Automating Windows XP Professional Installation


  • Unattended installations provide greater consistency and reduce errors upon deployment.

  • Methods you can use for unattended installation are scripting through answer files, using RIS, and cloning with Sysprep along with a third-party cloning tool.

  • Setup Manager is a utility that creates answer files.

  • Sysprep is a utility that automates installation.

  • RIS is a server-based system for remotely installing computers.

  • Unattend.txt is the default name given to an answer file used to script an unattended installation.

  • A uniqueness database file (.udf) is a text file that can further create unique installations. To script an installation that can be customized based on unique user information, you need both a .udf file and an answer file, which is typically named Unattend.txt.

  • Syntax matters in the script files. Misspelled or misplaced terms cause errors and failures during installation.

  • The command in DOS is winnt, and the switches are all single letters. When using an answer file to install from a DOS command prompt, use the winnt /u:answerfilename /udf:ID[,uniqueness.udf] /s:\\server\share\i386 command.

  • The command in 32-bit operating systems is winnt32, and the switches can be words. When using an answer file to install from within a 32-bit operating system, use the winnt32 /unattend:answerfilename /udf:ID[,uniqueness.udf] /s:\\server\share\i386 command.

  • An answer file can install the operating system without user interaction, can be used to provide default answers that a user can change, or can be used to provide answers that the user sees but cannot change.

  • If you want to perform an unattended installation using a local CD-ROM drive, you must copy your answer file to a floppy disk and rename it Winnt.sif.

  • RIS services in Windows 2000 can install only desktop operating systems. RIS services in Windows Server 2003 can install both desktop and server operating systems.

  • RIS does not support installing Windows XP Home Editiononly Windows XP Professional.

  • RIS requires either a floppy disk created with the Remote Boot Floppy Generator (Rbfg.exe) or a network adapter that is compliant with the Pre-boot eXecution Environment (PXE).

  • RIS requires Domain Name System (DNS), DHCP, and Active Directory. If any of these three are missing or not functioning correctly, RIS does not work.

  • Risetup.exe installs RIS, and requires the hard disk partition to be formatted with NTFS.

  • Riprep.exe is the command that prepares a remote installation image.

  • The RIS standard answer file name is Ristndrd.sif.

  • Setup Manager creates an RIS answer file named Remboot.sif.

  • Sysprep and RIS execute only clean installs. They do not upgrade older operating systems.

  • Do not use Sysprep to deploy an image on other computers that require a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) that's incompatible with the imaged HAL.



Exam Prep 2. Windows XP Professional
MCSA/MCSE 70-270 Exam Prep 2: Windows XP Professional
ISBN: 0789733633
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 193

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