For organizations with many computers, automating the installation of Microsoft Windows XP Professional is more efficient and cost effective than using the interactive Setup program. You can use Windows XP Professional tools to add specific files and applications and to distribute customized installations with little or no user interaction.

For information on how to obtain the Windows XP Professional Resource Kit in its entirety, please see http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/6795.asp.

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New in Windows XP Service Pack 2
Overview of Automated and Customized Installations
Choosing an Automated Installation and Customization Tool
Preparing for the Installations
Customizing Unattended Installations
Installing the Operating System
Additional Resources

New in Windows XP Service Pack 2

The release of Windows XP Service Pack 2 includes a number of enhancements to the deployment features. These enhancements include extensions to the Unattend.txt answer file, the Sysprep.inf file, and the new version of Sysprep.exe that is included in the \support\tools section of the SP2 Integrated CD. It is also part of the new Deploy.cab file available from the Microsoft Download Center at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=3e90dc91-ac56-4665-949b-beda3080e0f6&DisplayLang=en.

Also new in SP2 is the ability to configure the Windows Firewall during unattended setup using the Windows Firewall.inf file. This file is on the Windows XP SP2 Integrated CD as \I386\Netfw.in_ and on an installed SP2 system as %windir%\inf\Netfw.inf. SP2 allows the configuration of Operational mode; applications and static ports on the exception list; and Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) and logging options, enabling resellers and large enterprises to preconfigure the Windows Firewall before rollout.

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Overview of Automated and Customized Installations

Windows XP Professional includes several tools that enable you to design and deploy automated and customized installations. These tools provide different types of functionality for a variety of deployment scenarios. Each tool has specific strengths and limitations that you can evaluate to determine which tool is most appropriate for your environment. For more information about the baseline requirements for each of the tools, see “Choosing an Automated Installation and Customization Tool” later in this chapter.

Windows XP Professional includes the following automated and customized installation tools:

• Unattended Installation (unattended Setup).

  The two unattended installation tools, Winnt32.exe and Winnt.exe, are in the \i386 folder on the Microsoft Windows XP Professional operating system CD.

• System Preparation Tool (Sysprep).

  Sysprep is in the Deploy.cab file in the \Support
  \Tools folder on the Windows XP Professional operating system CD.

• Remote Installation Services (RIS).

  RIS is included in Microsoft Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003.

You can also use Systems Management Server (SMS) to deploy Windows XP Professional. For information about SMS, see the Microsoft Systems Management Server link on the Web Resources page at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/webresources.

An automated installation runs with minimal or no user interaction. During an automated installation, the Setup program uses configuration information provided by an answer file. Answer files are text files containing settings that would otherwise be manually provided by end users. Answer files provide answers to questions that the Setup program asks during installation. In addition, answer files can contain instructions for running programs and installing applications.

A custom installation is a modification of a standard Windows XP Professional installation that supports specific hardware and software configurations and meets specific user needs. You can customize an installation by modifying the answer file to provide the Setup program with specific answers and instructions. You can also design a custom installation to add custom files, applications, and programs to the distribution folder.

You can automate and customize a Windows XP Professional installation to include applications, additional language support, service packs, and device drivers.

Design an Automated and Customized Installation

Windows XP Professional provides several tools for automating and customizing installations for a variety of software and hardware configurations. Before you choose a tool, assess your current configuration and evaluate your needs. With this information, you can choose the deployment tool that is most appropriate for your organization. The tool you choose also affects the customization options that you use and the procedures you must follow to implement your deployment scenario.

You can automate and customize how you install Windows XP Professional by following this process:

• Assess your current configuration and plan your deployment.

  Before you choose a tool, collect information about the types of users in your company and their needs, about the desktop environments of your users, and about your network. For information about planning Windows XP Professional deployments, see Chapter 1, “Planning Deployments.”

• Choose an automated installation and customization tool.

  The automated installation and customization tools support a variety of installation scenarios. Each of the tools is designed to take advantage of specific environments. Evaluate the tools to determine which tool or combination of tools best fits your organization. For more information about evaluating the tools, see “Choosing an Automated Installation and Customization Tool” later in this chapter.

• Prepare for the installations.

  Verify that you have the software and hardware you need, create a distribution folder, and use Setup Manager to create an answer file. For more information about software and hardware preparation, see “Preparing for the Installations” later in this chapter.

• Customize the installations.

  Customize the Windows XP Professional desktop by adding device drivers, support information, passwords, custom language options, and applications. For more information about customizing answer files and installing applications, see “Customizing Unattended Installations” later in this chapter.

• Install the operating system.

  Test the customized installation of Windows XP Professional. After successful testing, conduct the full-scale deployment. For more information about operating system installation, see “Installing the Operating System” later in this chapter. For more information about testing your installation before actually deploying it, see Chapter 1, “Planning Deployments.”

Windows Product Activation

To help prevent software piracy, you must use Windows Product Activation for each installation of Windows XP Professional that is not covered by a volume license or that is not preactivated by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). You can set Windows Product Activation by using a unique product key for each computer in a bulk deployment. Create a separate answer file for each computer and then assign a unique value to ProductKey in the [UserData] section of each individual answer file. (ProductKey is a new name for the ProductID key that was used in Microsoft Windows 2000.)

For an automated installation, you can add Autoactivate = Yes to the [Unattended] section of the answer file to request product activation during Setup. Note that this does not guarantee successful activation; check the Application Event log afterward to verify whether activation was successful. For more information, see “Deploying Windows XP Using Windows Product Activation” on Microsoft TechNet at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/wpadepl.mspx.

If your computer is connected to the Internet through a firewall on a network that does not support Web Proxy Autodiscovery Protocol, you can also add AutoactivateProxy = Proxy to the [Unattended] section of the answer file. The AutoactivateProxy key enables you to configure the proxy setting so that activation by using the HTTPS protocol can traverse a firewall.

If you add AutoactivateProxy = Proxy to the [Unattended] section of the answer file, you can also add an optional [Proxy] section to the answer file. The [Proxy] section can contain keys and values as shown in the following example:

[Proxy] 
Proxy_Enable = 1 
Use_Same_Proxy = 1 
HTTP_Proxy_Server = myproxyserver:80 
Proxy_Override = <local>

If you specify a proxy setting in the answer file, you must also specify a branding value, as shown in the following example:

[Branding] 
BrandIEUsingUnattended = Yes

You can also use a Uniqueness Database File (UDF) to provide information that is specific to a single client computer, such as the value specified in the ProductKey key. The .udf file provides information that overrides and replaces a section of the answer file or appends additional sections to an existing answer file.

To support disk imaging as a deployment option, Windows Product Activation also adds activation rollback to the standard System Preparation tool (Sysprep) and the standard Remote Installation Preparation tool (Riprep). However, activation rollback is not supported for evaluation media or for MSDN media. For more information on activation rollback, see “Deploying Windows XP Using Windows Product Activation” on Microsoft TechNet at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/wpadepl.mspx.

For more information about Windows Product Activation, see Chapter 1, “Planning Deployments.” For more information about activation rollback, see “How Sysprep Works with Windows Product Activation” and “Using the Remote Installation Preparation Tool” later in this chapter. You can also perform automated activation after you install Windows XP Professional by using the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) provider in Windows Product Activation.

