Installing Winxp via winnt32 under Winpe v2.0 (Vista PE)

[Innocent Devil]

i always install xp 2 C:\

so making xp wim without sysprep with all users setup and conf. made

re applying to c:\ willnot caus any probz

isn't ??

[kyor]

@Innocent Devil

sometimes i do it the same as you for pc's with the same hardware. But it isn't the microsoft preferred way.

The advantage when you use the sysprep.inf is, that you can customize your image and strip out information that is bundled with the pc.

Example:

- Random Computer name when the PC boots up the first time.

- Image is sometimes smaller. Not necessary files were stripped out. (pagefile.sys)

- you can add additional Driver that windows detects when you start the pc the first time after sysprep, etc.

Greetings

kyor

Edited December 10, 2006 by kyor

[Innocent Devil]

i didnt made a sysprep.inf

idid was

sysprep -factory

reboot

sysprep -audit

reboot

dont reset activation

generate new sid

sysprep -reseal

reboot

went to vista and open cmd

imagex /compress maximum /config myconf.ini /capture c: h:\xppro.wim "XP Pro" "customised XP"

myconf.ini excludes \boot dir and \bootmgr

bu on deployment i got

windows message: setup isnot complete

what does it mean ??

btw i didntcreated winbom.ini in c:\sysprep

[kyor]

@Jazkal

On some mainboards it does not work to install WinXP via winnt32 even

when i set the HDD access mode in the BIOS to 'Large'.

Diskpart freezes when it try's to format the Harddisk.

OK here is what Microsoft says:

The BIOSes on these motherboards is incorrectly reporting CHS Values (240 heads). The problem has to do with the algorithm used to calculate CHS settings and the difference in policy between drive partitioning between Diskpart 1.5 (which aligns partitions on cylinder boundaries) and Diskpart 2.0 (which aligns them on 1MB boundaries). When partition sector comes along, that has been created with diskpart 2.0, Windows XP tries to change the values for the logical end of partition and translate them into CHS values, which fails therefore booting the operating system also fails.

Your options are:

-An updated BIOS from the motherboard vendor to correct the invalid CHS values. Many vendors have already corrected this and that is why some motherboards fail and others do not. *This is the ideal and correct solution*

-A software change, if created, would be to Windows XP setup. This would then require you to update all of your Windows XP configuration sets to include the hotfix.

-Use the older version of WinPE when installing XP.

The chance is good that Microsoft release a Hotfix for that problem. The Hotfix must be slipstreamed into the source of the i386 directory.

... to be continued

kyor

Edited December 12, 2006 by kyor

[Jazkal]

-A software change, if created, would be to Windows XP setup. This would then require you to update all of your Windows XP configuration sets to include the hotfix.

Do you know the hotfix number? That would help greatly for when I call in to ask for it.

Thanks.

[Jazkal]

And I have one issue that doesn't fit into that explanation from Microsoft.

Using WinPE 2005 (based on Win2k3 SP1), and deploying Windows 2003 images captured with ImageX, I see the same kind of Issue.

This is using the older "working" diskpart, with and without bootsect/mbrfix (before and after image lay down).

Anyone know if there is an older pre-WinPE2 version of bootsect ?

[kyor]

it is not 100% sure that Microsoft release a Hotfix for that, but the chance

are good, because i know that a lot of people contact Microsoft for that

problem. sorry, i don't know the hotfix number.

If i get more information on that issue, i will post it here.

I know that this issue concern Windows 2003 and Winpe2.0, too.

But i don't know the other issue you have, because we have to install WinXP

machines only.

[kyor]

ok i think here is the complete workaround to solve

the installation issue with winnt32.exe

do the following only for xp and win2003 installations.

On vista you will get performance problems with raid controllers

if you use the fixbootxp.reg

1. run winpe 2.0

2. regedit /s fixbootxp.reg (attached in this post)

3. diskpart

4. bootsect /nt52 c:

5. start winnt32

It works's for me. But i do additional test's

Greetings

kyor

[Jazkal]

Did you get those reg settings from Microsoft?

[kyor]

yes, it's from Redmond.

kyor

Edited December 14, 2006 by kyor

[Jazkal]

I will give this some testing.

I've included a command line tool I just created to use these settings. (I hate using REG files, but thats just me)

run the EXE file as follows: (only one example at a time) (only run under WinPE v2.0)

DriveAlign.exe XP

DriveAlign.exe 2003

DriveAlign.exe Vista

It will adjust the registry as needed.

If you want to look at the source code, It's included.

[kyor]

thanks. please give feedback for Win2003. I haven't tested with it

kyor

[Knockz]

2. regedit /s fixbootxp.reg (attached in this post)

I think this is IT!!!! I have been doing tests on a VMWare machine which has been failing previously. After applying this reg fix it finally was successful.

What I have done is used WinPE 2.0 to deploy a Windows XP Sysprep'd WIM image.

Previously it was bluescreening after the mini setup when it tried to boot into the OS for the first time. After applying this fix I used diskpart to partition and format the hard drive and it now works.

I will have to test on some other hardware I have been having the same issues with but once it works in my vmware image I'm sure the others will work.

Is this method "supported" by microsoft. Are there any KB articles on the web anywhere that reference this? The reason I am asking is this is something that I have to be sure of when presenting it to our client. I need to make sure its a supported solution and not some kind of hacked work around.

Much thanks for the info and solution!!!

[Beta4Me]

Awesome they all work great. The wonders of being 13 yo.

[Jazkal]

Well, I'm still having the problem under Win2k3. It may be a separate issue but I'm not sure.