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TheUni

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  1. I'm using nlite to trim down my ISO and add make the install unattended. I've used nlite, ryanvm, driverpacks, etc. for hundreds of builds, but i've come across this problem (bug) that I can't figure out. Using latest (1.4.1) nlite and creating an unattended setup, same winnt.sif i've used for years, it asks me for computername during install. The computername i've set is filled in the box, but I have to hit enter. Everything else (name, key, locale, oobe, etc) get skipped just fine. I searched everywhere and found someone else with the same trouble, but from a long time ago: http://www.msfn.org/board/nlite-s-Unattend...ter-t69758.html Obviously all the entries in the winnt.sif are correct, including unattended setup, computername, etc. nothing has changed from a working install. Is this an nlite bug? I don't understand how it could be, but everything else seems right. Thanks TheUni
  2. Haven't really checked on this thread since i wrote those (modified the official microsoft) scripts... What's the consensus? do they work? If so, i'll do a little more work and get some basic error checking and looping in em TheUni
  3. Haven't had much time to play around with these scripts lately, so i figured i'd let you guys take a look. Still haven't tried them in a pre-boot environment, so i can't guarantee they'll work. Anyway, see my previous posts to see what they (hopefully) do. Btw, there's hardly any error checking. Feel free to add some simple checks if you see fit. Also, i have not messed around with taking more than one key, or differentiating btw home and pro, so feel free to give that a shot as well. Most of the code for changing the key was taken directly from an MS script. Usage For ChangeKey.vbs: Cscript changekey.vbs filepath\serial.txt --Serial.txt should contain 1 line containing the serial number. w/ dashes or w/o. doesnt matter. For PromptKey.vbs: Cscript promptkey.vbs abc12-abc12-abc12-abc12-abc12 --obviously the argument here is your desired key. This is only needed for an OEM install that is NOT a royalty version. This makes it so that you don't have to create a seperate disk. Please let me know if this works or not. If so, maybe i can find some more time to add some functionality. ChangeKey.zip
  4. sure The script wont let you change to an invalid key. i've tried. i haven't tested it during an install, but it works fine otherwise. i assume it'll work fine. they're on my pc at home, i'll post when i get back.
  5. i see where you're going, i guess i have 2 .vbs files. 1 for changing the key to a string found in a file. ie: changekey.vbs "..\dell\serial.txt" 2 is for prompting for a new key. This is the case for a NON-Royaltiy oem sticker: promptkey.vbs for changekey, i guess i could have the script try more than 1 key for each file. That would be alot easier than checking for home/pro, then using that key. it would be easier to try them both. if one fails (if you try to use a home key for pro it WILL fail) then use the other so your dell\serial.txt would just look like this: 123ab-123ab-123ab-123ab-123ab 'DELL XP Home Key 123bc-123bc-123bc-123bc-123bc 'DELL XP Pro Key it wouldnt have to prompt you at all. just quietly use whichever one works good enough?
  6. the key isnt what changes the distro btw home and pro. They're different disks. afiak you'd still have to use a home cd to install home and a pro to install pro. if you're wanting to do both, you should look into Powerpacker made by siginet.
  7. I asked siginet about this, and his board pointed me this way. Seems like this implementation might make this a little easier... would it be possible to add support for royalty AND non-royalty oem licenses? So if it failes to identify a SLP, it defaults to the last entry. Here, you could copy the oembios files from the real XP OEM disk, and run a script that prompts for the serial on the sticker. For example: [iBM CORPORATION] PATH="\IBM\" CMD="" [TOSHIBA] PATH=".\TOSHIBA\" CMD="" ELSE PATH=".\OEM" CMD=".\PromptForChange.exe" on another note... I've already created a .vbs script that changes the key that takes a file (containing a key) as an argument. it works successfully in sp2 to change my key. For example: cscript changekey.vbs "..\dell\serial.txt" would this work for this project? then we could have this entry: [DELL] PATH=".\DELL\" CMD="cscript changekey.vbs "..\dell\serial.txt""
  8. OK Here's my plan, then. I've been playing with dp_base and i like it. Any problem with using nlite to remove and change some settings and integrate some packs (have to do this to 6 seperate folders, blehk), using powerpacker to merge them into 1 cd, then using dp_base on the ROOT folder to add drivers to all 6. Sound ok?
  9. Siginet: Ignore the post on the other forum. I just discovered that after nliting with drivers, there's a 1byte difference in a majority of the files in the i386 folder for example: MSCF , H /5º{ mmcfxcr.dll MSCF , H /5‘ˆ mmcfxcr.dll notice the character right after the 5. I'm guessing that because of that, the iso creation makes 2 copies of all those files, rather than 1. For that reason, the iso gets MUCH bigger after adding a new cd. My current procedure is nlite (including driver integration) -> powerpacker. Should i do somthing different? RyanVM for packing the drivers maybe? Thanks for the help
  10. Usually when i pack a cd, i can cram 5 or 6 different versions into 1. It usually looks like this: Dell Gateway XP Home XP Pro XP Home OEM XP Home Upgrade I tried integrating driver packs during the Nlite portion of my integration (I do nlite for each disk, then pack them all in). The individual cds are still small, but when i create the iso (usually about 650 megs), it's now over a gig. A quick windiff tells me that the driver.cab is the problem. It seems to be the same size for each version, but slightly different, so the iso can't use the same copy for each. Any advice? Can i use the same driver.cab (and .sif files) for each build? I need some way to get the filesize back down to normal TheUni
  11. This has probably been asked a time or two in this thread, but i've sifted through a couple times and can't find the answer now. What's the best media to use for an OEM Preinstall disk like this? I've got a Home Retail, Home OEM, and Home Dell disk at my disposal, but don't want to waste hours finding the right one to use. Also, same question for the serial number. I know oem-preactivation keys should work regardless of the manufacturer, but i've tried using that dell key with oembios files from a toshiba cd, and i get "cd key rejected" when trying to activate. I checked the msoft site for a key to use, but they're all for XP Pro. Any thoughts would be appreciated
  12. Awesome... I've been knee-deep in that thread for a while now. Seems that the most elegant solution for powerpacker would be to let users simply supply their own oembios.* for each winnt.sif they choose. Am i making this too simple?
  13. I am currently working on a disk that makes reinstalling windows for my customers easier. One of the biggest hassles is calling microsoft to activate. Each OEM Vendor seems to have a disk they can use (with 1 generic serial number). For example, if you use a Dell Windows XP cd to reinstall, activation works every time. But if you use a regular WinXP Retail cd, activation fails and you have to call in. So what i've been doing is just collecting cds where i can find them and integrating them into my powerpacked disk. so far i have dell and gateway. It seems to have something to do with the oembios.* files. And obviously the winnt.sif file which contains the universal serial number (this is why you dont have to type a serial if you're using a manufacturer's disk rather than just a retail). My question is: Is there an easier way? Avoiding the activation phonecall legally is a big timesaver for me. I'd love to have a disk that lets me reinstall for every major vendor (dell, gateway, hp, compaq, sony, etc). But does that mean i'm going to have to find an original cd from each and pack it the way i have been? Any thoughts?
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