Dynamic Update

Microsoft regularly provides reliability and compatibility improvements and also provides emergency fixes for security issues. Some of these updates might not be available on the Windows XP Professional operating system CD.

Updates are assembled into Dynamic Update packages, which are available from the Microsoft Download Center (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads). To download the Dynamic Update package and use it for Windows XP deployments in a corporate environment, go to the Download Center and under Product/Technology select Windows XP. Then search for the keywords “dynamic update” and download the latest version of the Dynamic Update package. The download is an executable self-extracting cabinet file that creates separate folders for each operating system. Specifically, a folder named IP contains the dynamic updates for Windows XP Professional and a folder named IC contains the dynamic updates for Windows XP Home Edition.

You can also access Dynamic Update packages when upgrading from previous versions of Windows by selecting Yes, download the updated setup files on the Get Updated Setup Files page of the Windows Setup Wizard. Setup then downloads and installs the updated files instead of using the equivalent files on the Windows XP operating system CD.

If a Dynamic Update package is available and you downloaded the package during setup, expand the downloaded package to display the .cab files. The package will contain some or all of the four .cab files shown in Figure 2-1. Figure 2-1 shows the structure of the network share folder and the relative location of each subfolder.

Download additional device drivers

If you plan on hosting the Dynamic Update files from a share on your network, you should also download any additional device drivers you need for your installation from the Windows Update Catalog. Open the Windows Update Web site, http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com, click the Administrator Options link, and look under Administer Multiple Operating Systems to access the Windows Update Catalog and download any device drivers that you need. Note that you need to update drivers only for devices that are critical for Setup, such as hard disk controllers, mice, keyboards, and display adapters.

Preparing Dynamic Update .cab files and driver .cab files on the network share

To prepare the Dynamic Update .cab files and all the driver .cab files that you downloaded from the Windows Update Catalog, run Winnt32.exe with the /DUPrepare parameter pointing to the location of the downloaded .cab files, as shown in the following example:

Winnt32 /DUPrepare: path to CAB files     0

Note For more information on downloading and preparing the Dynamic Update package, see article 312110, “How to Deploy the Windows XP Dynamic Update Package,” in the Microsoft Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com.

Installing Windows XP using the Dynamic Update package

To install Windows XP Professional and use the processed Dynamic Update .cab files, you can run Winnt32.exe with the DUShare parameter, or you can specify in your answer file where Setup can find the processed .cab files. When you run Winnt32.exe with the /DUShare parameter, the Dynamic Update Wizard is not displayed to the user and no attempt is made to connect to Windows Update.

The update files are copied from the share into the appropriate folders under %windir%
\Setupupd. Setup searches the installation media for device drivers. If a device driver is not found, Setup searches the driver folder in the Dynamic Update share. Setup finds and installs a device driver.

To run Setup and connect to the Dynamic Update share

• At the command line, type:

  Winnt32 /DUShare:path to dynamic update share

  When you run Setup in Unattended mode and specify a dynamic update share to connect to, dynamic update is disabled by default; the Dynamic Update Wizard is not displayed to the user, and no attempt is made to connect to Windows Update.

To specify a Dynamic Update share in Unattend.txt

• In the [Unattend] section of the Unattend.txt answer file, include the following key and value:

  [Unattend] 
  DUShare = “Path to dynamic update share"

  Note Dynamic Update works only with manual or unattended upgrades that use Winnt32.exe. It does not work with Winnt.exe, booting from the CD-ROM, booting from floppy disks, or RIS installations.

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Choosing an Automated Installation and Customization Tool

The following questions and guidelines help you determine which of the automated installation and customization tools is most appropriate for your environment. The guidelines describe baseline requirements for each of the tools.

Do the client computers have the same Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) as the reference computer?

Before you can determine which tool to use, you have to find out if the client computers have hardware abstraction layers (HAL) that are compatible with the reference computer. If the client and reference computers do not have compatible HALs, you cannot use Sysprep or the Remote Installation Preparation tool (Riprep.exe), which is a component of RIS. For example, if the reference computer has a Standard PC HAL, the destination computer must have the same Standard PC HAL. If the reference computer has an Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC HAL, the destination computer must have the same ACPI PC HAL.

Note Standard PC and ACPI PC are the names of HALs that are detected during the initial phase of a Windows XP Professional installation, before Sysprep.exe or Riprep.exe are run.

Do the client computers have a fast and reliable network connection?

If the client and reference computers have compatible HALs, you have to determine if the network connections are fast and reliable enough to enable you to use RIS. If the client computers are not connected to a network, you cannot use RIS. If the network connections are not fast and reliable, RIS is not the appropriate tool to use.

Determine whether there is a Windows 2000 Server–based network infrastructure in place. Identify existing network protocols. Determine the speed of network links.

Table 2-1 lists key issues related to assessing your network infrastructure and describes how these issues can help you determine which tool to use.

Table 2-1 Some Important Issues for Assessing the Network Infrastructure

Do you want to upgrade an existing operating system?

If you are planning to perform a clean operating system installation on the client computers, you can use any of the installation tools. However, if you are planning to perform an operating system upgrade to the client computers, you cannot use RIS or Sysprep. Client computers running Microsoft Windows 3.x and Microsoft Windows 95 cannot be upgraded to Windows XP Professional. You must perform clean installations on these client computers. Windows XP Professional supports upgrades from the following operating systems:

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation, version 4.0

• Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional

• Microsoft Windows 98

• Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me)

Choosing to perform a clean installation is a good course of action if you plan to standardize the desktop computers across your organization. If you decide to perform a clean installation, you cannot migrate customized settings from the currently installed operating system.

Depending on the status of your deployment, you might have to upgrade many of your computers in addition to installing Windows XP Professional on new computers. If you plan to use currently installed applications on existing hardware, you must perform an upgrade.

Table 2-2 provides a brief overview of tool support for upgrades and clean installations.

Table 2-2 Tool Support for Upgrades and Clean Installations

Do you plan to deploy and maintain a large number of client computers?

The number of client computers in a deployment can help you determine which installation tool to use. For example, if you have a large number of computers, Remote Installation Services (RIS), Systems Management Server, or third-party disk-imaging utilities in conjunction with Sysprep are good choices. For a small number of computers, using the Winnt.exe or Winnt32.exe Setup tool in Unattended mode might be sufficient.

Unattended Installation

Unattended installations use setup scripts to answer installation questions and to automate the Setup process. This simplifies the installation of the operating system. Use Setup Manager to create or customize answer files that contain setup scripts.

Winnt32.exe

You can use Winnt32.exe on computers that are running Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows XP Professional. Use Winnt32.exe to automate the upgrade process for numerous computers without user intervention.

Winnt.exe

Winnt.exe is a less versatile tool than Winnt32.exe. You cannot use Winnt.exe to perform an operating system upgrade, and you can use Winnt.exe only from within the MSDOS preinstallation environment. To use Winnt.exe from a network boot floppy disk, run winnt /u:unattend.txt /s:source path.

When to Use Unattended Installation

Use the Winnt32.exe unattended installation tool to upgrade a large number of client computers that have different hardware and software configurations. Unattended installation uses an answer file called Unattend.txt. You can rename Unattend.txt to reflect different installation configurations.

