WINDOWS 1002000 PROFESSIONAL RESOURCE KIT [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Step 2: Prepare

To prepare for a custom and automated installation, perform the following steps.

Get all the necessary information.

Verify that you have the hardware and software you need.

Create a distribution folder.

Create an answer file.

The following sections explain what you must do to accomplish these tasks.

Get the Necessary Information

Table 5.9 provides a checklist of the information you need to get before automating and customizing an installation.

Table 5.9 Checklist for Preparing to Customize and Automate an Installation

Verify Hardware and Software Requirements

Table 5.10 provides a checklist of the hardware and software you need to customize and automate an installation.

Table 5.10 Checklist of Hardware and Software Requirements for Customizing and Automating an Installation

Create a Distribution Folder

A distribution folder is a hierarchical folder structure that contains the Windows 2000 installation files, as well as any device drivers and other files that are required to customize and automate an installation. You can create one or many distribution folders. Distribution folders typically reside on a server to which the destination computers on which you want to install Windows 2000 Professional can connect.

One of the most important advantages of using a distribution folder is that it provides a consistent environment for installing Windows 2000 Professional on multiple computers. You can use the same distribution folder for all computers with the same processor platform. For example, if you are installing Windows 2000 on different models of computers with same processor platform, all your answer files can reference the same distribution folder, provided it contains the necessary drivers for all models. Then, if a hardware component changes, you can place the new drivers in the subfolder, rather than change the answer file.

To help load balance the servers and make the file-copy phase of Windows 2000 Setup faster for computers already running Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT Workstation 4.0, or Windows 2000, you can create distribution folders on multiple servers. You can then run Winnt32.exe with up to eight source file locations.

Distribution Folder Structure

Figure 5.2 shows the distribution folder structure that you must create and the relative location of each subfolder.

Figure 5.2 Distribution Folder Structure

i386 Folder

This folder is the distribution folder. You create it at the root of the distribution server (the server on which the distribution folder is located) by copying the contents of i386 on the Windows 2000 Professional operating system CD to the distribution folder. The i386 folder includes the following files and folders.

$$Rename.txt File

The $$Rename.txt file contains a list of files that Setup uses during the installation process to convert specified file names from short to long. Each subfolder in the distribution folder that contains file names that you want to convert from long to short must have its own $$Rename.txt file.

$OEM$

This folder, which you create in the distribution folder as a subfolder of the i386 folder, contains all the additional files required to complete the installation. If you use the OemFilesPath key in the [Unattended] section of the answer file, you can create the $OEM$ folder outside the distribution folder.

You can instruct Setup to automatically copy directories, standard 8.3 format files, and any tools required for your automated installation to the $OEM$ subfolder.

One of the additional files that you can add to the $OEM$ subfolder is Cmdlines.txt. This file contains a list of commands that Setup carries out during its GUI mode. These commands can, for example, run an INF file, an application installation command, Sysdiff.exe, or another executable file. For more information about the Cmdlines.txt file, see "Adding Applications" in this chapter.

NOTE

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In this chapter, the GUI phase of Setup is referred to as "GUI mode," and the text phase of Setup is referred to as "text mode."

As long as Setup finds the $OEM$ subfolder in the root of the distribution folder, it copies all the files found in this directory to the temporary directory that is created during the text phase of Setup.

$OEM$Textmode

This folder contains the hardware-dependent files that Setup Loader and text-mode Setup install on the destination computer during text-mode setup. These files can include original equipment manufacturer (OEM) HALs; mass storage device drivers; and Txtsetup.oem, which directs the loading and installing of these components.

Be sure to list the Txtsetup.oem file and all the files placed in this folder (HALs and drivers) in the [OEMBootFiles] section of Unattend.txt.

$OEM$$$

The $OEM$$$ subfolder is equivalent to the %systemroot% or %windir% environment variables. The subfolder contains additional files that you want copied to the subfolders of the Windows 2000 Professional installation directory. The structure of this subfolder must match the structure of a standard Windows 2000 Professional installation, where $OEM$$$ matches %systemroot% or %windir% (for example, C:winnt), $OEM$$$System32 matches %windir%System32, and so on. Each subfolder must contain the files that need to be copied to the corresponding system folder on the destination computer.

