106 replies to this topic

[sushil1576]

yeah...and i am even trying to add the OEM folder and unattend.xml option so that if they are there on the usb hard disk or anywhere,then they will be used otherwise normal setup.exe will be used..

[steve6375]

But that will knock out the Repair option. Maybe you need to ask the question in MySetup.cmd

Do you want to run a Repair (Y/N) :

If answer is yes the just run X:\Setup ??

[sushil1576]

I have not actually tried all that,just ideas...will try them out later today..

Well by repair opption,do you mean the start up repair option that we get when we boot from dvd or option to do non-destructive repair install of windows installed on internal hard disk...

Now that leads to another question...Is it possible to do such non-destructive repair of windows or may be even upgrade install of windows 7 while booting from windows dvd.

[sushil1576]

Hi,

As steve said that if we use unttend.xml option,we will loose the repair option,..So I have come up with a new "mysetup.cmd" which will give four different option to install windows and will use OEM folder as well as unattend.xml option that can be placed on at the root of any drive including USB drive..I am not perfect with commands,so just check it out if it is correct though it does seems to work correct...

@echo off

TITLE MYSETUP.CMD

REM run wpeinit after loading ISO file

cmd /q /c  "FOR %%i IN (C D E F G H I J K L N M O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) DO IF EXIST %%i:\FIRADISK\LOADISO.CMD  cmd /k %%i:\FIRADISK\LOADISO.cmd"

TITLE MYSETUP.CMD

REM find RAMDRIVE with ISO contents

for %%I in (C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%I:\sources\install.wim set RAMdrive=%%I:

If NOT "%RAMdrive%"=="" echo Found Install.wim at %RAMdrive%\sources\install.wim

IF "%RAMdrive%"=="" (

echo ERROR - COULD NOT FIND INSTALL.WIM!

pause

pause

REM Reboot

goto :EOF

)

SET OEMFOLDER=

for %%A in (C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%A:\OEM\temp.txt SET OEMFOLDER=%%A:

echo OEM folder is at drive %OEMFOLDER%

SET UNATTEND=

FOR %%I IN (C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) DO IF EXIST %%I:\unattend.xml SET UNATTEND=%%I:

echo Unattend.xml is at drive %UNATTEND%

 

SET UN=

if exist %UNATTEND%\unattend.xml SET UN=/unattend:%UNATTEND%\unattend.xml

echo Unattend Path Is %UN%

 

SET OEM=

if exist %OEMFOLDER%\OEM\nul SET OEM=/m:%OEMFOLDER%\OEM

echo OEMFOLDER path is %OEM%

 

REM Choose your Install Options

echo ------------------------------------Install Options--------------------------------------

echo.

echo A = Unattended Install with OEM Folder and Unattend.xml -- No Startup Repair

echo.

echo B = Unattended Install with Only OEM Folder   	-- NO Startup Repair

echo.

echo C = Unattended Install with Only Unattend.xml   	-- No Startup Repair

echo.

echo D = Default Windows Install  		-- Startup Repair Option

echo.

echo ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

echo.

echo Note :-

echo.

echo 1) Rename your "$oem$" folder as "OEM" folder and put it at the root of any drive

echo	including USB drive

echo.

echo 2) Rename your unattended.xml file as "unattend.xml" and put it at the root of

echo	any drive including USB drive

 

echo.

SET /P ANS="Choose Your Windows Install Option? : "

 

IF /I "%ANS%"=="A" GOTO :A

IF /I "%ANS%"=="B" GOTO :B

IF /I "%ANS%"=="C" GOTO :C

IF /I "%ANS%"=="D" GOTO :D

 