Advantages of unattended installation

Unattended installations save time and money because users do not have to attend to each computer and answer questions during installation. Unattended installations can also be configured to enable users to provide various levels of input during the installation process. You can perform unattended installations to upgrade many computers at once or to automate clean installations of the operating system.

Disadvantages of unattended installation

You cannot use the unattended installation tools (Winnt32.exe and Winnt.exe) to create reference configurations that include applications and then replicate the configurations across your client computers.

Unattended installation must be initiated by someone who has direct access to each client computer.

Using a Windows XP Professional Operating System CD to Perform Unattended Installations

Use a Windows XP Professional operating system CD to initiate the installation of Windows XP Professional on client computers that are not connected to a network or on computers in low-bandwidth environments.

When to use a Windows XP Professional operating system CD to perform unattended installations

You can use a Windows XP Professional CD to install the operating system, fully configured for a network, on client computers that are not connected to a network.

Advantages of using a Windows XP Professional operating system CD to perform unattended installations

Using a Windows XP Professional Operating System CD is fast. It can save the time that is required for downloading system files from a network. Using a Windows XP Professional CD simplifies deployment of the operating system on computers that do not have high-speed connectivity.

Disadvantages of using a Windows XP Professional operating system CD to perform unattended installations

To use a Windows XP Professional operating system CD to initiate the installation of Windows XP Professional on client computers, you must be able to implement the following configuration requirements:

• The client computers must support the El Torito No Emulation CD boot specification.

• Installation must be initiated by someone who has direct access to each client computer.

• You must name the answer file Winnt.sif and place the Winnt.sif file in the root directory of a floppy disk. You must insert the floppy disk in the floppy disk drive of the client computer as soon as the computer starts from the CD.

System Preparation Tool

Disk imaging, which is  also referred to as cloning, is a timesaving way to deploy Windows XP Professional. To clone a system, first configure a reference computer with the operating system, standard desktop settings, and applications that users need; then make an image of the reference computer’s hard disk. Next, transfer the image to other computers, installing the operating system, settings, and applications quickly and without the need to configure each computer.

The System Preparation tool (Sysprep.exe) prepares the reference computer for cloning. Sysprep creates a unique security identifier (SID) for each cloned client computer, which makes this process secure. Sysprep detects Plug and Play devices and adjusts for systems with different devices.

You can run Setup Manager to select the screens you want displayed during Windows Welcome (Msoobe.exe) or during MiniSetup (if you use the -mini parameter).

These screens can be used to solicit user-specific information, such as user name or time zone selection. You can also provide these answers by using an answer file to deploy fully automated installations.

Warning Sysprep performs the preparation of the system image; however, a cloning utility from a third party is required to create the image.

When to Use Sysprep

Use Sysprep to deploy clean installations in large organizations where hundreds of computers need the same applications and desktop configurations. Use Sysprep if the computers in your organization have only a few standard hardware configurations rather than many custom configurations.

Sysprep enables you to duplicate a custom image from a reference computer to destination computers. The reference computer and the destination computers must have the same hardware abstraction layer (HAL).

Advantages of Sysprep

Sysprep greatly reduces deployment time because nearly every component, including the operating system, applications, and desktop settings, can be configured without user interaction. The reference image can be copied to a CD and physically distributed to client computers, saving the time and network capacity required to load files across a network. Using Sysprep to deploy Windows XP Professional on numerous desktops in a large organization enables you to implement standardized desktops, administrative policies, and restrictions. Additionally, by default, Sysprep does not perform full hardware Plug and Play redetection, reducing this part of the installation process to just a few minutes (instead of 20 to 30 minutes for each computer).

Note Sysprep detects any new Plug and Play hardware during the MiniSetup Wizard; however, Sysprep does not detect hardware that is not Plug and Play.

Disadvantages of Sysprep

If you use a third-party disk-imaging utility with Sysprep to copy a reference image onto physical media, you must be able to distribute the physical media to remote client computers. The size of the reference image is limited by the capacity of the CD (approximately 650 MB). Sysprep cannot be used to upgrade earlier versions of the operating system. To preserve existing content, you must arrange to back up data and user settings prior to the installation, and then restore the data and user settings after the installation.

Remote Installation Services

Remote Installation Services (RIS) enables you to perform a clean installation of Windows XP Professional on supported computers throughout your organization. You can simultaneously deploy the operating system on multiple clients from one or more remote locations.

Warning To deploy Windows XP images from Windows 2000 RIS servers, you must install the Windows 2000 Remote Installation Services update. For more information about the Windows 2000 Remote Installation Services update, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base link on the Web Resources page at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/webresources. Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base using the keywords Risetup.exe, RIS Servers, and Windows XP Images. This update is not required if you are using Windows Server 2003 RIS servers.

System administrators can use RIS to create and store one or more images of a supported operating system on a RIS Server. A RIS image can then be downloaded over a network connection by a client computer that supports the Pre-Boot eXecution Environment (PXE). You can completely automate the installation of the downloaded RIS image, or you can require users to provide input by typing a computer name or an administrator password, for example.

To use Remote Installation Services, Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003 must be deployed with Active Directory configured. Then you can deploy Windows XP Professional by using the PXE technology that enables computers to boot from their network adapters. Administrators working with a RIS server can make a preconfigured image of Windows XP Professional available for installation on a client computer.

For computers that do not support PXE technology, Remote Installation Services includes a tool called the Remote Boot Floppy Generator (RBFG.exe) that you can use to create a remote boot disk to use with RIS. You can use the RIS remote boot disk with supported network adapters that comply with the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) specification.

When to Use Remote Installation Services

Use Remote Installation Services (RIS) on desktop computers that are newly added to a network or on which you want to perform a clean installation of the operating system. Use RIS when you want to standardize a Windows XP Professional configuration on new desktop computers or on computers with an existing operating system that you want to replace with Windows XP Professional.

Advantages of Remote Installation Services

Remote Installation Services offers a simple way to replace the operating system on a computer. RIS uses the Single Instance Store (SIS) method to eliminate duplicate files and to reduce the overall storage that is required on the server for system files. You can also use the Riprep option to install and configure a client computer to comply with specific corporate desktop standards.

The following list describes some of the important advantages of using RIS:

• You can standardize your Windows XP Professional installation.

• You can customize and control the end-user installation. You can configure the end-user Setup Wizard with specific choices that can be controlled by using Group Policy. For more information about Group Policy, see Chapter 23, “Connecting Clients to Windows Networks.”You do not need to distribute physical media, and image size is not constrained by the capacity of distributed physical media.

Disadvantages of Remote Installation Services

You can use Remote Installation Services only on client computers that are connected to a network that is running Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003 with Active Directory. RIS is restricted to working on computers that are equipped with PCI-compliant network adapters that are enabled for PXE technology, or with the Remote Boot Floppy Generator (Rbfg.exe) that is used to create a remote boot disk that can be used with supported PCI-compliant network adapters. RIS works only with images that have been created from drive C, and RIS cannot use images of other partitions on a hard disk. You cannot use RIS to upgrade an operating system; you can use RIS only for clean installations.

