Topic: PXE installation of Windows XP

I recently started to test out PXE-based install of Windows by using a thirdparty BINL server / TFTP server, so not using Microsoft's RIS, which requires a domain controller with active directory. The M1 method might work (not actually tested at the moment, as when using it, not ALL drivers will fit in the oemdrivers path in winnt.sif)... but M2 method is currently broken for the PXE method as Windows setup will complain that the fake setup.exe from driverpacks cannot be found dunno the exact message, but it comes to that smile


If anyone has a 2nd PC (or just VMware) and wants to try out the PXE based install...
http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/appliances/directory/232 for the Linux-based PXE server with Windows Remote install support (works out of the box). Or http://www.vhware.org/Guide_From_Base_I … FTPD32.rar to make your Windows XP (or possibly W2003 server too) a PXE/RIS server.

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

Thanks for the info, I will try the windows tftp as soon as I get some free time.

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

that is an issue because we intercept the call to setup.exe and then recall the original in method 2
see \i386\PRESETUP.CMD and i think you will discover your issue...
it is very possable that you dont need all the packs (Wlan is a path monster for example)
and i would hate to think you were pushing an install wireless. wink

so you amy be able to switch back to method one and make it work if you must have all the packs consider KTD and then you could jsut check device manager for devices that didnt make the txtmodepnp path cut (ktd / gui-pnp does not have this limit which is why m2 is prefered)

Last edited by OverFlow (2007-11-22 20:02:22)

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Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

I have the integration of drivers working by using nLite to integrate the Driverpacks, except the textmode drivers.

I used Driverpacks BASE to integrate the textmode mass storage drivers.
Then started nLite to integrate:

- RyanVM's updatepack, WMP11, .NetFramework and the DriverPack drivers (excluding mass storage).

After doing so, the installation appears to be working fine. RVMIntegrator breaks the install (iframework.dll issues), so therefore tried nLite instead.


And no, I don't install over the wireless network (altough there is an integrated wireless networkcard in my system and recognized by Windows correctly using the wlan pack).

As far as I know, it is not possible to PXE-boot over wireless.

Last edited by Tim81 (2007-11-22 21:28:43)

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

I followed the instructions for the XP version setup, and when trying to do step# 11 I receive the following error, even after removing the files suggested in Step#6.

C:\BINL>Infparser.py C:\BINL\INF
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\BINL\infparser.py", line 294, in <module>
    devlist.update(scan_inf(inffile))
  File "C:\BINL\infparser.py", line 210, in scan_inf
    desc = unquote(str_lookup(inf['strings'], device))
  File "C:\BINL\infparser.py", line 52, in str_lookup
    for key in dc.keys():
AttributeError: 'list' object has no attribute 'keys'

Any Ideas?

Last edited by twig123 (2007-11-23 12:12:25)

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

Found that there are 2 other drivers that cause the error that I listed above, so they need to be deleted before the command is run:
D\L\IN\PROXGB\ixe5132.inf
D\L\IN\PROXGB\ixe6032.inf
***
Side note: I have finally gotten the driver database created with infparser got the tftp setup following the directions listed (which is very sketchy and inconsistent), I am able to PXE boot to the linux menu, however when I select my version of windows it "TFTP failed." on the client system, and on the TFTP server says "File <ntlrd> : error 2 in system call CreateFile  The system cannot find the file" ... still looking for help on this if anyone has any input.

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

Hmm booting the windows kernel by modifying them like this guide said didn't work for me too....
But the using the linux sed utility worked for me, explained here:

http://oss.netfarm.it/guides/ris-linux.php

Sed for windows can be found here: http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/sed.htm


The above (windows-based) guide originates from http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.p … topic=1961 but that forum was down a while, seems to be up again.

Last edited by Tim81 (2007-11-25 02:55:15)

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

...making very slow progress with this...
I had to copy NTDETECT.COM to the tftp root as well as SETUPLDR.EXE (then rename it to NTLDR)

I am now able to boot the windows xp setup, however I get the following error while trying to copy its files:
"File PCNTPCI5.sys caused an unexpected error (21) at line 3788 in d:xpsprtm\base\boot\setup\setup.c."

Edit: don't mind me... the above PCNTPCI5.sys error was cause I forgot to move the .sys files to the I386.
Windows setup is now booting and installing!!! However, I'm using the source of one of my known working CD's that has already been integrated with updates and drivers (method2) and I recieve an error upon guimode start that it can't find C:\DSPdsblr.exe and again on first windows boot that it can't find C:\DPsFnsher.exe... I'm assuming there is a special way to integrate the drivers for network installs?

Last edited by twig123 (2007-11-25 11:07:45)

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

Twig, that was the same problem I had when using a method 2 install....

As said using the method of integrating textmode mass storage drivers using Driverpacks BASE (m1) and the rest using nLite (don't use mass storage pack there as it wants to integrate textmode as well and that won't work.....)  is currently working correctly.

And for network installs.... I assume the methode 1 should work..... but not all drivers can be integrated then... Or use the nLite method to integrate them in drivers.cab? Don't know what nLite exactly does when integrating them.....

Last edited by Tim81 (2007-11-26 01:32:34)

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

nlite also has the same limit it just doesnt tell you you have exceeded it like we do ;-)

its a microsoft limit not a driverpacks limit that is why we came up with M2

but for this to work your I386 folder must be in the root or it wont find setup.exe.

yes  \\share\i386

no   \\share\clients\MS\xp\I386

(same configuration as an OEM disk)

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Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

OverFlow wrote:

nlite also has the same limit it just doesnt tell you you have exceeded it like we do ;-)

Hmm I don't need to specify anything in winnt.sif to let it work (no oemdriverspath).... and no $oem$ dir.....

