Problem with installing Programs

[Drew_Karee]

Hi all.

I know something simple is hanging me up here, but I've been at this for too long to be able to see it. I need your help.

I've slipstreamed XP, and shrunk Office and threw it into my XP install. I'm using VMWare to test my ISO's, and I continue to get an error message when it attempts to install Office.

I've fiddled with the RunOnceEx.cmd file since it seemed to be looking in the wrong area, and I can't figure out what or where it's supposed to be looking. The error I'm currently getting is "Windows cannot find D:\install\Applications\OfficeXP\setup.exe" It USED to tell me "Windows cannot find D:\Apps\setup.exe" before I changed it to look where I thought it needed to be looking. I also changed a few other things, but without showing you my .cmd file, it'll just make things confusing (at least for me!).

XP installed just fine, and Office by itself installed just fine. Combining the two has caused me problems, and here's what I have thus far in my .cmd file:

cmdow @ /HID
@Echo Off

FOR %%i IN (D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) DO IF EXIST %%i:\win51ip.SP2 SET CDROM=%%i:

SET PP=%cdrom%

SET KEY=HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx

REG ADD %KEY% /V TITLE /D "Installing Programs" /f

REG ADD %KEY%\000 /VE /D "Microsoft Office 2003 Professional" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\000 /V 1 /D "%PP%\install\Applications\OfficeXP\setup.exe TRANSFORMS=Unattended.MST /qb-" /f

EXIT

What am I continuing to screw up or what isn't set up properly to look for the Office install routine? Thanks in advance.

[cluberti]

Two things - try giving a FULL path to the TRANSFORMS= file, and second, use qn rather than qb-.

[Drew_Karee]

Well, I think I misunremembered all the things I had been doing, and while searching around here, I realized I did NOT do a full format and install to shrink Office prior to throwing it in with the rest of my XP install.

I still gave both of those suggestions a shot, first just adding a path to TRANSFORMS, then changing the switch, then doing BOTH at the same time. No dice on all of those.

I'm gonna rebuild my Office Install (natch, I didn't save it ) and try it just as is without shrinking. I'm not averse to a DVD install disc, I just wanted to test it out quick, instead of being patient and making sure stuff worked first before performing magic on my files and effing them up.

[Drew_Karee]

Well, I figured out my problem. It wasn't that I needed a full path to the TRANSFORM command, I needed the full FULL path to my setup.exe.

Changing my .cmd file to look like this started the install no problem whatsoever for me

cmdow @ /HID
@Echo Off

FOR %%i IN (D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) DO IF EXIST %%i:\win51ip.SP2 SET CDROM=%%i:

SET PP=%cdrom%

SET KEY=HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx

REG ADD %KEY% /V TITLE /D "Installing Programs" /f

REG ADD %KEY%\000 /VE /D "Microsoft Office 2003 Professional" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\000 /V 1 /D "%PP%\$OEM$\$1\install\Applications\OfficeXP\SETUP.EXE TRANSFORMS="Unattended.MST" /qb-" /f

EXIT

THIS is the part that I was missing that was screwing me up!

%PP%\$OEM$\$1\install\Applications\OfficeXP\SETUP.EXE

I also threw quotes around the "Unattended.MST" in a previous attempt after reading somewhere that was the proper syntax when NOT doing a 7zip'd install routine, and I can see I never changed it. I'd like to say it also helped, but I'm not certain of that.

Now on to adding other stuff.

[MHz]

THIS is the part that I was missing that was screwing me up!

%PP%\$OEM$\$1\install\Applications\OfficeXP\SETUP.EXE

I also threw quotes around the "Unattended.MST" in a previous attempt after reading somewhere that was the proper syntax when NOT doing a 7zip'd install routine, and I can see I never changed it. I'd like to say it also helped, but I'm not certain of that.

Now on to adding other stuff.

Currently, you copy office to the HDD by using $OEM$\$1\Install during textmode setup, but install it from CD with RunOnceEx. Not a good plan.

More...

You are using $OEM$ to copy your installers to the %systemdrive%\Install folder, but your %PP% variable is the path of the CDRom. If you are going to use $OEM$ to copy over your installers at textmode, then you will need to set %PP% to %systemdrive%. Else you can remove your installers from the special $1 folder and make your own folder for example $OEM$\Software where you installers will remain and install from the CD itself by using %PP% set to the CDRom path.

I install mine from the CDRom and some others do too.

Good luck with it.

[Drew_Karee]

Thanks for the heads-up MHz. I'd like to install EVERYTHING from the CD (well, a DVD).

Currently, you copy office to the HDD by using $OEM$\$1\Install during textmode setup, but install it from CD with RunOnceEx. Not a good plan.

If I understand you correctly, what you're saying is that I'm copying office to the hard drive ALREADY, but my syntax isn't utilizing the stuff that has been copied to the hard drive?

