[HOWTO] No Touch Multi-Partitioned Windows XP installation Disc.

[mrquincy]

Description: This document is a pseudo step by step guide to creating a boot disc that requires no touches to fully install Windows with selected components removed, selected programs integrated, and a customized partition scheme. It is not the only way, but it is my way and it works. It’s not dummyproof and your process may need to deviate from what I’m describing here, but this is a great start. I typed this up quick, so I would read the whole post and then ask questions because I may answer the problem later on in the post. I’ll revise this as you ask questions.

Necessary Programs: nLite, Bart’s PEBuilder, Windows XP source disc (ideally, unbranded by OEM’s), Driverpack BASE, 7zip, and IMGBurn (my iso burner of choice, yours will work fine too presumably). Google search will reveal all of these programs if you don’t know where to get them

Step 1: Know your Rights

Know what your rights are to the software you are going to be using. Licensing is important and these programs typically are only licensed for funnzies (If you’re planning to make money off of someone else’s work…stop now). If you’re curious about how Windows XP works and want to make a slick version of the operating system for your personal use, then let’s get to work!

Step 2: Know what you need

Are you looking for a disc that will install a reduced version of Windows to conserve disc space? Or maybe you are looking for a disc that has programs, updates, and other configurations built in? Maybe you’re a glutton for punishment like me and want a disc that automates partitioning, reduces some Windows functionality, and integrates programs, updates, amd configurations. nLite can reduce Windows components, we’ll discuss that later. If you want to have programs built in you will need packages called “Add-Ons” for nLite. Many can be found at http://www.winaddons.com and other easily googled sources. Properly configured add-ons can save you hundreds of megabytes in disc space. RyanVM has some fantastic catch all add-ons to get you started like a comprehensive .NET package and a relatively up to date windows update AIO add-on, google him, thank him, and enjoy his hard work. Create another folder on your desktop called “add-ons” and put all your add-ons in it, you will reference this folder later when using nLite. In addition to addons, you’ll want to make sure you have SP3 downloaded if your version of Windows XP doesn’t have it built in.

Note: You won’t find an Office 2007 add-on. I’ll address this suite and other programs that you may want to integrate, but cannot find an add-on for later on.

Step 3: Rip your Source, Add Programs, Remove Windows Components

-Create a folder on your desktop, name it “XP”.

-Put in your Windows XP CD in your optical drive.

-Start nLite, use your Windows XP cd as the installation source. When you are prompted to choose a destination, select the “XP” folder you created on your desktop. nLite will copy the files to the new location.

-The next pertinent screen will let you select nLite tasks to perform…for my purposes I select: Service Pack, Hotfixes, Addon’s and Update Packs, Components, Unattended, Options, and Tweaks. I don’t integrate drivers in nLight, the DriverPack BASE does a better job IMHO.

-Next we’re going to slipstream SP3. Just hit browse and select your service pack that you downloaded from Microsoft.

Note: You can also perform this task without nLite using an “/integrate” switch on the SP3 package, if anyone’s interested

-On the next screen we will insert addons. Hit the “Insert” button and browse out to your “Add-Ons” folder where you stored the programs you want to integrate. Choose all the add-ons you want now, you won’t be able to later.

-The next screen will allow you to select Windows components to be removed from your installation disc. This is where you can get rid fo crap you don’t want. At the very least, disable the Search Assistant. You will never have to look at that stupid animated dog again. Be very careful in this section not to remove a component you will need later. Be especially careful with items marked in red, as these can affect operating system usability/basic functionality.

-After you make it through the component removal, now you can automate windows configuration. Nuhi couldn’t have made this section easier, I won’t both explaining, and you (probably) won’t bother asking.

-Once you have your unattended installation tweaked, then comes the options page. Another self explanatory page.

-After the options page, another skillfully planned Tweaks page. Figure it out, genius.

-Hit next, click yes to start the process. When nLite is done processing the “XP” folder on your desktop will be ready for our next step.

Step 4: Drivers! Gobs and Gobs of them!

Next we need to add drivers so you won’t have to go through the whole 20 minutes it takes to download and install them. The DriverPacks are incredibly versatile packages, incorporating most drivers for computers 3-4 years old and newer. If your missing an important driverpack, don’t sweat it, you can find miscellaneous driver packs online or make your own http://forum.driverpacks.net/viewtopic.php?id=279. Start the DriverPack BASE, select the “from disc” radio button and choose the “XP” folder on your desktop…not the actual disc. Select the checkboxes for the driverpacks you want, download them, hit the checkboxes (including the “text mode” for sata drivers) if they aren’t already selected. The rest of the features of the DriverPack BASE won’t matter for our purposes; hit “Slipstream!” The result will be an unattended XP folder with driver’s integrated. If you DO NOT want to automate disc partitioning and DO NOT want to add a Microsoft Office suite unattended install then run nLite again selecting only the bootable ISO option create the ISO, then burn using IMGBURN. If you do want to continue tweaking, keep reading.

Step 5: Office 2007 unttended…how I got it to work, anyway

-Plenty of resources on this. I created an mst file and referenced it with the “/adminfile” switch in a batch file that runs when Windows first boots. I like the following thread for this task: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=72392.