: A

REM Full Unattended install with OEM folder and unattend.xml option ( No Repair Option)

cls

echo You Have chosen Full Unattended install with OEM folder and unattend.xml option ( No Repair Option)

if exist X:\Setup.exe X:\setup.exe %OEM% %UN%

if exist X:\sources\Setup.exe X:\sources\setup.exe %OEM% %UN%

goto :RBT

: B

cls

REM Unattended install with OEM folder  option (NO Reapir Option)

echo You have chosen Unattended install with OEM folder option (NO Repair option)

if exist X:\Setup.exe X:\setup.exe %OEM%

if exist X:\sources\Setup.exe X:\sources\setup.exe %OEM%

goto :RBT

: C

cls

REM Unattended install with unattend.xml option ( No Repair Option)

echo You have chosen Unattended install with unattend.xml option ( No Repair Option)

if exist X:\Setup.exe X:\setup.exe %UN%

if exist X:\sources\Setup.exe X:\sources\setup.exe %UN%

goto :RBT

: D

cls

REM Default Windows Setup from X:\setup.exe( Repair Option)

echo You have chosen Default Windows Install Option

if exist X:\Setup.exe X:\setup.exe

if exist X:\sources\Setup.exe X:\sources\setup.exe

goto :RBT

REM call setup in root of boot.wim to get both Repair Option as well as Install Option

if exist X:\Setup.exe X:\setup.exe %OEM% %UN%

if exist X:\sources\Setup.exe X:\sources\setup.exe %OEM% %UN%

goto :RBT

echo looking for setup.exe in \sources on DVD ISO

If exist %RAMdrive%\sources\setup.exe  (

%RAMdrive%

REM setup will use its path to find the install.wim

echo Launching %RAMdrive%\sources\setup.exe

%RAMdrive%\sources\setup.exe

goto :RBT

)

 

echo looking for setup in root of DVD ISO

If exist %RAMdrive%\setup.exe  (

%RAMdrive%

REM setup will use its path to find the install.wim

%RAMdrive%\setup.exe

goto :RBT

)

 

REM if not then just call setup in root of boot.wim and point it at install.wim

if exist X:\sources\Setup.exe X:\sources\setup.exe /installfrom:%RAMdrive%\sources\install.wim

if exist X:\Setup.exe X:\setup.exe /installfrom:%RAMdrive%\sources\install.wim

goto :RBT

 

:BAD

dir X:\ /b

echo Cannot find X:\Setup.exe !

@echo Press a key to reboot now...

pause

:RBT

wpeutil reboot

pause

 

REM Reboot

goto :EOF

)

 

EDIT: Basically what i found in my experiments is that if we use any options with setup.exe , windows setup will start directly bypassing the repair option...Maybe i am not fully correct,but that has been the case so far..

Edited by sushil1576, 11 August 2011 - 06:17 PM.

[steve6375]

X:\setup.exe seems to be the only one that gives the repair option. %ramdrive%\setup.exe and \sources\setup.exe do not seem to give the repair option ()with no parameters specified).

[sushil1576]

Hi,

I tried to put some GUI to the above mysetup.cmd file which would help the user in choosing his own OEM folder or his own unattend.xml file...or may be even without both of them and just the deafult setup...I an not good at all at command as seen from above but from just trial and error and lots and lots of experiments i have come up with my own "mysetup.exe" which is nothing but the whole package which will extract itself itself into a temporary folder and from where modified "mysetup.cmd" will be executed along with modified "loadiso.cmd"..I have used a nice liitle app called "wizapp.exe" which helped me in created the GUI from the batch files...Firadisk driver files are also included in the setup..

This setup basically helps those who use USB HDD or those who want to run the above windows installation from Hard disk...You have to modify the boot.wim file and insert "mysetup.exe" and "winpeshl.ini" into "X:\windows\system32" folder of the 2nd image of boot.wim.The main advantage i can see from the above approach is that we can keep different OEM folders and different unattend.xml files and just choose the one according to our requirement during windows setup..

This is the first time i have tried anything like this,so please bear with me and please if possible tell me how can i better this setup..thanks..

And finally all this has been possible thanks to steve...whose tutorials are really awesome and very simple to understand..

http://www.mediafire...9lmnvxbak875djg


This applies to the Firadisk Method which was explained very nicely by steve on his website here

Edited by sushil1576, 17 August 2011 - 11:22 AM.

