[EDIT]

I must appologize because it's been almost a month since the MSDN release of vista and there is nothing concrete about unattended installation...

I don't know if this is the case with all of you but I feel like Vista automation is just to early. There is currently no need for it at work so it may be a while before I dive into it.

For now, take a look here:

Windows Vista Deployment Step by Step Guide

[/EDIT]

This topic is a proposition for collaborative work with the community in order to produce a guide to unattended vista installation.

The first goal is to get the user up and running with the simplest method around. Later, we will expand to include more advanced techniques.

I know the BDD is not completed yet by Microsoft so we have to work with preliminary information....

So go ahead, post your idea and I'll clean it up as it goes...

Everyone who contribute will have their name listed as a reference. B)

Which method you'll ever use, the basic chapter should be "Creating an Answer file with WSIM".

Content:

1. Build a very simple Autounattend.xml, with just the basic Settings like Language, Product Key, AutoLogon, OOBE.

2. How to prepare your drive with Autounattend.xml

3. Use this file from Stick or FD with the original Vista-DVD.

Could look like here. It's in German but the gifs are English. I think you can get an idea what I'm talking about.

Martin

This is going to be an interesting thread. If any of you have been playing with the beta, I have a few questions.

I assume autounattend.xml works like winnt.sif and unattend.txt? Do you create it and toss it in the i386 directory? Is there even a i386 directory? (Sorry, I've been avoiding Vista until necessary).

Can you deploy Vista with a Unattended Installation CDROM? Will it even fit on a CDROM (700MB)? Probably not. What about a Unattended Installation DVD, will that work?

Any clarifacation would be appriciated

next monday i'll have a unattended doc written up. you will get to see the whole proccess beginning to end

next monday i'll have a unattended doc written up. you will get to see the whole proccess beginning to end

im looking forward to it

next monday i'll have a unattended doc written up. you will get to see the whole proccess beginning to end

Can't wait!

cheers

next monday i'll have a unattended doc written up. you will get to see the whole proccess beginning to end

Great

Gah sorry guys the new BDD was delayed till the end of the week, i hope to have a short version up later this week (think wednesday) just to get people the idea of what is needed for vista to be used with an un attend file

ok fizban2 no worries,

it's ok

it will be very nice to find such a one

thanks for heads up!

Need I remind people...

The Unattended site is a sorta wiki

This coming holidays, I plan to update the codebase of it to improve it a bit. So any suggestions you make may make it in.

Is there going to be a big difference between this one and Microsoft's guide?

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvi...3dd53bc3fa.mspx

I haven't even taken a look at Vista yet, let alone any of the guides. I'm so not looking forward to learning everything all over again.

Personally i'm using the guide from MS right now. When you first look at it its seems confusing but after you use it to build your first un-attended install it all becomes very clear. Heck, you can automate the whole process just about by using a batch file, sort of a 'one click does it all' batch file.

After you do your first basic one from the MS guide (for the practice and experience) you will realize there are tons of places to put in your own stuff.

I am however looking forward to the guide from fizban2