I also use WSUS, but I figure why not just have everything integrated from the beginning.  Then when my post setup script that defragments everything runs, I know I won't have to do it again.

oh...and I should mention, WSUS is a bit of a pain in the ass to setup for deployments that might not be staying on that network.  Plus WSUS still makes you reboots and is picky about what is installed in the same pass etc...

That is why I like Autopatcher (plus you can pick and choose your options with autopatcher and then save them and do an unattended "update" with it on Windows first boot.

it's not a pain at all.  i have a script that forces the machine to check my wsus box for updates then it pauses. once the updates have been installed or even just downloaded you unpause (hit the any key) and it resets the windows update settings back to how they were.

it's doesnt force you to reboot. it just says blah has finished installing would you like to restart.

as a part of my unattended im pretty sure the only updates i install are .net 1.1 and the service pack for it, the new windows installer and the BITS patch. then when i wsus it it downloads 60ish updates.

mr kris wrote:

twig123 wrote:

I myself am also looking for a better way to deploy my OS's rather from CD/DVDs. I service ~150 PC's a month, and it is a pain to make the cd's every month with the latest updates.

one word, well it's an acronym actually
wsus
that'd help with the update side of things...
i have stuffed around with it a bit. Bâshrat the Sneaky used to have a batchfile that'd put the driver locations into winnt.sif

I have a problem with wsus... "You also must install Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE) Release A, WMSDE, SQL Server 2005, or SQL Server 2000 with SP3"... I have none of those. I have XP Pro currently installed, but I also have access to Server 2000 & Server 2003 Licences (not currently installed).

i have wsus installed on a 2kserver virtual machine using vmware and it works a treat...  i wouldnt reccomend using 2003, it's excessive if all you want it for is wsus.

all up wsus and all the other bits (sql, .NET etc) are around 300mb to get it going

little bit of advice with wsus. dont be lazy and let it automatically approve everything like i did. you'll end up downloading 7gb and 6.5gb of that are obsolete updates...

only approve updates that are detected by wsus as needed by systems...

the easiest way to update machines with wsus is to run a batch file so it forces windows to check the wsus machine for updates. if you want i will post my script thing on here...

You have one folder with the windows installation files right from the cd

Another folder with the cfgset for the apps, drivers, oem info etc...

And all WinPE does is "bring it together" on the harddrive...turning your hard drive into the Windows installation disk.

The application setups are called into play in a completely separate manner.  Using sysprep -factory with a second winbom is how my apps are installed...subsequently on the first complete boot of Windows.   As for the drivers, whatever you are doing works spledidly now...with the exception of MCE.  It used to work for me but now it doesn't...go figure.

2) Can you use WinPE to insert files into the installed image?

WinPE is merely used to partition, format and copy the Windows installation image to the hard drive.  I have never applied the DriverPacks to the WinPE image since the only drivers were need for WinPE are the network and the massstorage...and both are done differently.  Here is what I mean, RIS requires network drivers.  that is it.  But WinPE, when it loads, wants network AND mass storage drivers.  So the .sys and the .inf files get dumped into the RIS \i386 root...while for WinPE the NIC and the Massstorage drivers get dumped into the \i386\inf (.inf files) and the \i386\system32\drivers (.sys files)

3) How and when is the installation of device drivers?

i am using your tools...you tell me   I am just implementing them ever slightly differently, but I am not changing any of your work...just moving your files and appended txt.  The DPSFinisher though runs on first boot as the very last thing in my winbom.ini for sysprep -factory (which just so you all know, this winbom.ini file must go into the %systemroot%\sysprep folder that is created when windows is installing.  So that all my programs and everything are local on the installation I put everything in \\opktools\cfgset\*****\$oem$\$1\sysprep folder ...this way the programs all install...and  when you reseal, sysprep deletes the sysprep folder and everything is nice and clean.  Everything with the DriverPacks is the same though.

4) The HAL is automatically set to the correct one?

