Unattended Windows installation

Everybody knows that installing Windows is a hectic job. It takes al least half an hour or even more to completely install Windows in our computer and during installation we have to stay right next to our computer to fill out forms and see if everything is going fine. I’ve always hated installing Windows because of this.

Well, I just found out that there is no need to stay next to the computer while installation. You can just click the install button, go watch a movie and come back after half an hour. You don’t need to attend the whole installation. There is a tool that Windows is providing by using which you can simply create an answer file beforehand and then install Windows without filling up the forms every time.

1. In the Windows CD there is a file named DEPLOY.CAB inside the SUPPORT ->TOOLS folder.
2. Extract a file called setupmgr.exe from that file. This will take you to a Preinstallation Wizard that will help you to enter essential information needed to automate preinstallation setup for Windows on the computer.
3. Click next
4. Select “create a new answer file” or “modify an existing answer file” and click next (select “create a new answer file” if you are new)
5. Select “Windows Unattended Installation” and click next
6. Select the appropriate platform and click next
7. Select “Full automated” user interaction and click next
8. Select the radio button ‘No, this answer will be used to install from CD’ and click next
9. Fill up all the required information and save the file as “winnt.sif” in a floppy
10. This will create two files : ‘winnt.sif’ and ‘winnt.bat’ in the floppy
11. Now when you install Windows from the CD, insert the floppy in the floppy drive and take a tour
12. But remember that you still need to make partition of your hard-drive yourself. There is no such tool I know that partitions the hard-drive itself.