Attended installation: can be run from CD or network share. Attended implies that you are sitting at the computer answering the questions! From Win98/Me process prompts for productID, checks for dynamic updates, then lets you check hardware only or programs too. Dynamic updates includes service packs, updated drivers, program upgrade packs. Choose NTFS filesystem to get support for encryption, compression, quotas, and security.

Preparation

1. check hardware and applications for compatibility (See HCL at http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hcl/default.mspx)
2. Keep BIOS up to date. Set 'Non-PnP OS' (PnP OS was designed for earlier PnP operating systems)
3. Check HDD space available (2GB recommended)
4. gather network details
5. backup data
6. disable antivirus software and disk utilities

Requirements

Current Requirements

• PC with 300 MHz or higher processor clock speed recommended; 233 MHz minimum required (single or dual processor system); Intel Pentium/Celeron family, or AMD K6/Athlon/Duron family, or compatible processor recommended
• 128 MB of RAM or higher recommended (64 MB minimum supported; may limit performance and some features)
• 1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available hard disk space*
• Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution video adapter and monitor
• CD-ROM or DVD drive
• Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device
• For Internet access:
• Some Internet functionality may require Internet access, a Microsoft .NET Passport account, and payment of a separate fee to a service provider; local and/or long-distance telephone toll charges may apply
• 14.4 kilobits per second (Kbps) or higher-speed modem
• For networking:
• Network adapter appropriate for the type of local-area, wide-area, wireless, or home network you wish to connect to, and access to an appropriate network infrastructure; access to third-party networks may require additional charges
• For instant messaging, voice and videoconferencing, and application sharing, both parties need:
• Microsoft .NET Passport account and Internet access or Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server instant messaging account and network access (some configurations may require download of additional components)
• For voice and videoconferencing, both parties also need:
• 33.6 Kbps or higher-speed modem, or a network connection
• Microphone and sound card with speakers or headset
• For videoconferencing, both parties also need:
• Video conferencing camera
• For application sharing, both parties also need:
• 33.6 Kbps or higher-speed modem, or a network connection
• For remote assistance:
• Both parties must be running Windows XP and be connected by a network
• For remote desktop:
• A Windows 95 or later-based computer, and the two machines must be connected by a network
• For sound:
• Sound card and speakers or headphones
• For DVD video playback:
• DVD drive and DVD decoder card or DVD decoder software
• 8 MB of video RAM
• For Windows Movie Maker:
• Video capture feature requires appropriate digital or analogue video capture device
• 400 MHz or higher processor for digital video camera capture

* Actual requirements will vary based on your system configuration and the applications and features you choose to install. Additional available hard disk space may be required if you are installing over a network.

Clean Install

Can be done from within earlier version of windows or by booting from CD. Process:

1. File Copying
2. Text mode setup (will offer to repair existing installations if they exist, then select/delete/create partition)
3. GUI mode setup
4. Windows welcome
5. Install any available service packs

Clean Install - Boot From CD:

1. Setup Inspecting your computer
2. F6 to Load Additional Drivers
3. press F2 for ASR recovery
4. Welcome to Setup
5. press enter to continue
6. press R to repair
7. press F3 to quit
8. Licence Agreement
9. Partition setup
10. To setup on highlighted partition press Enter
11. Press C to create a partition
12. Press D to delete selected partition
13. Format Partition
14. Check partition
15. File Copy
16. Restart Computer
17. Graphic Mode
18. (Dynamic Update Complete)
19. Preparing Installation
20. Installing Devices
21. Regional Settings
22. Enter Name and Organisation
23. Product Key
24. Computer Name and Administrator Password
25. Adjust Date and Time
26. Installing Network
27. typical settings or custom
28. workgroup or domain
29. copy files
30. Install Start Menu
31. Register components
32. Installing Windows
33. Saving Settings
34. Restart
35. Automatically Adjust Screen Resolution
36. Welcome To Windows
37. Check for Internet Connectivity
38. Choose LAN or Dialup
39. Choose IP configuration
40. Optional Register
41. Add users
42. Congratulations
43. Welcome Screen
44. Tour Windows

Upgrade

Run the Windows XP upgrade advisor to check system compatibility from autorun menu or 'd:\i386\winnt32 -checkupgradeonly'. Setup preserves most settings and installed programs. Boot existing OS and run install: don't boot from CD. Direct upgrade available for Win98/Me, NT4 SP6, Win2000 and XP Home (check hardware drivers are available). You may want to run a disk scan, antivirus check, defrag and backup first. Afterwards:

1. reset passwords for migrated accounts (old passwords discarded)
2. run network setup wizard to setup File Sharing and ICF. Old network settings should be preserved
3. Check programs and devices are working
4. use convert to change FAT32 to NTFS
5. set admin password

Laptops without integrated CD: boot with 98 boot disk, run smartdrive and start winnt.exe. or Copy i386 folder to blank partition, use 98 boot disk, run winnt.

%windir% = windows on clean install, or previous value on upgrade

Setup errors that are caused after text mode, are usually caused by incompatible disk drivers (download a compatible driver and start again)

Multiboot

Choose FAT32 only if you plan to dual-boot with Win95/98/Me or NT4 SP3. Dual boot, install to a new partition only. Allows only one copy of 95/98/Me, but multiple NT/2000/XP. Use 3^rd party boot-manager if more required. Tip: install XP on same partition, different folder if you need to recover data from a crashed, single-partition install.