Systems Management Server

Systems Management Server (SMS) includes an integrated set of tools for managing Windows-based networks consisting of thousands of computers. Systems Management Server includes desktop management and software distribution tools to automate operating system upgrades.

When to Use Systems Management Server

In organizations that already use Systems Management Server to manage computers from a central location, SMS provides a convenient means for administrators to upgrade computers to Windows XP Professional.

You can use Systems Management Server only for upgrades of Windows-based client computers; you cannot use SMS for clean installations. For information about how administrators can plan for and implement a Windows XP Professional deployment by using Systems Management Server, see the Microsoft Systems Management Server link on the Web Resources page at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/webresources.

Advantages of Systems Management Server

You can upgrade computers in a locked-down or low-rights environment, and even upgrade computers after hours, without the user being logged on. Systems Management Server enables you to set deployment policies for specific client computers. Automatic load balancing between distribution points accommodates many concurrent upgrades.

As a primary advantage, Systems Management Server offers centralized control of the upgrade. For example, you can control when upgrades take place, which computers to upgrade, and how to apply network constraints.

Disadvantages of Systems Management Server

Systems Management Server is an efficient deployment tool for Windows XP Professional only if SMS is already being used within your network. Also, you cannot use SMS to perform clean installations of Windows XP Professional, only upgrades from earlier versions of Windows.

Where to Find the Tools and Related Information

Table 2-3 provides the locations of the tools and related information.

Table 2-3 Where to Find the Windows XP Professional Installation Tools and Documentation

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Preparing for the Installations

To prepare for an automated installation and customized deployment, compare the requirements of your design to the availability of the necessary software and hardware. In addition, learn how to create a distribution folder that can accommodate a variety of client computer configurations.

• Verify hardware and software requirements.

  There are distinct environmental baseline requirements for deployments that are built around each of the automated installation and customization tools. Make sure that you have evaluated the baseline requirements for the tool that you plan to use. Verify that your hardware and software configurations are capable of supporting these baseline requirements.

• Create a distribution folder.

  A distribution folder is a key component in designing a robust and versatile automated installation and customized deployment. You can create a single distribution folder for all your client computers, and you can design a distribution folder that all your answer files can reference.

Verify Hardware and Software Requirements

To determine whether the hardware components in your organization are compatible with Windows XP Professional, see the Windows Catalog at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/catalog.

Use the following guidelines to verify that your deployment scenario meets all the hardware and software requirements.

Sysprep requirements

If you want to use Sysprep, your configuration must comply with the following guidelines:

• The reference and destination computers must have compatible HALs.

• You must have third-party disk-imaging software that can create binary images of a hard disk.

For more information, see “Requirements for Running Sysprep” later in this chapter.

RIS requirements

To use RIS, you must have a configuration that complies with the following guidelines:

• To use the Remote Installation Preparation (Riprep) component of RIS, the reference and destination computers must have compatible HALs.

• You must have a configuration that includes a Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003 machine, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) service, Domain Name System (DNS), Active Directory, and RIS. The RIS server does not have to be the sole DNS/DHCP server or a domain controller for the domain, but it must be a member of the same domain as the client computers.

• The RIS server must contain a second partition separate from the boot partition. The second partition is required to install the Remote Installation Services. To accommodate the operating system installation images, you might want to dedicate an entire hard disk specifically to the RIS directory tree.

For more information, see “RIS” later in this chapter.

Systems Management Server

You must have a current version of Windows 2000 Server installed and configured with Systems Management Server.

For more information about using Systems Management Server to upgrade the operating system, see the Microsoft Systems Management Server link on the Web Resources page at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/webresources.

Create a Distribution Folder

A distribution folder is structured hierarchically and contains the Windows XP Professional installation files, as well as any device drivers and other files that are required to customize the installation. Distribution folders typically reside on a server to which the destination computers can connect. Use Setup Manager to create distribution folders.

A distribution folder provides a consistent environment for installing Windows XP Professional on multiple computers. You can use the same distribution folder for all the client computers. For example, if you install Windows XP Professional on various models of similarly configured computers, all your answer files can reference the same distribution folder. In this scenario, the distribution folder must contain all the necessary device drivers for the different client computers. Then, if a hardware component changes, you can simply copy a device driver for the new hardware component to the appropriate location within the distribution folder. You do not need to change the answer file.

You can create distribution folders on multiple servers to help load balance the servers during unattended installations of Windows XP Professional. Creating distribution folders on multiple servers also improves the performance of the file copy phase of unattended installation. This enables you to run Winnt32.exe with up to eight source file locations.

Distribution Folder Structure

Figure 2-2 shows the distribution folder structure and the relative location of each subfolder.

Note The structure of a RIS distribution folder varies slightly from the folder structure depicted in Figure 2-2. In a RIS distribution folder, the \$OEM$ folder must be created at the same level as the i386 folder.

\i386 folder

The distribution folder that includes the i386 folder contents from the product CD and the following files and folders.

\$$Rename.txt file

An optional file that Setup uses during installations started in MS-DOS to convert specified file names from short to long. Each subfolder in the distribution folder that contains file names that you want to convert from short to long must have its own \$$Rename.txt file.

\$OEM$

A folder that contains all the additional files required to complete the installation. If you use the OemFilesPath key in the [Unattended] section of the answer file, you can create the \$OEM$ folder outside the distribution folder.

Warning The OemPreinstall = Yes statement must appear in the [Unattended] section of the answer file if you are using the \$OEM$ folder to add any more files to the system, or if you are using Cmdlines.txt.

You can instruct Setup to automatically copy directories, standard 8.3 format files, and any tools required for your automated installation to the \$OEM$ folder.

One of the additional files that you can add to the \$OEM$ folder is Cmdlines.txt. This file contains a list of commands that Setup carries out during its GUI mode. These commands can, for example, run an .inf file, an application installation command, or another executable file. For more information about the Cmdlines.txt file, see “Adding Applications” later in this chapter.

Note The graphical user interface (GUI) phase of Setup is referred to as “GUI mode,” and the text phase of Setup is referred to as “Text mode.”

If the \$OEM$ folder is in the root of the distribution folder, Setup copies all the files to the temporary directory that is created during the text phase of Setup.

\$OEM$\Textmode

A folder that contains the hardware-dependent files that Setup Loader and Text-mode Setup install on the destination computer during Text-mode Setup. These files can include original equipment manufacturer HALs, mass storage device drivers, and the Txtsetup.oem file, which directs the loading and installing of these components. These files must also be listed in the [OEMBootFiles] section of Unattend.txt.

\$OEM$\$$

A folder that is equivalent to the %systemroot% or %windir% environment variables. You can use \$OEM$\$$ to store additional files that you want copied to the folders in the Windows XP Professional system directories. For example, if you want to copy a file to the \Windows\System32 folder, place the file in \$OEM$\$$\System32.

You can also use \$OEM$\$$ to place files in a new directory (under %windir%) that is not part of the default Windows XP Professional directory structure. For example, if you want to copy OEM Plug and Play device drivers to a directory called \Windows\PnPDrvrs, place the device drivers in \$OEM$\$$\PnPDrvrs.

\$OEM$\$$\Help

A folder that contains the OEM Help files to be copied to C:
\Windows\Help during setup.

\$OEM$\$$\System32

A folder that contains files to be copied to the C:
\Windows\System32 folder during setup.

