Unattended Install using KVM installs on E: partition

[pber]

We use an unattended Multiboot DVD to build all of our servers and it works 100%. Well it used to until we started using Avocent KVM switches with USB Keyboard/Mouse dongles. The Avocent KVM has the ability to provide remote virtual CD/Floppy with the USB dongle.

My issue is with it presenting the drives to the OS during the build. Normally it will present it a D and E drive and that I can deal with using Diskpart. Lately OS has been detecting the USB key first and making it the C and D drive and then the OS gets placed on E. This is not good.

Is there a way to prevent the OS from detecting USB devices initially? I still want it to find these devices, just not when the OS first installs

[allen2]

You simply need to modify this setting in the bios.

[pber]

Good idea. There doesn't seem to be a specific BIOS config to disable the USB disk support. I need to keep the USB ports enabled because I need it for the Keyboard/Mouse. Unfortunately that is the same USB cable that the KVM provides the virtual disk on.

Is there a way in an unattended file to force the OS to always assign it's partition as C: no matter what disks may already be there.

[pber]

I Kind of figured out a way to do it. If I remove the USBstor driver from the txtsetup.sif file, it seems to work. Not sure if this is the way I want to go as it also disables my ability to F6 and add a 3rd party driver.

[cluberti]

You may be able to use WinPE and some winnt32 switches to make it work (not tested, but worth trying) - switches like /makelocalsource and /tempdrive.

There is a KB article on this, but it's somewhat involved:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/830577