Winnt.sif with Win2003 server

[Incroyable HULK]

I am currently playing with a Windows 2003 Std Server Unattended. I used the setupmgr.exe inside the deploy.cab but my winnt.sif is Ignored!

I remember that we had to delete a winnt.xxx file in our i386 folder in order to make the winnt.sif work but I cannot find the information anymore... the only file close to that is WINNT.AD_ ??? Is it the one to delete?

Another question, I've build my ISO with CDIMAGE Pro and I was just wondering what is the difference between the Home and the Pro version ?

[tguy]

Try putting the WINNT.SIF on a floppy disk and inserting it after you start your installation from CD.

That is the way MS suggests you do it.

Otherwise you could just copy it to the i386 folder. I have had mixed results copying to the cd though.

I know for sure it will work if you use the floppy method as I have done it numerous times.

As for the difference between cdimage pro and home, I think they are the same as far as the cdimage program itself. The batch file may change something like the cd label or something in the command line syntax.

[Br4tt3]

i also have had some problems when running the unattend setup from Cd using an winnt.sif as the answer file, i know it works cuz I am currently running on one but when having this problem, u just changed the name to whatever.txt and everything worked as a charm... not a very logic answer but true.... I guess it some Redmond secret

[Incroyable HULK]

So if I understand correctly, you just renamed you winnt.sif to anything as long as the extension is .txt ?

So I can rename to linux.txt and it will work?

EDIT: there is already 3 .txt files in the i386 folder. EULA.TXT, SETUPACC.TXT and UNATTEND.TXT which already contain some tags!

[jaxflmax]

Did you ever resolve this issue?

[tguy]

When using CD-ROM's for unattended installations the answer file must be called WINNT.SIF

Sometimes if the file is edited with say Notepad, the .TXT extension gets appended to the file so it becomes WINNT.SIF.TXT which will not work.

You can copy the WINNT.SIF into the i386 directory and I have seen it work in the past however; since I prefer the flexibility of editing the files frequently for various server builds I put the WINNT.SIF on a floppy which is inserted right after the installation starts from my CD.

Hope this clarifies things a little and will help to resolve the problem.

[jaxflmax]

I ended up copying over my xp winnt.sif and added 2 lines on how licenses should be distributed - worked just fine. Thanks guys

[Incroyable HULK]

First off, congratulation for using the SEARCH function and posting into an already existing thread.

I never fully solved this matter. I have a Windows XP SP2 installation which is Multi-Boot and I have 3 different WINNT.SIF inside each boot folders.

I wanted to do the same with W2K Server 2003 but my WINNT.SIF never kicks in inside my boot folder. I have to put the WINNT.SIF inside my i386 folder and therefore I cannot have multiple choices...

[jaxflmax]

Ah! Well one solution to that is to make several copies of your desired OS folder, using a different WINNT.sif (residing in I386) in each one but keeping the rest of the files the same. You can edit your cdshell.ini or whatever is used for easyboot to chain into each different version. Once you optimize your multiboot disc, it will not be any larger but you now have several different versions of the OS to chose from.

[prathapml]

I never fully solved this matter.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Out with details Lets fix it!

Or maybe later when there's time for it....

Anyways, the boot-sector, setupldr.bin, and txtsetup.sif have all been edited by you? You followed the flyakite multi-boot guide exactly? Then it should work!

What normally happens is people see multiple guides and make a hodge-podge mess of it all... Following a single one word-for-word might help...

[Incroyable HULK]

Come on prathapml, you know me better than that!

1- Yes I followed the guide and got my boot folder

2- I edited (with EasyBoot) w2ksect.bin (boot sector provided with EasyBoot) and changed 1 occurence of I386 to S03A

3- I edited (with EasyBoot) setupldr.bin in my boot folder S03A and changed 3 occurence of i386 to S03A (not 4)

4- I put my WINNT.SIF inside this boot folder

Everything works fine but the winnt.sif never kicks in. I can install manually without problem from this boot folder. So, unless I put my winnt.sif inside the i386 folder, it won't go unattended.

BTW, this is the exact same method I am using for Win2K and WinXP and they both work flawlessly

[Incroyable HULK]

One interesting thing I just discovered:

If I use EasyBoot to HexEdit setupldr.bin of Windows XP, I will be informed that 4 occurence are replaced (for i386)

BUT if I do the same on Windows 2003 Server, I will be informed that 3 occurence are replaced (for i386) but ALSO 1 occurence will be replaced if I try I386

Could it be the only missing thing?

EDIT: I have to go to sleep but I will try tomorrow...

[prathapml]

lol, right you do know it... But still mentioned it again, just in case the recent influx of total n00bs here has made you lose your sanity....

As for i386 and I386 - WHAAAT?????

weird! tell us how it goes tomorrow.

[Incroyable HULK]

Guess what?

I found it!!!

In order to make it work, SETUPLDR.BIN must be Hex Edited to replace:

3 occurences of i386

and

1 occurence of I386

THE MULTI-BOOT GUIDE SHOULD BE UPDATED!!!

BTW, this is a French Version so I don't know if it is the same with an English version...

[jaxflmax]

In my english version they are all the same. That is really weird that you have 3 of 1 and 1 of the other, glad you got it working