How to Use Sysprep to Automate Mini-Setup

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Sysprep is a tool designed for corporate system administrators, OEMs, and others who need to deploy the Windows® XP operating system on multiple computers. After performing the initial setup steps on a single system, you can run Sysprep to prepare the sample computer for cloning.

You can take either or both of the following steps to automate Mini–Setup.

To automate Mini–Setup:

  • Create a Sysprep folder on the %systemdrive% of the master installation.
    –Or–

  • Create the Sysprep.inf file, save the .inf file to a floppy disk, and insert the disk at the beginning of Mini–Setup.

    Note  The Sysprep folder is deleted after Mini–Setup completes.

You can also automate Mini–Setup by combining the two methods listed above. For example, if you are auditing a computer, run a Sysprep.inf file from a floppy disk with all the necessary responses to speed up the audit. After auditing, set up the original Sysprep.inf to run from the %systemdrive%\Sysprep\ folder, so that the customer can respond to the necessary questions during Mini–Setup.

Note  If you use InstallFilesPath or OemPnpDriversPath in your Sysprep.inf file, make sure the paths specified for these entries are consistent for all Sysprep.inf files.

Use the Oobeinfo.ini file to automate Windows Welcome.