OverFlow wrote:

but for this to work your I386 folder must be in the root or it wont find setup.exe.

yes  \\share\i386

no   \\share\clients\MS\xp\I386

(same configuration as an OEM disk)

So.... 2nd copy of i386 then....? (since windows does not use Symlinks.... or is there a 'hidden' feature that allows it?)

Last edited by Tim81 (2007-11-26 05:59:22)

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

I guess I'm a little confused... Using With my windows share it finds my $OEM$ folder... why is it not able to find the OEM folder used with M2?

[SetupData]
SetupSourceDevice = "\Device\LanmanRedirector\Server\RemInst\SETUP\XPEPO"
[Data]
OriSrc = "\\Server\RemInst\SETUP\XPEPO\i386"

Maybe someone can clarify how this process works. (Could we not just place the contents of the 'OEM' folder into somewhere respective in the '$OEM$' folder and call it from there?)

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

Using the $OEM$ should be working, all the contents is being copied .....

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

hidden feature? you mean like mapping it that way? or useing subst command...

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Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

OverFlow wrote:

hidden feature? you mean like mapping it that way? or useing subst command...

huh?

I was saying that from what I read, that nothing outside of the I386 folder is seen... however, ironically the "$OEM$" folder still works like normal... Why can we not move the OEM folder contents into the $OEM$ and process the driverpacks in that manner or the exe's to $OEM$ and the driverpacks to I386 so they can be 'seen'?

Last edited by twig123 (2007-11-26 23:49:05)

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

(sry dbl post)

Last edited by twig123 (2007-11-26 23:47:34)

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

twig123 wrote:
OverFlow wrote:

hidden feature? you mean like mapping it that way? or useing subst command...

huh?

I was saying that from what I read, that nothing outside of the I386 folder is seen... however, ironically the "$OEM$" folder still works like normal... Why can we not move the OEM folder contents into the $OEM$ and process the driverpacks in that manner or the exe's to $OEM$ and the driverpacks to I386 so they can be 'seen'?

Overflow's response was meant for me; I wrote:

So.... 2nd copy of i386 then....? (since windows does not use Symlinks.... or is there a 'hidden' feature that allows it?)

As Overflow earlier wrote:

Overflow wrote:

nlite also has the same limit it just doesnt tell you you have exceeded it like we do ;-)

its a microsoft limit not a driverpacks limit that is why we came up with M2

but for this to work your I386 folder must be in the root or it wont find setup.exe.

yes  \\share\i386

no   \\share\clients\MS\xp\I386

(same configuration as an OEM disk)

So in order to have 1 copy of i386.... it would be great to have something like the unix Symlink feature....

Found a way to do it: http://www.pearlmagik.com/winbolic/

Last edited by Tim81 (2007-11-27 00:01:44)

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

Tim81 wrote:

Found a way to do it: http://www.pearlmagik.com/winbolic/

I'm assuming this makes use of the 'linkd' command available in windows (if the linkd file is extracted)

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

twig123 wrote:

I'm assuming this makes use of the 'linkd' command available in windows (if the linkd file is extracted)

Seems so smile I didn't know about that command.

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

Anybody know how I would make this entire setup portable?
Like... I know you can use a U3 Flash drive to run some apps directly from the flash drive... is there anyway to convert all these needed apps to run directly from the U3 drive so I can have my TFTP PXE boot server available on any system I goto??

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

if you use bartpe or ubcd4win on your flash drive

you can load an iso image with a plugin for bartpe (see the ubcd4win forum) however it has a 512 meg limit on the iso. so you would not be able to do this directly you would need to boot to bartpe then launch setup.
(since a slipstreamed image would exceed 512 meg)

IE copy all UWXP files and an iso image that contains bartpe or some other PE that runs a setup that is not in the iso but also on the flash drive.

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Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

I will look in to that. Thanks

however... I was interesting in making any system install/run Python, BINL, TFTP32 as well as a network share from. this would be nice instead of taking a laptop with me everywhere... and also handy if the system doesn't support booting from USB...

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

well if you physicaly have to go to the system then it only makes sense to install from cd/dvd.
Forget all the unneeded extra steps and hours of head banging.

The whole point to remote installs is they are done remotely!

the normal driverpacks method works perfectly "out of the box" for local installs (scratches head in confusion)
Even if the stations have no floppys or CD/DVD you could hang one off the system long enough to install windows. This is faster easier and doesn't require you to spend hours reinventing the wheel. you could hang a dvdrom off a hundred machines in the same amount of time you have spent on this. (since you are AT the machine and not at a remote location) silly boy.

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Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

It's OK.. I'm only confusing myself too...

is there anyway to PXE boot... and then install windows from an ISO image?

Basically I'm pretty diverse. Sometimes I will be loading several system at once... While others only one at a time. CD's/DVD's cost $$ and can get lost/damaged quite frequently (and I don't happen to be a computer shop... so spare hardware is slim to come by). Anyways what I'm saying is that if there is an option that would allow me to make one windows image that could be installed from the network as well as a CD (without altering the code every time I decide to switch source)... that would be Ideal, however I don't know if that it is possible to somehow PXE boot and then mount/install from an ISO...

Last edited by twig123 (2007-12-15 10:14:36)

Re: PXE installation of Windows XP

IDK you tell me...
i have code to write for bartpe lan plugin
and i have to code the base for the release of xp sp3
and i have the bug for method 1 to fix..
dont have enough time for unsupported stuff like this ATM.

it sounds like a great idea check with rougespear and take a look at how he does RIS with autoimage.

dvds cost money you mean at 20 cents each that would break your budget? and a dvdrom is $10?
sounds like you need to stop working for free... wink

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