[raffa]

During the setup, to the choice of the image as I can enable the commando next in autounattended.xml ?

<ImageInstall>
<OSImage>
<WillShowUI>Always</WillShowUI>
<InstallFrom>
<Path>:\sources\install.wim</Path>
<MetaData wcm:action="add">
<Key>4</Key>
<Value>Windows Vista ULTIMATE</Value>
</MetaData>
</InstallFrom>
</OSImage>
</ImageInstall>

How I can activate the command next ?

Thank very much.

This post has been edited by raffa: 29 December 2006 - 03:56 PM

[fizban2]

if you are using a generic VIsta DVD, with the install.wim in the normal location, you do not have to specify a install from location. vista will search there and install the version specified by your meta data

[prathapml]

fizban2, what does the "Key" setting do?
In the CHM, they use this - /IMAGE/NAME
Above, he has used a number.

Whats the function of Key - and whats a valid input for it?
And if I have only a single image in my WIM, on a dvd, this image is called "Windows Vista HomePrem" & i want that to be chosen automatically without asking me - what should the "Key" be?

This page confused me further rather than solve it - http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista...3.mspx?mfr=true
EDIT: i think i kinda get it, after running: imagex /info install.wim
But I still dont quite understand it.

This post has been edited by prathapml: 30 December 2006 - 03:36 PM

[raffa]

Thank, in fact not e' clearly much good.
I have put for default dvdrom: D, and in fact works

<path>D:\source\install.wim</path>

Then I have eliminated from the list, only leaving ULTIMATE, and when I make to leave setup me it appears in only the videata one ULTIMATE.
It does not only install automatically, but if I press next .
Gia' I had read in the guide to use:

<wim> </wim>

but I was not much sure one, hour I try to us and we see that it happens .

Thank and good year !!!!

[fizban2]

<WIM>
   <IMAGE INDEX="1">
	  <NAME>FabrikamWIM</NAME>
	  <DESCRIPTION>FabrikamCustomWindowsImage</DESCRIPTION>
   </IMAGE>
</WIM>

ok let me see if i can explain this correctly the meta data allows you to specifiy a data image on the DVD, with a base Vista image you have 6 data images (home, premium, business, premium, ultiamte) using the metadata tags that exist for each you can specifiy which data image to apply to a installation.

doing in imagex /info <wimfile> will give you the following information

Available Image Choices:
------------------------
<WIM>
  <TOTALBYTES>1485261025</TOTALBYTES>
  <IMAGE INDEX="1">
	<NAME>Windows Longhorn SERVERENTERPRISE</NAME>
	<DESCRIPTION>Windows Longhorn SERVERENTERPRISE</DESCRIPTION>
	<FLAGS>SERVERENTERPRISE</FLAGS>
	<WINDOWS>
	  <ARCH>0</ARCH>
	  <PRODUCTNAME>Microsoft« Windows« Operating System</PRODUCTNAME>
	  <HAL>acpiapic</HAL>
	  <PRODUCTTYPE>ServerNT</PRODUCTTYPE>
	  <PRODUCTSUITE>Enterprise</PRODUCTSUITE>
	  <LANGUAGES>
		<LANGUAGE>en-US</LANGUAGE>
		<DEFAULT>en-US</DEFAULT>
	  </LANGUAGES>
	  <VERSION>
		<MAJOR>6</MAJOR>
		<MINOR>0</MINOR>
		<BUILD>6001</BUILD>
		<SPBUILD>16406</SPBUILD>
	  </VERSION>
	  <SYSTEMROOT>WINDOWS</SYSTEMROOT>
	</WINDOWS>
	<DIRCOUNT>7005</DIRCOUNT>
	<FILECOUNT>38647</FILECOUNT>
	<TOTALBYTES>6003304564</TOTALBYTES>
	<CREATIONTIME>
	  <HIGHPART>0x01C71B78</HIGHPART>
	  <LOWPART>0xD8170011</LOWPART>
	</CREATIONTIME>
	<LASTMODIFICATIONTIME>
	  <HIGHPART>0x01C71B82</HIGHPART>
	  <LOWPART>0xA8E3F93C</LOWPART>
	</LASTMODIFICATIONTIME>
  </IMAGE>
  <IMAGE INDEX="2">
	<NAME>Windows Longhorn SERVERENTERPRISECORE</NAME>
	<DESCRIPTION>Windows Longhorn SERVERENTERPRISECORE</DESCRIPTION>
	<FLAGS>SERVERENTERPRISE</FLAGS>
	<WINDOWS>
	  <ARCH>0</ARCH>
	  <PRODUCTNAME>Microsoft« Windows« Operating System</PRODUCTNAME>
	  <HAL>acpiapic</HAL>
	  <PRODUCTTYPE>ServerNT</PRODUCTTYPE>
	  <PRODUCTSUITE>Enterprise</PRODUCTSUITE>
	  <LANGUAGES>
		<LANGUAGE>en-US</LANGUAGE>
		<DEFAULT>en-US</DEFAULT>
	  </LANGUAGES>
	  <VERSION>
		<MAJOR>6</MAJOR>
		<MINOR>0</MINOR>
		<BUILD>6001</BUILD>
		<SPBUILD>16406</SPBUILD>
	  </VERSION>
	  <SYSTEMROOT>WINDOWS</SYSTEMROOT>
	</WINDOWS>
	<DIRCOUNT>3205</DIRCOUNT>
	<FILECOUNT>21197</FILECOUNT>
	<TOTALBYTES>2553830079</TOTALBYTES>
	<CREATIONTIME>
	  <HIGHPART>0x01C71B74</HIGHPART>
	  <LOWPART>0xF30A09E1</LOWPART>
	</CREATIONTIME>
	<LASTMODIFICATIONTIME>
	  <HIGHPART>0x01C71B83</HIGHPART>
	  <LOWPART>0x0A4715D4</LOWPART>
	</LASTMODIFICATIONTIME>
  </IMAGE>

