutes without any notice. The copy\diskpart works file i tried to run it manually (no unattend script) too it i have the same problem. Any ideas? Should i try winpe?

[Jotnar]

I've run 2K/XP setup before in BartPE, so thats not the problem. Try it with just the /s and /syspart .

Cheers

[TheWave]

Same s***. It goes on as usuall for few minutes then the setup just disapears leaving two folders at c:\. Is there a log file or something else i could do to find out whats wrong?

[edg21]

Same s***. It goes on as usuall for few minutes then the setup just disapears leaving two folders at c:\. Is there a log file or something else i could do to find out whats wrong?

hmmmm... I changed mine around a bit, the following is from my os_install.cmd. I will post the entire thing when I'm done.

Variable Values:

UNATTEND_SHARE=\\bender\unattend
NTFS=/fs:NTFS /v:"" /Q /Y
DISKPART_CFG=u:\config\winxp\vlk\diskpart.cfg
FORMAT_CFG=%NTFS%
CAB_LOCATION=u:\cabs\xp\vlk\i386
UA_FILE=u:\config\winxp\vlk\unattend.txt
SETUP_COMMAND=winnt32.exe /s:%CAB_LOCATION% /unattend:%UA_FILE% /syspart:C: /tempdrive:C: /NOREBOOT

Commands Used:

net use u: %UNATTEND_SHARE%
net start dmserver
net start dmadmin
diskpart /s %DISKPART_CFG%
format c: %FORMAT_CFG%
%CAB_LOCATION%\%SETUP_COMMAND%

[piro]

TheWave,

It goes on as usuall for few minutes then the setup just disapears leaving two folders at c:\

that's normal man, the winnt32 process copied the setup files ($win_nt$.~bt & $win_nt$.~ls) and prepared the c: drive and just existed (trying to restart computer but it's not possible in winpe).

all you have to do now is restart your computer yourself, and the setup will start auomatically. (don't expect to install windows completely from winpe).

piro

[TheWave]

Stupid me... yea it works i just had to restart. Thank you. I have one more question though, how can i restart using batch file in bartspe with xpe?

[Metzen]

Stupid me... yea it works i just had to restart. Thank you. I have one more question though, how can i restart using batch file in bartspe with xpe?

Use the following line at the end of your script:

EXIT

I am assuming that your install script is the STARTNET.CMD file. If it's not, you'll have to find a way to get your batch file to terminate STARTNET.CMD to reboot automatically.

[TheWave]

exit just exit the current batch doesn't it? and where is this "startnet.cmd" i couldn't find it. my install script it standalone script that exist on another computer.

[etorbenson]

Use the following line at the end of your script:

EXIT

I am assuming that your install script is the STARTNET.CMD file.  If it's not, you'll have to find a way to get your batch file to terminate STARTNET.CMD to reboot automatically.

Is there any way to force WinPE closed? My setup routine relies on an HTA, so once MSHTA runs, I lose control of the STARTNET.CMD file. The standard WinXP SHUTDOWN.EXE doesn't work; it just says "The device is not ready." Has anyone gotten WinPE to successfully reboot after executing a command other than "exit"?