Unattended Installation of Windows Server 2003 Std

[Aaron]

I need a bit of help with the use of my unattended.txt (which I've renamed to winnt.sif and added to the /i386 directory in my ISO)

Here's what I've used:

;SetupMgrTag
[Data]
    MsDosInitiated="0"
    UnattendedInstall="Yes"

[Unattended]
    UnattendMode=ProvideDefault
    OemPreinstall=No
    TargetPath=\WINDOWS

[GuiUnattended]
    AdminPassword="gh54ux92"
    EncryptedAdminPassword=NO
    AutoLogon=Yes
    AutoLogonCount=1
    OEMSkipRegional=1
    TimeZone=85

[UserData]
    ProductKey=not shown
    FullName="Aaron"
    OrgName="Home"
    ComputerName=LITHIUM

[Display]
    BitsPerPel=32
    Xresolution=1024
    YResolution=768
    Vrefresh=85

[LicenseFilePrintData]
    AutoMode=PerServer
    AutoUsers=75

[TapiLocation]
    CountryCode=44
    Dialing=Tone
    AreaCode=01325

[RegionalSettings]
    LanguageGroup=1
    Language=00000809

[Branding]
    BrandIEUsingUnattended=Yes

[URL]
    Home_Page=http://www.google.com

[Proxy]
    Proxy_Enable=0
    Use_Same_Proxy=1

[Identification]
    JoinWorkgroup=PHOENIX

[Networking]
    InstallDefaultComponents=Yes

[Components]
    AccessOpt = Off
    Iis_common = On
    Iis_inetmgr = On
    Iis_nntp = On
    Iis_webadmin = On
    Iis_www = On

[Shell]
    DefaultStartPanelOff = Yes

This unattended file as created by Setup Manager is set as "User Controlled - You provide default options in the answer file and the end user can change any of them"

The current problems I'm having is:

1. The time zone as default was set in a US timezone during setup, even when I've set it as "85" which should have made GMT as default.

2. None of the [Components] took effect - IIS wasn't installed, and the Accessibility Options wasn't removed.

3. I've also removed Autopartition="1" from the unattended file, I assume this will allow me to choose the hard drive/partition and the formatting method? if so, that's good.

4. The display didn't set as 1024x768, could this be a limitation from when I tested it in VirtualPC?

[gamehead200]

Ahahaha....You left your admin password! Someone grab it before he takes it off...

[Aaron]

Ahahaha....You left your admin password! Someone grab it before he takes it off...

lol, I already removed my real admin password from the file beforehand, and replaced it with random letters/numbers

[gamehead200]

[Doggie]

hmm.. i get back to u aaron.. i may have a solution

[Doggie]

[Components]
iis_common = ON
iis_www = ON
iis_www_vdir_scripts = ON
iis_inetmgr = ON
fp_extensions = ON
iis_ftp = ON

i think u may need High Case on things like YES/NO/ON/OFF etc

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...kb;en-us;309506

HOWTO: Perform an Unattended Installation of IIS 6.0 and its compat with 2003

hope this can help a bit

[Aaron]

good find doggie, will give this a go probably tomorrow.

Had a tiring day today trying to get it working with lots of different values and modifications and then just gave up. It didn't work for Windows XP either (for example, removing msn explorer)

[jquintino]

i try with vmware and no prob. install perfectly and works perfecly

but try to install in another hdd

and you use the deploy tools from 2003?

its not the same from xp /2000/2003.

[Aaron]

i try with vmware and no prob. install perfectly and works perfecly

but try to install in another hdd

and you use the deploy tools from 2003?

its not the same from xp /2000/2003.

I used the deploy.cab from 2003 to create the unattend for Windows Server 2003.

And then downloaded the XPSP1 Corporate Deploy Tools from the Microsoft site and used it for XP Professional. (the slipstream process didn't include the updated deploy.cab to my cd)

Either way, the unattend.txt turns out the same way, so probably not the problem there...

So when you say it works perfectly, did the IIS components install?

[Aaron]

nailed it!

Sorted out my problem with timezone, components, and screen res, all because of one line:

UnattendMode=ProvideDefault

So, I changed it to:

UnattendMode=FullUnattended

The difference is you won't get setup boxes prompting you the questions with default answers provided. I suppose I can live with that.

by the way, also got MSN 5, Net Framework 1.1, WMP9, all my favourite reghacks, patched uxtheme, and powertoys silently installed automatically. Find out how at http://unattended.netfirms.com

[Doggie]

The website you have requested does not exists.

[Aaron]

fixed.

[Doggie]

cool.. nice guides.. will install 2003 now