Xplode4 Setup Question

[hohner]

I'll have another go at it...

I'll give you as much info as I can and hopefully one of you can see where I'm going wrong.

I've read through the pdf and several posts over and over, there must be something I'm missing.

I launch xplode4 from cmdlines.txt, the syntax is as follows..

[COMMANDS]
”%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Install\XPlode\XPlode.exe /xml:#XPLODE#\XPlode.xml /log:#XPLODE#\XPlode.log”

My folder structure is as follows..

ROOT--

->$OEM$->$1 ---------------->Drivers

My $1 directory also contains -->Install ---->{All Apps folders plus XPlode Folder}

->$$

->$Docs

->$Progs

->cmdlines.txt

My xml resides in the XPlode folder.

My winnt.sif file is as follows..

;SetupMgrTag
[Data]
    AutoPartition=0
    MsDosInitiated="0"
    UnattendedInstall="Yes"
    AutomaticUpdates=1

[Unattended]
    UnattendMode=FullUnattended
    OemSkipEula=Yes
    OemPreinstall=YES
    TargetPath=\WINDOWS
    UnattendSwitch="yes"
    FileSystem=*
    OemPnPDriversPath="DRIVERS\VIASRAID;DRIVERS\FASTTRAK;DRIVERS\000_AGP;DRIVERS\001_IDE;DRIVERS\002_INF;DRIVERS\003_WINXP"
    DriverSigningPolicy=Ignore
        
[GuiUnattended]
    AdminPassword=*
    EncryptedAdminPassword=NO
    OEMSkipRegional=1
    TimeZone=250
    OemSkipWelcome=1

[UserData]
    ProductKey=xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
    FullName="fred"
    OrgName=""
    ComputerName="hal"

[Display]
    BitsPerPel=32
    Xresolution=1024
    YResolution=768

[TapiLocation]
    CountryCode=61
    AreaCode=08

[RegionalSettings]
    LanguageGroup=1
    SystemLocale=00000c09
    UserLocale=00000c09
    InputLocale=0c09:00000409

[Branding]
    BrandIEUsingUnattended=Yes

[URL]
    Home_Page=www.google.com.au

[Proxy]
    Proxy_Enable=0
    Use_Same_Proxy=1

[Identification]
    JoinWorkgroup=WORKGROUP

[Networking]
    InstallDefaultComponents=Yes

[Components]
    msmsgs=off
    msnexplr=off

And finally, this is my xml...

<XPlode4>
	<config>
  <!--
 	 Block containing all settings for the current display plugin.
      
 	 This will be dependent on which plugin used, so check 
    documentation for that specific plug.
  -->
  <display plugin='#XPLODE#\XPlodeGFXInstall.x4d'>
 	 <hidewindow>Windows Update</hidewindow>
 	 <hidewindow>CMD.EXE</hidewindow>
 	 <show total='18' after='10' subcount='true' />
 	 <font face='Tahoma' antialias='true' small='9' large='14' />
 	 <!-- note the position attribute - it is listed in 'x,y' positions. -->
 	 <!-- 0..8 still may be used. -->
 	 <window width='461' position='2' fixmain='0' />
 	 <windowmode>GUIinstall</windowmode>
 	 <colours>
    <header back='#003399' fore='#FFFFFFAA' image='' />
    <footer back='#003399' fore='#FFFFFFAA' image='' />
    <progress border='#FFFFFFAA' back='#00000000' fore='#FFFFFFAA' />
    <main back='#4A6FD6' fore='#FFFFFFAA' current='#FF8000' description='#FFFFFF' image='' overlay='#FFFFFF22'/>
 	 </colours>
 	 <strings>
 	 <title>Installation and Configuration</title>
 	 <complete>complete</complete>
 	 <!-- adduser plugin strings -->
 	 <adduser>Adding User #1#</adduser>
 	 <addusertogroup>Adding user #1# to group #2#</addusertogroup>
 	 <addgroup>Adding group #1#</addgroup>
 	 <!-- file/dir ops plugin strings -->
 	 <copy>Copying #1# (#2#/#3# - #4#)</copy>
 	 <move>Moving #1# (#2#/#3# - #4#)</move>
 	 <delete>Deleting #1# (#3#)</delete>
 	 </strings>
  </display>
	</config>
	<items>
  <item display='Installing Applications'>
 	 <execute display='Installing .NET Framework v1.1 ...'>
  <program>%systemdrive%\install\netframework\netfx.msi</program>
  <arguments>/QN</arguments>
  <wait>true</wait>
 	 </execute>
  <execute display='Installing Alcohol 120 ...'>
  <program>%systemdrive%\Install\Alcohol\setup.msi</program>
  <arguments>/qn /norestart</arguments>
  <wait>true</wait>
 	 </execute>
  <execute display='Installing Winrar 3.30 ...'>
  <program>%systemdrive%\install\Winrar\Winrar_330.exe</program>
  <arguments>/s</arguments>
  <wait>true</wait>
 	 </execute>
  <execute display='Installing Nero Burning ROM v6.6.0.6 ...'>
  <program>%systemdrive%\Install\Nero\Setup.exe</program>
  <arguments>/SN=xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx /WRITE_SN /SILENT /NO_UI /NOCANCEL /NOREBOOT</arguments>
  <wait>true</wait>
  </execute>
  </item>
	</items>
</XPlode4>

