Lesson 3:Installing Windows XP Professional over the Network

You can install Windows XP Professional over the network. This lesson discusses the similarities and differences between installing from a CD-ROM and installing over the network. The major difference is the location of the source files needed for installation. This lesson also lists the requirements for an over-the-network installation.


After this lesson, you will be able to

  • Complete a network installation of Windows XP Professional

Estimated lesson time: 30 minutes


Preparing for a Network Installation

In a network installation, the Windows XP Professional installation files are located in a shared location on a network file server, which is called a distribution server. From the computer on which you want to install Windows XP Professional (the target computer), you connect to the distribution server and then run the Setup program.

Figure 2.6 shows the requirements for a network installation.

Figure 2.6 Requirements for a network installation

Installing Windows XP Professional requires you to do the following:

  • Locate a distribution server. The distribution server contains the installation files from the I386 folder on the Windows XP Professional CD-ROM. These files reside in a common network location in a shared folder that allows computers on the network to access the installation files. Contact a network administrator to obtain the path to the installation files on the distribution server.

    After you have created or located a distribution server, you can use the over-the-network installation method to concurrently install Windows XP Professional on multiple computers.

  • Create a FAT partition on the target computer. The target computer requires a formatted partition to which to copy the installation files. Create a partition containing at least 1.5 GB of disk space or more and format it with the FAT file system.
  • Install a network client. A network client is software that allows the target computer to connect to the distribution server. On a computer without an operating system, you must boot from a client disk that includes a network client that enables the target computer to connect to the distribution server.

Installing over the Network

The Setup program copies the installation files to the target computer and creates the Setup boot disks. After Setup copies the installation files, you start the installation on the target computer by booting from the Setup boot disks. From this point, you install Windows XP Professional as you would from a CD-ROM.

Figure 2.7 shows the process for installing Windows XP Professional over the network.

Figure 2.7 Installing Windows XP Professional over the network

Installing Windows XP Professional over the network involves the following steps:

  1. Boot the network client.

    On the target computer, boot from a floppy disk that includes a network client or start another operating system that can be used to connect to the distribution server.

  2. Connect to the distribution server.

    After you start the network client on the target computer, connect to the shared folder on the distribution server that contains the Windows XP Professional installation files.

  3. Run WINNT.EXE or WINNT32.EXE to start the Setup program.

    WINNT.EXE and WINNT32.EXE reside in the shared folder on the distribution server.

    • Use WINNT.EXE for an installation using MS-DOS or Windows 3.0 or later versions on the source system.
    • Use WINNT32.EXE for an installation using Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Microsoft Windows Me, Windows NT 4, or Windows 2000 Professional.

      Running WINNT.EXE or WINNT32.EXE from the shared folder does the following:

    • Creates the $Win_nt$.~ls temporary folder on the target computer
    • Copies the Windows XP Professional installation files from the shared folder on the distribution server to the $Win_nt$.~ls folder on the target computer
  4. Install Windows XP Professional.

    Setup restarts the local computer and begins installing Windows XP Professional.

Modifying the Setup Process Using WINNT.EXE

You can modify an over-the-network installation by changing how WINNT.EXE runs Setup. Table 2.3 lists the switches you can use with WINNT.EXE and describes their functions.

Table 2.3 WINNT.EXE Switches

Switch Function

/a

Enables accessibility options.

/r[:folder]

Specifies an optional folder to be copied and saved. The folder remains after Setup finishes.

/rx[:folder]

Specifies the optional folder to be copied. The folder is deleted after Setup finishes.

/s[:sourcepath]

Specifies the source location of Windows XP Professional files. This must be a full path of the form x:\[path] or \\server\share\[path]. The default is the current folder location

/t[:tempdrive]

Specifies a drive to contain temporary setup files and directs Setup to install Windows XP Professional on that drive. If you do not specify a drive, Setup attempts to locate the drive with the most available space.

/u[:script_file]

Performs an unattended installation by using an optional script file. Unattended installations also require using the /s switch. The answer file provides answers to some or all of the prompts that the end user normally responds to during Setup.

/udf:id[,UDF_file]

Indicates an identifier (id) that Setup uses to specify how a Uniqueness Database File (UDF) modifies an answer file. The /udf parameter overrides values in the answer file, and the identifier determines which values in the UDF file are used. If you do not specify a UDF_file, Setup prompts you to insert a disk that contains the $UNIQUE$.UDB file.

Modifying the Setup Process Using WINNT32.EXE

You can modify an over-the-network installation by changing how WINNT32.EXE runs Setup. Table 2.4 lists the switches you can use with WINNT32.EXE and describes their functions.

Table 2.4 WINNT32.EXE Switches

Switch Function

/checkupgradeonly

Checks your computer for upgrade compatibility for Windows XP Professional. If you use this option with unattend, no user input is required. Otherwise the results are displayed on the screen and you can save them under the filename you specify.

  • For Windows 98 or Windows Me upgrades, the default filename is UPGRADE.TXT in the %systemroot% folder (the folder that contains the Windows XP Professional system files).
  • For Windows NT 4 or Windows 2000 upgrades, the default filename is NTCOMPAT.TXT in the %systemroot% folder.

For more information about generating a compatibility report, see Lesson 4, "Upgrading Earlier Versions of Windows to WindowsXP Professional."

/cmd:command_line

Specifies a specific command that Setup is to run. This command is run after the computer restarts and after Setup collects the necessary configuration information.

