automated windows reinstall startup disk ??

[zgrujic]

Is it possible to create custom startup disk for novices which would be able to start system in DOS with generic CD rom support ,automatically delete folder with previous Windows installation (C:\Windows) through some custom Autoexec.bat ,and then run new Windows setup from CD without any DOS commands typing ? Did I forget something more ;-) ? Which files must be included as minimum in custom startup disk with CDrom support ?
I am a bit tired to repeatedly go reinstalling other people Windows only because I know to that and they don't...
Hope the subject is not too challenging...
Thanks in advance for information .

Zox

[trulad]

Sounds like you're taking a complicated approach to something that Win.XP will do automattically for you.
Trudy

[Doobie]

Its possable, what OS are you talking about? I made a disket for installing WinXP... I put the CD and put the disket in the drive and then come back later... Its great.

What OS are you wanting this for?

[zgrujic]

For 98 or ME ...

[Doobie]

For windows 98, if I recall corectly the cd has a file called
Microsoft Batch 98 tool
Open that up and it will help you create a file called
MSBATCH.INF

After you create it, it should look something like this

; MSBATCH.INF
;
; Copyright (c) 1995-1998 Microsoft Corporation.
; All rights reserved.
;

[BatchSetup]
Version=3.0 (32-bit)
SaveDate=07/14/01

[Version]
Signature = "$CHICAGO$"
AdvancedINF=2.5
LayoutFile=layout.inf

[Setup]
Express=1
InstallDir="c:\windows"
InstallType=3
ProductType=120
ProductKey="xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx"
EBD=0
ShowEula=0
ChangeDir=0
OptionalComponents=1
Network=1
System=0
CCP=0
CleanBoot=0
Display=0
DevicePath=0
NoDirWarn=1
TimeZone="Central"
Uninstall=0
NoPrompt2Boot=1

[System]
Locale=L0409
SelectedKeyboard=KEYBOARD_00000409

[NameAndOrg]
Name="labuser"
Org="UWM"
Display=0

[Network]
ComputerName="labmach"
Workgroup="workgroup"
Description="ccl"
Display=0
PrimaryLogon=VREDIR
Clients=VREDIR
Protocols=MSTCP
Security=SHARE

[MSTCP]
LMHOSTS=0
DHCP=1
DNS=0
WINS=D

[VREDIR]
LogonDomain="workgroup"
ValidatedLogon=0

[OptionalComponents]
"Accessibility Options"=0
"Accessibility Tools"=0
"Briefcase"=0
"Calculator"=1
"Desktop Wallpaper"=1
"Document Templates"=1
"Games"=1
"Imaging"=1
"Mouse Pointers"=1
"Paint"=1
"Quick View"=1
"Windows Scripting Host"=1
"WordPad"=1
"Address Book"=1
"Dial-Up ATM Support"=0
"Dial-Up Networking"=0
"Dial-Up Server"=0
"Direct Cable Connection"=0
"HyperTerminal"=1
"Microsoft Chat 2.5"=0
"NetMeeting"=1
"Phone Dialer"=1
"Virtual Private Networking"=0
"Baseball"=0
"Dangerous Creatures"=0
"Inside your Computer"=0
"Jungle"=0
"Leonardo da Vinci"=0
"More Windows"=0
"Mystery"=0
"Nature"=0
"Science"=0
"Space"=0
"Sports"=0
"The 60's USA"=0
"The Golden Era"=0
"Travel"=0
"Underwater"=0
"Windows 98"=0
"Desktop Themes Support"=0
"Internet Connection Sharing"=0
"Microsoft Wallet"=0
"Personal Web Server"=1
"Web Publishing Wizard"=0
"Web-Based Enterprise Mgmt"=0
"Microsoft Outlook Express"=1
"Baltic"=0
"Central European"=0
"Cyrillic"=0
"Greek"=0
"Turkish"=0
"Audio Compression"=1
"CD Player"=1
"Macromedia Shockwave Director"=1
"Macromedia Shockwave Flash"=1
"Multimedia Sound Schemes"=1
"Sample Sounds"=1
"Sound Recorder"=1
"Video Compression"=1
"Volume Control"=1
"America Online"=0
"AT&T WorldNet Service"=0
"CompuServe"=0
"Prodigy Internet"=0
"The Microsoft Network"=0
"Additional Screen Savers"=0
"Flying Windows"=1
"OpenGL Screen Savers"=0
"Backup"=0
"Character Map"=0
"Clipboard Viewer"=0
"Disk compression tools"=1
"Drive Converter (FAT32)"=1
"Group policies"=0
"Net Watcher"=0
"System Monitor"=0
"System Resource Meter"=0
"Web TV for Windows"=0
"WaveTop Data Broadcasting"=0

[Printers]

[InstallLocationsMRU]

[Install]
AddReg=RunOnce.BatchDelay,Run.Installed.Components,Skip.PCMCIA.Wizard,Registry.WinUpdate

[RunOnce.BatchDelay]
HKLM,%KEY_RUNONCE%,BatchRun1,,"%25%\rundll.exe setupx.dll,InstallHinfSection Delete.MSN.Icon 4 %10%\msbatch.inf"
HKLM,%KEY_RUNONCE%,BatchRun2,,"%25%\rundll.exe setupx.dll,InstallHinfSection Delete.Welcome 4 %10%\msbatch.inf"
HKLM,%KEY_RUNONCE%,BatchRun3,,"%25%\rundll.exe setupx.dll,InstallHinfSection Delete.Regwiz 4 %10%\msbatch.inf"

