computerguru

Nice guide CalBoy, this helps a lot installing apps which mayn't be installed at audit mode. Just a recommendation, if you use WinInstall LE to capture your installation routine, use a fresh, untouched windows 7 as reference OS, I mean if your OS already includes .netfx, ms visual C ++ redistributable, updated directx, the app simply overlooks installing them, but when to use those msi's on a win 7 which doesn't include them, then the apps may not work properly. @CalBoy you may also include something about WPI (Windows Post Installlation), or simply creating a autoplay menu, which let the user to choose what apps they like to be installed. Thanks a lot for your guide.

Now I am describing the core part. As this part covers custom setup environment, there a plenty of platforms avaliable. All these called as preinstallation environment or PE. Famous of them are BartPE, Windows Live CD, Norton GHOST, Farstone recovery console, Windows PE. Among of them WinPE seems to me as much more useful than the others, THOUGH MY EXPERIENCE SAYS THAT NORTON GHOST IS THE FASTEST OF ALL. But winpe at the same time can provide a huge of functionality we needed. WinPE is an operating environment but it just contains a command prompt by default, where X:\ refers to the %systemroot%\system32 directory of the mounted PE image. WinPE is not a real operating environment and automatically restarts in every 24 hours (though we can disable this by disabling system clock by a batch script). WinPE lacks of many more windows default functionalities. Note that we can gather winPE from both windows 7 setup disk or from Windows Automated Installation Kit, we must should gather it from WAIK. To create a winpe boot iso do the followings: (I assume your machine is x86) click start, all programs, deployment tools command prompt, then type the followings, press ENTER after a line; copype.cmd x86 C:\winpe_x86 copy C:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim C:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\boot.wim "C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86\ImageX.exe" C:\winpe_x86\ISO\ now we have the winPE wim file from WAIK, and this is our reference wim file. As winpe lacks of some functionality by default; we have to remove this lackings according to our needs. We want to perform the setup task by winpe, so we have to add the following functinality; 1. imagex to expand and apply the install.wim file to a partition 2. diskpart to perform partitioning tasks, though diskpart is included in winpe, but it is not so user friendly, so we have to add a GUI front of diskpart which may be collected from the net. 3. Necesary files to run any GUI application, also have to make batch commands to perform the partitioning and imaging process. To be continued:)

Thanks a lot calBoy for your interest. Offcourse as I said knowledge and happiness increases by sharing, so don't mind posting a guide here. You're appreciated forever.

So, thanks to everyone who read, practised, advised on this topic, finally I want to start the second part of my guide. Not that knowledge and hapiness increased & sorrows dicreased by sharing, so if any one have any useful correction, do this without any hesitation. I try to cover my guide in two parts 1. VHD boot method (simpler to those who pratised a lot, have many useful features like no limitation of wim file size, very fast and secure but NOT SO GOOD METHOD TO END USER). I'll explain this method later (though its recommended for the experienced user). 2. Custom setup environment method. It's 'custom' so the method may vary from user to user, it's uefulness depends on it's adjustments but frankly to say you have no troubles understanding windows setup routine after practising this. Windows setup routines: There are two methods of installing windows, pre vista (or pre longhorn) & vista. 1. Pre vista: Previous versions of windows includes setup routine, which have windows files compressed (mainly LZX compression methods were used). Such as explorer.exe was compressed as explorer.ex_, each files were compressed and in setup time it had two parts; a. text mode setup. Start from loading hal, kernel debuggers and other massstorage drivers. Then uses fdisk or format.com to format partitions. Diskpart to modify, create, delete, rebuild partition table (just a moment, would you point that diskpart of win2k,XP is much more efficient than vista or 7, specially creating primry and logical partitions at the same time). Then loading setupp.ini from the i386 directory of intallation media, reading the txtsetup.sif file to make the lists of files to be copied, copying files to the %systemdrive% drectory, loading registry hives, and then performing oemdetachedcommand if provided. b. graphical mode setup: installing the devices detected, installing network, installing startmenu items and at T-13 stage, perform the svcpack.inf provided tasks. Then at 1st logon runs the runonceex commands if provided. Intallation usually takes 30-35 minutes and if large number of drivers are integrated, huge applications called to be installed unattendedly, may take hours to complete, but a good thing is can be performed on a very very slow p-3 machine, and setup CD doesn't include tons of unnecessary apps. 2. Vista (or longhorn) setup routine: Mainly insisting on deployment, specially server deployment, the breakthrough in windows setup was invented, the silence breaking imaging format .wim (windows image) was came to light, in this format a single file contains all files and it's just a image of a drive or a partition, so takes longer time to build the .wim file but takes a little time to mount and expand. In this method there are two parts; a. WINPE: loads all necessary massstorage drivers, then use diskpart to modify partition (doesn't seem so much useful to me). Then mount the install.wim file, expand it to the selected partition, mark this partition as active. b. SETUP: as the install.wim file is integrated enough to perform the rest of the setup procedure (including driver installation), then oobe (or audit) part is performed, user dektop initialization process completes and then... thats just enough for the time, you may think that I'm o much elaborate, but I think it is required.