\$OEM$\$1

A folder that is equivalent to the %SystemDrive% environment variable. For example, if the operating system is installed on drive C, \$OEM$\$1 refers back to drive C. The use of a variable enables rearranging drive letters without creating errors in applications that point to a hard-coded drive letter.

\$OEM$\$1\PnPdrvrs

A folder that contains additional Plug and Play drivers that are not included with Windows XP Professional. You can replace the name of the folder (\PnPdrvrs) with any made up of eight or fewer characters. Make sure the name of this folder matches the name used in the OemPnPDriversPath entry in Unattend.txt.

Note Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 used Display and Net folders to perform the \$OEM$\$1\PnPdrvrs folder function.

\$OEM$\$1\Sysprep

An optional folder that contains the files required to run Sysprep. Most users do not have to run Sysprep at the end of an unattended installation. For more information about Sysprep, see “System Preparation Tool” earlier in this chapter.

\$OEM$\Drive_letter

Each \$OEM$\Drive_letter folder contains a folder structure that is copied to the root of the corresponding drive in the destination computer during Text-mode Setup. For example, files you put in an \$OEM$\C folder are copied to the root of drive C. You can also create subfolders in these folders. For example, \$OEM$\D\Misc creates a \Misc folder on drive D.

Using Setup Manager to Create a Distribution Folder

The easiest way to create a distribution folder for a Sysprep, RIS, or unattended installation is to use Setup Manager, which is available on the Windows XP Professional operating system CD in the Deploy.cab file of the \Support\Tools folder. Use the Create a Distribution Folder option to create a distribution folder including required Windows XP Professional source files on a network shared drive. You can also use Setup Manager to add files that you want to copy or to supply additional device drivers for use with Windows.

For more information about using Setup Manager, see “Customizing Unattended Installations” later in this chapter.

Copying a Folder to the System Drive of the Computer

You can copy an additional folder to the system drive during the customization process. For example, you might want to copy a folder containing additional device drivers.

To copy a folder to the system drive

1. In the \$OEM$ folder of the distribution share, create a folder called \$1. This folder maps to SystemDrive, which is the destination drive for the Windows XP Professional installation.

2. In the \$1 folder, copy the folder containing the files.

3. Verify that the following statement is in the [Unattended] section of the Unattend.txt answer file:

   [Unattended] 
   OemPreinstall = Yes

Top of page

Customizing Unattended Installations

After you create a distribution folder, customize the installation by creating answer file(s) and adding devices, device drivers, applications, Help files, support information, and other components. Depending on what you want to customize, use Setup Manager to perform either or both of the following tasks:

• Add entries in the answer file to provide specific instructions to be carried out by Setup during installation.

• Populate the distribution folder by adding files, programs, and applications.

The tools you can use to customize Windows XP Professional depend on your choice of methods to install the operating system.

Table 2-4 shows the customization tools that are covered in the “Using Windows XP Professional Customization Tools” section later in this chapter.

Table 2-4 Customization Tools

You can customize features and components in Windows XP Professional. The examples provided at the end of this section demonstrate the following:

• Adding hardware devices, including storage devices, Plug and Play devices, and hardware abstraction layers (HALs). When adding hardware devices to the distribution folder and specifying the devices in the answer file, consider mass storage devices such as Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) hard drives. Windows XP Professional Setup detects and installs most hardware devices automatically. However, to install a SCSI device that is not supported by Windows XP Professional, you must add the device drivers for that SCSI device and its Txtsetup.oem file to the distribution folder (in the $OEM$\Textmode folder). To access that SCSI controller during Text mode, the [MassStorageDrivers] section of the answer file must be modified with the appropriate device driver entries.

  Note Ensure that hardware on the destination computer meets the minimum requirements listed in Chapter 1, “Planning Deployments.” Also, to ensure that the individual components are compatible with Windows XP Professional, see the Windows Catalog at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/catalog. The Windows Catalog is replacing the older Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), but you can still access text-only versions of the HCL for different Windows versions from Windows Hardware and Driver Central at http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hcl/default.mspx.

• Setting passwords for local user accounts. You can also force all users or certain users to change their passwords when they log on after an upgrade from Windows 98 or Windows Me.

• Setting options for language and multilingual support, and setting key descriptions for other regional and language options, such as language-specific keyboard layouts.

• Setting time zones.

• Specifying display settings to ensure that Setup automatically detects a computer’s display resolution.

• Specifying file system settings to automatically convert FAT16 and FAT32 file systems to NTFS during upgrades.

• Using the $$Rename.txt file to automatically convert short file names to long file names.

• Adding applications during the GUI-mode phase of Setup using Cmdlines.txt.

• Adding applications when the user logs on for the first time using [GuiRunOnce].

• Using batch files and packaging applications to be used with Windows Installer Service.

You can customize many Windows XP Professional features after installation, such as wallpaper, screen saver settings, Active Desktop, custom toolbars and taskbars, and new Start and Programs menu options. For more information about post-installation customization, see Chapter 5, “Managing Desktops.”

Using Windows XP Professional Customization Tools

Use Setup Manager (setupmgr.exe) to create answer files, or use a simple text editor (such as Notepad) to manually create them.

You can use a network connection to a RIS server to download one or more operating system images (including Windows XP Professional). If you use a RIS server to download an operating system image, RIS provides answer file templates and a Client Installation Wizard (CIW).

You can use Sysprep to distribute operating system images using removable media. Sysprep also provides an answer file (Sysprep.inf) that you can customize.

Customizing Unattended Installations

An answer file or setup script is a text file that follows a specific format and syntax and contains all the information Setup must have to automate and customize an installation. The Setup program uses this customized script to provide values for all the settings that are required during installation.

Typically, the answer file for Winnt32.exe is named Unattend.txt; however, you can use any valid file name (for example, Sales.txt, Test.txt, and Support.txt). You must use the /Unattend parameter and the correct file name when you run Setup from the command line (for example, /Unattend:filename.txt). By using descriptive names to differentiate different versions of an answer file, you can build and maintain a variety of unique answer files for the different departments within your organization.

The answer file provides Setup with the necessary information to enable interaction with the distribution folders and files that you have created.

Creating an answer file by using Setup Manager

You can use Setup Manager to create an answer file for an unattended installation, an automated installation using Sysprep, or an automated installation using RIS. Setup Manager is available on the Windows XP Professional operating system CD in the Deploy.cab file of the \Support\Tools folder. Setup Manager helps you create and modify an answer file by providing prompts for the information that is required and then creating the answer file. Setup Manager can create a new answer file, import an existing answer file for modification, or create a new answer file based on the configuration of the computer on which it is running.

Table 2-5 lists the parameters that you can configure with Setup Manager. The parameters are listed in the order in which they are presented. After you configure the parameters, Setup Manager generates the results as answer file keys.

Table 2-5 Setup Manager Parameters

Setup Manager cannot perform the following functions:

• Add system components during installation, such as Internet Information Services.

• Create Txtsetup.oem files.

• Create subfolders in the distribution folder.

  Note You can, however, add system components during installation by manually creating a [Components] section in your answer file. For more information, Ref.chm, the Microsoft Windows XP Preinstallation Reference, can be found in the Deploy.cab file in the \Support\Tools folder on your Windows XP Professional product CD.