so based off the following information if i wanted to write an unattended file that would install the core edition of Longhorn Server i would use

<WIM>
   <IMAGE INDEX="2">
	  <NAME>Windows Longhorn SERVERENTERPRISECORE</NAME>
	<DESCRIPTION>Windows Longhorn SERVERENTERPRISECORE</DESCRIPTION>
   </IMAGE>
</WIM>

this is the same with Vista, specifying the data image is done by adding a meta data tag to the install OSinstall tag under x86_Microsoft-Windows-Setup__neutral_31bf3856ad364e35_nonSxS during the WinPE stage. you can add this metadata tag by right clicking on the install From icon under OSImage and choosing insert meta data.

on a custom WIM, you will have added the images in your own order and you will need to do an /info to find out what index it has, you will have also had to add a description tag when you captured your WIM. (you can also add it later)

hopefully i explained it well enough! let me know if there are still any questions!

[MAVERICKS CHOICE]

Yes quite a bit to get the noggin round. Lookin at the waik, unattended help files literally miles of info there. Makes XP setupmanager equiv of Kindergarten stuff. Xml's not that difficult to use though.

[fizban2]

MAVERICKS CHOICE, on Dec 31 2006, 01:29 AM, said:

Yes quite a bit to get the noggin round. Lookin at the waik, unattended help files literally miles of info there. Makes XP setupmanager equiv of Kindergarten stuff. Xml's not that difficult to use though.

this is true, but XML is still a pain to read (i hate it myself) but it does the job **** well once you get used to it

[FireGeier]

Hello fizban2!

I do understand the whole image index thing and that the "original" install.wim contains seven "subimages" representing the different Vista Versions. So I do know how the InstallFrom part is working generally.

What I'm not sure about is, if you're forced to set the InstallFrom part in your AutoUnattend.xml, if you're installing form DVD. I've had in mind that you've to use it only, if you're installing from a network share. Meanwhile I'm not able to find that information in WAIK-Help or Unattended reference.

I'm using an AutoUnattend.xml for my installation - from DVD - where InstallFrom part is not set. It's working fine. I'm configuring my disk automatically.

But I've got feedback from some guys that they run into problems using "my" AutoUnattend.xml, if they configuring the Disk manually. Than they are prompted to choose the Vista Version they wanna install before configuring the disk, and they have only one option at this dialog.

Do you know more about that?

Martin

[maxXPsoft]

nope but i want to know this also cause raffa stuff is what i put in it with my App

Quote

if you are using a generic VIsta DVD, with the install.wim in the normal location, you do not have to specify a install from location

tried that as experiment

I been trying to get this sorted out myself cause even if Its only 1 image like i tried, stops every time and asks even with only 1 image present. All 7 images it stops and asks.

