Format

[UncleBuck]

Hi guy's help me out please....I'm going bald pulling my hair out.....

My hard drive is Partitioned into 2....C: and D: I want to automaically format c: the proceed the Unattended Install....

ie, When the dvd loads it asks "press any key to boot from the cd" then automatically formats c:...then proceeds installing windows xp..

I know its easy for you guy's but I'm pulling my hair out....cheer's guy's

[blinkdt]

I know its easy for you guy's but I'm pulling my hair out....

Yeah, I'm bald on top and I blame this very issue for the dramatic hair loss. My understanding is that AutoPartition= can be set to "0" or "1" in the [Data] section and Repartition= can be set to Yes or No in the [unattended] section of WINNT.SIF and that's it: you either repartition and format the entire drive automatically or you set up (and format) the partitions manually.

There must be some sort of utility that could be added to the install to perform this type of action, but I've never run across such a beast. Anybody?

[steve007]

As above what blinkdt said.

I got mine to auto format fine just by reading the reference section on the msfn unattended guide winnt.sif file editing.

However, the format takes all of 30 seconds rather than 30 minutes. I assume this is a "quick" ntfs format. Is there anyway to force a full long format or is this uneccesary?

[blinkdt]

@steve007:

The difference between the regular format versus the quick format is whether or not the volume is scanned for bad sectors using the chkdsk command. Both methods remove the files from the volume.

From The Elder Geek on Windows XP, a dynamite site I'm sure most have stumbled across.

[UncleBuck]

Cheer's for the replies guy's.....So could I just tell it to format C: in the win.sif file or would that format the D: partition too. I seem to remember a batch file that could do this in 32 bit, but never seen it in NTFS....is there not a way of doing it in NTFS Dos, before starting the unattended set up process.....sort of load NTFS Dos first then continue the install process, I can see why its not freely available, as if you accidentaly pressed at the wrong time youv'e lost your data, but there must be a way around it........Com on you super programmers who programed the installers for the software please help out if you can....

cheer's guy's

[UncleBuck]

Oh ...could you us WinPE to start the process, automatically format c: partition then somehow the unattended set up take over ?

Sorry guy's I'm grasping at straws here....

[blinkdt]

@UncleBuck This information comes from Step 4 of the Beginner's Guide:

If you want to automate this process with exact specifics on drive letters, partition sizes and file systems, you may want to consider using Bart's PE and diskpart.

vs. "manually choose a partition during text-mode setup with full control on choice of file system...."

And that's how I lost my hair: I like to partition drives as a percentage with a bottom line 10GB for the C: drive, so during the manual partition I calculate and proceed. Diskpart.exe allows for creating a primary partition sized in MB only, but in my case one size does not fit all. Check the "AutoRun" plugin available for Bart's PE builder, however, that may be what you are looking for.

[UncleBuck]

Many thanks for the replies guy's but I think were drifting away from the main question....

My current system is a 85 gig HD, its already partitioned C:\ 40 gig and D:\ 40 gig. What I want to create is a unattended set up of XP and software on C:\" easy enough " but what I want to do first is ....Insert DVD, boot system and be asked if I want to format C: drive "C: partition" when I press for yes, it will format C: drive "c: partition" then carry on with the unattended set up. Simple really LOL

I thought I could create a NTFS boot file on the unattended setup dvd then somehow after formating C: partition re-boot itself the carry on with the set up of xp and software.....oh what a headache.

I guess its not that simple,

cheer's all

[Dahi]

If you set AutoPartition=0 in winnt.sif you can do what you describe.

[UncleBuck]

There's more to it than that M8, if I done that it would just format ALL of C:..deleting both partitions c: & d:, I think I'm going to have to MsDosInitiated in the win.sif to load NTFS dos then format then automatically re-boot the start unattended set up, I'm playing about but without much luck at the mo.....

[pear]

I have a 100 gb drive which is partitioned into two 50 gb drives

C: 50 gb

D: 50 gb

I want to format and install Windows on drive C: without touching my drive D: how do i do this?

I am coming close using the autopartition=1 , but it installs Windows on drive d:

I did use the repartition cmd and it deleted C: & D: and then formatted C: for me, which i did not want

[Unattended]

If you set AutoPartition=0 in winnt.sif you can do what you describe.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i'm a total noob when at this. and i also want fromat the disk automaticly so where in the this command in the winnt.sif?

tnx

[Dahi]

There's more to it than that M8, if I done that it would just format ALL of C:..deleting both partitions c: & d:, I think I'm going to have to MsDosInitiated in the win.sif to load NTFS dos then format then automatically re-boot the start unattended set up, I'm playing about but without much luck at the mo.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Check the Unattended guide. Theres a bit about formating and partitioning options.

With AutoPartition=0 you will be able to manually select which partition you want to install on, and whether you want it formatted or not.

The partitioning and formatting options in WinXP Setup are limited, but it can do what you describe. If you find it too limiting, then sure, boot with BartPE or WinPE then use Diskpart to partition your NTFS disks.

By the way, I use MsDosInitiated=0 for both CD installs and BartPE installs with WINNT32. I havent found it necessary to change this.

[Unattended]

i don't want too start a new topic for this so please help me. i'd like my Unattended cd too format de drive and instal windows 2003 server without me doing anything. (Unattended instal works already)