Windows XP installation Parameters detailed

Let's take a look at what parameters Winnt32.exe can use.

Winnt32.exe is located in the I386 directory. This file can be run directly under Windows, and its specific parameters are:

Install or upgrade to Windows XP. On computers running Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, WindowsNT, Windows 2000, or Windows XP, you can run winnt32 from a command prompt.

Grammar:

winnt32 [/checkupgradeonly] [/cmd:command_line] [/cmdcons][/copydir:i386 older_name] [/copysource:folder_name] [/ Debug[level]:[filename]] [/dudisable] [/duprepare:pathname][/dushare:pathname] [/m:folder_name] [/makelocalsource] [/noreboot] [/s:sourcepath] [/syspart:drive_letter] [/tempdrive:drive_letter] [/udf:id [, UDB_file]] [/unattend[num]:[answer_file]]

Parameters:

/checkupgradeonly

Check your computer for upgrade compatibility with Windows XP. If/unattend is used when this option is used, no user input is required. Otherwise, the results are displayed on the screen, and you can save them with the file name you specify. The default file name is Upgrade.txt (located in

SystemRoot folder).

/cmd:command_line

Instructs the installer to run a special command before performing the final stage of setup. This occurs after the computer restarts two times and the installer collects the necessary configuration information, and before the setup program ends.

/cmdcons

Install the Recovery Console as the startup option on the computer that is running. The Recovery Console is a command-line interface that you can use to perform tasks such as starting and stopping services, and accessing local drives, including drives in NTFS format. You can use the/cmdcons option only after the general installation is complete.

/copydir:i386 Older_name

Create a different folder in the folder where the Windows XP files are installed. Folder names are folders that you create to save changes to a site. For example, you can create a folder named Private_drivers in the i386 source folder of the installer to store the driver files. You can then type/copydir:i386private_drivers to have the installer copy the folder to the new

Install the computer and create a new folder location systemrootprivate_drivers. You can also use the/copydir command to create any number of other folders.

/copysource:folder_name

Create a separate temporary folder within the folder where the Windows XP files are installed. Folder names are folders that you create to save changes to a site. For example, you can create a folder named Private_drivers in the source folder of the installer to store the driver files. You can then type/copysource:private_drivers to allow Setup to copy the folder to the most recently installed computer and use its files during installation to establish a temporary folder location systemrootprivate_drivers. You can also use the/copysource command to create any number of other folders. Unlike the folders created by/copydir, the folders created by/copysource are deleted after the installation is complete.

/debug[level]:[filename] Creates a debug log at a specified level, for example,/debug4:debug.log. The default log file is

C:systemrootwinnt32.log, and the default debug level is 2. The log level is as follows: 0-Critical error, 1--Error, 2--warning, 3--notification, 4--for debugging details. Each level includes a number of child levels below it.

/dudisable

Disable dynamic update. Without dynamic update, Setup can only run under the initial installation files. This option disables dynamic update even if you use an answer file and specify the dynamic update option in that file.

/dushare:pathname

Specifies that the directory that was previously downloaded from the Windows Update Web site (updated files used at installation) is shared. When running from an installation share and using/duprepare, this option performs a preparation operation so that an updated file can be used in a network-based client installation. If you do not use

/duprepare and runs on the client, specifies that the client installation will use the update file that is located at the shared location specified by pathname.

/duprepare

Prepare for installation sharing so that the dynamic update file downloaded from the Windows Update Web site can use it. The share can then be used for Windows XP installations for multiple clients. Can only be used with/dushare.