Having problem with Installing Softwares

[ashrafzia]

I have been trying to install applications to my unattended xp setup but having constant failures i need your help to point out where i am missing.

Plz be patient bcoz I am writing all the method of my creating an unattended xp cd.

1: I copied the the windows xp sp1 to c:\xpcd

2: I applied SP2 to it through this command : C:\XPSP2.EXE -s:C:\XPCD

3: I integrated the hotfixes through /INTEGRATE SWITCH:

"C:\xpupdates\KB911562.exe"/INTEGRATE:C:\myxp

4: I created a basic unattended setup through setupmgr tool.

5: I burned it to an iso image through CDIMAGEGUI.EXE Software and tested in VMWARE and works fine uptil here.

As i want other softwares to be installed so i made modifications to OEMPreInstallation=Yes and UnattendedSwitch="Yes".

PROBLEM:

Now when windowsxp is installed and on first boot its gives error :

Cannot find c:\Software\start.cmd

and none of the applications are installed.

Basically there are two methods mentioned in the PDF Document %systemdrive% variable (for applications to be installed from harddisk) and %cdrom% variable (for applications to be installed from CDROM).

I have tried both of them and havig the same error, mentiond above.

When i check this file manually using the %CDROM% by going to CDROM->Software->start.cmd it works fine there. But when i check this file manually using the %systemdrive% it gives the error:

Cannot find c:\Software\start.cmd

Plz Note that i have followed both the methods by using the %CDROM% variable as well as %systemdrive% variable and made changes to the files accordingly.

In case of %CDROM% used the :

FOR %%i IN (D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) DO IF EXIST %%i:\CD.txt SET CDROM=%%i:

in all cmd files and moved my applications from $OEM$\$1\install to Software folder outside the i386 folder and created an empty file CD.txt as illustrated in the pdf document.

In case of %systemdrive% removed the :

FOR %%i IN (D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) DO IF EXIST %%i:\CD.txt SET CDROM=%%i:

from all cmd files and moved my applications from Software to i386\$OEM$\$1\install folder and removed empty file CD.txt . Also moved start.cmd to i386\$OEM$\$1\install folder and RunOnceEx.cmd to i386\$OEM$\ folder.

I have tried this application installation atleast 10-20 times but still with no result.

If anyone can help me out of this problem or tell me another simple way of doing it or give me any tutorial link, i would be very thankful.

Few Questions to clear my concept:

Q: Can i integrate softwares like Media Player 10 using the /INTEGRATE Switch as we did with hotfixes ?

Q: How to create .cat files? Are they created itself when integrated ?

Q: Improper use of switches can cause failure of installation of softwares ?

Thanks in Advance and Hope to hear!

Edited August 29, 2006 by ashrafzia

[mazin]

%CDROM%\Software\start.cmd

You got to blame yourself. %CDROM% is NOT a predefined system variable.

Don't use it in WINNT.SIF!

[Walchinc]

Remove your Product Code as other users will use it for their systems

[mazin]

And, in your SVCPACK.INF, you MUST change Signature=" NT$" to Signature="$Windows NT$"

Also, using Win-XP-Sp2, you don't need to run QCHAIN.exe!

[ashrafzia]

Thanx for the suggestion and replys .

I followed your tips and tried once again and failed more than once again

I have changed only the %CDROM% variable in the winnt.sif file to %systemdrive% but no result, and left the %CDROM% variable in all other cmd files.

I am still having the same error. Its attached.

Help me out of this problem else i am getting mad

[ashrafzia]

I 'm out of my madness

Windows xp install without any error. Softwares still didn't install but in C:\ and folder named install is created and inside it is start.cmd file when i click it, the programes listed in it are free download manager, royale theme, wmplayer 10. 1st one gets installed without any error, 2nd one also install well but shows the confirmation screen to set the theme. Now i am having problem with the third one thats wmplayer 10 and the error says use proper swith and type /? for help. I have also attached the error.

Can i creat SFX archieve of EXE files like wmplayer 10 and make it silent to get safe from using switches and then can i integrate it using the /INTEGRATE Switch ?

[mazin]

What are those /qn /s /v spread everywhere in your CMD?

Each app has its own silent switch.

For WMP9, WMP10, or WMP11, I extract the original EXE

then create a SFX with these arguments:

Setup=setup_wm.exe /Q /R:N /NoPID /DisallowSystemRestore

TempMode

Silent=1

Overwrite=1

I, then, run the SFX from anywhere starting from T-13 and down.