1. Boot existing OS
2. Insert CD and choose 'new install (Advanced)
3. Click 'advanced' option in succeeding dialogue and choose 'I want to choose the install drive letter and partition during setup'
4. Choose partition during text mode

Winnt32exe Switches

• /checkupgradeonly
• /cmd:command_line specifies a command to run post GUI model
• /cmdcons add recovery console
• /copydir:folder_name copies specified folder to %windir%\folder_name for later use
• /copysource:folder_name creates temporary subfolder which is deleted when setup finishes
• /noreboot: eliminates forced reboot after file copy phase
• /s:sourcepath specify location of setup files (can be unc also)
• /syspart:driveletter copy setup files to a hard disk, mark it as active, move to another machine and continue setup
• /tempdrive:driveletter used with syspart to specify primary partition to store setup files and installing a new copy of XP. Upgrades place XP on partition from which winnt is run
• /udf:ID [,UDB_file] db file for automated install
• /u or /unattend[seconds][:answer_file]
• /debug[0-4]:[filename]: creates debug log, defaults to %systemroot%\winnt32.log, log level 2
• /dudisable: disables dynamic updates
• /duprepare:path: used to add dynamic updates to an installation share
• /dushare:path: use dynamic updates added to an installation share
• /m:foldername: copy replacement files from an alternate location
• /makelocalsource: copy files from installation media to disk

Automated Setup

1. unattended mode (can be used on varying hardware, Must be local admin to run fully automated install)
2. disk imaging (requires sane HAL, disks and controllers)
3. RIS (requires same HAL, but plug and play handles other devices)
4. SMS

Deployment Tools on CD \support\tools\deploy.cab

1. setupmgr.exe to create answer files
2. sysprep.exe to create disk images
3. setupcl.exe used by sysprep to create SID
4. deploy.chm deployment user guides
5. ref.chm reference file
6. cvtarea, oformat, factory: used by OEMs

Setup Manager

setupmgr.exe available from the support tools on the XP CD

setupmgr lets you decide

1. user interaction level (provide defaults, fully automated, hide pages, Read Only, GUI Attended)
2. distribution folder (create or modify a distribution folder)
3. computer names. Edit batch file to include /udf switch and udf files
4. can encrypt local admin password (doesn't encrypt domain admin password)

Use descriptive names instead of unattend.txt: e.g. dell.txt, compaq.txt. Modify unattend.txt with either setupmgr or manually. 'Win9xUpgrade = Yes' switch in unattend section, to upgrade using a different partition

Unattended install

d:\i386\winnt32 /unattend:a:\unattend.txt

or for a clean install save answer file as winnt.sif

Simple Automation

1. Install XP on one computer
2. install deployment tools
3. create answer files
4. (optional) create distribution folder
5. copy answer file, batch file and udf file to floppy
6. run batch file on each computer from floppy or distribution folder

Distribution folders can be updated with service packs if required. You can run the update.exe file with the /slip switch

RIS

Uses AD, DNS and DHCP to install to machines that support PXE Boot (PXE: Pre-boot eXecution Environment). Network card should be PXE compliant or you can use a RIS boot disk. Boot Information Negotiation Layer (BINL) extensions to DHCP used to direct client to RIS server. TFTP used to transfer images to client during install. Once you install RIS from Add/Remove components, run RIsetup.exe to configure it. RemoteInstall folder containing images must be on an NTFS drive. RIS server must be authorised via DHCP console and select 'respond to clients' on RIS tab of sysdm.cpl. RIS boot disk supports a limited set of network cards and is created by running RBFG.exe. Remote Installation services places remboot.sif in image directory at i386\templates. Multiple sif files can be used to vary installations. Use AD Users and Computers to associate the sif file with the OS Image from the Remote Install tab of the RIS Server. Automated installs, e.g. RIS or unattended assume you are using CALs to install licences. You can use Group Policy to ensure that clients get the correct images.

RIprep

RIprep allows you to create images of PCs with applications preinstalled. Machines must use same HAL, but plug and play will handle differences in plug and play devices. Once system is installed, connect to RIS server and run "file://servername/risshare/admin/i386/riprep.exe"

Sysprep

Removes machine-specific information to create an image for use with third party imaging software. Requires identical hard drives, controllers and HAL. Image is burnt to client, hence it is for clean installs only. Requires volume licensing to work, but be aware that application software licences need to be covered also. setup.cl handles mini-setup and SID generation, ensuring machine uniqueness.

Sysprep restrictions:

1. identical drive controllers, HALs, BIOS versions required
2. 3^rd party disk duplicator required, e.g. GHOST, DriveImage or a disk-duplicating device
3. target hard disk must be as big as master disk
4. master computer must be clean with no accounts, profiles or encrypted data

Using Sysprep:

1. Install XP on master
2. logon as admin
3. customise computer and install apps
4. create sysprep folder, extract sysprep and setup.cl
5. run sysprep: machine will shut itself down
6. duplicate hard disk
7. start client PC with duplicate disk
8. PnP detection
9. Windows Welcome
10. Deletion of sysprep folder
11. PC reboots

Can be combined with an answer file. Use 'Sysprep install' to create answer file. File should be named sysprep.inf (or more exactly *.inf) and placed in sysprep folder. sysprep options: /nosidgen, /quiet, /pnp, /reboot.

Troubleshooting Setup

• hardware incompatibilities not spotted by compatibility wizard
• trouble with CDROM drives
• If system locks up, just reboot
• Check Video adapter compatibility
• check the setup logs: Actions log, %systemroot%\setupact.log and ; Errors log, %systemroot%\setuperr.log