Unattended Website Additions

[Alanoll]

What else about the site do you think should be changed/added?

I'm about to start planning the layout....so....better hurry....

Please link to things as well. Find the most common questions, and link to them. Come on now...

[SlimShady]

When you've finished, it creates a file called unattend.txt. Since we are going to run Setup from a CD we need to rename this to winnt.sif.

Someone here (including me) couldn't get winnt.sif to work.

By renaming WINNT.SIF to capital letters, the problem was solved.

I suggest you add that.

[Alanoll]

Come Dec10th, I'm closing entries for addidtions so I can start planning things out. SO you people better hurry.

[battleangel3222]

Everything that is now normal in the threads (stickys, well known threads)

1) WinntBBU stuff, along with msigna, all the customizations of that sort

2) Logons, Bootscreens, Etc....?

3) As others have said, applications database

4) And my personal request, a more insight on batch files.

[battleangel3222]

OH, forgot to add emphasize SPECIFICALLY on making sure everyone has OEMPreinstall=Yes in their Winnt.sif, you get a new thread on that ATLEAST once a week.

[Vadikan]

In addition to info about enabling QuickLaunch, I think it's important to explain how to add shortcuts. Link? http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=33449 - the most recent Perhaps, a mini-FAQ may work for the really frequent questions.

[rendrag]

in the unattended office guide, I think that too many people get confused where at the end you have the path to your .MST file. The text surrounding that section seems to be a little misleading perhaps?

some uninitiated unattenders seem to think that the absolute path to the MST must be changed in the ORK, when in fact it only has to be changed in your command call.

maybe changing the text to refect that, and possibly show an example code of the correct way to call the file would make it easier to understand?

my .02

here's a link to the most recent post regarding this confusion

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=33474

[prathapml]

Okay, this post is relevant only if you're thinking of changing how the guide is formatted.... (on second thoughts, this request can co-exist with current formatting)

Basically, the java-script drop-down menus are quite fidgety. Some browsers can't display it properly. And at other times, the menus take a long time to load on slower connections. Plus, I'd like to have an offline-readable guide which is not easy with the current format. Of course, if the entire HTML source dirs of the guide was with a person, then he can see the Jscript menus offline too, but it'd better not be given away (templates, and all... ).

Currently, I have only 2 ways to take entire guides in offline-compatible form:

1. Print page-by-page to PDF form (too much effort needed)

2. Using Offline Explorer to download all pages as it is from a site.

The second option is worse than the first, but still its better than nothing. Now, in both cases, the java-script menus won't work. So having navigation through direct links is a good idea. Each page could have a link at bottom to the "Next Page". So that one can start at index.htm, and then keep progressing through the pages with "Go to next page". Moreover, the "next page" approach is newb-friendly as well.

SUMMING UP:

Give a "Next page" link on each page of the guide. So that absence of the JS-driven menu on top should not become a handicap.

[Alanoll]

I have the ability to compile the HTML into an EXE for download. It uses the IE engine so it should display correctly, and you can't decompile to obtain sources.

Oh, and I CAN'T change the shape of the site, the images, menus, or arrangement of the general site. I move pages around, expand the menus, rearrange the content of menus and pages, but the general layout/template of the site must stay the same.

[prathapml]

The EXE would be unusable in linux, plus I strip out IE from XP.

The "Next Page" arrow thingie would be nice...

Ha ha! Yes, I love offline.

More suggestions:

The guide already has a page about [shell] section of winnt.sif, right?

We could add a page for .theme (with a sample given) including info to set WMP skin.

Setting WMP skin unattended

MS page about .theme

[Alanoll]

The EXE would be unusable in linux, plus I strip out IE from XP.

BAH!! Mentioning that name on a Microsoft website.... lol. Surely you keep the core of IE?

[prathapml]

Surely you keep the core of IE?

No I don't! (thanks to nuhi )

Hmm... and linux is a major peg in my job - so I need to be able to read the pages on that OS as well. Plain-HTML compatibility is so wonderful.....

[Alanoll]

well, after the updates and such....I'll see about whipping up a new design and see if xper approves. I'll even see if my friend the graphic artist wants to pay back a favor

[prathapml]

No no....

Don't bother to waste time to do new layout/design, etc.

Just a html link at bottom of each page to go to next page in proper order of how the guide should be read - that is all should be quite good.

In the bargain, there's another benefit of doing so. Disabled people and screen-reader software can access the guide too. (now don't ask me what those ppl would do with unattended guides )

[Alanoll]

now, with the next page idea, you're assuming it's all gonna be step by step