simpleton's guide to universal imaging

that is why i am looking for some conceptual advice here. I know that you are not a sysprep/imaging fan in general and would rather create a slipstreamed install disc. I have not seen anything describing the popups and KTD correlation - i did however read just before i posted that you describe KTD as a purely tech-lab based function and this should not be enabled for end-user destination computers.

I am sorry if this is covered somewhere else. Ill be quite now.

What I have done is written this in AutoIt and compiled it, and call it at GUIRunOnce via SysPrep, and I have SysPrep NOT scan for non-PNP hardware so it doesn't try any funny stuff, and not integrated any drivers to the master install.  This will suppress the New Hardware Wizards, then runs OverFlow's awesome SAD by HWID available at http://driverpacks.sytes.net/driverpack … taller.exe.  For me, this has worked the best, but your mileage may vary......

$start = TimerInit()

Do

	SplashTextOn("auto driver loader","suppressing Found New Hardware Wizards",-1,50)

	Sleep(2000)

        If WinExists("Found New Hardware Wizard") Then 
		WinActivate("Found New Hardware Wizard")
		Send("{TAB}{TAB}{ENTER}")
	EndIf

	If WinExists("Hardware Update Wizard") Then 
		WinActivate("Hardware Update Wizard")
		Send("{ENTER}")
	EndIf

	If WinExists("System Settings Change") Then 
		WinActivate("System Settings Change")
		Send("{TAB}{ENTER}")
		ExitLoop
	EndIf

Until TimerDiff($start)>30000

SplashTextOn("auto driver loader","installing drivers, your screen may flicker",-1,50)
Run("c:\d\hwidinstaller.exe")
WinWait("DriverPacks")
WinWait("DriverPacks SAD by HWID")
WinActivate("DriverPacks SAD by HWID")
Send("{ENTER}")

SplashOff()
Exit

Don't forget to look at Galapo's great app OfflineSysPrep or MySysPrep, both are better than the MS SysPrep if you want some more customization.  Since I (usually) don't even integrate Mass Storage drivers anymore, I use OSP from BartPE to inject detected MS drivers after dumping the image.  May be more time-consuming, but it gets around having to endlessly prune the MS section down far enough to be thorough, yet not bonk NTLDR on the first boot...

BTW, sorry I've been absent from the forum for soooo long, I haven't had time to work on my own universal images in ages as my attention has been coding some pretty involved apps for work.  I want to thank the people of this forum for their hard work, and want to thank the forum for getting me started with AutoIt, since picking it up earlier this year I have done some awesome things with it!!  Hopefully my skills have improved a LOT, so if there is anything I can do to contribute some code to the project just let me know.

Ian

PS - OH, I like the new code tag, it doesn't wreck the spacing used in the code!!  Spanky! 

Last edited by llewxam (2009-07-09 12:39:20)

What is hwidinstaller.exe?
Is that the same thing as DP_Install_Tool.cmd?

@llewxam: I do nearly the same thing, struggled with it for a day or two, but have it working now, Use sysprep to insert a batch file into GuiRunOnce. From the batch file i first call an autoit program i found and edited for my needs, very similar to the one you posted that cleans up the found new hardware (i just hit esc on the prompt). then i do two runs of DP_Install_Tool.cmd as 1 run does not get the graphics completely. From there i automatically rename the machine to the serial tag, reboot and automatically join the domain. OSP handles all HAL and mass storage issues for me. Driver packs do the drivers. Batch files handle what i need domain wise.
Thanks goes out to everyone for your help!
JustusIV