[sushil1576]

Hi,
It seems that the above mysetup.exe doesn't work in 64bit winpe as both mysetup.exe and wizapp are 32 bit applications and since 64bit winpe doesn't have WOW64...

Now is there any workaround to make them work in 64bit winpe or should i just use normal mysetup.cmd in a 64bit setup?

[steve6375]

I have added a modification to the 'Install Windows 7 from an ISO from Flash drive' method so that you do not need two menus for each ISO, i.e. one for install and one for Repair.
See the Tutorial #43a for details of the modification. Now you can repair and if that doesn't work you can continue with the install.
It would be good to get some feedback on this, if someone wants to try it. I have tested it on Win7SP1 32-bit and it seems to work.
If it does work then it would simplify the menu and we can remove the need to use dd to overwrite the AutoUnattend.xml file. So the menu for each ISO would just be:

title 1 INSTALL Windows 7 32-bit\nThis will repair or install any edition of Windows 32-bit on your hard disk

set MYISO=win7.iso

map --mem (md)0x800+4 (99)

map /ISO/%MYISO% (0xff)

map (hd0) (hd1)

map (hd1) (hd0)

map --hook

write (99) [FiraDisk]\nStartOptions=cdrom,vmem=find:/ISO/%MYISO%;\n\0

chainloader (0xff)/BOOTMGR || chainloader (0xff)

[sambul61]

steve6375

Is it possible to use with your FiraDisk method to install Win from ISO, a workaround method for USB Hard Drives described in your Tutorial 32 devoted to installing from ISO with ImDisk? If not, why?

I found the workaround simpler to follow, especially for a one time quick install task that may not need be ever repeated. If YES, can you amend your Tutorial 43 with that workaround, and also mention possibility to use it with not only USB, but also internal HDs?

[steve6375]

Hi
Firadisk integrates with grub4dos, so I can pass the name of the ISO file to firadisk when WinPE loads. This is what the line

write (99) [FiraDisk]\nStartOptions=cdrom,vmem=find:/ISO/%MYISO%;\n\0

does. I asked Olaf Lagerkvist (author of ImDisk) many moons ago to code a similar mechanism (i.e. search memory for a special 'signature' which contains the name of an iso file to load) so that I can use ImDisk and he said he might possibly add it. However, I don't think it has been added yet.

Tutorial #32 however uses ImDisk but it is not quite so neat as I cannot use the special grub4dos method to pass over the name of the ISO.

So please see #32 for what you want.

[sambul61]

I already used ImDisk to install Win Server 2008R2 that way, so I know it works. Now I want to try "much easier" method with FiraDisk you described, but for USB Hard Drives it somehow offers to modify an original Win ISO that most users won't do for a one time installation, me including. Hence the question: is there a way to use similar workaround with FiraDisk? In other words, if I type FIRADISK\LOADISO.CMD after hitting Shift+F10 instead if IMDISK\LOADISO.CMD, will the workaround work and why? Anything else I should change for it to work?

[steve6375]

Tutorial #43 says in third heading:

>>> QUOTE >>>

Using this method with USB Hard Disks

The method does not work automatically for bootable USB hard disks because the AutoUnattend.xml file MUST be on a removable drive (which could be a USB flash drive or CD). If you have lots of ISO files and want to boot any one of them from a USB hard disk, you have these options:

1. Use a USB Flash drive as described below but copy all the ISO files to the USB hard disk (or on a separate partition on the internal hard disk on the target system). If using two USB drives (flash+hdd), make sure both are connected when you boot from your Flash drive.
2. Make a USB hard drive following the instructions for a Flash drive below. When Windows Setup loads, press SHIFT+F10 to open a command console and type F:\firadisk\loadiso (where F: is the drive letter of your USB hard disk - which may vary).
3. See Addendum below for how to modify any Windows Vista/7/2K8 or later ISO so that a bootable USB hard drive can be used with this method without a flash drive being needed or the user needing to type some extra commands.

>>> /QUOTE >>>

Does this not answer your Q?