-Don’t forget to investigate the Office Slipstramer to keep your Office install up to date! (google it)

-We’ll use the folder with Office files in it and the mst file in a little bit.

Step 6: “I want multiple partitions to install automatically!”

Your Windows disc won’t let you. You can accomplish this using WinPE or BartPE. I used BartPE (PEBuilder). Essentially, Bart’s pre execute environment will give you an opportunity to script disk partitioning using the diskpart command. You will need to use the DriverPack BASE to integrate TEXT MODE SATA drivers in BartPE or you won’t be able to boot to see SATA hdd’s in the PE environment. You will need to download the DriverPack BASE plugin for BartPE (obviously), you will need the Startup script plugin for BartPE, and you will need the Shutdown plugin (see link at bottom of this step) because winnt’s shutdown will not work. Integrating drivers using DriverPack BASE for BartPE is identicle to the process used to integrate drivers into XP, but you select a radio button for BartPE instead of “from disc”. You will not be able to integreate drivers into your BartPE disc until you have a BartPE folder to deal with. Here are some important concepts to understand when using BartPE to automate disk partitioning:

-BartPE has an i386 folder that must reside at the root of your disc image in order to boot to the BartPE environment

-The previously configured Windows XP Unattended files should be placed in a arbitrarily named seperate folder('xp' in my example) in the root of the disc image to be referenced by Winnt32.exe

-BartPE partitions the HDD using a script as specified by a txt.

-Winnt32.exe is started in the BartPE environment; which copies the UA XP install folders to the specified partition ('C'), reboots the computer, and the UA install proceeds as usual.

Reference the following thread for your BartPE scripting explanations (also for link to BartPE shutdown plugin)… http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...mp;#entry154715

I had a fun time experimenting with BartPE plugins, so don’t be afraid to go nuts. You won’t hurt anything as long as you have your TEXT mode SATA drivers, your autostart script plugin, and your shutdown plugin.

Breath

By now you should have a disc that you can boot to disc and walk away to come back an hour later and enjoy a fully functional OS. But what about office? What about those other programs you couldn’t find addons for? What happens if one of your addons breaks the disc? Obviously remove the addon, but how do we get that sucker installed if we can’t find a slick addon for it? Keep reading, you curious learner, you.

Step 7: WINNT.SIF and Batch Files

WINNT.SIF is referenced when Windows is auto-configuring stuff you entered way back when you were using nLite. Scroll to the bottom of the document to the [GUIRunOnce] section. You’ll see a “command9=” entry used by the DriverPack BASE. Mimic this and create a new line: “command10=yourscript+path.BAT”. Putting this command in GUIRunOnce will kick off a batch file where you can run your office installation with the /adminfile switch and any other scripts you might need. I use iexplore.exe pointed at the windows update URL so I can be sure to get all my Windows updates before the OS even starts for the first time. The possibilities for using batch files during GUIRunOnce are many, so I won’t bother telling you what to do. Play with it.

Step 8: When Addons aren’t enough…

When I created my unattended install disc I had trouble with an IE7 addon, but I still needed IE7 to install silently without any interaction from me. The key lies in the xp\i386\SVCPACK folder and the xp\i386\SVCPACK.IN_ file. Take your exe that you want to use and put it in the SVCPACK folder. Use 7zip to extract SVCPACK.INF from SVCPACK.IN_. Scroll to the bottom of the file and add a line mimicking the format of the addons you integrated using nLite making sure to add any necessary silent switches to avoid user interaction. Save the INF. Use the built in windows tool makecab to re-compress the INF with the following settings:

makecab /D COMPRESSIONTYPE=LZX /D COMPRESSIONMEMORY=21 C:\mysource\myfile.inf C:\mydestination\SVCPACK.IN_

Replace the original SVCPACK.IN_ file with the one you just created.

Step 9: Merge your XP folder with your BartPE

In order for BartPE to copy your unattended windows install folder to the hard drive obviously you’ll need to put the “xp” folder on the disc too. Once you have your BartPE folder created, drop your “XP” folder in the root of your bartpe folder located in C:\pebuilderxx so your can copy it using the scripts mentioned earlier. Once you’ve dropped the XP folder into the root and once you’ve added all the files/scripts necessary to get your drives partitioned correctly you’ll need to make an image out of the folders. Use PEBuilder to do this. Ensure that your “Output folder” is pointed at the folder that you wish to create an image out of. The ISO name isn’t important, as long as it’s the same ISO that was created when you built your original BartPE folder. Don’t click build…this won’t do what you want it to. Hit F5. F5 will create an image out of the output folder and ignore that Windows source field.

Like I said…this is a haphazard account of my XP UA install disc procedure. It’s meant to answer the tough questions and not necessarily ALL questions. I’m hoping to save the people who helped me from developing carpel tunnel from writing the same advice over and over on the same topics for different people…I don’t actually want to help YOU at all. Hah j/k. Ask questions, I'll answer.

Use Verbatim CD-R’s for burning medium. Use Sun’s VirtualBox to test ISO’s. Keep in mind that drivers may show up as spotty in VirtualBox when they really work fine on “real” hardware.

Special thanks to cdob, Kellsen, and Nuhi. I wouldn't have a working disc without those guys.