Added all that <Key> and stuff trying to make it fly

So no real answer to this yet

[prathapml]

fizban2, on Dec 31 2006, 12:22 PM, said:

doing in imagex /info <wimfile> will give you the following information

on a custom WIM, you will have added the images in your own order and you will need to do an /info to find out what index it has, you will have also had to add a description tag when you captured your WIM. (you can also add it later)

hopefully i explained it well enough! let me know if there are still any questions!

Thanks for the clarifications fizban2!
I had a kinda foggy idea that the above was what it was, & its now clear/confirmed.
Now only thing left, is for me to actually try it out & see what happens. I will report back with results.

FireGeier, on Dec 31 2006, 05:32 PM, said:

What I'm not sure about is, if you're forced to set the InstallFrom part in your AutoUnattend.xml, if you're installing form DVD.

But I've got feedback from some guys that they run into problems using "my" AutoUnattend.xml, if they configuring the Disk manually. Than they are prompted to choose the Vista Version they wanna install before configuring the disk, and they have only one option at this dialog.

Apparently, you need to specify the metadata for DVD as well.
 I used vLite to eliminate non-english languages (chinese/korean/japanese/blah-blah), & removed all images except Home-Premium. But still i get prompted to choose the one-and-only image that exists on disc.
Shall be testing now with the new info obtained.

[robbo101]

I have tried doing this and still have no joy.

I have done the imagex /info command to find all the images contained in my wim file but am having trouble getting that into my autounattended.xml. Where should it be. in the list as I have tried adding it in manually and it doesn't work and cannot figure on how to add in the windows system Image manager that comes with the OPK tools.

This post has been edited by robbo101: 04 January 2007 - 05:30 AM

[jamieo]

I haven't seen this explained very well anywhere (this link tries but fails miserably) so I'll try and explain how I understand this to work...

The difficulty in actually entering this setting is they don't give you a nice fluffy 'ImageName' parameter to fill in, instead they give you this weird generic METADATA type that they fail to explain properly. (I think the idea of this type may be to manipulate settings not directly exposed in the WSIM xml)

The METADATA type consists of two elements: a 'KEY', which can be thought of like a registry path and defines which setting you want to define, and a 'VALUE' which defines the data you want to assign to the setting described by the key.

The key used to set the name of the image is: '/IMAGE/NAME'. When setup reads this key it will know that the value paired with it is the image name.
I believe it's also possible to use the image index instead by using '/IMAGE/INDEX' but I have not tried this.

Considering the above, to select Vista Ultimate from the standard installation DVD you should set the value to 'Windows Vista ULTIMATE' - these names can be determined using 'imagex /info' as previously explained in this topic.

Therefore, the relevent XML (that I've verified to work) should be:

<settings pass="windowsPE">
		<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
			<ImageInstall>
				<OSImage>
					<InstallFrom>
						<MetaData wcm:action="add">
							<Key>/IMAGE/NAME</Key>
							<Value>Windows Vista ULTIMATE</Value>
						</MetaData>
					</InstallFrom>
				</OSImage>
			</ImageInstall>
		</component>
	</settings>

After reading this you should hopefully find this link makes a bit more sense!

Jamie

[MAVERICKS CHOICE]

@Jamieo

Thats a nice explanation, & your right the MS info on this is clear as mud. So more testing it is.

[FireGeier]

I've tested the whole thing last weekend and jamieo is completly right. AND - this was my question before, too - you've to use this setting to get rid of this second setup screen, where it's asking you which image you wanna install even you've only one option.

But if you setup your disk automatically, than it usually don't gives you this screen. This what I found out for DVD Setup.

MS tells, that setup identifiys the right image by productkey you entered in the autounattend.xml and that is right. This is the reason why you just have the option to choose the ultimate version, if you've entered an ultimate key in your autounattend.xml.

First I thought why the hell I've to set the MetaData setting than, there is only one Ultimate Version on Setup DVD. But the idea of MS is - and it makes sense - you could have a custom install.wim with may be six different Ultimate images in it. And in such a situation you need something more to identify the right image inside install.wim.

And at this point MetaData is a must. You've three options to identify your image inside install.wim:

1. Option:
Key: /IMAGE/INDEX
Value: 4

Will install the image where <Image Index> is 4, if you check install.wim with imagex /info.

2. Option:
Key: /IMAGE/NAME
Value: Windows Vista ULTIMATE

Will install the image, where <Name> is Windows Vista ULTIMATE.

3. Option:
Key: /IMAGE/DESCRIPTION
Value: Windows Vista ULTIMATE Updates disabeled

Will install the image, where <Description> is Windows Vista ULTIMATE Updates disabeled.