$OEM$$$Help

This subfolder contains the OEM Help files to be copied to C:WinntHelp during setup.

$OEM$$$System32

This subfolder contains files to be copied to the C:WinntSystem32 folder during setup.

$OEM$$1

This folder is equivalent to the SystemDrive environment variable. For example, if the operating system is installed on drive C, $OEM$$1 refers back to drive C. The use of a variable makes it possible to rearrange drive letters without creating errors in applications that point to a hard-coded drive letter.

$OEM$$1PnPdrvrs

This folder contains additional Plug and Play drivers not included with Windows 2000. You can replace PnPdrvrs with an name of your own choosing with eight or fewer characters.

NOTE

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This folder replaces the Display and Net folders used in Windows NT Workstation 4.0.

$OEM$$1Sysprep

This subfolder contains the files required to run the Sysprep tool. For more information about Sysprep, see "Sysprep" later in this chapter.

$OEM$Drive_letter

Each $OEM$Drive_letter folder contains a subfolder structure that is copied to the root of the corresponding drive in the destination computer during text-mode Setup. For example, files you put in an $OEM$C folder are copied to the root of drive C. You can also create subfolders in these folders. For example, $OEM$DMisc creates a Misc folder on drive D.

Files that must be renamed need to be listed in $$Rename.txt. Note that the files in these subfolders must have short file names.

Creating a Distribution Folder

The easiest way to create a distribution folder is by using Setup Manager, a tool that is available on the Windows 2000 Professional operating system CD.

Follow these steps to create a distribution folder manually:

To create a distribution folder

Connect to the network server on which you want to create the distribution folder.

Create an i386 folder on the distribution share of the network server.

To help differentiate between multiple distribution shares for the different editions of Windows 2000 (Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 2000 Server, and Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Advanced Server), choose another name for this folder. If you plan to use localized language versions of Windows 2000 for international branches of your organization, create separate distribution shares for each localized version.

Copy the contents of the i386 folder from the Windows 2000 Professional operating system CD to the folder that you created.

In the folder that you created, create a subfolder named $OEM$.

The $OEM$ subfolder provides the necessary folder structure for supplemental files to be copied to the destination computer during setup. These files include drivers, tools, applications, and any other files required for deployment of Windows 2000 Professional within your organization.

The following information is provided to help make the creation of the distribution folders easier and faster.

Copying a Folder to the System Drive of the Computer

You can copy an additional folder to the system drive during the customization process. For example, you might want to copy a folder containing additional device drivers.

To copy a folder to the system drive

In the $OEM$ subfolder of the distribution share, create a subfolder called $1. This folder maps to SystemDrive, the destination drive for the Windows 2000 installation.

In the $1 folder, copy the folder containing the files.

Verify that the following statement is in the Unattend.txt answer file:




OemPreinstall = Yes

IMPORTANT

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The OemPreinstall = Yes statement is required if you are using the $OEM$ folder to add any more files to the system.

Create an Answer File

An answer file or Setup script is a text file that follows a specific format and syntax with all the information Setup must have to customize and automate an installation. The Setup program uses this customized script to answer all the questions it asks when it runs in interactive mode without requiring user input.

The answer file is usually named Unattend.txt, but you can use other names. Any valid file name—for example, Comp1.txt, Install.txt, and Setup.txt—can be used, as long as the name is correctly specified in the Setup command. The use of differentiated names for multiple versions of an answer file allows you to build and use as many unique answer files as you need to maintain different scripted installations for different parts of your organization. Note that answer files are also used by other programs such as Sysprep, which uses the optional Sysprep.inf file.

The answer file tells Setup how to interact with the distribution folders and files you have created. For example, in the [Unattended] section of the answer file, there is an "OEMPreinstall" entry that tells Setup to copy the $OEM$ subfolders from the distribution folders to the destination computer.