/cmdcons

Copies to the hard disk the additional files necessary to load a command-line interface, the Recovery Console, which is used for repair and recovery. The Recovery Console is installed as a Startup option. You can use the Recovery Console to stop and start services and to access the local drive, including drives formatted with NTFS. You can use this option only after you install Windows XP Professional.

/copydir:foldername

Creates an additional folder within the %systemroot% folder, which contains the Windows XP Professional system files. For example, if your source folder contains a folder called My_drivers, type /copydir:My_drivers to copy the My_drivers folder to your system folder. You can use the /copydir switch to create as many additional folders as you want.

/copysource:foldername

Creates an additional folder within the %systemroot% folder. Setup deletes folders created with /copysource after installation is complete.

/debug[level] [:file_name]

Creates a debug log at the specified level. By default, the debug log file is C:\WINNT32.LOG and the default level is 2. Includes the following levels:

  • 0 (severe errors)
  • 1 (errors)
  • 2 (warnings)
  • 3 (information)
  • 4 (detailed information for debugging)

Each level includes the level below it.

/dudisable

Prevents Dynamic Update from running. Without Dynamic Updates, Setup runs only with the original Setup files. This option disables Dynamic Update even if you use an answer file and specify Dynamic Update options in that file.

/dushare: pathname

Specifies a share on which you previously downloaded Dynamic Update files (updated files for use with Setup) from the Windows Update Web site. When run from your installation share and used with /prepareinstall, it prepares the updated files for use in network-based client installations. When used without /prepareinstall and run on a client, it specifies that the client installation will use the updated files on the share specified in pathname.

/duprepare: pathname

Prepares an installation share for use with Dynamic Update files that you downloaded from the Windows Update Web site. You can use this share for installing Windows XP Professional for multiple clients (used only with /dushare).

/m:foldername

Instructs Setup to copy replacement files from an alternate location. Directs Setup to look in the alternate location first and, if files are present, to use them instead of the files from the default location.

/makelocalsource

Instructs Setup to copy all installation source files to the local hard disk. Use this switch when installing from a CD-ROM to provide installation files when the CD-ROM is not available later in the installation.

/noreboot

Prevents Setup from restarting the computer after completing the file-copy phase. This allows you to execute another command.

/s:sourcepath

Specifies the source location of Windows XP Professional installation files. To simultaneously copy files from multiple paths, use a separate /s switch for each source path. If you type multiple /s switches, the first location specified must be available or the installation will fail. You can use a maximum of eight /s switches.

/syspart:[drive_letter]

Copies Setup startup files to a hard disk and marks the drive as active. You can then install the drive in another computer. When you start that computer, Setup starts at the next phase. Using /syspart requires the /tempdrive switch. You can use syspart on computers running Windows NT 4, Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional, or Windows 2000 Server. You cannot use it on computers running Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me.

/tempdrive:drive_letter

Places temporary files on the specified drive and installs Windows XP Professional on that drive.

/unattend [number]: [answer_file]

Performs an unattended installation. The answer file provides your custom specifications to Setup. If you don't specify an answer file, all user settings are taken from the previous installation. You can specify the number of seconds between the time that Setup finishes copying the files and when it restarts with number. You can specify the number of seconds only on computers running Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT 4, or Windows 2000 that are upgrading to a newer version of Windows XP Professional.

/udf:id[,udb_file]

Indicates an identifier (id) that Setup uses to specify how a UDF modifies an answer file. The UDF file overrides values in the answer file, and the identifier determines which values in the UDF file are used. For example, /udf:RAS_user, OUR_COMPANY.UDF overrides settings that are specified for the RAS_user identifier in the OUR_COMPANY.UDF file. If you do not specify a UDF file, Setup prompts you to insert a disk that contains the $UNIQUE$.UDF file.

Lesson Review

The following questions will help you determine whether you have learned enough to move on to the next lesson. If you have difficulty answering these questions, review the material in this lesson before beginning the next lesson. The answers are in Appendix A, "Questions and Answers."

  1. On which of the following operating systems running on the client computer do you use WINNT32.EXE to install Windows XP Professional? (Choose all that apply.)
    1. Windows 3.0 or later
    2. Windows 95
    3. Windows 98
    4. Windows NT 4
  2. On which of the following operating systems running on the client computer do you use WINNT.EXE to install Windows XP Professional? (Choose all that apply.)
    1. Windows 3.0 or later
    2. Windows 95
    3. Windows Me
    4. Windows NT 4
  3. What Windows XP Professional command allows you to verify that your computer is compatible with Windows XP Professional before you begin installing it?
  4. You use the ____________________________ switch with WINNT32.EXE to prevent Setup from restarting the computer after completing the file-copy phase.
  5. You use the ____________________________ switch with WINNT32.EXE to tell Setup to copy all installation source files to your local hard disk.

Lesson Summary

  • When you install Windows XP Professional, the main difference between an over-the-network installation and an installation from CD-ROM is the location of the source files.
  • After you connect to the shared folder containing the source files and start WINNT.EXE or WINNT32.EXE, the installation proceeds as an installation from CD-ROM.
  • Several switches for WINNT.EXE and WINNT32.EXE allow you to modify the installation process.
  • The /checkupgradeonly switch specifies that WINNT32.EXE should check your computer only for upgrade compatibility with Windows XP Professional.


MCSE Training Kit(c) Microsoft Windows XP Professional (Exam 70-270 2001)
MCSE Training Kit(c) Microsoft Windows XP Professional (Exam 70-270 2001)
ISBN: N/A
EAN: N/A
Year: 2004
Pages: 128

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