During install, I do see a cmd box pop up very quickly but nothing is installed and also there is no log file generated. I was going to return to my previous method of UA Install but this has got me losing sleep so I'm determined to solve it.

Thanks again to everyone, I do appreciate your help.

[<SparTacuS>]

Haaaaaaaa, now we gotcha!

I too had this same deal and fixed it like this;

1. create a simple command file like this to actually launch XPlode

xplode.cmd

cmdow @ /HID
@echo off

start /wait %systemdrive%\Install\XPlode\XPlode.exe

EXIT

and place it in $OEM$ with cmdlines.txt

2. call it from cmdlines.txt like this

cmdlines.txt

[COMMANDS]
"xplode.cmd"

I don't know how the whizzkidz do it - but this worked for me.

[hohner]

Excellent! Thanks heaps SparTacuS, it worked.

I'm sure this isn't what most people do to get it running, but if it works for me then that's enough.

I searched the forums for cmdlines.txt with the 'unattended CD/DVD guide' option checked but I only get 4 results. With the 'forums' optioned checked I get about 580 results, I've read quite a few and tried many different variations in my cmdlines.txt file but nothing worked.

I also tried the way the pdf document suggested which was included in the xplode download without success.

Unfortunately I was away from the pc when I ran it so I must run again to see if I'm happy with the display.

I would like to have mine looking like the one in this thread... http://www.msfn.org/board/lofiversion/index.php/t25615.html

Do I need to edit my winntbbu.dll file? I've already downloaded ResourceTuner but I haven't installed it yet.

One more thing, previously I had OfficeXP installed silently via runonceex.cmd, the syntax for this was

REG ADD %KEY%\003 /VE /D "Microsoft Office XP" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\003 /V 1 /D "%systemdrive%\install\OfficeXP\setup.exe TRANSFORMS=Unattended.MST /qn /norestart" /f

So for my xml would this be

<execute display="Installing Office XP ...">
   <program>#systemdrive#\Install\OfficeXP\setup.exe</program>
   <arguments>TRANSFORMS=Unattended.MST /qn /norestart</arguments>
   <wait>true</wait>
  </execute>

I just wasn't sure about the TRANSFORMS bit.

Thanks again.

[<SparTacuS>]

No probs,

Your Office install looks OK, but I have used a different method for some time (search for Astalavista's tutorial - you can get a 35Mb office with a switchless install!) - so I've never tried a "normal" Office install via XPlode.

Yea, I'm sure that the *.cmd file is not the best way - it ain't the most elegant - but it was the only way I could get it to work.

[hohner]

I have my xplode installing from cmdlines.txt now. I can't believe it was so simple.

[COMMANDS]
"./xplode/XPlode.exe"

For this code to work, you must have your xplode files in $oem$/xplode/

Oh, this also assuming the xml file that you use is called XPlode.xml

Hope this helps anyone else who had my problem.