You can create an answer file by using two tools:

The setup manager wizard to create it automatically.

A text editor such as notepad to create it manually.

You can create the answer file from scratch or modify an existing one.

Using the Setup Manager Wizard

The Setup Manager wizard is available on the Windows 2000 Professional operating system CD in the Deploy.cab file of the SupportTools folder. The Setup Manager wizard helps you create and modify an answer file by providing prompts for the information that is required for the answer file and then creating it. The Setup Manager wizard can create a new answer file, import an existing answer file for modification, or create a new file based on the configuration of the computer on which it is running.

The following is a list of parameters that can be configured with the Setup Manager wizard in the order in which they are presented. The Setup Manager wizard then generates the results as answer file keys.

Set user interaction. This sets the level of user interaction that is appropriate during the setup process.

Set default user information. Specify an organization or user name.

Define computer names. When an administrator enters multiple names during the setup process, Setup Manager automatically generates the UDF file that is required in order to add those unique names to each system during setup. If the administrator imports names from a text file, Setup Manager converts each name to a UDF file. The administrator can also set an option to generate unique machine names.

Set an administrator password. The administrator can set an administrative password and hide it from users. The Setup Manager wizard can also be set to prompt the user for the administrative password during setup.

Display settings. The administrator can automatically set the display color depth, screen area, and refresh frequency display settings.

Configure network settings. Any custom network-setting option that can be configured from the desktop can be configured remotely using the Setup Manager Wizard. The interface for setting network settings in the wizard is the same interface that the user sees on their desktop. Using Setup Manager the administrator can also join computers to a domain or workgroup, or automatically create accounts in the domain.

Set time zone and regional options. Set the correct time zone using the same property sheet that a user would access to change the time zone locally. Specify regional options such as date, time, numbers, character sets, and keyboard layout.

Set Internet Explorer 5 settings. The administrator can use Setup Manager to carry out the basic setup for Internet connections, such as connecting to proxy servers. If the organization wishes to customize the browser, the administrator can use Setup Manager to access the customization tool that is part of the Internet Explorer Administration Kit available from www.microsoft.com/windows/ieak.

Set telephony settings. Set telephony properties such as area codes and dialing rules.

Add Cmdlines.txt files. These files are used to install additional components, such as applications. For example, the administrator can add the command line to run office setup by including the command line for office setup in the Cmdlines.txt file.

Create an installation folder. Use the default installation folder, winnt, to generate a unique folder during setup or to set a custom folder.

Install printers. Set up multiple printers as part of the installation process.

Add commands to the Run Once section. Set up commands that run automatically the first time a user logs on. These may include running an application setup program, running a resource kit tool, or changing security settings.

Run commands at the end of setup. Specify commands that run at the end of the setup process and before users log onto the system, such as launching an application setup file.

Copy additional files. Specify additional files to be copied to the user's desktop, such as device-driver libraries. The administrator can also use Setup Manager to specify where these files are copied.

Create a distribution folder. Create a distribution folder on the network that includes the required Windows source files. You can also add files that you want to copy or supply additional device drivers for use with Windows.

Setup Manager cannot perform the following functions:

Specify system components, such as internet information services.

Create txtsetup.oem files.

Create subfolders in the distribution folder.

Table 5.11 describes some of the most common answer file specifications that are created by Setup Manager.

Table 5.11 Answer File Specifications Created by Setup Manager

Answer File Format

To create the answer file manually, use a text editor such as Notepad. In general, an answer file consists of section headers, parameters, and values for those parameters. Although most section headers are predefined, you can also define additional section headers. Note that you do not have to specify all possible parameters in the answer file if the installation does not require them. Invalid parameter values generate errors or result in incorrect behavior after Setup. The answer file format is as follows:

[section1]
;
;  Section contains keys and the corresponding
;  values for those keys/parameters.
;  keys and values are separated by ‘ = ‘ signs
;  Values that have spaces in them usually require double quotes
;  "" around them
;
key = value
[section2]
key = value
.