Windows 2003 Preinstallation

This is to explain the basics of doing a fully automated preinstall of WIN2K3 Server using local CD-ROM (It does not cover network or peer to peer installation).  This is useful to make setup faster.  Windows 2003 Server uses the same basic preinstallation and deployment tools as WIN XP but these are updated and improved tools.  You can do an unattended install, load drivers and software, and then run Sysprep.exe before imaging.

Step 1: Extract Deployment Tools

On the Microsoft Windows 20003 Server CD locate the file Deploy.cab in the following path: Support\Tools\Deploy.cab.  Right click on this file and choose “extract to” and extract a folder on your hard drive.  This folder will contain nine files including the Setup Manager, sysprep.exe and setupcl.exe, and help files.

Step 2:  Run the Setup Manager

Start the Setup Manager Program “setupmgr.exe” and follow the steps.  You want to choose:

1)       Create New

2)       Unattended Setup

3)       Choose Your Version of Windows XP or .NET Server

4)       Fully Automated

5)       Setup From CD

6)       Accept License Agreement

7)       Enter in User Name and Company, Product Key, etc.  Do not worry if you are going to image the drives because these can be wiped out later by Sysprep.  Complete all required fields (many you can leave default).

8)       Keep hitting “Next” until process is completed and it will automatically create the unattend.txt file in same folder as setup manager.  A sample unattend.bat file is also created but not required in this case.

Step 3: Customization

You can edit the answer file any time you want using notepad.  See the help files. To have it also automatically create a partition add the line “Repartition=Yes” under the Unattended section (this will create one single maximum size partition).

Step 4: Using the Answer File

You must rename the file to winnt.sif and copy it to a floppy disk.  Boot the target system using the Windows Server 2003 CD-ROM. 

At very start of setup when it says "Setup is inspecting your hardware..." insert the floppy.  Setup will read this file and continue on (if you wait too long it will not read it).  Remove floppy before first reboot.  There will be no more need for any user interaction if you have added the repartition command.