Unattended Installation of Windows NT 4.0

From a presentation made on June 17, 1999

 

Introduction

• Planning
• Creating Unattend.txt Files
• Creating Uniqueness Database Files
• Running the Unattended Installation
• Sysdiff
• ScriptIt
• Zero Administration Kit
• System Preparation Tool

 

Planning

• Go to http://www.microsoft.com/ntworkstation and click on Deployment Tools, then Deployment Resources
• Download and read the Deployment Guide
• Download and read the Guide to Automating Windows NT Setup
• Identify all computer hardware and software
• Download current drivers for all hardware
• Search hardware and software manufacturer’s web sites for files and articles related to "unattended" installation

 

Creating Unattend.txt Files

• Create an Unattend.txt file for each hardware platform
• Network adapter and display adapter must be specified in the Unattend.txt file
• Sample Unattend.txt file (NT Workstation CD: \I386)
• SetupMgr (NT Server CD: \SUPPORT\DEPTOOLS\I386)
• Add OemSkipEula = yes to the [Unattended] section to bypass the End User License Agreement

 

Creating Uniqueness Database Files

• Create a single UDF file for all workstations
• Syntax:
  [UniqueIds]
  Student1 = UserData
  ...
  [Student1:UserData]
  ComputerName = Workstation1
  ...

 

Running the Unattended Installation

• path\winnt /b /s:path /t:e /u:path\unattend.txt /udf:%computername%,path\$unique$.udb
  
  where path is the path to the I386 directory and/or the Unattended text file and Uniqueness Database file

 

Sysdiff

• NT Server CD: \SUPPORT\DEPTOOLS\I386
• Sysdiff.inf
• Sysdiff /snap file1
      Install software
      Disable any installed services
• Sysdiff /diff file1 file2
• Sysdiff /apply file2
      Restart workstation

 

ScriptIt

• A tool for automating interactive software installations and system configuration tasks
• Can start a process, monitor window titles and send a set of keystrokes to the correct window
• Available from http://www.microsoft.com/NTServer/nts/deployment/custguide/scriptit3.asp

 

Zero Administration Kit

• A set of methodologies for deploying Windows NT version 4.0 that greatly reduces the burden of individual desktop management
• By judicious use of forward planning, user profiles, system policies, and security, ZAK can reduce some of the administrative costs associated with managing Windows desktops
• Available from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/zak/

 

System Preparation Tool

• Removes the Security ID (SID) for the machine
• To use the System Preparation Tool:
• Configure and prepare the master desktop
• Run the System Preparation Tool
• Create the distribution media using any popular disk imaging software (from Altiris, Micro House International, PowerQuest, or Symantec)
• Install the image

 

Review

• Planning
• Creating Unattend.txt Files
• Creating Uniqueness Database Files
• Running the Unattended Installation
• Sysdiff
• ScriptIt
• Zero Administration Kit
• System Preparation Tool