Customizing Win2000 answer files manually

When you install Windows 2000 Unattended, the system uses an ASCII text file called an answer file (named Unattend.txt), which tells the installer how to install and configure Windows 2000. When the user chooses unattended installation mode, the answer file must be specified on the Winnt.exe or Winnt32.exe command line. There are two ways to generate an answer file:

First, use the Windows 2000 Setup Manager Wizard to generate an answer file. When you use this method, you can start the Windows 2000 Setup Manager wizard by WinZip the \Support\Tools\deploy.cab file of the CD-ROM to a folder on your hard disk, and then double-clicking the Setupmgr.exe file. Use this wizard to generate an answer file.

Second, according to the actual situation, by the user manual customization. This requires the user to understand the syntax of the answer file, in fact, as long as the user on the answer file a little research, it is not difficult to customize the appropriate user needs of the answer file. To customize the answer file manually, this article is intended to give a brief introduction to the syntax of the Windows 2000 answer file, in the hope of helping friends.

Format of an answer file

An answer file consists of a section header (segment header), key (key), and three parts of the value of each key, most of which are predefined and some are defined by the user. If some parts of the installation do not need to be installed, then users do not have to specify their keys and corresponding values in the answer file, it should be explained that after installation, some invalid keyboard values will produce errors, and even can produce incorrect processing. The answer file is formatted as follows:

[Section_name]

Key = value

In the specified segment, contains the key and its corresponding key value, each of which is delimited by a space, an equal sign, a space, and a double quotation mark when the value contains spaces, such as:

Key = "Value with Spaces"

In some segments, you can have no keys and only a list of values, such as:

[OEMBootFiles]

Txtsetup.oem

In a paragraph, the comment line needs a semicolon ";" as the opening flag, such as:

; This is a example of a comment line

In an answer file, each key must assign a value to it, however, some keys are optional, and some keys, if omitted, use their default values for the omitted keys. Each key value can be a string or a decimal value. At the same time, the key name does not differentiate between uppercase and lowercase letters.

Second, the default answer file

On Windows CD, a default answer file, named Unattend.txt, is provided with the following contents (the Italic section must be given the relevant data by the user):

[Unattended]; critical segment of Unattended mode

UnattendMode = fullunattended; do not provide any answers when Windows installs.

OemPreinstall = no, no pre-installed.

TargetPath = WINNT; on the target computer, install Windows to the WINNT folder.

FileSystem = leavealone, activating file system

[UserData] provides user data, such as user name, work unit, computer name, and product family number.

FullName = "Your user name"

OrgName = "Your organization name"

ComputerName = "Computer name"

ProductID = "Product serial number"

[GuiUnattended]; data to be provided under the graphical interface

TimeZone = "210"; Setting the time zone for the target computer is Beijing standard Time

AdminPassword = *; Set administrator password on the target computer for up to 127 characters. The "*" number indicates no password.

AutoLogon = Yes; automatically log on as an administrator when the computer is started.

AutoLogonCount = 1; Set automatic logon number to 1

[Licensefileprintdata]; This paragraph is an authorization mode

AutoMode = "PerServer"; Select Per Server licensing mode on the server you set up

AutoUsers = "5"; the number of users connected to the server is 5

[GuiRunOnce]

This section lists the programs that will be executed under the graphical user interface when a user logs on to the computer for the first time

[Display]; This paragraph sets the resolution to 800x600, and the vertical refresh rate is 70.

BitsPerPel = 8 Color (bit/pixel) = 8, 256 colors

xresolution = 800; screen Area x Resolution =800

YResolution = 600; Screen Area Y-resolution =600

VRefresh = 70; vertical Refresh frequency =70hz

[networking]; Define network settings, and when the InstallDefaultComponents value is yes, TCP/IP is installed by default on the target computer, DHCP is enabled, the Microsoft Network User protocol is installed, and so on.

InstallDefaultComponents = YES

[identification]; flag a workgroup or domain

JoinWorkgroup = "Workgroup"; add a native to a workgroup named Workgroup, you cannot use spaces in group names. If you want to join this computer to a domain, you can overwrite it as:

Joindomain=domain joined Domain field

DOMAINADMIN=LGX Specifies that the domain administrator is LGX

DOMAINADMINPASSWORD=321 Specifies that the domain administrator password is 321