CD/DVD OS install

[HwagPo]

Hi,

Can anyone help me step through installing Windows XP (using either WinPE or BartPE) from a single CD/DVD?

What I mean is, the WinPE and WindowsXP sources file used for the unattended install are on the same CD instead of having PE to map a network share. This will be useful for our remote users who need to do an unattended reinstall of their OS without connecting to the network during the install process.

What we currently have are CDs that boot from DOS and asks the user for some info (for our use with customizing the OS) and then run the WinXP setup (on the same CD) from there. I'm new to PE and was wondering if this is possible with PE and can someone give some instructions on how to do this? I don't know where to start, I'm pretty sure you got the answers for me...

Thanks.

[mbouchard]

Yes it is possible, it has been a while since I looked at this zip, but here is some files that can help you. I have included both a CD and a network method and the folder structure required.

Basically, what I do is this,

-Boot to PE

-Gather info from user

-Diskpart/format disk 0, this will delete all partitions on disk 0.

-write some files to the HD, mostly vbs.

-Copy i386 folder to PC

-launch setup from local source.

PE.zip

[mats]

Sure It can.

i would boot PE copy the unattended file to a ramdrive and then display a nice HTA page for the user to fill in computername and so on. The hta form should update the unattended file.

after that, its just a unattended installation with the cd as a source.

for example if you store the XP i386 folder in xpi386 on your dvd and the ramdrive is Z:

x:\xpi386\winnt32 /unattend:z:\unattend.txt /syspart:c: should do it if you got your unattended right.

[HwagPo]

Thanks for the advise. And for the zip file, I'll check it out and see if I could apply it on our install. I guess this is the info I needed to get me started with PE.

[HwagPo]

BTW, how can you add the WinXp setup files onto a CD with WinPE? Will copying the contents of the WinPE cd onto another CD with the WinXP setup files make it bootable still?

[mats]

No

You will have to build the filesystem on a harddrive and then create a bootable .iso file with the utility oscdimg wich is included in pe. The exact procedure is documented in winpe.chm located in the docs directory of the cd.

[mbouchard]

BTW, how can you add the WinXp setup files onto a CD with WinPE? Will copying the contents of the WinPE cd onto another CD with the WinXP setup files make it bootable still?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, All you need to do is copy the XP i386 folder into the folders you used to create your PE CD and recreate your ISO.

[JuMz]

I download the PE.zip file and have absolutely no clue how to use it...All I need is to be able to edit the winnt.sif with the user input (such as name, organization, workgroup etc) and launch my winnt32. Can anyone help me.?