Can anyone help with what I want to achive with WPI Lite

[kev_147]

I currently have an automated build cd which does the following:

At T13 Stage:

Runs HKCU Registry Tweaks (To affect Default User Profile)

Installs Recovery Console and sets timeout to 3 seconds

Installs Windows Media Player 10

Runs cleanup.cmd (deletes *.bmp, *.jpg etc)

RunOnceEx (1st Boot)

Copies the relevant drivers from the CD to %SYSTEMDRIVE%\Drivers

RunOnceEx (2nd Boot)

Removes any unknown devices using devcon

Rescans for new devices using devcon

RunOnceEx (3nd Boot)

Installs Windows POST SP2 Hotfixes

RUNS HKLM Registry Tweaks

RunOnceEx (4th Boot)

Install Corporate Applications (Apps that can be installed on any PC on the network)

Prompts Engineer to configure network settings, using a basic .cmd script. (ie asks whether DHCP or Static and computername, if static sets registry keys according to what engineer types in).

RunOnceEx (5th Boot)

Prompts engineer if PC is to be joined to a domain or not and configures accordingly.

Makes the %systemdrive% dirty so that disk is checked on next restart.

RunOnceEx (6th Boot)

Prompts engineer to install the Anti Virus software depending the location of the PC

What I want to do is have the WPI.HTA (WPI Lite) loaded at the end of the above runonce process, but I would like the WPI.HTA to take the place of some of the above. Namely configuring network settings (comp name & dhcp/static). To also have an drop down list for all the available domains on the corporate network. To have a text field for username and password (masked if possible). Then a choice of departmental apps and anti virus software.

So once the engineer enters all the information and presses "begin install", the full process of the WPI.HTM would ideally be something like this:

1. Sets computername based on answer to computername textbox.

2. Sets DHCP or Static. If Static aks for IP, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, Primary & Secondary WINS, Primary & Secondary DNS, DNS Suffix and DNS Search Order.

3. Adds all other settings to the registry by using REG ADD

4. Reboots PC

5. Processes RunUnceEX which will run the following tasks in order:

Runs Netdom JOIN If engineer said that PC is to be joined to a domain, else don't run

Reboots PC

Continues RunOnceEx process to install all the other applications that the engineer selected.

Is this possible (I think it is), but if so, can anyone give me some ideas where to start? I know my build cd at the moment isn't the tidiest, but I have been limited to the fact that my company doesn't want any 3rd party apps, only microsoft or our custom code.

[kev_147]

Is anyone aware of any network configuration wizard that can be either integrated into WPI or launched?

[HeliumHigh]

Whoah, that is a wierd install proccess. I would suggest simplifying it a bit.

If for example, you want to have three different options, just make the same entry for the same program, just three times with a different switch or two, and make sure that they grey out the other choices. That would be the easiest I think.

[kev_147]

I agree it needs simplyfying thats why I want to change it. Are you saying that th existing procedu or what I want to achive is weird or both? :-)

I have done as you have suggsted with rgards to having 3 entries for the same program, an once one is selected the other 2 is greyed out.

My Process is now:

RunOnceEx (1st Boot)

Copies the relevant drivers from the CD to %SYSTEMDRIVE%\Drivers

Rescans for new devices using devcon

RunOnceEx (2nd Boot)

Installs Windows POST SP2 Hotfixes

RUNS HKLM Registry Tweaks

RunOnceEx (3rd Boot)

Prompts Engineer to configure network settings, using a basic .cmd script. (ie asks whether DHCP or Static and computername, if static sets registry keys according to what engineer types in).

RunOnceEx (4th Boot)

Prompts engineer if PC is to be joined to a domain or not and configures accordingly.

Makes the %systemdrive% dirty so that disk is checked on next restart.

RunOnceEx (5th Boot)

Runs WPI which then:

Install Corporate Applications (Apps that can be installed on any PC on the network)

Prompts engineer to install the Anti Virus software depending the location of the PC (when 1 is selected, the other 2 are automatically greyed out)

Now what I want to do is get rid of the 3rd and 4th boot before WPI and get this working from the WPI screen so that the engineer puts all the information in at the end of the build and then 10 minutes later comes back and everything is done. Whereas at the moment the engineer has to enter computername and network settings, WAIT FOR RESTART :-(, enter domain information, WAIT FOR RESTART :-( and thn select the apps to install before pc has finished build.

Hope it makes sense what I am trying to achieve.

Is there noone that has integrated network configuration into WPI?

[HeliumHigh]

I was saying your method of installation was weird, but effective. I didn't mean weird persay, more of an "Hmm.. thats interesting" sort of thing

As for the network config, I'm quite sure you could use a script. Batch scripting would be a little bit hard, but quite possible. You could use Autoit, or something else. I'm not quite sure how, but it should be quite possible. You could even have it run from the wpi.cmd, and configure settings there. I'm almost positive you can _set_ net settings from a batch file, but as for custom ones.. I think its possible with choice.exe, but that would be hard, and would have to be included with each install. Let me get back to you after I do some digging.

[kev_147]

thanks the the reply m8. I already have a method via a batch file, but to be honest it looks crap an i am not 100% sure on its reliability. for some reason it doesn't always apply the ip settings, which is weird cos all i am doing is using the dos command netsh.

I think it would be sweet for wpi to ask all these questions and then just sit back and watch it do its thing.

[kev_147]

I have found the following webpage that may be useful in configuring network settings, what do people reckon?

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcen...atnc_ipadd.mspx

I am thinking that these scripts could run in the background and modify them so instead of typing the ip, subnet, gateway, wins or dns settings in the script, they actually get parsed the variable from what the engineer types within WPI.

Is this possible?

[kev_147]

another option maybe to use the PE Network Configurator from BartsPE.

Although if this method is used it is probably better to run this before WPI.

Any comments guys?

I tried attaching the file, but got an error saying that it xeeded my per post or global limit.