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Unattended Vista with Multiple Partitions

McoreD
in Unattended Windows Vista/Server 2008

Featured Replies

Intro:

Extending Autounattend.xml using the knowledge gather from http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=52530

Goal:

Have ProfilesDirectory, ProgramFiles in two seperate partitions other than the partition Windows is installed to.

For example:

C:\Windows

D:\Users

E:\Program Files\

This is one of my main need for an unattended installation.

Testing:

I have attached my current Autounattend.xml.txt

To my disappointment, my last test with VMware didn't quite make use of 

<FolderLocations>
	<ProfilesDirectory>D:\Users</ProfilesDirectory>
		<ProgramData>E:\ProgramData</ProgramData>
		<ProgramFiles>E:\Applications</ProgramFiles>
	  </FolderLocations>

in the XML file.

I am continuing to test this out to get it working.

For those who are new and interested in Customizing System Folders, there is a Wiki setup for Windows XP/Server 2003.

http://wmwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Unattended_MCE

Bye for now,

McoreD

Autounattend.xml.txt


  • Author

Test 0: (above) VMware with the Autounattend.xml. Couldn't make any judgement because of blank screen.

Test 1: Virtual PC with the above Autounattend.xml

vpctest1unattendedvistaoobeerrorvi6.jpg

There is something wrong in the section

<settings pass="oobeSystem">

Wonder what it could be. :(

  • Author

Hi All,

Test 3:

This is done in a real PC! Burnt Vista ISO in a DVD with the following Autounattend.xml 

<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
	<settings pass="windowsPE">
		<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
			<DiskConfiguration>
				<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
			</DiskConfiguration>
			<Display>
				<ColorDepth>32</ColorDepth>
				<HorizontalResolution>1024</HorizontalResolution>
				<RefreshRate>60</RefreshRate>
				<VerticalResolution>768</VerticalResolution>
			</Display>
			<DynamicUpdate>
				<Enable>true</Enable>
			</DynamicUpdate>
			<ImageInstall>
				<OSImage>					
					<InstallFrom>
						<Path>x:\sources\install.wim</Path>
					</InstallFrom>
			<InstallTo>
					</InstallTo>
				</OSImage>
			</ImageInstall>
			<UserData>
				<ProductKey>
					<Key>XXXXX-VHWRJ-XXXXX-VQ942-XXXXX</Key>
					<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
				</ProductKey>
				<AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
				<FullName>McoreD</FullName>
				<Organization>BetaONE</Organization>
			</UserData>
		</component>
		<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
			<SetupUILanguage>
				<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
			</SetupUILanguage>
			<InputLocale>en-US</InputLocale>
			<SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
			<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
			<UILanguageFallback>en-US</UILanguageFallback>
			<UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
		</component>
	</settings>


	<settings pass="specialize">

		<component name="Microsoft-Windows-UnattendedJoin" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
			<Identification>
				<JoinWorkgroup>BetaONE</JoinWorkgroup>
			</Identification>
		</component>


		<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
			<InputLocale>en-US</InputLocale>
			<SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
			<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
			<UILanguageFallback>en-US</UILanguageFallback>
			<UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
		</component>
	</settings>

	  <settings pass="oobeSystem">
	<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" processorArchitecture="x86">

	  <FolderLocations>
		<ProfilesDirectory>G:\VistaUsers</ProfilesDirectory>
		<ProgramData>G:\VistaProgramData</ProgramData>
		<ProgramFiles>G:\VistaApplications</ProgramFiles>
	  </FolderLocations>

	</component>
  </settings>


</unattend>

The result was (unfortunately) identical to what I got in VMware and Virtual PC.

vistarc1unattendedux4.jpg

The HDDs in the real PCs are undoubtedly NTFS and working well under XP/Server 2003.

Seriouly guys, I am out of ideas now. If it is not working in real PCs, then I am not sure what to do next.

Do we REALLY need this: 

<InstallTo>
						<DiskID>0</DiskID>
						<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
					</InstallTo>

Guess my next and last test is to check with InstallTo, just to see if X:\ is working properly.

Cheers,

McoreD

Edited by McoreD

  • Author

Test 4:

First (90%) successful unattended installation. Oh my god. :)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
	<settings pass="windowsPE">
		<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
			<DiskConfiguration>
				<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
			</DiskConfiguration>
			<Display>
				<ColorDepth>32</ColorDepth>
				<HorizontalResolution>1024</HorizontalResolution>
				<RefreshRate>60</RefreshRate>
				<VerticalResolution>768</VerticalResolution>
			</Display>
			<DynamicUpdate>
				<Enable>true</Enable>
			</DynamicUpdate>
			<ImageInstall>
				<OSImage>
					<InstallFrom>
						<Path>G:\Workshop\vistarc1\SOURCES\install.wim</Path>
					</InstallFrom>
				</OSImage>
			</ImageInstall>
			<UserData>
				<ProductKey>
					<Key>XXXXX-VHWRJ-XXXXXX-VQ942-XXXXX</Key>
					<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
				</ProductKey>
				<AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
				<FullName>McoreD</FullName>
				<Organization>BetaONE</Organization>
			</UserData>
		</component>
		<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
			<SetupUILanguage>
				<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
			</SetupUILanguage>
			<InputLocale>en-US</InputLocale>
			<SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
			<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
			<UILanguageFallback>en-US</UILanguageFallback>
			<UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
		</component>
	</settings>
	<settings pass="specialize">
		<component name="Microsoft-Windows-UnattendedJoin" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
			<Identification>
				<JoinWorkgroup>BetaONE</JoinWorkgroup>
			</Identification>
		</component>
		<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
			<InputLocale>en-US</InputLocale>
			<SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
			<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
			<UILanguageFallback>en-US</UILanguageFallback>
			<UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
		</component>
	</settings>
	<settings pass="oobeSystem">
		<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" processorArchitecture="x86">
			<FolderLocations>
				<ProfilesDirectory>G:\VistaUsers</ProfilesDirectory>
				<ProgramData>G:\VistaProgramData</ProgramData>
			</FolderLocations>
		</component>
	</settings>
	<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:g:/workshop/vistarc1/sources/install.wim#Windows Vista ULTIMATE" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

