.net Framework 2.0 for nLite

[CelticWhisper]

I'm working on a fork of my unattended setup and as I do not have my virtual machines available here, I'm stuck installing and reinstalling on the same system. There is no way around this and I'm not looking for suggestions to that effect.

What my current problem DOES entail is a need for nLite to be automatically installed at the CMDLINES.TXT phase. T-12 or whatever.

I currently have CMDLINES.TXT calling a SETUP.BAT file I have written that will run the setup files for a number of software packages I'm trying to "integrate" (not in the hotfix sense, just in the silent-install-with-OS sense).

The problem I am encountering is as follows:

I have the SETUP.BAT file attempt a silent installation of .Net Framework 2.0 with the Start /Wait command, and after the .Net Framework 2.0 installation is finished, to install nLite.

However, once I'm booted into Windows, I find that nLite is NOT installed and that when I try to install it, it complains that .Net 2.0 is missing and required for nLite's installation.

But nLite, I ALREADY INSTALLED THE **** FRAMEWORK.

Anyway, the contents of my SETUP.BAT file:

cd DOTNET

Start /Wait netfx.msi /qn /norestart

cd ..

Start /Wait nlite.exe /silent

Start /Wait ffinstall.exe -ms

Start /Wait FileZilla.exe /S

Start /Wait vnc.exe /verysilent

REGEDIT /S vnc.reg

Start /Wait nero.exe /silent /noreboot /no_ui

REGEDIT /S nero.reg

REGEDIT /S nero2.reg

REGEDIT /S ctrl.reg

REGEDIT /S startmenu.reg

I can only imagine I'm doing the wrong thing on my netfx.msi line. I downloaded and extracted the contents of the .Net Framework 2.0 installer from Microsoft's downloads page. I try to use the .msi file and it complains that I should use install.exe instead. I try install.exe and I still get no results when nLite installs (it actually interrupts the Windows XP installation procedure to moan about .Net 2.0 needing installation first).

So, any ideas on where I'm going wrong with this? I'm at my wits' end, tired, and extremely frustrated with this. I've already reinstalled 3 times trying to get this (Tarantino-esque string of expletives deleted) thing working.

Thanks a million for any help you can provide.

[CelticWhisper]

I've done some testing with my other variant of my automated install, and found that using install.exe /q will work to get nLite's installer working.

HOWEVER...this only seems to work when XP is already installed. i.e. it will not work at install time, only on a subsequent boot and login. I discovered this as on this variant of my unattended setup, .Net is part of a separate Windows Updates CD and is installed after the system is up and running. By running the Update CD and then subsequently running the nLite installer, the nLite installer runs perfectly.

So...my findings so far seem to be as follows:

-Installing .Net Framework via the MSI package doesn't work.

-Installing .Net Framework via install.exe at Windows install time doesn't work.

-Installing .Net Framework via install.exe once Windows is already installed and running does work.

Am I missing something?

[meulc]

Try this:

cd DOTNET

REG ADD HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup /V SystemSetupInProgress /T REG_DWORD /D 0 /F

Start /Wait netfx.msi /qn /norestart

REG ADD HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup /V SystemSetupInProgress /T REG_DWORD /D 1 /F

cd ..

Start /Wait nlite.exe /silent

[CelticWhisper]

Thanks, I'll give that a shot when I'm back at my test system.

Out of curiosity, what do the registry lines do?

[CelticWhisper]

That did the trick! Thank you so, so much. You are a LIFESAVER.

[meulc]

Normally you can't install .net 2.0 while windows is still in setup mode.

The first registery line makes netfx.msi think that windows is not in setup mode.

After .net is installed, it puts back the correct value in the registery.

Edited January 13, 2007 by meulc

[CelticWhisper]

That...is weird. The fact that .net doesn't play nice with setup, I mean. But hey, it works now. Thanks again for the tip.

[CelticWhisper]

Argh.

It is now broken again. I have no idea how it happened, but when I switched from using nLite to customize my install to a manual customization with nLite only as a means of generating a bootable CD, something happened that caused the framework to not install during my setup process.

