MCE Network Install

[Bezalel]

I am interested in making my unattended CD into a network install. My question is where should I put the CMPNENTS folder, in the I386 directory or beside the I386 directory?

[JuMz]

I am also looking for this solution (using a winnt32 network install using WinPE). I have not found a successful way for this as of yet. It works fine using guides on these forums using a the usual boot from CD install method, but nothing for winnt32 based installs...i have tried everything...still can't get it to work. From what I read, there is something extra needed for winnt32 based installs via WinPE as all the OEM's have a special OPK just for MCE ( I only have the OPK for XP/Server2003). So there are definatley some additional things I need to know / use if they came out with a seperate OPK just for MCE (I would have thought they would use the XP OPK since MCE is basically XP SP2, but they didn't do it like that).

My install goes through, no prompts ETC, but no media center components are installed at the end (and strangely, no IE either...). I hope you find a solution and post back if you do.

I am interested in making my unattended CD into a network install. My question is where should I put the CMPNENTS folder, in the I386 directory or beside the I386 directory?

It is supposed to be beside it. I have tried both and (with both methods) edited the appropriate files in each case and i still have no luck.

Edited April 24, 2006 by JuMz

[Bezalel]

After searching through the System Builder site with no sucsess I decided to look into Tablet PC which has a simular folder structure. Apparently you need to place the CMPNENTS folder beside the I386 folder and run winnt32 with the /makelocalsource:all switch. http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechn...y/tpcdploy.mspx If you try this before me let me know if it works.

[JuMz]

:all eh? never heard of that. I will be giving this a shot ASAP and will post back...but its wierd because, in the root of my C: drive of the test machine, the CMPNENTS folder is there, right beside the I386 Folder (due to the OPK license agreement, these folders must copy over, though I do have control over where they can go, if i choose) so it does copy over, but the install doesn't use it (or perhaps it gets copied over after)? I have even tried putting the CMPNENTS in the $OEM$/$ directory with no luck, i'll give this a shot though....

**EDIT: I just realized something that didn't occur to me when I first wrote this reply. I have no control over switches. The WinPE Winbom.ini takes care of all that for me. I never physically execute the winnt32.exe. WinPE does that for me, my Winbom.ini tells WinPE where the share is with the appropriate user and password...All i see is a box that says "Installing Configuration Set"...so i guess your suggestion may work when I acutally map the drive and execute winnt32 from there...But that would defeat the point of my OPK kit. The whole beauty of this OPK is that everything depends on 1 file, the Winbom.ini. Right now, i have 3 seperate installs (XP PRO, XP HOME, and SERVER2K3 R2) and the appropriate installation directorys are located on my server. All i do, is change 3 words for in the Winbom.ini for each of the boot CD's I create and pow, the install goes through...

Edited April 24, 2006 by JuMz

[Bezalel]

:all eh? never heard of that.

Actually I never heard of that switch either. It doesn't appear in the winnt32 documentation. It appears only in the Tablet PC deployment information.

I think /makelocalsource just copies all the installation files for textmode and /makelocalsource:all tells the GUI portion of the setup that all of the CDs were copied to the localsource.

[JuMz]

Hey guys! Just posting back with an update:

It worked! Media Centre installed fine using the /makelocalsource:all switch!

Just to verify something i found odd, in start menu, programs, accessories, media center, mediacenter programs....is it supposed to be empty?

Edited April 24, 2006 by JuMz

[twig123]

Is this possible just using a PXE boot TFTP share as well? because I don't use winnt32 as listed above, just a standard install as if it were installing from a CD...