Problem is that MS does not tell anything about this setting in First Steps doc for example.

My experinece after a lot of tests with this setting is, that you have to use it, if you install from DVD and setup your Diks manually like most people do.

Haven't tested with network installs but guess it should be the same there.

Martin

[maxXPsoft]

jamieo if you was a woman I'd kiss ya
That was it M8
Image/Name
Image/Index
both worked perfectly, it didn't stop at all for DVD

Problem solved and I didn't test the weekend cause just read your post and 10 minutes later I see that it works
Before we started adding all that Installto and Installfrom and a hundred other things it went straight on with the key defining what image will be installed.

This post has been edited by maxXPsoft: 12 January 2007 - 12:22 PM

[MAVERICKS CHOICE]

Remade my image & altered the ans file by the waik & getting this error:
"Windows can't resolve the metadata provided in the unattend answer files <Imageinstall> setting"

Heres the relevant part of the ans file:

[/code]
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
	<servicing></servicing>
	<settings pass="windowsPE">
		<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" 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>
				<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
				<Disk wcm:action="add">
					<ModifyPartitions>
						<ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
							<Active>true</Active>
							<Extend>false</Extend>
							<Format>NTFS</Format>
							<Letter>C</Letter>
							<Order>1</Order>
						</ModifyPartition>
					</ModifyPartitions>
					<DiskID>0</DiskID>
					<WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
				</Disk>
			</DiskConfiguration>
			<Display>
				<ColorDepth>32</ColorDepth>
				<HorizontalResolution>1024</HorizontalResolution>
				<RefreshRate>60</RefreshRate>
				<VerticalResolution>768</VerticalResolution>
			</Display>
			<DynamicUpdate>
				<Enable>false</Enable>
			</DynamicUpdate>
			<ImageInstall>
				<OSImage>
					<InstallFrom>
						<Path>d:\sources\install.wim</Path>
					</InstallFrom>
					<InstallTo>
						<DiskID>0</DiskID>
						<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
					</InstallTo>
				</OSImage>
				<DataImage wcm:action="add">
					<InstallFrom>
						<Path>D:\sources\install.wim</Path>
						<MetaData wcm:action="add">
							<Key>4</Key>
							<Value>Windows Vista ULTIMATE</Value>
						</MetaData>
					</InstallFrom>
					<InstallTo>
						<DiskID>0</DiskID>
						<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
					</InstallTo>
					<Order>1</Order>
				</DataImage>
			</ImageInstall>
[code]

Any ideas fellas, have I populated too many fields in the disk area?

This post has been edited by MAVERICKS CHOICE: 12 January 2007 - 04:55 PM

[maxXPsoft]

yes too many fields looks like
EDIT: No need for path here anymore either
This is all I have and works

<ImageInstall>
				<OSImage>
					<InstallTo>
						<DiskID>0</DiskID>
						<PartitionID>2</PartitionID>
					</InstallTo>
					<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
					<InstallFrom>
						<MetaData wcm:action="add">
							<Key>/IMAGE/Index</Key>
							<Value>1</Value>
						</MetaData>
					</InstallFrom>
				</OSImage>
			</ImageInstall>

You can use either as mentioned
Image/Name
Image/Index

This post has been edited by maxXPsoft: 12 January 2007 - 07:06 PM

[MAVERICKS CHOICE]

Thanks Max, updating now.

EDIT: Appears good now & installing UA as it should. Very fast install too under half an hour. More setting & populating to do now.

This post has been edited by MAVERICKS CHOICE: 13 January 2007 - 03:55 AM

[maxXPsoft]

good to hear verified
now I can rework my app for that among other things i'm changing before release again

[jamieo]

Glad to see everyone's got this nailed now.

FireGeier, on Jan 12 2007, 09:33 AM, said:

Key: /IMAGE/DESCRIPTION
Value: Windows Vista ULTIMATE Updates disabeled

Will install the image, where <Description> is Windows Vista ULTIMATE Updates disabeled.

I didn't mention this option as I have not tested it and was unsure if it would work on it's own. Have you tested it yourself?

Would be useful to know if it's been proven... though I can't imagine when it would be useful unless you have two images with the same name - which you can't in a single .wim. Since the description doesn't seem to be shown during setup I guess you could use it as a tag to identify your default image and then whatever you call it your xml will pick the right one..

Jamie

This post has been edited by jamieo: 13 January 2007 - 09:07 PM