Okay, I've got to be overthinking this...

[mmarable]

I need help. I'm stumbling around trying to use WinPE to kick off a simple unattended WinXP install. I'm using a set of scripts that likuidkewl posted some time back.

My WinPE disk boots, it then creates 1 partition, assigns it "C:", makes it active and then formats it.

Next, it starts the XP setup, which copies files to the hard drive and then reboots.

ECHO Starting Installation...
@echo off
set AnswerFile="%CDROM%\XP_PRO\I386\Unattend.txt"
set SetupFiles="%CDROM%\XP_PRO\I386"
%CDROM%\XP_PRO\I386\winnt32.exe /s:%SetupFiles% /unattend:%AnswerFile% /syspart:c:

After the system boots into XP's setup it goes through the process of loading drivers and then when it would switch over to "Starting Windows" and selecting the partition to install to it prompts me for the Windows CD. If I swap CDs and put in a standard XP CD it goes off just fine. So, it's as though it is trying to load files from the I386 directory off of the root of the CD instead of the I386 under the XP_PRO folder.

I got around this once by copying the I386 directory to the C drive and running the install from there. It takes longer, but at least it worked. The problem I ran into here, is that the $OEM$ folders were not copied from the CD to the hard drive. Should the $OEM$ folders still be off of the root of the CD, or should they be at the same level as the I386 installation folder?

I figure that once I have the basics worked out then I can get creative.

Thanks

[Obliviator]

Try not to change the I386 directory. It causes lots of problems. If you really need this configuration, you should change I386 into your new directory in the dosnet.inf file and the layout.inf file.

[Tiggah]

try adding the "/makelocalsource" in your switches for winnt32

I had some issues trying to copy the files while still in WinPE until I added that.

[prathapml]

mmarable, your issue is not at all related to WinPE - so relax and be comfortable!

First, for $OEM$ to work in your case, it should be placed *INSIDE* the i386 folder. the OEM folder is placed beside i386 only when booting from CD.

Second, your issue of having to change the CD might be because txtsetup.sif is not having the correct value for "SetupSourcePath". Open up that file and see if that line simply has "\" as the value.

Lastly, you are over-complicating your install. There's no need to make it quite as complex....

Your "XP setup" starting scripts and the copying over of files to HDD thru batch-files sounds too round-about for starting out. Keep it simple, then when all is fine and you get the confidence that you can trouble-shoot minor problems by yourself, raise the complexity level.