Unattended, Automated, and Remote Installations of Windows 2000

Windows 2000 Professional Automated Deployment Options: An Introduction
This paper introduces the options that organizations can choose to deploy Windows 2000 Professional automatically on hundreds or thousands of computers.

Advanced Unattended Installs for WinNT
By Mark Minasi, Windows NT Magazine August 1998

Autologon and AutoLogonCount Parameters for Windows 2000 Unattended Setup
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 221477 - Windows 2000 unattended Setup parameters include an option to log on the administrator automatically and the number of times this will occur. These items are specified in the [GuiUnattend] section of the answer file: (updated 12/29/1999)

Automating the Creation of Computer Accounts in Windows 2000
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 222525 Describes how to automate the creation of computer accounts. Two methods are described.

Automating Setup of Windows Professional: Advanced Techniques
Microsoft TechNet Web Seminar TNQ100-02

Automating Windows NT Setup Deployment Guide (Supplement)
Microsoft Windows NT includes many tools and features that can be used to automate the setup process. This supplement further addresses the use of Sysdiff.exe in such a manner as to allow you to install sound, tape, video, and other devices through the use of the Sysdiff Pre-Installation tool as a part of the deployment process. Source: TechNet CD Online (January 1999).

Changes to Windows 2000 Unattended Winnt[32].exe Command Line
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 183245 - This article discusses the differences between unattended winnt[32].exe command line parameters in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000. (updated 382001)

Deploying Windows 2000 with Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) Modifications
This guide provides information on how to include customized Internet Explorer settings when performing an unattended installation of Windows 2000.

How to Disable the Configure Server Wizard for Unattended Installations
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 220838 - When you first log on to Windows 2000, the Configure Server Wizard may start. This article describes how to disable this wizard for automated or unattended installations. (updated 5/31/2000)

How to Manually Enable the Hibernate Feature During an Unattended Install of Windows 2000 Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 293399 - This article describes a method to enable the Hibernate feature during an unattended installation of Windows 2000.(updated 3/13/2002) 

How to Set the Driver Signing Policy for Windows 2000 Unattended Setup
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 236029 Driver signing is the process of checking the signature of the driver to determine if it has been signed as a known-good driver indicating it has been tested with Windows 2000. (updated 1/13/00)

Specifying Multiple Network Adapters in Unattended Setup
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 229762 Describes how to specify per-adapter settings in the Setup answer file for multiple network adapters during unattended Setup. You can specify separate settings such as static or DHCP IP addresses, WINS or DNS server settings (updated 12/29/99)

Unattended Installs with Windows 2000 Professional
Answer files for unattended installations in Win2K are much more powerful and easier to create than they were in Windows NT 4.0. Source: Windows 2000 Magazine (June 2000)

Unattended Installation of Third Party Mass Storage Drivers in Windows NT and Windows 2000
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 288344 - This article describes how to pre-install third party mass storage drivers on the Microsoft Windows NT and Microsoft Windows 2000 platforms. This article assumes that the drivers that are supplied by the third party are using the Txtsetup.oem method for installation. (updated 3/19/2001)

Unattended Setup May Not Work During Upgrade from Windows NT 4.0 To Windows 2000 
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 257814 - You may receive the following error message when you automate the upgrade of a Windows NT 4.0-based computer to Windows 2000:(updated 4/13/2000)

Windows 2000 Terminal Services Unattended Setup Settings
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 230597 - You can use the settings listed below to install and configure Terminal Server services during Windows 2000 unattended installation. Note that Terminal Server can be installed only on Windows 2000 Server versions. (updated 10/20/2000) 

Err Msg: A Snapshot or Diff File Specified on the Command Line Was Created with a Different User and Cannot Be Used Now
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 221566 - When you attempt to apply a snapshot taken with the Sysdiff tool, you may receive the following error message: A snapshot or diff file specified on the command line was created with a different user and can not be used now This error message occurs when you are logged on as a user other than the user who created the Sysdiff snapshot when you attempt to apply the snapshot to a computer. (updated 10/20/2000)

General Sysdiff Troubleshooting Tips
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 165533 The information in this article supplements the document "Automating Microsoft Windows NT Setup Deployment Guide," available on the World Wide Web (updated 2/10/1999)

How to Troubleshoot the Sysdiff Tool in Windows NT
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 157576 This article describes how to troubleshoot the Sysdiff tool included in Windows NT 4.0.(updated 9/10/1999)

Sysdiff /m Does Not Apply Changes to the Default User Profile
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 252465 -  When you use the Sysdiff tool to apply software and settings to Windows 2000-based computers, (updated 2/24/2000)

ComputerName Key and Unattended Upgrades to Windows 2000 Professional  
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 248125 - When you perform an unattended upgrade from Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, or Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 to Windows 2000, the ComputerName key in the [UserData] section of the Unattend.txt file can produce different results, depending on which operating system you are upgrading and how it is used in your deployment strategy. 

How to Disable Network Bindings Using the [Netbindings] Section
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 263241 - Windows 2000 unattended Setup has a new section in the answer file that allows you to disable network bindings on the network card during an unattended Setup. However, after using this section in the unattended Setup file, the bindings appear to be unaffected and still enabled. This is due to incorrect parameters specified in the [Netbindings] section. The Unattend.doc has incorrect information on the format of the [Netbindings] entries. There should not be any commas (,) between the entries, and not all bindings paths follow the example listed in the Unattend.doc. 

