XP Inst Query

In the course of my work I frequently find myself installaing XP.

maybe 2 or 3 times a week on different computers.

Is there a way I can make this task quicker / easier.. maybe like a ghost
image of all the setup files on a bottable CD so I can skip the formatting
of the disk and copying of files???

Just wondering / hoping there is an easier way than fresh install everytime.

I always use the customers own serial number from their sticker.

thanks.
me

 

You just solved your problem on one respect, using Ghost.

The other bigger issue is different hardware.

It could also be a Ghost image of a bootable working system, allowing
for hardware changes you might be able to boot a 90% common image and
add other drivers after.

After you build each PC, before the user gets it, make a Ghost of it
working. If you then need to rebuild the same PC it's faster.

See the MS site, or any of the many tutorials for

windows xp unattended setup

You can have a base setup XP CD and keep custom install files for each
system for the video, modem etc differences.

Me

 

thanks.

i think i will format a drive and begin an xp install, after the disk
format and the file copy.. just as the graphical setup is about to begin I
will switch off the pc and take a ghost image of the drive and put that on a
bootable CD with a copy of ghost.exe

I can also include some unattended settings on the CD

that way I can at least be half an hour through the XP install in about 5
minutes.

good one old chap..sounds like a little messing round up front to save alot
of messing round over and over every week... i should have done this ages
ago!

me.

 

Please include some of the message you are replying to.

Don't think I would try to switch off just then in case some file /
setup was done. Although I have heard that does work.

The normal way with the unattended setup is

Build the install folder with the i386 and additional driver folder(s)
like 10 NICs, 10 video drivers , modem and sound as needed, all of which
can burned to CD as is. Then develop the unattended script, finally burn
the whole lot to cd.

It still helps here if the PCs have a floppy, you can setup 1 PC as an
install test and if something doesn't quite work, edit the script on the
floppy in a 2nd PC, put it back in the test PC and reboot. Makes things
easier.

You can setup a simple menu to pick custom hardware
for each PC, or IIRC for the video, nic etc you simply point to the CD
folders from the booted system, via the gui as normal it's a bit more of
a manual setup that way.

Saying that I have only used unattended on batches of all the exact same
hardware but it should help you.

It does and yes

Me

 

Annoying, isn't it. Takes so darn long and all the while you're hoping
an error doesn't pop up.