XP Unattended Install

Having managed to muck up my main PC I decided to re-install the OS today.
I have found a very neat app which helps you prepare a customised
unattended install CD (you need your original XP CD to copy files from).

pmj...

Well, you can use the i386 Folder (which contains the Installation
Files) if you don't have an original Install CD.

Jeff Gaines...

No, it's very specific - it needs the original CD.

pmj...

Surely it only asks for the CD if (or since) yo uhaven't got the
Installation Files in a Folder on teh Hard Disk?

The Guide for it
says...

Create a folder somewhere on your hard drive to copy the windows
source files into

We must now direct nLite to the folder which contains the windows
installation files

Jeff Gaines...

You missed:
'Copy the full content from the distribution cd into this folder'

& it also gets the Boot Catalog File from the (Bootable) CD.
But you can make a Bootable CD from the Files that nLite Creates
using any other 3rd Party CD Burning thing - they do mention using
those sort of Utilities in the nLite Guide.

Jeff Gaines...

I'm not sure why you want to do it the hard way?

I acknowledged there were other ways of doing it but this is quick and
simple. In my case the PC concerned is used for development so I need a
quick and easy way to re-install the OS when I screw it up, which I do
regularly!

Anyway, it wouldn't get far on my PC. The only directory with 'i386' in
its name is C:\WINDOWS\Driver Cache\i386 which just has driver.cab and

pmj...

Yep.
Which is why it needs the CD then!!!

Jeff Gaines...

Quite likely, I worked on the basis that the author wrote the instructions
the way he did for a reason.

Bu tif you had already got the Installatio nFiles copied over into a
Folder, then it wouldn't need the CD.

Jeff Gaines...

I tend to follow instructions, it said copy the installation CD to the HD,
I did. Don't forget it prepares an iso so it is likely that it needs a lot
of other stuff from the CD - or you'd have an incomplete CD.

BTW - the i386 Folder *isn't* Copied across in many normal (Retail)
type Installs.
But in an OEM Install, almost always, the i386 Folder is on the Hard
Disk.

sp2.cab in it!!!

Jeff Gaines...

Not without an i386 directory I suspect :-)

pmj...

Well, I think the only reason you haven't got an i386 Folder/Directory
(if you haven't Deleted it yourself) is cos your Installation isn't
an OEM Installation?
It was prolly done from a Retail CD? or an MSDN Install CD?

Jeff Gaines...

That's right, MSDN.

Rabbit...

What's MSDN please ?

pmj...

Oh *do* keep up at the back there, please!!!
:-)

MSDN - micro$oft Developers Network.

or...

They both (& several other similar URLs) end up at the MSDN Site.

If you*do* have an OEM Install, which doesn't have the i386 Folder
(or equivalent), then I'd be interested to know what make the PC is.

I've seen both Sony & Toshiba PCs (which I think you have?) which
*do* have the i386 Folder, but I dunno about IBM/Lenovo ones (which
I think you also have?)

Jeff Gaines...

All my PC's in use now have either XP Pro retail or the MSDN equivalent on
them, the ones not in regular use are pretty well b*ggered until I
re-install since they have outdated Vista betas or other highly
experimental stuff that doesn't work!

Just to re-iterate the OP was just a note that I had found something that
people might find useful for preparing an unattended install CD. I had
used it following the instructions and it worked. So if anybody wants an
easy way to make a customised unattended install CD this app is an easy
way to do so without getting bogged down in technicalities.

pmj...

Yep!!!

& another thing that nLite is good for, (as you say) is that it
doesn't just make an "Unattended" Install CD, (i.e. it saves you
from having to fill in all the various Options & enter the stuff
into the Dialog Boxes during the Install), but you can Customise
the Install, (in many more ways than you can with the M$ Setupmgr
Utility) & not just by *adding* stuff (such as Drivers & Applications
& Utilities) - but also by *Removing* stuff from the windoze
Installation, that you don't want, as well!
:-)

When you run it it takes you through a series of wizards and allows you to
set up the CD key, time zone, location etc. You can also add drivers (as

pmj...

& WinXP also comes with it's own Utility which can do that.
It's on the Install CD (in the "Support" Folder) & is called
Setupmgr (Setup Manager)

It Creates an "Answer File", which supplies the Input to the
Setup Routine, containing the Settings, Options, Choices & Entries
that you normally have to make during the Install Routine.

long as they include an inf file). It then creates an iso which you can

pmj...

The Setupmgr thing can also do that, but other Utilities make it easier.

pmj...

That's handy, cos the Setupmgr Utility only makes the Answer File
itself, (to use with teh Setup Routine) & you would then have to
Burn the stuff to CD yourself (making a Bootable CD, if you want to)

burn to CD.

I made a CD and booted from it - you get the usual XP start up screen -
then tell it where to install and if/how to format then just leave it. I
came back to it about an hour later (I forgot to time it) and the PC was
set up with chipset/graphics drivers ready for use.

pmj...

Great!!!
:-)

I know you can do this manually but if you want to do it the easy way have

pmj...

Yep, or use Setupmgr to do it.

pmj...

That's useful, isn't it?
:-)

Also, there's a very useful & Informative Website, which has
*loads* of Info & Help & Hints & Tips about how to do an
"Unattended" Installation...

a look at: