Making CD for "test" purposes?!

[tgrendel]

Hi,

I need some guidance for making an unattended install CD for "test" purposes. If i have understood the guides correctly it seems to me that these guides tell me how to make a CD for doing fresh installs on a number of different chipsets with all the different drivers and tweaks integrated. What I need is an unattended install CD that will be compatible with all the different chipsets and drivers even after the install process is completed. For instance:

If I use a finished CD to install Windows on a VIA motherboard with a 3Com LAN adapter, and it automatically installs all the software I need for testing, like 3DMark and BurnIn and so on, how can I make sure that it also installs the chipset drivers for a nForce motherboard or a SiS motherboard with maybe different LAN adapters so that when i change motherboards it will boot no matter what?

I really hope some of you can help me with this as this would make my work a whole lot easier.

[prathapml]

Hello tgrendel,

And welcome to MSFN forums!

First off, I'd say putting in action what is in those guides will help you the most. Once you've done that, and have your CDs working, you'll have a clearer idea of what is happening, and how to go about it. Well, some time is needed, and a CD-RW (so that you won't waste blank CD-Rs). And then, you can go to the next thing.

Now, about what you have asked, if you mean to say that you need the drivers for a hundred different chipsets integrated on the windows CD - yes that's possible. The only limitation is that a CD is too small to contain that much of files, ha ha.

If you mean, this instead:

- A system that was installed with an unattended CD (with drivers) that you made.

- Now you're copying this system's "C:\" drive to another HD

- This other HD is going to be placed on a PC with a different chipset than the one it was copied from.

- Will it boot?

Now if that (the above para) was what you meant - the answer is more complex.

1. You need to have the drivers on the unattended install.

2. You need to use something called "SysPrep" to take out all the drivers it remembers. (if not, it won't re-detect the new chipset and install the needed driver)

3. If these 2 things aren't done, the system now won't boot with a different chipset.

4. That's all, after the sysprep, it will work perfectly.

The bottom-line?

Anything is possible, you just need to read the help already available around the forum, and do some testing/work at your end as well.

And if you have anymore things to be clarified, just ask.

Hoping this helps....