automate partitioning during unattended install / put OS in C: and use

[haggisnneeps]

I am trying to automate my installation of XP. I have done all the stuff from the unattended.msfn.org site but one thing i cannot find ANYWHERE (including here) is a way to automate partitioning during an unattended install.

I want to boot from CD, automagically have a C drive of 8 GB and a D drive of the rest created (possibly in future have more partitions), install the OS onto C drive and have the Docs and Settings created on the D drive (probably the program files too later but we'll see) so that if anything ever goes wrong with my OS i can just reinstall the OS on C and not worry about my Docs and Settings getting overwritten

This obviously raises the question too that if my OS was corrupt and i reinstalled OS onto C:\ then it would put the profiles here too and if i used my slipstreamed CD it would overwrite the profiles on the d drive anyway You following this?

So basically i am looking to create a SP2 + all patches slipstreamed build disc that puts OS on C and Docs and Settings on D but if something goes wrong will allow me to reinstall automatically but also won't overwrite the profiles on D when it does install (i guess having unique userprofile names will help here)

Can anyone tell me if this is possible (even using sysprep instead of winnt.sif) or am i going to have to build XP pro and manually change the registry settings, then get it all working and take an image with ghost or something

Thanks

[jaclaz]

well, you can use nlite to make a CD with documents and settings not in the "default" way.

But there is no way to make a CD that will autopartition several partitions from winnt.sif.

You need to run before a partitioning program.

I see this is your first post, next time you should post in the proper section of the forum, which are these ones:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showforum=101

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showforum=70

If you search within those for "partitioning", "partition" and "autopartition" you will see that the same question has already been asked several times, and some alternative ways have been suggested.

About using Ghost or other imaging software, I personally think that it is the best solution, if you have a problem, you just re-image the C: partition, leaving the D: one untouched.

Of course programs installed AFTER the image has been taken won't be there anymore and would need being re-installed.

jaclaz

[haggisnneeps]

THanks for your swift response

sorry i should have posted in the noobies area but i had searched the whole site and gotten nowhere

I'll take a look at some of the alternatives but i'm really annoyed that this isn't possible during an unattended install - thanks M$ !! Why do we always end up using 3rd party tools to do the job?

Yes i always knew about ghost (thats probably a better way of recovering your c drive too) but i thought it would be more elegant to have a bootable XP cd to do it

[cluberti]

I'll take a look at some of the alternatives but i'm really annoyed that this isn't possible during an unattended install - thanks M$ !! Why do we always end up using 3rd party tools to do the job?

Have you never heard of WinPE (Windows Preinstallation Environment)? Remember that the NT installer is more than 10 years old, and hasn't held up well in terms of drive sizes and partitioning. If you use Microsoft's WinPE (which is the recommended way to start unattended installations, especially for Vista, going forward) or the BartPE derivative, this can be easily scripted.

[haggisnneeps]

I'm using Bart PE just now but diskpart doesn't work (i downloaded the latest version 3 days ago)

didn't even know about Microsoft PE - i'll check it out thanks

currently my XP disc works if i boot into XP and create2 partitions c and d and then format c and quit before it installs the files then reboot and format d and quit before it installs. Then i just reboot and it is completely automated (except it can nevr read or find els.dll so i have to press escape)

Can the diskpart.exe file be "reprogrammed" to do this repartioning task? i'm not a programmer so i don't know.... it is called at T-54 i think to start the partitioning bit - surely if this was re-jigged it could provide this functionality?

thanks again

[jaclaz]

@haggisnneeps

Look here:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=68252

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...c=13516&hl=

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...c=16702&hl=

jaclaz

[haggisnneeps]

Thanks again jaclaz -

option1 just fried my brain - too hard to follow

option2 gave me the plugin for BartPE - though diskpart was still failing in PE

option 3 resolved this issue and therefor also issue 2

my brain, however, is still fried from option 1 ;-) but i have been recommended paracetamol for that

Thanks

P

[jaclaz]

Yep, "unattended" matter should be taken in small doses....

jaclaz