To copy Setup Manager from the Windows XP Professional CD

1. In the \Support\Tools folder, double-click the Deploy.cab file.

2. Copy Setupmgr.exe to a folder on the hard disk.

To run Setup Manager

• Double-click Setupmgr.exe. The Setup Manager Wizard helps you create an answer file and a distribution folder.

Example of an Unattend.txt answer file

Listing 2-1 displays a typical Unattend.txt answer file. This file automates the installation or upgrade of Windows, enabling the Setup program to run without requiring user input. Comments within the answer file describe most sections, keys, and values.

Listing 2-1 Example of an Unattend.txt Answer File

Note: Some parts of the following code snippet have been displayed in multiple lines only for better readability. These should be entered in a single line.

[Unattended] 
UnattendMode = FullUnattended  
TargetPath = Windows 
FileSystem = LeaveAlone 
OemPreinstall = Yes 
OemSkipEula = Yes 
 
[GuiUnattended] 
; Set the TimeZone. For example, to set the TimeZone 
; for the Pacific Northwest, use a value of “004.
; ” Be sure to use the  numeric value that represents 
; your own time zone. To look up a numeric value, see the 
; Deploy.chm file on the Windows XP Professional CD. 
; The Deploy.cab file is in the \Support\Tools folder. 
TimeZone = “YourTimeZone" 
OemSkipWelcome = 1 
; The OemSkipRegional key allows Unattended Installation 
; to skip RegionalSettings when the final location 
; of the computer is unknown. 
OemSkipRegional = 1 
 
[UserData] 
; Tip: Avoid using spaces in the ComputerName value. 
ComputerName = “YourComputerName" 
; To ensure a fully unattended installation, you must 
; provide a value for the ProductKey key. 
ProductKey = “Your product key" 
 
[LicenseFilePrintData] 
; This section is used for server installs. 
AutoMode = “PerServer" 
AutoUsers = “50" 
 
[Display] 
BitsPerPel = 16 
XResolution = 800 
YResolution = 600 
VRefresh = 60 
 
[Components] 
; This section contains keys for installing the 
; components of Windows XP Professional. A value of 
; On installs the component, and a value of Off 
; prevents the component from being installed.
iis_common = On 
iis_inetmgr = Off 
iis_www = Off 
iis_ftp = Off 
iis_doc = Off 
iis_smtp = On 
; The Fp_extensions key installs 
; Front Page Server Extensions.
Fp_extensions = On  
; If you set the TSEnabled key to On, Terminal Services 
; is installed on a current version of Windows Server. 
TSEnabled = On 
; If you set the TSClients key to On, the files
; required to create Terminal Services client disks 
; are installed. If you set this key to On, you must 
; also set the TSEnabled key to On. 
TSClients = On 
Indexsrv_system = On 
Accessopt = On 
Calc = On 
Charmap = On 
Chat = Off 
Clipbook = On 
Deskpaper = On 
Dialer = On 
Freecell = Off 
Hypertrm = On 
Media_clips = On 
Media_utopia = On 
Minesweeper = Off 
Mousepoint = Off 
Mplay = On 
Mswordpad = On 
Paint = On 
Pinball = Off 
Rec = On 
Solitaire = Off 
Templates = On 
Vol = On 
 
[TapiLocation] 
CountryCode = “1" 
Dialing = Pulse 
; Indicates the area code for your telephone. 
; This value must be a 3-digit number.  
AreaCode = “Your telephone area code" 
LongDistanceAccess = 9 
 
[Networking] 
 
[Identification] 
JoinDomain = YourCorpNet 
DomainAdmin = YourCorpAdmin 
DomainAdminPassword = YourAdminPassword  
 
[NetOptionalComponents] 
; Section contains a list of optional network 
; components to install. 
Snmp = Off 
Lpdsvc = Off 
Simptcp = Off 
 
[Branding] 
; This section brands Microsoft Internet Explorer
; with custom properties from the Unattended answer file. 
BrandIEUsingUnattended = Yes 
 
[URL] 
; This section contains custom URL settings for Microsoft  
; Internet Explorer. If these settings are not present, the  
; default settings are used. Specifies the URL for the  
; browser’s default home page. For example, you might use 
; the following: Home_Page = www.microsoft.com. 
Home_Page = YourHomePageURL 
; Specifies the URL for the default search page. 
; For example, you might use the following: 
; Search Page = www.msn.com 
Search_Page = YourSearchPageURL 
; Specifies a shortcut name in the link folder of Favorites.  
; For example, you might use the following: 
; Quick_Link_1_Name =“Microsoft Product 
; Support Services" 
Quick_Link_1_Name = “Your Quick Link Name" 
; Specifies a shortcut URL in the link folder of Favorites.
; For example, you might use this: 
; Quick_Link_1 = http://support.microsoft.com/. 
Quick_Link_1 = YourQuickLinkURL 
 
[Proxy] 
; This section contains custom proxy settings for Microsoft  
; Internet Explorer. If these settings are not present, 
; the default settings are used. If proxysrv:80 is not 
; accurate for your configuration, be sure to replace the 
; proxy server and port number with your own values. 
HTTP_Proxy_Server = proxysrv:80 
Use_Same_Proxy = 1

Customizing Sysprep Installations

This section provides information about the components of Sysprep 2.0, including:

• The Sysprep.inf File

• The MiniSetup Wizard

• Factory mode

• Audit Boot mode

• Reseal mode

• The -msoobe parameter (Windows Welcome)

Using Sysprep.inf

Listing 2-2 displays an example of a Sysprep.inf answer file. If you are running Sysprep with the -mini parameter, you can use the Sysprep.inf answer file to automate the MiniSetup process. It uses the same .inf file syntax and key names (for supported keys) as Unattend.txt. Place the Sysprep.inf file in the %SystemDrive%\Sysprep folder or on a floppy disk. If you use a floppy disk, insert it into the floppy disk drive after the Windows startup screen appears. Note that if you do not include Sysprep.inf when running Sysprep, the MiniSetup Wizard requires user input at each customization page.

If you created a Sysprep.inf file on the reference computer and want to individually change Sysprep.inf on each destination computer, use the floppy disk method.

Listing 2-2 Sample Sysprep.inf Answer File

Note: Some parts of the following code snippet have been displayed in multiple lines only for better readability. These should be entered in a single line.

[Unattended] 
; Prompt the user to accept the EULA. 
OemSkipEula = No 
;Use Sysprep’s default and regenerate the page file
;for the system to accommodate potential differences 
;in available RAM. 
KeepPageFile = 0 
;Provide the location for additional language support
;files that might be required in a global organization. 
InstallFilesPath = c:\Sysprep\i386 
 
[GuiUnattended] 
;Set the time zone. 
TimesZone = 20 
;Skip the Welcome screen when the system starts. 
OemSkipWelcome = 1 
;Do not skip the Regional and Language Options dialog box 
;so that users can indicate which options apply to them. 
OemSkipRegional = 0 
 
[UserData] 
ComputerName = XYZ_Computer1 
 
[Display] 
BitsPerPel = 16 
XResolution = 800 
YResolution = 600 
VRefresh = 60 
 
[GuiRunOnce] 
"%systemdrive%\sysprep\filename.bat” = “path-1\Command-1.exe" 
"path-n\Command-n.exe" 
"%systemdrive%\sysprep\sysprep.exe -quiet" 
 
[Identification] 
;Join the computer to the domain ITDOMAIN. 
JoinDomain = ITDOMAIN 
 
[Networking]

For more information about answer file keys and values, see the Deploy.chm in the Deploy.cab file on the Windows XP Professional operating system CD. The Deploy.cab file is in the \Support\Tools folder.

