One windows cd for multiple computers with different chipsets

[dfgh]

Hey.

I would like to create a windows xp installation with pretty much the same settings but with some differencese, like name , computer name and extras like chipset drivers.

would be cool if i could create something like a menu like this:

Install:

My computer

Girlfriends computer

Laptop

What would be the best way to do this? just a multiboot dvd with 3 different windows xp installs?

[Avneet]

use the drivers pack.. teher is a subforum about these pack.. check there...

[VCC]

You can also check out PowerPacker for making multi-boot disks. You're able to create the disk with as many different configs as will fit on a DVD. Some tweaking may be required for some of those choices to be in the menu. The link for PowerPacker is in my signature. I believe Siginet is or will be working on a GUI addon so that the boot menus can be edited within the UI. But don't quote me on that.

[Telenut]

Use the driverpacks for the driverproblem, and no need for powerpacker if you only want an other name for the computer. You can change that afterwards (ps: I can fit 6 versions on 1 CD; xp home unattended with driverpacks, without driverpacks and attended, same voor xp pro)

[mmarable]

Here is what I did. I have basically one single "core" XP unattended install. I juggle 5 machines, so I just set up the drivers manually. (I don't use driver packs).

So, I have a CD that installs XP on any of my machines.

Basically, at this point you're done.

I've also added a script that cmdlines.txt runs that uses "compname.exe" to rename the computers based on the Mac address (or the asset tag on my Dell laptop).

So, here's a CD that installs XP on any of the machines and automatically names the computer.

Now, if you want to install apps with this disk, you're going to have to move up to a DVD. I just create an "Apps" folder off the root of the disk. Here I put all my application installs.

Now, I break the apps down into what will be on all the machines, for example virus scanners, maybe Office, that sort of thing. These I will install from a single batch file called something obvious like "core.cmd". I'll kick this off using the runonceex key in the Registry.

Anything that is going to be specific to each machine I install using a batch file named after that machine. So, let's say PC1 is going to get Photoshop. I have a batch file called "PC1.cmd" that has the code to install Photoshop. I have Runonceex execute %computername%.cmd, so that when the first login happens, it runs "Core.cmd" to get all the basic stuff, then it will then run "%computername%.cmd". The name was already set, so in this example it will run "PC1.cmd" and install Photoshop.

You can easily do this entirely using Runonce Registry keys. Just have the compname batch file that is run from cmdlines import in the appropriate keys to install the unique apps.

That's just the way I do it.