[Run.Installed.Components]
HKLM,%KEY_INSTALLEDCOMPS%\>BatchSetupx,,,">Batch 98 - General Settings"
HKLM,%KEY_INSTALLEDCOMPS%\>BatchSetupx,IsInstalled,1,01,00,00,00
HKLM,%KEY_INSTALLEDCOMPS%\>BatchSetupx,Version,,"3,0,0,0"
HKLM,%KEY_INSTALLEDCOMPS%\>BatchSetupx,StubPath,,"%25%\rundll.exe setupx.dll,InstallHinfSection Installed.Components.General 4 %10%\msbatch.inf"
HKLM,%KEY_INSTALLEDCOMPS%\>BatchAdvpack,,,">Batch 98 - Advanced Settings"
HKLM,%KEY_INSTALLEDCOMPS%\>BatchAdvpack,IsInstalled,1,01,00,00,00
HKLM,%KEY_INSTALLEDCOMPS%\>BatchAdvpack,Version,,"3,0,0,0"
HKLM,%KEY_INSTALLEDCOMPS%\>BatchAdvpack,StubPath,,"%25%\rundll32.exe advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %10%\msbatch.inf,Installed.Components.Advanced"
HKLM,%KEY_INSTALLEDCOMPS%\>Batchwu,,,">Batch 98 - Windows Update"
HKLM,%KEY_INSTALLEDCOMPS%\>Batchwu,IsInstalled,1,01,00,00,00
HKLM,%KEY_INSTALLEDCOMPS%\>Batchwu,Version,,"3,0,0,0"
HKLM,%KEY_INSTALLEDCOMPS%\>Batchwu,StubPath,,"wupdmgr.exe -shortcut"

[Installed.Components.General]
AddReg=Browser.Settings

[Installed.Components.Advanced]
DelFiles=Connect.Icon, OLS.Icons
CustomDestination=Custom.Dest
RunPostSetupCommands=DirCleanup

[Custom.Dest]
49070=DesktopLDIDSection,5

[Connect.Icon]
connec~1.lnk

[Delete.MSN.Icon]
DelReg=MSN.Icon

[MSN.Icon]
HKLM,SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{4B876A40-4EE8-11D1-811E-00C04FB98EEC},,,

[DesktopLDIDSection]
HKCU,"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders",Desktop,OLSFolder,"%25%\Desktop"

[OLS.Icons]
americ~1.lnk
at&two~1.lnk
compus~1.lnk
prodig~1.lnk
themic~1.lnk
aboutt~1.lnk
abouto~1.txt
services.txt

[DirCleanup]
rundll32.exe advpack.dll,DelNodeRunDLL32 %49070%\%OnlineLong%

[Delete.Welcome]
DelReg=Registry.Welcome

[Registry.Welcome]
HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run,Welcome,,

[Delete.Regwiz]
AddReg=Registry.Regwiz

[Registry.Regwiz]
HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Welcome\Regwiz,@,1,01,00,00,00
HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion,RegDone,1,01,00,00,00

[Registry.WinUpdate]
HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer,NoDevMgrUpdate,0x10001,0
HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer,NoWindowsUpdate,0x10001,0

[Browser.Settings]
HKCU,%KEY_IEXPLORERMAIN%,"Start Page",,"http://www.uwm.edu"
HKCU,%KEY_IEXPLORERMAIN%,"First Home Page",,"http://www.uwm.edu"
HKCU,%KEY_IEXPLORERMAIN%,"Search Page",,"http://home.microsoft.com/search/search.asp"
HKLM,%KEY_IEXPLORERMAIN%,"Search Bar",,"http://home.microsoft.com/search/search.asp"
HKCU, "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Help_Menu_URLs","Online_Support",,"http://support.microsoft.com/support"

[Skip.PCMCIA.Wizard]
HKLM,System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\PCMCIA,SkipWizardForBatchSetup,,1

[DestinationDirs]
Connect.Icon=10,alluse~1\desktop
OLS.Icons=49070,Online~1

[Strings]
KEY_RUNONCE="SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce"
KEY_INSTALLEDCOMPS="SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components"
OnlineLong="Online Services"
KEY_IEXPLORERMAIN="Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main"



Make an autoexec.bat file that will format hard rive and then copy cabs to hard drive then execute setup and don’t forget to copy MSBATCH.INF to the setup dir.


Everything should be automated. Use switches for it to skip checking hard drive for errors and to skip making a boot disk.

It seems complicated but its really not.

goodluck

[GaryRouth]

Hi all -

Running the batch file should work fine, but will still take the 40 minutes or so for an installation to complete.

A disk-imaging program like Norton Ghost or Disk Image would accomplish much the same effects with less fuss. A bit more quickly, too.

If resources are too limited to afford a disk-image program, then you're stuck with the batch install.
. . . Gary

[Blue_Gundam2002]

Originally posted by GaryRouth Hi all - Running the batch file should work fine, but will still take the 40 minutes or so for an installation to complete. A disk-imaging program like Norton Ghost or Disk Image would accomplish much the same effects with less fuss. A bit more quickly, too. If resources are too limited to afford a disk-image program, then you're stuck with the batch install. . . . Gary

You can get Nortan System works OEM for 11.99 and I believe it has nortan ghost on it. http://www.directron.com/sys.html