Autounattended: How to choose from 3 different XML presets on USB boot

[Jumme]

Hello gentlemen,

Im studying to become an computer technician thus new to Windows install procedures.
Just a few days ago I dicovered the possibilities in NTLite, and after having experimented a bit, got a perfectly working, slip streamed USB boot with my own custom PE logo. It installs completely unattended until desktop with all preferred software installed.

But I have a slight problem.

Upon USB boot from the install image, I would like to choose from 3 (slightly) different Autounattended.xml-files; A, B and C.
Could anyone suggest how to do this?

Can it be integrated into the 'boot.wim' file? As a "Click a button in a window"?? :-D

Or can it be done through NTLite, somehow??

Or would I have to use something like a multi boot tool (thus maybe having the need for 3 complete install images on the USB boot disk)?


Thanks, regards

(Sorry for english not being my fitst language but I hope you understand me need)

 

[garlin]

Normal Setup don't support multiple answer (unattend) files.

You can have autounattend shared for all images, or a local answer file inserted inside one of the specific images. To answer your question, please explain why the answer file cannot be shared.

W10 & W11 answer files are identical If you're installing any of those editions, you can use the same file except when:

• creating a different disk layout for each edition
• have different pre-installed user accounts
• have different license keys
• have different audit pass commands

If you have the same architecture (64-bit or 32-bit), then one ISO can install multiple editions from the Setup menu.
If you really need to have separate answer files, then someone has to write a custom WinPE script to make a menu for you.

 

[Jumme]

Normal Setup don't support multiple answer (unattend) files.

You can have autounattend shared for all images, or a local answer file inserted inside one of the specific images. To answer your question, please explain why the answer file cannot be shared.

W10 & W11 answer files are identical If you're installing any of those editions, you can use the same file except when:

• creating a different disk layout for each edition
• have different pre-installed user accounts
• have different license keys
• have different audit pass commands

If you have the same architecture (64-bit or 32-bit), then one ISO can install multiple editions from the Setup menu.
If you really need to have separate answer files, then someone has to write a custom WinPE script to make a menu for you.

My goal is to produce 3 particular but different answer files, for compltely unattended installation, which include:

* Different machine (PC) names
* Different licence keys
* Different User accounts and preset passwords - all unattended.

Instead of maintaining 3 different images, it would be a lot easier to maintain just one image, with 3 answer files.

To be able to choose on boot - but have the rest of installation running completely unattended - it makes sence to look into WinPE modification (which I know nothing about but luckily Im a student with lots of time).

Thank you very much for your help, very helpful indeed.

 

[garlin]

Google search terms: WinPE, startnet.cmd

You need to modify boot.wim (WinPE not WinPE Setup), and call lower-case setup.exe /unattend:%DRIVE%:\autounattend.xml

To make it work, I had to rename sources\setup.exe to HIDE_setup.exe and delete the other copies of Setup.exe -- so it only runs with right Setup command, and not automatically search other locations for the answer file. Because you don't know which drive letter the USB will boot from, you need to search all drives to find your ISO's current letter.

Here's a sample startnet.cmd:

@echo off
wpeinit && echo wpeinit

for %%A in (D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%A:\%ARCH%\sources set DRIVE=%%A

%DRIVE%:\sources\HIDE_setup.exe /unattend:%DRIVE%:\autounattend.xml

Your custom script will replace the last line with an exact answer file matching the menu. Sorry I don't have time to make it work, but it's not too difficult once you have the clues. I've already done a test project to do multi-arch/multi-image, but the written instructions are way too long and you can't use NTLite to help you -- other than build the individual install images.

Good luck.