BleepingComputer.com: Custom XP Installation Media

I have XP media I've been using for installations, that include SP3, and a nice bulk of the hotfixes slipstreamed using HFSLIP. The unattend has been largely created with nLite (excepting auto-partitioning and formatting options to speed through text setup). My issue is this: There appear to be a small spattering of hotfixes that cannot be slipstreamed for whatever reason, but can be passively installed to an active installation of XP w/ SP3. I also would like to include some custom software in my installation that is also installable with a passive switch. I cannot seem to figure out the damned $OEM$ part of the setup though. I packaged up my updates (along with a batch file to slipstream them) using iexpress into a self-extracting and installing EXE. I tried every method I have read, and even modeled my package deployment and subsequent execution after a DELL OEM disc's $OEM$ folder, even going so far as to use a DELL OEM disc as my base for the job, renaming my files to match theirs in the $OEM$ folder, and replacing. Unfortunately, when setup is complete, my EXE file does not execute on first boot as I have set up through nLite or even manually in the unattend files. The reason is that, although it created the folder I wanted (%SYSTEMDRIVE%\CCCMD), it did not copy my EXE file into it. I even tried (figuring maybe there was some glitch that didn't allow EXE files to be moved in this fashion) making my package into an MSI or BAT format, and nothing. I even tried it with JPGs just to see if it would work. I can get my BAT file to execute during setup that will create folders, execute files, rename things, whatever... it just refuses to copy anything for me... Any idea what may be preventing this? I have tried using OEM and Retail editions as my base, and have tried even using a SP0 disc and packaging ALL the SP's and updates in an EXE in case it was a glitch with the initial SP slipstream, but am getting nowhere.

If it matters, all the updates were downloaded from WUD and from Technet (figuring maybe it could even be the updates themselves). If someone could give me a better example of the $OEM$ folder execution model, and how to deploy and execute a hotfix package on first boot, I'd appreciate it. It would really cut down on my bench time...

Lets assume your CD-DVD drive is D:

1. Create a folder D:\$OEM$\$1\updates. Copy all your XP updates executable in it.

2. Create a folder D:\$OEM$\$1\batp. Put qchain.exe and batpatcher.exe in this folder.

3. Create a file run.cmd in D:\$OEM$\$1\batp with following contents:

Quote

4. In D:\i386\Winnt.sif, add this section and line :

Quote

I do not know if after update the folders would be cleaned up or not. Check the batch file. BC experts what do you say?


Download qchain: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/815062
Download batchpather: From the attachment.

This post has been edited by Romeo29: 15 July 2009 - 06:23 AM