I'm writing here because I'm having troubles making an unattended Windows XP installation.

I have copied the contents of a Windows XP Professional CD to my HD, slipstreamed SP2, used nLite (version 0.98.8) to get rid of useless stuff and integrate the drivers I needed and finally followed the instructions from this site to make the OS and my applications install completely unattended.

It seems to work fine at first, but when it starts copying the files during the text mode setup, many of them can't be found on the CD.

I believe that the missing files are part of the stuff nLite removes, or at least looking at the filenames made me think so. I have made a text search in the "XPCD" folder with some names of the missing files, and all of them appear in the following files:

LAYOUT.INF

DOSNET.INF

DRVINDEX.INF

Maybe these 3 files haven't been correctly updated by nLite when it has removed the "optional" components... or else why does this happen?

How can I solve this problem?

However after it finishes everything the OS seems to work perfectly (well, everything but the soundcard, but that's my fault, I've made a mistake), but if those errors appear and I have to press ESC (to skip copying of each missing file) tens of times then it's not a real unattended installation!

So I absolutely need to get rid of those errors, but since this is my first attempt to make an unattended CD I need your precious help.

Thanks in advance.

if u use nlite is a whole different ball game. pls post in the nlite section.

u will get much more help there.

personally i don't use nlite.

are you burning to CD or DVD?

I know that lots of DVD ROMS have trouble with +r media and

this produces read errors (my own expirience).

If this is the case with you try -r media.

all three files are on my DVD i have not deleted anything.

all works ok

are you sure you copied all the files from the cd? make sure you have "show hidden files" checked in folder options. Also my advice is if you get into this, that you use vmware to practice, its fast and will save you cd's. Also checkout xpcreate.

(it could be a BUG with Nlite)

I use DVD +R & DVD -R i don't have any problems writing or reading.

on standard dvd.

why not just use the regular method? http://unattended.msfn.org ?

I am burning to CD-RW medias, so no wasted discs as I try, but I must admit that using VMware or a similar tool would save time.

I also say that I've made it unattended with the regular method described at unattended.msfn.org, not with nLite.

I am sure all files have been copied.

The question still remains the same.

Maybe deleting the right entries (those for the files that are not present on the CD) in the 3 files will avoid error messages...

BTW ok, I should have posted in the nLite section, if a moderator reads this thread, please move it.

Can't anyone help me?

u should try updating your version of nlite, yours is an old 1

http://nuhi.msfn.org for current version re copy source & slipstream again

I will try, but there are some other problems... details here:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?act=ST&f=89&t=30024

I ran into a problem using nLite also

But I found that nLite creates it's own winnt.sif file and used it instead of the one I created.

Might be an avenue to look into.

Chudd

I must be seeing things coz I coulda sworn Astalavista stated a clear and sensible point about nlite.

-nARkwS-

Well, the winnt.sif that nLite creates is very similar to the one I prepared, it just contains less informations.

just over write it, or mod the winnt.sif file

I must be seeing things coz I coulda sworn Astalavista stated a clear and sensible point about nlite.

-nARkwS-

Sorry, I don't understand what you're saying...

just over write it, or mod the winnt.sif file

Sure, but this is not the real problem.