Changes from previous Autounattend.xml are:

1. Install.wim location was set to a path in another HDD partition

2. Removed ProgramFiles from FolderLocations because RC1 version of WSIM said there is no such child in FolderLocations. It is weird because the Microsoft sample XML in Beta 1 had it!

Anyways, next test is with 

<FolderLocations>
				<ProfilesDirectory>G:\VistaUsers</ProfilesDirectory>
				<ProgramData>G:\VistaProgramData</ProgramData>
	<ProgramFiles>G:\VistaApplications</ProgramFiles>
</FolderLocations>

Bye for now.

Edited by McoreD

  • Author

Okay when you add the 

<ProgramFiles>G:\VistaApplications</ProgramFiles>

you get the error:

http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/2184/vp...obeerrorvi6.jpg

So basically, you cannot change the ProgramFiles folder location using Autounattended because it is no longer supported since RC1. Please prove me wrong because I really need to change it like in winnt.sif.

At least the Users folder location is modifiable. :)

it is probably still modifiable, but there is possibly a new XML tag for it. :) good work on the unattend, hopefully a new version of the WSIM will be out soon for RC1 and i will update the Unattend i did before.

  • Author

Hi fizban2, Test 4 was done with WSIM for RC1 of Vista (5600.16384.060829-2230-LR1WAIK_EN). :)

waikrc1folderlocationsxg1.jpg

Hopefully in a future build in RC1, ProgramFiles location is customizable.

  • 2 weeks later...

can the modifications to the directors of the programs and user profiles be done AFTER installation? I already have vista installed and already installed a bunch of programs i dont want to have to do over but i want to change the default path to all my programs to another partition and my docs to another partition.

Thanks

Tyrnt

I am trying to create a Unattended Vista install with multiple partitions as well. The method I am using is to create the unattend.xml answer file using Image Manager and then apply that xml file (located on a removeable USB drive) during the Windows DVD install. After the install is complete, run sysprep /oobe /generalize, restart the computer into Windows PE and capture image using Image X.

I am configuring the partitions in the autounattend.xml file using the Create and Modify Partitons components to create a Vista_Install(C:) and My All Data(D): partitions. When I apply the unattend.xml file during the DVD install, it creates the partitions correctly. However, when I run sysprep and boot into Win PE, the partitions get reversed. The C partition (where the OS should reside) becomes the D partition and vice versa. So now according to Win PE the OS is on the D partition. I tried capturing the D drive, but after deploying the image, Windows would not even start. Here is the disk configuration of my unattend.xml file. Anyone have any suggestions of what I maybe doing wrong? Going to give it another try. 

- <DiskConfiguration>
- <Disk wcm:action="add">
- <CreatePartitions>
- <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
  <Order>1</Order> 
  <Size>20000</Size> 
  <Type>Primary</Type> 
  </CreatePartition>
- <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
  <Order>2</Order> 
  <Size>25000</Size> 
  <Type>Primary</Type> 
  </CreatePartition>
  </CreatePartitions>
- <ModifyPartitions>
- <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
  <Active>true</Active> 
  <Extend>false</Extend> 
  <Format>NTFS</Format> 
  <Label>Vista_Install</Label> 
  <Letter>C</Letter> 
  <Order>1</Order> 
  <PartitionID>1</PartitionID> 
  </ModifyPartition>
- <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
  <Active>true</Active> 
  <Extend>false</Extend> 
  <Format>NTFS</Format> 
  <Label>My All Data</Label> 
  <Letter>D</Letter> 
  <Order>2</Order> 
  <PartitionID>2</PartitionID> 
  </ModifyPartition>
  </ModifyPartitions>
  <DiskID>0</DiskID> 
  <WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk> 
  </Disk>
  <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI> 
  </DiskConfiguration>
- <ImageInstall>
- <OSImage>
- <InstallTo>
  <DiskID>0</DiskID> 
  <PartitionID>1</PartitionID> 
  </InstallTo>
  <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>

@ Lemon Lime:

You are creating two primary partitions. Primary partitions are used for OS only usaly. Your data partition should be an extended one.

And you're setting both partitions to active. But you can just have one active partition on one drive at the same time. I guess that the partition ids are switched as soon as your My All Data partition is set to active. As result the Vista will installed on My All Data partition.

Martin

Edited by FireGeier

Martin is right,

if you want to make both partitions primary you cannot set the second one to active, it will be available but windows will not see it as a place to install too.

Wait...so has anyone successfully moved the location of Program Files?

I don't see the option in this version of WSIM? Has the XML parameter changed?

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