Unattend file for Server 2008

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chris Coates
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Chris Coates

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I deploy my servers using the HP Rapid Deployment Pack, which images servers
using a standard answer file.

My disks are a 146GB mirrored array.
By default the install uses all the space and I get a 146GB C drive.
I need the boot partition to be 15GB
In Win 2003 I add the line ExtendOemPartition=7500 to the answer file and I
get the partition size I want.

I have tried modifying the answer file for 2008 by adding the size line (as
seen below) to the disk configuration.

<DiskConfiguration>
<Disk wcm:action="add">
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
<WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
<CreatePartitions>
<CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
<Order>1</Order>
<Size>15360</Size>
<Type>Primary</Type>
<Extend>true</Extend>
</CreatePartition>
</CreatePartitions>
<ModifyPartitions>
<ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
<Order>1</Order>
<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
<Active>true</Active>
<Format>NTFS</Format>
<Letter>C</Letter>
</ModifyPartition>
</ModifyPartitions>
</Disk>
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
</DiskConfiguration>

This does not work and the install stops with an error, just as the Windows
install begins that says "Windows could not prepare the partition selected
for installation"

Any help on how to correctly modify this install file is appreciated.

Thanks
Chris
 
Re: Unattend file for Server 2008

Hello Chris,

Have a look on this about creating 3 different partitions:

<DiskConfiguration>
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
<Disk>
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
<WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
<CreatePartitions>
<CreatePartition>
<!-- Create primary partition, 20 GB -->
<Order>1</Order>
<Type>Primary</Type>
<Size>20000</Size>
</CreatePartition>
<!-- Create extended partition and fill the rest of the hard disk -->
<CreatePartition>
<Order>2</Order>
<Type>Extended</Type>
<Extend>true</Extend>
</CreatePartition>
<!-- Create logical partition within the extended partition, 6 GB -->
<CreatePartition>
<Order>3</Order>
<Type>Logical</Type>
<Size>6000</Size>
</CreatePartition>
</CreatePartitions>
</Disk>
</DiskConfiguration>


Best regards

Meinolf Weber
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.
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> I deploy my servers using the HP Rapid Deployment Pack, which images
> servers using a standard answer file.
>
> My disks are a 146GB mirrored array.
> By default the install uses all the space and I get a 146GB C drive.
> I need the boot partition to be 15GB
> In Win 2003 I add the line ExtendOemPartition=7500 to the answer file
> and I
> get the partition size I want.
> I have tried modifying the answer file for 2008 by adding the size
> line (as seen below) to the disk configuration.
>
> <DiskConfiguration>
> <Disk wcm:action="add">
> <DiskID>0</DiskID>
> <WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
> <CreatePartitions>
> <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
> <Order>1</Order>
> <Size>15360</Size>
> <Type>Primary</Type>
> <Extend>true</Extend>
> </CreatePartition>
> </CreatePartitions>
> <ModifyPartitions>
> <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
> <Order>1</Order>
> <PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
> <Active>true</Active>
> <Format>NTFS</Format>
> <Letter>C</Letter>
> </ModifyPartition>
> </ModifyPartitions>
> </Disk>
> <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
> </DiskConfiguration>
> This does not work and the install stops with an error, just as the
> Windows install begins that says "Windows could not prepare the
> partition selected for installation"
>
> Any help on how to correctly modify this install file is appreciated.
>
> Thanks
> Chris
 
Re: Unattend file for Server 2008

Chris,
Have you added the WAIK to the Deployment Server, so you can use Windows
System Image Manager to build your unattend.xml?
There is also a set of sample jobs for Vista here:
https://kb.altiris.com/display/1/kb/article.asp?aid=38612&n=2&s=. These will
be similar for WS2008.
<DiskConfiguration>
<Disk wcm:action="add">
<CreatePartitions>
<CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
<Size>16384</Size>
<Type>Primary</Type>
<Order>1</Order>
</CreatePartition>
</CreatePartitions>
<ModifyPartitions>
<ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
<Active>true</Active>
<Format>NTFS</Format>
<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
<Order>1</Order>
</ModifyPartition>
</ModifyPartitions>
<WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
</Disk>
</DiskConfiguration>
Hope that helps,
Anthony,
http://www.airdesk.co.uk



"Chris Coates" <chriscoates@charter.net> wrote in message
news:%23p%23YJpIqIHA.4912@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>I deploy my servers using the HP Rapid Deployment Pack, which images
>servers using a standard answer file.
>
> My disks are a 146GB mirrored array.
> By default the install uses all the space and I get a 146GB C drive.
> I need the boot partition to be 15GB
> In Win 2003 I add the line ExtendOemPartition=7500 to the answer file and
> I get the partition size I want.
>
> I have tried modifying the answer file for 2008 by adding the size line
> (as seen below) to the disk configuration.
>
> <DiskConfiguration>
> <Disk wcm:action="add">
> <DiskID>0</DiskID>
> <WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
> <CreatePartitions>
> <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
> <Order>1</Order>
> <Size>15360</Size>
> <Type>Primary</Type>
> <Extend>true</Extend>
> </CreatePartition>
> </CreatePartitions>
> <ModifyPartitions>
> <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
> <Order>1</Order>
> <PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
> <Active>true</Active>
> <Format>NTFS</Format>
> <Letter>C</Letter>
> </ModifyPartition>
> </ModifyPartitions>
> </Disk>
> <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
> </DiskConfiguration>
>
> This does not work and the install stops with an error, just as the
> Windows install begins that says "Windows could not prepare the partition
> selected for installation"
>
> Any help on how to correctly modify this install file is appreciated.
>
> Thanks
> Chris
>
 
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