My setup.bat file is as follows:

REGEDIT /S SFCDisable.reg
Start /Wait call klcpf.bat
Start /Wait update20.exe /quiet /wuforce
Start /Wait KB928939.msi /quiet /norestart
cd euupdate
Start /Wait fontinst.exe /quiet
cd ..
Start /Wait KB831240.exe /quiet /norestart
Start /Wait KB892211.exe /q
REG ADD HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup /V SystemSetupInProgress /T REG_DWORD /D 0 /F
Start /Wait Dotnet1point1.exe /q /c:"install /q"
Start /Wait Dotnet1point1SP1.exe /q
cd DOTNET
Start /Wait install.exe /q
cd ..
Start /Wait Dotnet3point0.exe /q /c:"setup /q"
REG ADD HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup /V SystemSetupInProgress /T REG_DWORD /D 1 /F
Start /Wait KB886903.msp /quiet /norestart
Start /Wait KB925168.msp /quiet /norestart
Start /Wait KB922481.exe /quiet /norestart
Start /Wait KB922770.msp /quiet /norestart
Start /Wait KB887606.exe /quiet /norestart
Start /Wait XML3SP7.exe /silent
Start /Wait XML4SP2.msi /quiet /norestart
Start /Wait KB927978.exe /quiet /norestart
Start /Wait msxml6.msi /quiet /norestart
Start /Wait KB927977.exe /quiet /norestart
Start /Wait Script56.exe /Q
Start /Wait nlite.exe /silent
Start /Wait ffinstall.exe -ms
Start /Wait FileZilla.exe /S
Start /Wait vnc.exe /verysilent
REGEDIT /S vnc.reg
Start /Wait 7zip.exe /S
Start /Wait nero.exe /silent /noreboot /no_ui
Start /Wait gaim.exe /S /NOUI
Start /Wait gaimcrypt.exe /S /NOUI
Start /Wait gaimotr.exe /S /NOUI
Start /Wait JDK.exe /s /v /qn
Start /Wait Netbeans.exe -silent
Start /Wait textpad.msi /qn
xcopy eclipse %programfiles%
cd OOo
Start /Wait setup.exe /qn
cd ..
Start /Wait bootvis.msi /quiet /norestart
Start /Wait bliss.exe
REGEDIT /S advanced.reg
REGEDIT /S color.reg
REGEDIT /S ctrl.reg
REGEDIT /S cursor.reg
REGEDIT /S desktop.reg
REGEDIT /S KillAutorun.reg
REGEDIT /S metrics.reg
REGEDIT /S nero.reg
REGEDIT /S nero2.reg
REGEDIT /S startmenu.reg
REGEDIT /S taskbar.reg
REGEDIT /S visfx.reg

[CelticWhisper]

New theory:

Could this possibly have anything to do with updates being integrated into my install media? I can't confirm as of yet, but it seems to work better when I'm using a clean source as opposed to having integrated the latest hotfixes and service packs. Any .NET gurus around who can enlighten me on the possibilities behind it?

Sorry to be such a pain in the can, it's just quite frustrating as without .Net, nLite complains that it can't install properly and I have to click a confirmation window. Which requires...you know...attention. On an unattended install. And I have a notoriously short attention span when it comes to these OOH! Pretty snow!

[Tomcat76]

If you install .NET 1.1 and .NET 2.0 (included in .NET 3.0) in the same go, applications that rely on .NET 2.0 will think .NET 2.0 isn't installed yet until the system is rebooted. The .NET 3.0 "extras" won't get installed either.

Either install .NET 1.1 way at the end of your CMDLINES.TXT or install it at first GUI logon.

It's not necessary to edit the registry to install .NET 1.1.

Something aside... The WebClient service will be broken if you install .NET 3.0 at T-13. I don't know if that's also the case if installing it at T-12.

Edited February 6, 2007 by Tomcat76

[CelticWhisper]

Thanks much. I appreciate it.

[CelticWhisper]

If you install .NET 1.1 and .NET 2.0 (included in .NET 3.0) in the same go, applications that rely on .NET 2.0 will think .NET 2.0 isn't installed yet until the system is rebooted. The .NET 3.0 "extras" won't get installed either.

Either install .NET 1.1 way at the end of your CMDLINES.TXT or install it at first GUI logon.

It's not necessary to edit the registry to install .NET 1.1.

Something aside... The WebClient service will be broken if you install .NET 3.0 at T-13. I don't know if that's also the case if installing it at T-12.

Okay, let me make sure I have this right.

.Net 2.0 is an unnecessary installation provided that .Net 3.0 is installed, because 3.0 includes everything 2.0 had to offer. Ergo, apps requiring 2.0 will install and run if 3.0 is installed but 2.0 has never been actually explicitly installed by itself?

Also, with regard to .Net 1.0, I read on the MSFN unattended guide that 1.1 will fail to install if run via RunOnceEx. They had some links to silent switchless installers, but the links were dead/broken/outdated.

What I'm thinking is this: Can I set my CMDLINES.TXT to install .Net 3.0 first, then follow it up with .Net 1.0 and 1.1 at the end of the file? This would be at the T-13 stage.

Thanks. I wish I knew why MSFT has gone and made .Net so much more obstinate and difficult than the rest of their updates. You'd think they could just bundle them all into one updated package, but nooooooooo...