[sambul61]

Thanks Steve,

The problem with that citation was, I couldn't figure out whether options on that List are mutually exclusive or, in contrast, must complement each other. But now, upon a second shoot at it, I seems to realize its worded in mutually exclusive terms. Thanks a lot.

[steve6375]

OK - if you try 43a tutorial let me know how you get on. If it works I can simplify tutorial 43 by removing the repair menu options...

[sambul61]

For sure I was planning 43a, since its more efficient. I'll try FiraDisk workaround option with a SATA HD, possibly to install clean Win Server 2008R2 onto a VHD - do you think it will fly? I do know, other methods exist to install OS onto a VHD, but I didn't try FiraDisk & Grub4DOS method to install OS from ISO (rather then apply an OS volume image to a disk), so its a good chance to try it.

[sambul61]

Steve,

I tried your Tutorial 43a to install Win Server 2008R2 64-bit onto a partition on SATA Drive, and it worked without a glitch. I didn't use manual workaround, but instead simply dropped AutoUnattend.xml onto an empty USB Thumb, while Grub4DOS was long ago installed on an external SATA drive, and the install ISO & FiraDisk also there. I'm certain, it would install the same way onto a VHD, but one would need to manually create and attach the vhd in Command Prompt before installing OS onto it. After reboot it might show up in BCD Menu, or again attached manually to finish the install. But I decided to not bother and follow MS deployment ImageX scenario - prepping and applying already installed OS image onto a VHD.

In short, you can scrap 43, and replace it with 43a. Pls add that "Copy only AutoUnattend.xml to USB Thumb" option to your "Booting from USB HD" workaround. Its a lot faster than modding the ISO or trying to run the whole task from a USB Thumb. The only thing, I'd do: team up with a technical writer, one of these guys making Tech Manuals and IT User Space Docs. Your staff now looks way too complex for an ordinary Joe, and has pure readability. Especially when trying to make it fit into existing environment. So target audience may grow exponentially from such a tandem.

[steve6375]

Thanks for reporting back about 43a.
There are so many options when using this method that it is difficult to know what each person wants. For instance, I had been asked how to use a USB hard disk using this method without needing a flash drive. So I added the instructions on how to modify the ISO specifically for people who want a fully automatic method - this makes it a lot more complicated. Then we have people like you who are quite happy to use a Flash drive and a USB HDD but want the bootable drive to be the USB HDD. Others want the bootable drive to be the Flash drive so that they can carry around and all-in-one Flash drive and whip out their 'ISO hard disk' only when they need to install an OS onto something. Others have large USB drives and are quite happy to keep several ISOs and all files on the one Flash drive. Others would rather not bother with two devices or modifying the ISO but are happy to use SHIFT+F10 and manually run loadiso.

[sambul61]

I should mention of also preferring to use an external drive for PC service, though not a USB Thumb, but 2.5" fast laptop HD in SATA & USB Enclosure. I mostly use it in SATA mode, since its hot-swappable. But to add a USB Thumb with a single file AutoUnattend.xml shouldn't be a problem for most. Or...you better find a way allowing this file to work from a USB or SATA HD as well.

I wonder, if its possible to offer an alternative Install OS from ISO method: an .exe file instead of or in addition to the .html Tutorial that will do automatically the steps described in your Tutorial? Or, possibly add an option to your RMPrepUSB that would run an OS Install Wizard taking a user step-by-step in preparing the boot drive, unpacking FiraDisk.zip on it, then offering to select and save an ISO in the ISO folder, select an install method (auto or manual) and drive to place .xml file, then reboot to a selected disk and run OS install sequence. Easy Button style... or how the ad says: Set it and Forget it.

[sharky48]

Steve,

When I add my Windows 8 iso (WIndowsDeveloperPreview-32bit-English. iso 2,82Gb) I get an error.

Here is my Menu.lst entry:
title Windows 8
find --set-root /imdisk/myiso.cmd
dd if=()/imdisk/cr.txt of=()/imdisk/myiso.cmd
write ()/imdisk/myiso.cmd SET MYISO=/iso/WindowsDeveloperPreview-32bit-English.iso\r\n
map /iso/WindowsDeveloperPreview-32bit-English.iso (0xff)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
map --hook
chainloader (0xff)

In the root of the usb stick, there is an AutoUnattend.xml which works with my Windows 7 iso's.

