Windows xp installation parameters revealed (on)

Let's first take a look at the parameters of winnt32.exe which can be used.

winnt32.exe located i386 directory. This file can be run directly under Windows. The specific parameters are:

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

Syntax:

winnt32 [/checkupgradeonly] [/cmd:command_line] [/cmdcons][/copydir:i386 older_name] [/copysource:folder_name] [/debug[level]:[ ,null,null,3],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

Checking your computer with Windows XP Upgrade compatibility. If /unattend is used when using this option, no user input is required. Otherwise, the results will be displayed on the screen and they can be saved with the file name you specify. The default file name is Upgrade.txt (located in the

systemroot folder).

/cmd:command_line

Instructs the installer to run a special command before performing the final stage of installation. This will occur after the computer has been rebooted twice and the "installer" has collected the necessary configuration information and before the "installer" ends.

/cmdcons

Install the Recovery Console as a startup option on a running computer. 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 NTFS formatted drives). The /cmdcons option is only available after a regular installation.

/copydir:i386 older_name

Create another folder in the folder where Windows XP files are installed. A folder name is a folder that you create to save changes made to your site. For example, you can create a folder called Private_drivers in the i386 source folder of the installer to hold the driver files. You can then type /copydir:i386Private_drivers to have the installer copy the folder to the new

installed machine and create a new folder location systemrootPrivate_drivers. You can also create as many other folders as you want with the /copydir command.

/copysource:folder_name

Create a temporary folder in the folder where Windows XP files are installed. A folder name is a folder that you create to save changes made to your site. For example, you can create a folder called Private_drivers in the source folder of the installer to hold the driver files. You can then type /copysource:Private_drivers to have the installer copy the folder to the newly installed machine and use its files during installation to establish the temporary folder location systemrootPrivate_drivers. You can also create as many other folders as you want with the /copysource command. Unlike the folder created by /copydir, the folder created by /copysource is deleted after the installation is complete.

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

C:systemrootWinnt32.log and the default debug level is 2. The log levels are as follows: 0 -- Critical error, 1 -- Error, 2 -- Warning, 3 -- Notification, 4 -- Details for debugging. Each level includes some sub-levels below it.

/dudisable

Disable "Dynamic Update". Without "dynamic update", the installer 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 the file.

/dushare:pathname

Specify the directory of the "Dynamic Update" file (updated file used at installation time) that was previously downloaded from the Windows Update Web site as a share. When running from the installation share and using /duprepare, this option performs the preparation so that the updated files are available for use in a network-based client installation. If you do not use

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