Using MiniSetup

If you are running Sysprep with the -mini parameter, the MiniSetup Wizard appears the first time a computer starts from a disk that was duplicated by using Sysprep. The MiniSetup Wizard gathers information that is required to customize the destination computer. If you do not use Sysprep.inf or if you leave some sections of the file blank, the MiniSetup Wizard displays pages to collect the required information that has not already been provided. The displayed pages can include:

• Welcome to Windows XP Professional Setup Wizard.

• End-User License Agreement (EULA).

• Regional and Language Options.

• User name and company.

• Product key. This screen is always displayed unless you prepopulate the system preparation procedure with product key information.

• Computer name and administrator password.

• Telephony application programming interface (TAPI) settings page. This page is displayed only if a modem or a new modem device exists on the computer.

• Date and time settings.

• Networking settings.

• Workgroup or computer domain.

For more information about bypassing these screens, see Table 2-6.

Note Because Setup detects optimal settings for display devices, you no longer see the Display Settings page when Setup or the MiniSetup Wizard is running. You can specify the settings in the [Display] section either in the answer file that is used for your reference computer or in the Sysprep.inf file used for your destination computer. If settings in the [Display] section are in the answer file that is used for your reference computer, Sysprep retains those settings unless Sysprep.inf contains different settings or unless a video adapter or monitor is detected that requires settings different from those of the reference computer.

Table 2-6 Parameters in Sysprep.inf for Bypassing the MiniSetup Wizard

[RegionalSettings]
LanguageGroup = 15,7,1
SystemLocale = 00000409
UserLocale = 00000409
InputLocale = 0409:00000409
[GuiUnattended]
OemSkipRegional = 1

[UserData]
FullName = “User Name”
OrgName = “Organization Name”

[UserData]
ComputerName = W2B32054
[GuiUnattended]
AdminPassword = “”

[TapiLocation]
AreaCode = 425

[Networking]

[GuiUnattended]
TimeZone = “Index”

If you use the [RegionalSettings] section to add additional language support, make sure the language files are available. Also, make sure the C:\Sysprep\i386\Lang folder contains the files in the \i386\Lang folder on the Windows XP Professional CD. In addition, make sure the following entries appear in the Sysprep.inf file:

[Unattended]
InstallFilesPath = “C:\Sysprep\i386"

Using Sysprep Factory mode

You can use Sysprep Factory mode, sysprep -factory, to preconfigure installation options and reduce the number of displayed MiniSetup or Windows Welcome (Msoobe.exe) pages. Factory mode enables you to prepopulate information in the [Factory] section header of the Sysprep answer file, WinBom.ini. You can prepopulate information, such as address, time zone, existing ISP, and locale. You can also use Factory mode to update other .ini or answer files, such as Sysprep.inf, OOBEinfo.ini, or .isp and .ins files.

Factory mode enables you to add device drivers and applications to the image after the computer restarts when you are running Sysprep.exe. You typically run Sysprep.exe as the final step in the preinstallation process to prepare the computer for delivery. When restarted, the computer displays the MiniSetup or Windows Welcome pages. By clicking the Factory button on the OEM Reset Reminder dialog box, or by running Sysprep -factory from the command line (using the -factory parameter), the computer restarts in a network-enabled state without starting MiniSetup or Windows Welcome. In this state, Factory.exe processes WinBom.ini and performs the following tasks:

1. Copies device drivers from a network source to the computer.

2. Starts Plug and Play enumeration.

3. Copies applications from a network source to the computer.

4. Adds customer data.

In this state, the computer can be audited. When complete, run Sysprep with the - reseal parameter to prepare it for delivery.

When you use Factory mode with disk-imaging (or cloning) software, you can reduce the number of required images. You can create a reference computer image with a minimal set of device drivers, and then copy the image to the destination computers. For any destination computer that requires additional device drivers, you can run Factory mode to update the installed image with the required drivers.

Table 2-7 lists the sections in a WinBom.ini file.

Table 2-7 WinBom.ini Sections

Using Sysprep Audit Boot mode

To test and verify installations, you can use Audit Boot mode to quickly restart the computer before you are ready to use Reseal mode. You can invoke Audit Boot mode by clicking the Audit Boot button in the OEM Reset Reminder dialog box.

Using Sysprep Reseal mode

When you have made modifications in Factory mode, you can use Reseal mode to prepare the computer for delivery. When the computer restarts from Factory mode, you can invoke Reseal mode by clicking the Reseal button on the OEM Reset Reminder dialog box, or by running Sysprep -reseal from the command line (using the -reseal parameter). To display the Windows Welcome pages on the first restart after you reseal the image, use the -msoobe parameter.

Customizing RIS Installations

Remote Installation Services (RIS) is a tool that enables you to perform a clean installation of a preconfigured image of a supported operating system on a client computer. You can use RIS to install the operating system over a network connection on a computer that supports the Pre-Boot eXecution Environment (PXE). You can also use RIS with the Remote Boot Floppy Generator (Rbfg.exe) to create a remote boot disk that can be used with a variety of supported PCI-based network adapters.

Using RIS answer files

The Remote Installation Services answer file guides the installation of the operating system. When you install RIS on a computer running a current version of Windows 2000 Server and then run Risetup.exe, a standard answer file is created and named Ristndrd.sif. You can modify this RIS answer file to perform an installation with minimal or no user intervention and place the computer account object in the domain in which the RIS server resides. Ristndrd.sif also contains the description that is displayed during the CIW when the user at the client computer selects an operating system image to install.

Listing 2-3 displays an example of a RIS answer file, Ristndrd.sif.

Listing 2-3 Sample Ristndrd.sif Answer File

Note: Some parts of the following code snippet have been displayed in multiple lines only for better readability. These should be entered in a single line.