When I boot the pc with this, windows does start loading files and then shows:
Windows cannot read the <ProductKey> setting from the unattend answer file.

When I google the error, I get answers for VMWare. When you disable the floppy drive, the error goes aw. This does not help me.
Please tell me how to fix this. Do you need my copy of the AutoUnattend.xml?

[steve6375]

yes, as the xml file seems to be the problem!

[sharky48]

yes, as the xml file seems to be the problem!

Thank for the fast reply, my AuotUnattend.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">

<settings pass="windowsPE">

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.micro...fig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/20...hema-instance">
<RunSynchronous>
<RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
<Order>1</Order>
<Path>cmd /q /c "FOR %i IN (C D E F G H I J K L N M O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) DO IF EXIST %i:IMDISKLOADISO.CMD cmd /k %i:IMDISKLOADISO.cmd"</Path>
<Description>Detecting usb drive</Description>
</RunSynchronousCommand>
</RunSynchronous>
<UserData>
<AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
</UserData>
</component>

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.micro...fig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/20...hema-instance">
<RunSynchronous>
<RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
<Order>1</Order>
<Path>cmd /q /c "FOR %i IN (C D E F G H I J K L N M O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) DO IF EXIST %i:IMDISKLOADISO.CMD cmd /k %i:IMDISKLOADISO.cmd"</Path>
<Description>Detecting usb drive</Description>
</RunSynchronousCommand>
</RunSynchronous>
<UserData>
<AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
</UserData>
</component>

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.micro...fig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/20...hema-instance">
<SetupUILanguage>
<UILanguage>nl-NL</UILanguage>
</SetupUILanguage>
<InputLocale>nl-NL</InputLocale>
<SystemLocale>nl-NL</SystemLocale>
<UILanguage>nl-NL</UILanguage>
<UserLocale>nl-NL</UserLocale>
</component>

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.micro...fig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/20...hema-instance">
<SetupUILanguage>
<UILanguage>nl-NL</UILanguage>
</SetupUILanguage>
<InputLocale>nl-NL</InputLocale>
<SystemLocale>nl-NL</SystemLocale>
<UILanguage>nl-NL</UILanguage>
<UserLocale>nl-NL</UserLocale>
</component>

</settings>


<settings pass="oobeSystem">

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.micro...fig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/20...hema-instance">
<OOBE>
<NetworkLocation>Home</NetworkLocation>
<HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
<ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
<HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
</OOBE>
<DisableAutoDaylightTimeSet>false</DisableAutoDaylightTimeSet>
<TimeZone>W. Europe Standard Time</TimeZone>
</component>

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.micro...fig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/20...hema-instance">
<OOBE>
<NetworkLocation>Home</NetworkLocation>
<HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
<ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
<HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
</OOBE>
<DisableAutoDaylightTimeSet>false</DisableAutoDaylightTimeSet>
<TimeZone>W. Europe Standard Time</TimeZone>
</component>

</settings>


<settings pass="specialize">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="NonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.micro...fig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/20...chema-instance" />
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-Licensing-SLC-UX" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="NonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.micro...fig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/20...hema-instance">
<SkipAutoActivation>true</SkipAutoActivation>
</component>

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="NonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.micro...fig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/20...chema-instance" />
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-Licensing-SLC-UX" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="NonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.micro...fig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/20...hema-instance">
<SkipAutoActivation>true</SkipAutoActivation>
</component>
</settings>
<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:d:/unlimited%20projects/litevista/sources/install.wim#Windows Vista (vLite) ULTIMATE" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

[steve6375]

Try changing the first section to add in the product key

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">



<settings pass="windowsPE">





<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">

<RunSynchronous>

<RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">

<Order>1</Order>

<Path>cmd /q /c "FOR %i IN (C D E F G H I J K L N M O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) DO IF EXIST %i:IMDISKLOADISO.CMD cmd /k %i:IMDISKLOADISO.cmd"</Path>