Of course...because is is an actual fresh windows installation this way.  It is not a RIP prep image or anything.  Just think of it as a "networked installation CD"  I have used this to install on custom machines, Dell, Compaq, EMachines, MDG, Cicero....you name it.  It has been done on P3, P4, AMD, PD, and soon I am gonna try it on a Core Duo 2

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta … laylang=en

There is your Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE 2000) Release A   

That is why I like Autopatcher (plus you can pick and choose your options with autopatcher and then save them and do an unattended "update" with it on Windows first boot.

1.  Make a new image on RIS
2.  Make a customized version of WinPE
3.  Add /minint to  the OSLoadOptions in the file:  \RemoteInstall\Setupe\images\****\i386\templates\ristndrd.sif
4.  Copy the i386 folder of your customized WinPE over the i386 folder of the RIS image you created and modified the sif file for.  It will now load WinPE when you run RIS with that image....but it won't go anywhere...yet.
5.  Create your CFGSET that you would normally do with your OPKTOOLS. 
6.  Copy the winbom.ini from the cfgset you created into: \RemoteInstall\Setupe\images\      Now it WILL go somewhere  
7.  Apply the DriverPacks to the sku in the OPKTOOLS folder.  typically it will be \\opktools\lang\sku\*****\x86  <--which is where the i386 folder resides.
8.  When that is done, simply move the $oem$ folder from the \\opktools\lang\sku\*****\x86 folder to the \\opktools\cfgsets\**** folder. 
9.  Open the \\opktools\lang\sku\*****\x86\i386\winnt.sif file, copy that information into the \\opktools\cfgset\unattend.txt file (I normally delete the winnt.sif at this point, but it is no necessary).
10.  As far as this goes it is finished...

Run RIS, select your install, PE does its thing and system will reboot and start the normal installation starting in textmode off the hard drive.

as it is right now, I have to do this everytime I create an image...but i like it because:

With any PXE compliant NIC I can load RIS, choose an image, and walk away.  It will partition, format, copy the "windows cd" to the hard drive, reboot, and begin the windows installation from the hard drive...and I do nothing more than login and select.

I have modified my cfgset so that it installs various apps, applies all the updates with AutoPatcher (too many conflicts arise during installation using RyanVM and nLite etc...) and when it is done, it powers off.  I turn it on, it reboots into audit mode.  from there I can verify things work, further perform some updates (make sure the AV is utd etc...) and then reseal.  The end user then has to type in their cdkey, enter in their users etc...just like you would with a brand name computer. 

as for WSUS, I tried it.  I have an SUS server going with all the updates and that, but I like having Autopatcher instead since it will apply all the fixes without rebooting. 

BTW Bashrat, the OPK is available to everyone now!!  All you have to do is sign up at http://oem.microsoft.com and then download it   Once you sign up, here is the download page:   http://oem.microsoft.com/script/content … eid=556052    And btw...I am not a big company
I for one think if a person has the ability to create a server for this (and it doesn't have to be that grandios)...it is a far superior way of doing it.

twig123 wrote:

I myself am also looking for a better way to deploy my OS's rather from CD/DVDs. I service ~150 PC's a month, and it is a pain to make the cd's every month with the latest updates.

one word, well it's an acronym actually
wsus
that'd help with the update side of things...
i have stuffed around with it a bit. Bâshrat the Sneaky used to have a batchfile that'd put the driver locations into winnt.sif

I have a problem with wsus... "You also must install Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE) Release A, WMSDE, SQL Server 2005, or SQL Server 2000 with SP3"... I have none of those. I have XP Pro currently installed, but I also have access to Server 2000 & Server 2003 Licences (not currently installed).

I myself am also looking for a better way to deploy my OS's rather from CD/DVDs. I service ~150 PC's a month, and it is a pain to make the cd's every month with the latest updates.

one word, well it's an acronym actually

wsus

that'd help with the update side of things...

i have stuffed around with it a bit. Bâshrat the Sneaky used to have a batchfile that'd put the driver locations into winnt.sif

I have never had the ability to work with an OPK deployment system

If you need the OPK tools CD, I can give you one. They come with all of our 3+ packs of windows... and I have several OPK Tools CD just sitting around collecting dust.

I have the complete same setup at home for when I have someones computer that wants Windows re-installed.  Allows me to live my life while I make a few extra bucks

Please Email me, I am interested in learning more of this technique that you have here.