Windows XP Full unnatended install is not unnatended!

[ravenz]

When I load the prepared ISO into a VMware machine and start it:

The first thing it displays is "inspecting properties and harware".

Then the blue background "select partition" displays! shouldn't it be automated? I say "use full space".

Then it starts copying files and prompts what to do with missing ones for each missing file (I removed some applications from the distribution, using nLite of course)

I had to press ESC for each file and further it installs ok.

Edited July 16, 2006 by ravenz

[#rootworm]

i don't think nlite has full support for automating the partitioning process. you can make it unattended yourself if you do a bit of research.

99% of the time missing files during setup is a corrupt driver.cab, open it in WinRAR and click 'Test'.

the other 1% of the time it's a txtsetup.sif with erroneous entries (since you used nlite this shouldn't be the case)

Edited July 16, 2006 by #rootworm

[Camarade_Tux]

It has already been asked and as far as I remember nuhi said he wouldn't implement it. With nlite, you can remove the "Press any key to boot on the CD..."; imagine : you use your CD under windows, reboot and forget to remove the CD, your computer has been formatted!

As for the missing files, could you give on or two names ?

It's indeed possible driver.cab is corrupted, it's also possible some other files are corrupted. Same method applies. (and applies to the original CD too)

Have you tried making another iso ?

Sometimes, especially if the computer is under heavy load because of another process nlite process may encounter some problems.

[ravenz]

Good point about danger of accidentaly auto-formating your disk, Camarade_Tux.

Missing files are files like 'defrag.exe', I specified to delete these under nLite. No part of the process was manual so I guess it is a problem in nLite. Redoing everything helped!

[nuhi]

ravenz, if you specifically added defrag.exe in custom remove box that will fail because it won't remove all connections to a file, better to remove defrag with option in nlite - remove components.

[LeveL]

Nuhi please don't ever put in an option to auto partition!

Or if you do, hide it away so I can't accidentally tick it

@ ravenz - It is only a case of changing a 0 to a 1 in I386\WINNT.SIF

[Data]
AutoPartition=1

Just don't blame me if you accidentally boot from the ISO one day

Edited July 16, 2006 by LeveL

[nuhi]

LeveL, oo don't worry, it took me 5 days to ruin all partitions with that option, thank god for undelete...which on the other hand got me paranoid.