Thanks yesnovato, you shouldn't be worried about the deletion process if you follow my method, if you use firtlogoncommands method then execute your clean.cmd as the last command, so tweak2.reg then looks like Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce] "Final"="regedit /s C:\\Windows\\setup\\scripts\\tweak1.reg" ;you may put your another entries here. [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce] "Final9"="C:\\Windows\\setup\\scripts\\clean.cmd" clean.cmd will be executed at your first logon, setupcomplete.cmd will be executed before first logon commands. So, no worry. For inbox drivers, windows 7 contains a lot of drivers included in the image by default (mainly the graphics & sound card drivers). If your integrated driver is not better or up to date, then it won't be installed. Also, I read some problems with Nvidia display drivers, you may check them from www.driverpacks.net.

Hello CalBoy, you can restar ur pc before syspreped and Daemon will continue, after that u can syspreped ur image. I hope that helps, good luck Yesnovato No no, sorry i didn't explain it correctly. Its not the installation thats the problem. Daemon tools installs fine in audit mode, but after its installed and i take the image of the drive. When its being installed it has trouble. I'll take a screen shot when I have a moment and show you what i mean. Thanks Calboy @ CalBoy, thanks for the suggetion, I'll add it shortly. Also thanks a lot for mentioning Daemon tools, it helps me a looooooot understanding your problem dude. Daemon tools or any virtual drive emaluator (such as ultra ISO, Magic ISO, etc) may and in most cases offcourse break the intallation routine. As it is suggested that programs like this SHOULDN'T BE INSTALLED IN AUDIT MODE. They'll create problem at driver detection stage. If you follow the next part of my upcoming guide, you may then do this, but not yet. Rather you may install them via setupcomplete.cmd or runonce at this time. I requet you to stay in touch with this topic.

Thanks a lot Yesnovato for testing & posting your results. But YOU TOTALLY MISUNDERSTOOD MY POST ABOUT HKCU REG ENTRIES. You called your tweaks1.reg to be merged via setupcomplete.cmd, which included HKCU entries. You was totally wrong, you have to call it to be merged via RunOnce (which you know as FirstLogonCommands) not from setupcomplete.cmd. Setupcomplete.cmd just puts a runonce (firstlogoncommand) entry to merge it which may be : regedit /s "%systemroot%\setup\scripts\tweak2.reg" put this line into your setupcomplete.cmd, and then create a .reg file with the entries below; Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce] "Final"="regedit /s C:\\Windows\\setup\\scripts\\tweak1.reg" [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce] "Final2"="rd /s /q C:\\Windows\\setup\\scripts" save the file as tweak2.reg, put it in your scripts folder. Remember if you follow this method, you don't need clean.cmd. If you like to use clean.cmd run it from firstlogoncommands via autounattend.xml NOT FROM setupcomplete.cmd. But I am happy as you have already done this (merging HKCU registry entries) via autounattend.xml via firstlogoncommands, note that firstlogoncommands refers to RunOnce. For drivers, if windows 7 inbox drivers are updated than your integrated drivers, they wont be installed. Also you should use winintegrator instead of waik for driver integration as I have tested and found it much more efficient. Also in your clean.cmd, you used %system% which is wrong, it should be %systemroot%. Thanks, PLZ REPLY IF YOU UNDERSTAND OR NOT. I'll start posting the second part of my guide after some hours today.

Would you mind posting how you make the image (via winPE or from desktop using WAIK), also provide your imagex command. There may be another possibility, from the image you provided it seems to me that D:\ is your DVD drive (make me sure, was I right or wrong), your DVD may be corrupted. As windows setup displays this type of error message when- 1. The install.wim file can't be found in %installationmedia%\sources location (make right if you name your image file install.wim, recheck it). 2. Your install.wim file is corrupted (to check whether it is corrupted or not, just run setup from your desktop, untill you get the product license page, if it appears, your image is ok). 3. Your installation media is corrupted (to check it copy the contents of your DVD to any temporary location, if the copy process is successful then delete the copied contents from the temp location). But from the image you posted, I assume you wasn't get the product license page (even you might not get the install options page), so case 1. is the most possibility. Check it and post here if your problem is solved or not very soon.