<Description>Detecting usb drive</Description>

</RunSynchronousCommand>

</RunSynchronous>

<UserData>

<AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>

<ProductKey>

<Key>H9VCT-63NFW-FWHDR-F4J43-972K8</Key>

</ProductKey>

</UserData>

</component>

The product key will need to be changed to match what you are installing - e.g. 6RH4V-HNTWC-JQKG8-RFR3R-36498

[sharky48]

It worked !
I entered the given lines under amd64 and x86.
Now I'm curious if my Windows 7 installations will work. But I can always switch the xml files around before installation.

Thanks for the fast help!
It helped me a great deal, and hopefully it will help others in the future.

[steve6375]

You can just change the line
dd if=()/firadisk/au.xml of=()/AutoUnattend.xml

to
dd if=()/firadisk/au8.xml of=()/AutoUnattend.xml

in the menu to use the different xml file - just make sure that /AutoUnattend.xml on the USB drive is at least as big as the largest au???.xml file or it will cause file corruption!

[laddanator]

If you use this code on Win 7 and 8. This will find your Autounattend.xml and will fix the problem of this file not being found on root of usb hard drive.

For %%I in (C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B) do (dir %%I: 1>nul 2>nul && if /i exist %%I:AutoUnattend.xml set Path=%%I:)



echo %Path%



X:setup.exe /unattend:%Path%AutoUnattend.xml

On 7 and 8 the unattend.xml file can be on the root but with Vista on this command I had to hard code the path and put my unattend in the root of my mounted boot.wim X:setup.exe /unattend:X:Vistaunattend.xml.

I found loading Vista, Win7, and Win8 pretty simple with no modding or having to use Firadisk drivers, just straight install as if it was from the dvd from a USB Drive. First I take an 80 gig USB Hard Drive (anything bigger will not work due to bios limitations) and I break that drive up into 4 partitions. I then use BOOTICE to add grub4dos to the whole disk mbr under the "Process MBR" tab. Then I use BOOTICE under the "Process PBR" tab to install Grub4Dos to partition 1 mbr, then I use the BOOTMGR boot record option and install that to partition 2, 3 and 4. I then extract my Vista.iso to partition 2, Win7 AIO.iso to partition 3 and Windows 8 to partition 4 and copy my grldr and menu.lst to partition 1 with these commands

title 11. Windows Vista SP2 Setup.nOctober 2011

rootnoverify (hd0,2)

chainloader +1

title

root

title 12. Windows 7 SP1 AIO Setup & Vista-Win7 Repair ConsolenNovember 2011. Password Tools, Boot Fix Tools and More

rootnoverify (hd0,1)

chainloader +1

title

root

title 13. Windows 8 SetupnTesting Only

rootnoverify (hd0,3)

chainloader +1

title

root

Before I am ready to boot, I mount my Vista boot.wim and add this to my Windowssystem32 folder. winpeshl.ini which has

[LaunchApps]

x:Windowssystem32unattend.cmd

and for Vista, I copy my unattend.xml to the root of my mounted wim and in my unattend.cmd I have

X:setup.exe /unattend:X:Vistaunattend.xml.

and Win7 and 8 I leave my unattend.xml on the root of my USB Hard Drive and copy the same two things to system32 folder of mounted wim but this is in my Win 7 and 8 unattend.cmd

For %%I in (C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B) do (dir %%I: 1>nul 2>nul && if /i exist %%I:unattend.xml set Path=%%I:)



echo %Path%



X:setup.exe /unattend:%Path%unattend.xml

You can change the name of the unattend to anything you like. So my code doesn't find the wrong .xml, I name mine Win7unattend.xml and Win8unattend.xml. I use DaRT from Microsoft as my Vista, Win7 repair console. I add the entry and path in my bcd file. DaRT is pretty cool and way better than the standard repair console. I use 7.0 the newest.

BOOTICE
http://www.pendrivea...it-boot-sector/

DaRT
http://technet.micro...y/ee460920.aspx