IF I'm understanding you correctly, after the failed intall attempt on my virtual machine in the above posts, I searched throughout the drive it did create, and no traces of anything, so I figured I was still installing from the CD

More...

You are using $OEM$ to copy your installers to the %systemdrive%\Install folder, but your %PP% variable is the path of the CDRom. If you are going to use $OEM$ to copy over your installers at textmode, then you will need to set %PP% to %systemdrive%. Else you can remove your installers from the special $1 folder and make your own folder for example $OEM$\Software where you installers will remain and install from the CD itself by using %PP% set to the CDRom path.

So again, if I understand you correctly, you're saying if I want to install from the CD, don't even bother with that $1 folder (for APPLICATIONS), and just create individual program folders at that same level (inside the $OEM$ folder). If I choose to install in that way, I should leave %PP% being set as the CDRom so that no files are copied over, and all are installed from the CD? Also, if doing this, am I still going to need to have $OEM$ in my path for it to install?

All the additional folders and levels I created as I followed the exact Office Installation part of the Unattended guide, so I guess I'm also a little confused as to why there would be all the added folders.

[Drew_Karee]

OK, part of my question has been answered from the guide (duh!). From the Reference area "Overview of the $OEM$ folders":

The purpose of these $OEM$ Folders is that anything you place into there will be automatically copied to the destination hard drive of where you're installing Windows. Once copied over, you can easily create batch commands to install and perform tasks using the %systemdrive% variable. For example: If Windows was installed to the D:\ drive, the environment variable "%systemdrive%" will resolve into D:\

If the files are copied over, either I just missed them, or they were cleaned up because my batch command was improperly written.

Did I somehow accidentally skip a bunch of steps and do something more advanced than I knew about?

[MHz]

If I understand you correctly, what you're saying is that I'm copying office to the hard drive ALREADY, but my syntax isn't utilizing the stuff that has been copied to the hard drive?

That is how I read it with your folder selection.

IF I'm understanding you correctly, after the failed install attempt on my virtual machine in the above posts, I searched throughout the drive it did create, and no traces of anything, so I figured I was still installing from the CD

You were installing from CD,

You may not have had OemPreInstall = 1 set in Winnt.sif, to make the special $ prefixed folders copied over at textmode setup, since you did not find the Install folder on the %SystemDrive% when Windows Setup finished. $OEM$\$1 is special folder for textmode setup to copy to %SystemDrive% Root.

So again, if I understand you correctly, you're saying if I want to install from the CD, don't even bother with that $1 folder (for APPLICATIONS), and just create individual program folders at that same level (inside the $OEM$ folder). If I choose to install in that way, I should leave %PP% being set as the CDRom so that no files are copied over, and all are installed from the CD? Also, if doing this, am I still going to need to have $OEM$ in my path for it to install?

Personal preference as to where you want to have your Install folder. I mention within the $OEM$ folder level for ease, as your RunOnceEx.cmd executes at that level, so if you use %~dp0 in your RunOnceEx.cmd, then %~dp0 expands (with trailing backslash) to the path of the RunOnceEx.cmd. If you have your Install folder at 1 folder level down, then it is easy to co-ordinate your commands. Let assume that your CDRom letter is H: and your various Applications are in a folder named Install.

%PP% would expand to

H:\$OEM$\Install\

for the below RunOnceEx.cmd

cmdow @ /HID
@Echo Off

SET PP=%~dp0Install\

SET KEY=HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx

REG ADD %KEY% /V TITLE /D "Installing Programs" /f

REG ADD %KEY%\000 /VE /D "Microsoft Office 2003 Professional" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\000 /V 1 /D "%PP%OfficeXP\setup.exe TRANSFORMS=Unattended.MST /qb-" /f

EXIT

Shown above without the Application folder that you had, as I fail to see the use of it, unless you are planning some catagory folder layout for your Installers. Try to keep it simple and you should only get simple problems, if any.

Did I somehow accidentally skip a bunch of steps and do something more advanced than I knew about?

2 different methods are mentioned in that guide page that needs to be defined on which you want. CDRom install or HDD Install.

Relevent Concepts:

- Upon using CD Installs, then avoid using the $OEM$\$1 folder as that is for copying to the %SystemDrive%. Instead, you can use any custom folder outside of the special folders within $OEM$ and the I386 folder. But make a reasonable path to the folder for easy use of your RunOnceEx.cmd.

- Set OemPreInstall = 1 in Winnt.sif to enable the contents of the special folders of $OEM$ to be copied to the HDD if desired.

- $OEM$ folder is needed to execute commands at T-12 with Cmdlines.txt.

[Drew_Karee]

Thanks a bunch MHz! I sorted through what you said, made those changes from your reply, and everything worked out perfectly! On to adding harder stuff

Edited February 9, 2006 by Drew_Karee