Protecting Passwords in Answer Files
Jerry Honeycutt's series on Windows 2000 deployment continues to examine how answer files can be used as a form of crib sheets to automate the Win2K setup process. In this installment we learn how to answer prompts for passwords without leaving any security holes. Source: EarthWeb (March 2001)

Script the Installation with Answer Files
Take the guesswork out of users' hands by automating the Windows 2000 setup process with a crib sheet -- otherwise known as an answer file. Source: EarthWeb (Feb 2001)

Unattended Setup Parameters for Unattend.txt file
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 155197 - Unattended Setup is the method by which original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), corporations, and other users install Windows NT in unattended mode.

Use of the [SetupParams] Section in an Unattended Answer File
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 216518 - You can use a command-line switch with Winnt32.exe or Winnt.exe to specify a command to run when Setup is finished. The command-line switches are: 

OemPNPDriversPath Value Limited to 99 Characters in Winnt.exe
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 276278 - If you specify an OemPNPDriversPath value with more than 99 characters in your unattended installation file, only the folders that are specified in the first 99 characters are used to locate additional drivers when you use the unattended installation file with Winnt.exe 

Autolfn.exe May Build Sound Files with Damaged File Names in Windows 2000 
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 318136 - If you use the Winnt.exe program to perform an unattended installation of Windows 2000 with the "OEMPreinstall=Yes" entry in the answer file, sound files on your computer may have damaged file names. Because of this, system sounds may not play as you expect. This problem is most likely to occur with non-English versions of Windows 2000 that use extended characters in the localized file names 

Cannot Obtain Access to $oem$ Folder During Unattended Setup
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 234536 - You can run Windows 2000 Setup in unattended mode when you start your computer from the installation CD-ROM. However, by using this method, options such as Cmdlines.txt or use of the $oem$ folder structure cannot be used even if you create your own bootable CD-ROM with these structures on the media. 

CreateComputerAccount Value Not Valid for Windows 2000 Unattended Setup
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 232128 - The CreateComputerAccount unattended Setup parameter is not supported in Windows 2000. 

DhcpClassId Value Not Used During Unattended Setup
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 285352 - Windows 2000-based Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) clients support DHCP Class ID options. You can configure this feature by using Ipconfig.exe command-line switches or by specifying a DhcpClassId value in your unattended installation. 

Documents and Settings Folder Permissions Are Set Improperly When OemPreinstall=Yes Exists in the Answer File
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 256569 - When you perform an unattended installation of Windows 2000 and the OemPreinstall=Yes parameter is in the answer file, the NTFS permissions are not set properly on the Documents and Settings folder. When Setup is finished, the folders (Documents and Settings and All Users and Default Users) have the permissions set to Everyone: FC (Full Control).

Error Message: Cannot Create a Temporary Unattended Setup Answer File
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 231410 - When you use the Remote Installation service (RIS) to install clients, or if you run out of disk space on the RIS volume, you may receive the following error message: The server Servername cannot create a temporary unattended Setup Answer File. Contact your administrator. 

Err Msg: Line <nnnn> of the Inf Is Corrupt or Invalid...
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 210888 - During an unattended upgrade from Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 2000, you may receive the following error message: Line nnnn of the Inf is corrupt or invalid. Setup cannot continue. where nnnn is the number of the damaged or invalid line. 

GUI-Mode Settings Ignored in Windows 2000 Unattend.txt File
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 243286 - When you are using an Unattend.txt file to automate the installation of Windows 2000, settings in your Unattend.txt file for the GUI-mode portion of Setup may be ignored and you may be prompted for information during GUI-mode Setup. 

"OemPreInstall=Yes" Gives Incorrect NTFS Permissions on "Documents and Settings" Folders
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 276542 - If you perform an unattended installation from a network installation point that contains an integrated version of Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 (SP1) and the "OemPreInstall=Yes" setting is specified in the answer file, the NTFS permissions on folders that are subordinate to the Documents and Settings folder are incorrect as compared to a manual installation, or to an unattended installation with the "OemPreInstall=No" setting. Also, the Default User folder is not marked as hidden. 

Prompted for User Name and Password in Unattended Installation
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 224284 - When you run an unattended installation of Windows 2000, you may be prompted to provide a user name and password to join a domain, and this may occur even if the machine account is already created. 

Static IP Address Is Not Retained During Windows 2000 Unattended Installation
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 262688 - During an unattended installation of Windows 2000, an answer file (Unattend.txt) may be configured with static Internet Protocol (IP) address information. After the operating system installation is finished and all networking components 

"/tempdrive:Drive_Letter" Switch Halts Unattended Setup
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 222968 - The "/tempdrive:Drive_Letter" unattended installation switch should direct the temporary files to the drive specified by the switch. Although the switch does work, it stops the unattended installation process to prompt you to select a drive 

The InstallDefaultComponents Key in the Networking Section Always Defaults to Yes
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 247952 - When you use an Answer file to install Windows 2000, the InstallDefaultComponents entry in the [Networking] section always defaults to "Yes" regardless of the value set in the Answer file.

Unattended Install prompts for install partition
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 196288 - Steps to Reproduce the Behavior:

Unattended Installation Stops and Displays Warning Message
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 228244 - After you perform a low-level format on a hard disk, and then run an unattended installation of Windows, you may receive the following warning message: Windows 2000 Server Setup. Setup has determined that your computer's startup hard disk is new or has been erased, or that an operating system is installed on your computer with which windows 2000 cannot coexist. If such an operating system is installed on your computer, continuing Setup may damage or destroy it. If the hard disk is new or has been erased, or you want to discard its current contents, you can choose to continue setup.  

"WINNT32 /CHECKUPGRADEONLY /UNATTEND" Is Not Fully Automated
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 272308 - If you use the /checkupgradeonly and /unattend:c:\unattend.txt parameters with Winnt32.exe and you use the following settings in the Unattended.txt file, users must click Finish to complete the process after the upgrade report is generated and saved.