Trilight Zone

[digital8]

By: Brian Tucker
Posted On: 8/25/2004

Almost every organization will deploy Windows XP at some point. Although there are several ways to standardize the deployment, why not create a CD image with all the installation answers? By following certain deployment techniques, administrators will be able to automatically install Windows XP Professional using a custom Winnt.sif answer file which is embedded into the CD. The answer file is also customizable which adds greater flexibility. The instructions below will create an ISO image which can be configured by almost and CD writing software to boot from CD.


How to Create a Custom Answer File

Insert the Windows XP Professional CD into any workstation. User Explorer to navigate to the “support\Tools” folder on the Windows XP CD. Right click the “Deploy.cab” folder and export the files to a new folder on the C:\ partition. Use Explorer to execute the file “Setupmgr.exe” in the folder you exported the Deploy files.


1. Click Next.
2. Click Next to create a new answer file.
3. Choose the Windows Unattended Installation radio button. Click Next.
4. Choose Windows XP Professional. Click Next.
5. Choose Fully Automated. Click Next.
6. Choose No. Click Next.
7. Accept the agreement. Click Next.
8. Enter the name and organization names. Click Next.
9. Change the colors to 24 bit and the screen area to 800 x 600 (or whatever size you desire). Click next.
10. Accept the default time zone. Click Next.
11. Enter the product key as required. Click Next.
12. Enter a unique computer name and click add. Click Next.
13. Enter the password you want the local workstation administrator account to have. Do not check mark to encrypt the admin password. If you do, you will be unable to change the password without having to make a new answer file. Click Next.
14. Since all new workstations will be serviced by DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), choose the typical settings by default. Click Next.
15. Enter the domain name and add the user account authorized to add workstations to the domain. Click Next.
16. Enter the country name. Do not add area codes or a dialing prefix. Click Next.
17. Click next.
18. Do not choose Language Groups. Click Next.
19. Windows 2000 Group Policy will configure all browser settings. Click Next.
20. Click next.
21. Do not add a network printer at this time. Click Next.
22. Click next.
23. Click next.
24. Click OK. The default location is the folder that Setupmgr.exe is in.
25. The Setup Manager completes, but does not clear the screen. Click on the small x at the top right of the window to exit.
26. Rename the Unattend.txt file to “Winnt.sif.” You must name the file “Winnt.sif.” Windows XP will not read the file if named something else.
27. Open the Winnt.sif file with Notepad.

The image below shows the unattended and data sections of the Winnt.sif.





You must modify the lines in your Winnt.sif file to match the unattended and data sections in this document. The lines in the data section are required in order for the installation to read from the Winnt.sif.

How to use the answer file

1. Create a new folder on your workstation. Copy all the contents from the Windows XP CD to the new folder.
2. Copy the Winnt.sif file into the Windows XP i386 directory.
3. Copy the contents of the Windows PE disk to the hard drive.
4. Enter the command as shown below.

The image below shows the command line and required switches.






Note: The command line you type may be different. The E:\ is the path the program looks for to compile the ISO from. The C:\ path is the place the ISO is created and given a name of your choice.

5. Once the oscdimg.exe application finishes, use a third party CD burning application to use the .ISO file you created.

There are many ways to configure the Winnt.sif file for automated deployment. The example in this document is only one of many ways you can achieve this. You can find more information on answer files here.