Hello Computerguru The same problem, now i test with my x64 tweaks, it doesn't work and I get the $windows-bt and $windows-ls at C:\ i dont know what is the problem, I follow the tutotial. Please could you help me. Thank in advance @ Yesnovato, you MUST check the generalize checkbox, otherwise your installation traces, and the $windows-bt and $windows-ls at C:\ won't be removed. Make it right and let me no if it works. for tweaks, just use a registry file instead of tweaks.reg, which previously worked with your x64 machine, it will helpful to determine which part isn't working, tweaks.reg or RunOnce. 32 Bit machine means x86 machines. Post your result soon.

You are right in one point, really there are no text mode in windows 7 installation routine. But about hardware independent setup, the file setup.exe is totally dependent on halacpi.dll( checked through dependency walker), and whenever windows setup runs, it modifies the file according to machines hardware configuration. And about what is happening during setup, I planned to post the procedure in the 2nd part of my guide, but for ONLY your case you can run procmon (a freeware process monitoring utility) during setup. Just copy the file to boot.wim, index no.1 %mountlocation%\windows\system32\procmon.exe. You can then run it from startnet.cmd (executed before setup.exe executes). Just add this line to it: procmon.exe then you can monitor processes running during setup. Note that the setup environment (windows 7 setup OR WinPE) x64 machines, is totally different from x86 machines. But the tricky one, you could point it. Yes, if you made the partition bootable using windows 7 x86 media then if you add it to a x86 machine, installation should must go (no matter the partition or disk is prepared in a x86 or a x64 bit machine), and for the x86 media this is all the same. Thats just the end, I'll be happy if you inform me that if I can help you or not.

Actually you might have some mistakes yesnovato. 1st I've experimented the method, and in my case the folder c:\windows\setup\scripts was deleted (the 'rd' command removed the directory). But I think you were wrong because you had C:\$windows-LS and C:\windows-BT, as if you performed a fresh installation (from any bootable media) then there SHOULDN'T these folders (they had been created for temporary purpose, when you run setup from your desktop). For 2) I'm thinkinng about it, but just a question, do you applied my provided tweaks.reg( they only works with 32 bit os), or your own?

Your question isn't so clear dude. If you wanted to mean 'keys' as 'product keys', obviously they won't be wiped out. If you wanted to mean application settings (office customization including options whether to download product updates or not), then just follow the method I previously posted. Reply if it can help you. @Yesnovato, what about you? Did you face any problems understanding?

Hey thanks for the quick answer! Yeah i have a genuine product key so thats fine. What else with the generalize setting do? Also when i run sysprep with the generalize will it wipe all of my application settings? As a few of my applications i setup before hand therefore not having to do it everytime i install windows. I have to install windows across quite a few computers as i take care of multiple computers on a site, so i dont want to have to put the applications settings in for every computer. I've looked into WinPE but I would like to see if this method would be any quicker. Thanks in advance No, none of your application settings will be wiped out. But if your application settings include HKCU registry values (I assume you know what it meant for), such as shortcuts, windows media player customizations, then you may lost them, as for ONLY YOUR CASE, you want to keep this settings once applied, you have to do the following (Personally I DON'T like this, as every of your customer have differrent choice, you shouldn't DO THIS UNLESS YOU ARE SURE THAT YOU ARE RIGHT). 1. Install windows, enter audit mode, install apps, customize application settings (known as application data). 2. Go to %systemdrive%\users\Administrator. 3. From the organize tab, select folder and search options, select "show hidden files and folders" uncheck "hide protected operating system files". 4. Select all contents of this folder (alternatively you may just select the application data (and or AppData) folder). 5. Copy them to %systemdrive%\users\default folder, overwrite any file if required. 6. Then run sysprep, select the generalize checkbox, your application settings will be saved and applied to every computer when you reinstall windows using this sysprepped image. Thanks PLZ Don't forget to post your response.

There is just a one question; do you have a genuine windows 7 product key? If your answer is yes then offcourse you can run windows update during sysprep. Windows update just requires your windows 7 product key to be genuine and also requires it to be activated, you can then run windows update. Don't worry about your product key, it won't be stolen. When you run sysprep and also select the generalize checkbox, all traces of your activation will be removed at sysprep DTC cleanup stage. Also your SID (which uniquely identifies your machine) will be removed. But if your answer is no, then you have to buy a genuine one or have to take non-genuine steps which may also violate your local law. I'm waiting for your response.