[Data] 
Floppyless = “1" 
MsDosInitiated = “1" 
OriSrc = “\\%SERVERNAME%\RemInst\%INSTALLPATH%\%MACHINETYPE%" 
OriTyp = “4" 
LocalSourceOnCD = 1 
 
[SetupData] 
OsLoadOptions = “/noguiboot /fastdetect" 
SetupSourceDevice = “\Device\LanmanRedirector\%SERVERNAME%\
RemInst\%INSTALLPATH%” 
 
[Unattended] 
OemPreinstall = No 
FileSystem = LeaveAlone 
ExtendOEMPartition = 0 
TargetPath = \WINDOWS 
OemSkipEula = Yes 
InstallFilesPath = “\\%SERVERNAME%\RemInst\
%INSTALLPATH%\%MACHINETYPE%" 
LegacyNIC = 1 
 
[UserData] 
FullName = “%USERFIRSTNAME% %USERLASTNAME%" 
OrgName = “%ORGNAME%" 
ComputerName = %MACHINENAME% 
 
[GuiUnattended] 
OemSkipWelcome = 1 
OemSkipRegional = 1 
TimeZone = %TIMEZONE% 
AdminPassword = “*" 
 
[Display] 
BitsPerPel = 16 
XResolution = 800 
YResolution = 600 
VRefresh = 60 
 
[Networking] 
 
[NetServices] 
MS_Server = params.MS_PSched 
 
[Identification] 
JoinDomain = %MACHINEDOMAIN% 
DoOldStyleDomainJoin = Yes 
 
[RemoteInstall] 
Repartition = Yes 
UseWholeDisk = Yes 
 
[OSChooser] 
Description = “Microsoft Windows XP Professional" 
Help = “Automatically installs Windows Professional 
without prompting the user for input." 
LaunchFile = “%INSTALLPATH%\%MACHINETYPE%\
templates\startrom.com" 
ImageType = Flat 
Version = “5.1”

Customizing the RIS Client Installation Wizard

After you install RIS on a computer that is running a current version of Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003, you have access to a default set of Client Installation Wizard (CIW) pages, which provide basic functionality for installing clients. You can modify the CIW pages to meet the needs of your organization. The files are simple text files (with an .osc extension) that are in the OSCML format. CIW pages are also referred to as Operating System Chooser (OSC) pages. They have the .osc file name extension and are modeled on the HTML 2.0 format.

Note The CIW screens are modeled on HTML 2.0; they are not a subset of the HTML 2.0 specification.
OSCML does not support Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition, Microsoft JScript, or Sun Microsystems’ Java.

Table 2-8 describes the pages that are displayed when a user logs on to the client computer during a RIS installation of the operating system.

After the summary page appears, the user exits the Client Installation Wizard and proceeds to the automated installation process. The automated installation process is similar to installing the operating system from a CD, but instead of accessing the installation media locally, the client computer accesses operating system files that are stored remotely on a RIS server. Depending on the speed of your network and the load on the RIS server, this process can be much faster than an installation from a CD-ROM drive.

Table 2-8 Client Installation Wizard Screens

Using the Client Installation Wizard

Typically, when a remote boot–enabled client computer using RIS to install an operating system is turned on for the first time, the client computer contacts the boot server, and the user is prompted to press the F12 key on the keyboard of the client computer to initiate the download of the Client Installation Wizard (CIW). After the CIW is downloaded to the client computer, the Welcome page appears and the user is prompted to log on to the network with an existing user account, password, and logon domain. After the logon process is established, RIS checks to see what installation options the user has access to based on the Group Policy settings that are applied to the user. The CIW displays a menu with the appropriate installation options tailored to the specific user. RIS has been configured so that a user is not presented with installation options by default. The Automatic setup option is automatically chosen.

Startrom.com and Startrom.n12 are two of the RIS boot files in the \RemoteInstall
\OSChooser\i386 folder of the RIS hard disk partition on a RIS server.

Startrom.com

The default RIS boot file that can be sent in response to a client computer request to initiate the operating system installation procedure. If you use the default RIS boot file, the client computer prompts the user to press the F12 key to download the Client Installation Wizard (CIW).

Startrom.n12

The alternate RIS boot file that you can rename and use to streamline the process of initiating the installation of the operating system. If the client computer has a new, clean hard disk and if it is configured to boot from the network, use this alternate RIS boot file. The RIS server automatically starts downloading the CIW to the client computer. The client computer does not prompt the user to press the F12 key.

The \RemoteInstall\OSChooser\i386 folder is created and populated when you run Risetup.exe on a computer that is running Windows 2000 Server. The default Startrom.com file is the boot file that can be sent, in response to a client computer request, from a RIS server to a client computer. This default Startrom.com file prompts the user to press the F12 key to initiate the download of the CIW pages and to start the process of installing the operating system.

If you are installing Windows XP Professional on a new client computer that has a clean hard disk, you can use the Startrom.n12 file instead of the default Startrom.com file on the RIS server to eliminate the need to press the F12 key from the client computer. To do this, perform the following tasks from the RIS server:

1. In the \RemoteInstall\OSChooser\i386 folder of the hard disk partition that is used for RIS installations, rename Startrom.com to Startrom.old, and then change the name of the Startrom.n12 file to Startrom.com.

2. Change the boot order of the client computer so that it starts from the hard disk first and from PXE second.

The first time the client computer attempts to start from the hard disk, the boot process fails because the operating system is not yet installed on the hard disk. The client computer then starts from PXE without requiring a user to press the F12 key. After you successfully complete the operating system installation, subsequent restarts are performed by using the operating system that is now installed on the hard disk. It is necessary to perform step two in the preceding task because the client computer initiates a RIS installation on every restart if PXE is first in the boot order.

Creating an Answer File Manually

You can use a text editor, such as Notepad, to manually create an answer file. An answer file consists of section headers, keys, and values for those keys. Note that you do not have to specify all possible keys in the answer file if the installation does not require them. Invalid key values might cause errors or faulty performance after Setup. Listing 2-4 displays an example of a manually created answer file.

Listing 2-4 Example of a Manually Created Answer File

[Section1] 
; Sections contain keys and corresponding values for the keys. 
; Keys and values are separated by equal signs. 
; Values with spaces usually require double quotes. 
; Text (like this) following semi-colons are comments. 
Key = Value 
 
[Section2] 
Key = “Value with spaces"

Winnt.sif is the name for an answer file that is used for performing an unattended clean installation from a CD. To create a Winnt.sif file, use Setup Manager and rename the Unattend.txt file it creates to Winnt.sif. Listing 2-5 displays an example of a fully unattended Winnt.sif answer file.

Note When you use Winnt.exe to perform a clean installation from a bootable CD on a computer with multiple hard disks or partitions, specify the exact location of the destination hard disk or partition to which you are installing. Add AutoPartition = 1 to the [Data] section of the Winnt.sif file to specify the location.

Listing 2-5 Sample Winnt.sif Answer File

[Data] 
AutoPartition = 1 
MsDosInitiated = 0 
UnattendedInstall = Yes 
[Unattended] 
UnattendMode = FullUnattended 
OemSkipEula = Yes 
OemPreinstall = No 
 
[GuiUnattended] 
AdminPassword = * 
OEMSkipRegional = 1 
TimeZone = 85 
OemSkipWelcome = 1 
 
[UserData] 
FullName = USERNAME 
OrgName = MS 
ComputerName = COMPUTERNAME 
 
[Identification] 
JoinWorkgroup = WORKGROUP 
 
[Networking] 
InstallDefaultComponents = Yes

Customizing Components and Features

This section describes the tools you can use and the procedures you can perform to manually customize the components and features of a Windows XP Professional installation. You also have the option of using Setup Manager Wizard to customize components and features for a Windows XP Professional installation.

Adding Hardware Device Support

The following topics describe how to add hardware device support to your installation:

• Mass Storage Devices

• Hardware Abstraction Layers

• Driver Signatures

• Plug and Play Devices

Mass Storage Devices

In Windows XP Professional, Plug and Play installs most hardware devices that can be loaded later in the setup process. However, mass storage devices, such as hard disk controllers, must be properly installed for full Plug and Play support to b