Initiating windows setup from dos

[Timorad]

I am building a new unattended installation that (1) needs to format the disk, (2) read a custom winnt.sif, and install windows. With a program (I believe it is called ntfs4dos) I have read and write acces to the ntfs partitions. However, winnt.exe doesn't recognise the ntfs disk.

Is it possible to manually copy the windows setup files to the ntfs partition, reboot, and continue the setup manually? What winnt.exe does is basicly the same I think.

Edit: What I want is an installation that formats the drive, ask for user input (serial, username, etc) and generate a winnt.sif file with that data included. Then install windows using that winnt.sif.

The advantage? No need to pause the installation, as serial and username are already included.

Edited April 20, 2006 by Timorad

[Doc Symbiosis]

To create a adequate winnt.sif, you could use a batch with the set /P command to get username and the other things into a variable and then output them to the winnt.sif with e.g.

echo Please enter the Serial for the winnt.sif
set /P ID=
echo [Userdata] >> d:\winnt.sif
echo	 ProductID=%ID% >> d:\winnt.sif

Referring to your other questions, I don't have a clue.

[Timorad]

Thanks for the response I already have a batch file that does the trick. My primary concern is that windows doesn't recognise the ntfs drive.

@echo off
DEL winnt.sif

set /p serial="Serial: "

set /p username="Gebruikersnaam: "

set /p companyname="Bedrijfsnaam: "

set /p computername="Computernaam: "

echo [Data] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	AutoPartition=1 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	MsDosInitiated="0" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	UnattendedInstall="Yes" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	AutomaticUpdates=1 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [Unattended] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	UnattendMode=FullUnattended >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	OemSkipEula=Yes >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	OemPreinstall=Yes >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	TargetPath=\WINDOWS >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	UnattendSwitch="Yes" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	WaitForReboot="No" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	DriverSigningPolicy=Ignore >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	NonDriverSigningPolicy=Ignore  >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [DiskConfig] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Disk1 = "Disk1.config" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Disk2 = "Disk2.config" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Disk3 = "Disk3.config" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [Disk1.config] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Size1=* >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	PartitionType1=primary >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	FileSystem1=ntfs >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Quickformat1=yes >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [Disk2.config] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Size2=* >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	PartitionType2=logical >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	FileSystem2=ntfs >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Quickformat2=yes >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [Disk3.config] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Size3=* >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	PartitionType3=logical >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	FileSystem3=ntfs >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Quickformat3=yes >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [GuiUnattended] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	AdminPassword=* >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	EncryptedAdminPassword=NO >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	OEMSkipRegional=1 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	TimeZone=110 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	OemSkipWelcome=1 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	DetachedProgram="%SystemRoot%\system32\DRVZ.EXE" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [UserData] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	ProductID=%serial% >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	FullName="%username%" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	OrgName="%companyname%" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	ComputerName="%computername%" >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [Display] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	BitsPerPel=32 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Xresolution=1024 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	YResolution=768 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	Vrefresh=60 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo. >> q:\winnt.sif
echo [RegionalSettings] >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	LanguageGroup=1 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	SystemLocale=00000413 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	UserLocale=00000413 >> q:\winnt.sif
echo	InputLocale=0413:00020409 >> q:\winnt.sif