[Judgement]

Hi Guys

I use ref from the web

http://news.softpedi...ive-48396.shtml

http://www.askvg.com...-windows-vista/

to create a 4 GB bootable pen drive.

But the problem here is the hard drive has crashed and not formated and not accepted the lincence during auto install

I used Windows System Image Manager to code the xml and validate it. No probs here

Code

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<settings pass="windowsPE">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
<SetupUILanguage>
<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
</SetupUILanguage>
<InputLocale>0409:00000409</InputLocale>
<UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
<SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<DiskConfiguration>
<Disk wcm:action="add">
<CreatePartitions>
<CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
<Order>1</Order>
<Type>Primary</Type>
</CreatePartition>
</CreatePartitions>
<ModifyPartitions>
<ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
<Active>true</Active>
<Format>NTFS</Format>
<Label>Win_OS7</Label>
<Letter>C</Letter>
<Order>1</Order>
<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
</ModifyPartition>
</ModifyPartitions>
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
<WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
</Disk>
</DiskConfiguration>
<ImageInstall>
<OSImage>
<InstallTo>
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
</InstallTo>
</OSImage>
</ImageInstall>
<UserData>
<ProductKey>
<Key>1111-11111-11111-1111-11111</Key>
<WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI>
</ProductKey>
</UserData>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="oobeSystem">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
<OOBE>
<HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
<NetworkLocation>Home</NetworkLocation>
<ProtectYourPC>2</ProtectYourPC>
<SkipMachineOOBE>true</SkipMachineOOBE>
<SkipUserOOBE>true</SkipUserOOBE>
<HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
</OOBE>
<TimeZone>GMT Standard Time</TimeZone>
<UserAccounts>
<AdministratorPassword>
<Value>VgBpAGMAawBpAEcAVAA3AEEAZABtAGkAbgBpAHMAdAByAGEAdABvAHIAUABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkAA==</Value>
<PlainText>false</PlainText>
</AdministratorPassword>
<LocalAccounts>
<LocalAccount>
<Password>
<Value>VgBpAGMAawBpAEcAVAA3AFAAYQBzAHMAdwBvAHIAZAA=</Value>
<PlainText>false</PlainText>
</Password>
<Description>Myself</Description>
<DisplayName>Gordon</DisplayName>
<Group>Administrators;Users;</Group>
<Name>Gordon</Name>
</LocalAccount>
</LocalAccounts>
</UserAccounts>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
<InputLocale>0409:00000409</InputLocale>
<UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
<SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="specialize">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
<ComputerName>Home</ComputerName>
<CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile>
<RegisteredOrganization>Home User</RegisteredOrganization>
<RegisteredOwner>Gordon Walch</RegisteredOwner>
<Display>
<ColorDepth>32</ColorDepth>
<HorizontalResolution>1024</HorizontalResolution>
<RefreshRate>60</RefreshRate>
<VerticalResolution>768</VerticalResolution>
</Display>
</component>
</settings>
<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="catalog:g:/system/orginal/system/vista64bit/1/sources/install_windows vista ultimate.clg" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>
cannot pass insallation stage as it gives me an error ""

much greatful for your help

This post has been edited by Judgement: 22 January 2012 - 10:05 AM

[Judgement]

Changed the format to Fat32 and instalation to 32bits of Vista without autoattended.xml. EVerything seems to be ok

[Grandma]

From the owner of the largest computer sales and service store for 15 years - south Orange County, CA
(I will not plug my store - no name provided)

You had a good start - use a USB Bootable Drive - that's step 1

You can also use an external USB hard drive - but won't need that to get started.

Step 2: go to another PC

Step 3: download a small bootable version of Linux that boots off a USB Flash Drive.
You might not stick with it later - they often lack features that Windows has
but as a TOOL to do this job - get your data back - its the best thing since
its free and boots right off a USB Flash Drive on 90% of all PCs out there today.

DO NOT download some mega-large Linux hard drive recovery tool.
Honestly, most of them are junk - even at free - and take a long time to download.

Good Choices are:

a) Pocket Rocket Linux - easily reads NTFS data automatically - small and fast to download

Tiny Core Linux - probably the smallest of them all but requires a bit of configuration to read NTFS drives

c) Puppy Linux - a bit fatter than A or B, but can be configured to read NTFS

d) Knoppix - usually installs from CD - not USB - so its the biggest/fattest to download and that can take hours.

Suggest A or B

Step 4: configure your BIOS to boot from a removable device first - i.e. your new USB flash drive

Step 5: insert finished USB drive (5 minutes using A or B, 60 minutes using C, 3 - 6 hours using D) and reboot

Step 6: connect a large external USB hard drive (not Flash Drive) and most of the Linux packages above will see it

Step 7: right click - select all - copy - drag and drop/paste the key folders and files you want. Usually My Documents is a good place to start.

Step 8: figure out what is missing on your Windows system. You can even get online - get other tutorials - and then go to your original Windows boot CD to find the exact file you need - just recopy that and you're often fixed and don't need a complete install.

This is important, since keycodes expire after a certain number of installs.

DO NOT (be careful) download specific Windows files - they are often infected. Try to use your original, manufactured/authentic Windows CD.

Hope this helps.

[jaclaz]

Grandma, on 22 May 2012 - 04:09 PM, said:

This is important, since keycodes expire after a certain number of installs.

Really?
I thought that the issue might be with activation and not with "expired keycodes"
If it can take hours to download a Linux distro such as Knoppix, you might want to upgrade your connection to the internet, BTW.

jaclaz