Unattended installation with "normal" XP PRO/Home

[solohelp]

@Mhz-

I know how to create a winnt.sif but how do I make the cd look on a floppy for the winnt.sif? What file does that need to be in?

[prathapml]

how do I make the cd look on a floppy for the winnt.sif?  What file does that need to be in?

No need to "do" anything at all.

1. Make your winnt.sif

2. Put it on a floppy (DIRECTLY on floppy, it should not be inside any folders)

3. Insert it into the PC's floppy drive.

4. Now pop in the installer CD for Windows XP and boot up from it.

XP setup will automatically see the winnt.sif on the floppy and use it (right from the point of booting up). Well, that is is if your floppy drive and disk are working properly without any problems.

[^_^]

that's true, all you do need to do is insert a floppy with the winnt.sif file on it for any windows XP or 2000 OS

however, to install all the other common software that takes all the time is what takes forever anyway, so why not include that as well?

basically, I put the follow lines in my cmdlines.txt file in the $OEM$ folder:

[COMMANDS]
"a:\useraccounts.cmd"

then I put my user accounts.cmd, autologin.reg, winnt.sif, and my batch files on the floppy

just don't forget to change the line in the winnt.sif file to the name/location of your batch file to install windows

I've attached a zip file that contains all the files on my floppy so you can use them for an example

Nice thing about this is, you can edit and modify installations

such as rem out a line of a particular installation doesn't require all of your software that you are capable of installing