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Introduction

Answer File Format

Description of Answer File Parameters

Sysprep Parameters and Components

Sysprep and Disk Duplication

Sysprep and Automating Mini-Setup

Sysprep and Auditing

Sysprep.inf File Parameters

Tips for Implementing Sysprep

where:

A combination of /syspart and /tempdrive is useful if the target drive is used as the primary drive on another computer. The /syspart and /tempdrive parameters are optional. By using them together, you can create a custom image that can be used across non-identical computers. GUI-mode Setup then completes the installation on those computers.

One method to simplify this process is to modify the BIOS to specify the CD-ROM as the first bootable device, the floppy drive as the second, and the hard drive as the third.

In general, an answer file, such as Unattend.txt or Sysprep.inf, consists of section headers/keys, parameters, and the values for each parameter. Most of the section headers are pre-defined, but some may be user-defined. You don’t need to specify all of the possible parameters in the Unattend.txt file if the installation does not require them.

The file format is as follows:

[section1]

;

; Section contains keys and the corresponding

; values for those keys/parameters.

; keys and values are separated by '=' signs

; Values that have spaces in them usually require double quotes

; "" around them

;

key = value

.

.

[section2]

key = value

Invalid parameter values generate errors or may cause incorrect behavior after setup.

This section lists the various keys, and their parameters, which can be included in the Unattend.txt file. Many keys/parameters are interdependent; please note the interdependencies where specified.

A fully unattended Setup would require, at a minimum, the following keys and parameters:

[Unattended]

UnattendMode = FullUnattended

TargetPath = WINNT

[UserData]

ComputerName = "COMPUTER_NAME"

FullName = "Your User Name"

[GuiUnattended]

AdminPassword = *

TimeZone = "004"

; For Server installs

[LicenseFilePrintData]

AutoMode = "PerServer"

AutoUsers = "5"

[Networking]

[Identification]

JoinWorkgroup = Workgroup

This section header identifies that an unattended installation is being performed. This section is required in the Unattend.txt file; otherwise, the answer file is ignored. Parameters that can exist in this section are discussed below.

Values: <HAL description> [, Retail | OEM]

Specifies the type of custom Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) to be loaded by the Setup Loader and installed by text-mode Setup. This parameter is only valid when OemPreinstall = Yes. If this key is not present, Setup attempts to detect the type of computer and install the appropriate retail HAL.

The <HAL description> string identifies the HAL to be installed. It must match one of the strings in the [Computer] section of Txtsetup.sif (for a retail HAL), or Txtsetup.oem (for an OEM HAL).

where:

Value: Ignore | Warn | Block

Default: Warn

Specifies how non-signed drivers are processed during unattended Setup. Signed drivers have gone through the Microsoft driver testing and signing process to ensure they are Windows 2000 compatible.

For the most up-to-date list of supported hardware, see the Hardware Compatibility List by visiting the Microsoft Web site at:
http://www.microsoft.com/

Your Windows 2000 CD includes a copy of this list (drive:\Support\Hcl.txt) that was accurate as of the date Windows 2000 was released.

where:

If you are using DriverSigningPolicy = Ignore and you attempt to install a newer, unsigned copy of a driver that is protected by Windows 2000, the policy level is automatically updated to Warn.

Value: 0 | 1 | <extra size in MB>

The ExtendOemPartition key is used to extend the partition on which you are installing Windows 2000. This key causes Setup to extend this destination partition into any available unpartitioned space that physically follows it on the disk.

where:

Value: ConvertNTFS | LeaveAlone

Specifies whether the primary partition should be converted to NTFS or left alone.

Value: <layout description>

Specifies the type of keyboard layout to be installed during text-mode Setup. If this key does not exist, Setup detects and installs a keyboard layout.

This key must match one of the right-hand strings (in quotes) in the KeyboardLayout section of Txtsetup.sif.

Values: Yes | No

Determines whether a previous version of Windows NT 3.51, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, or Windows 2000 Datacenter Server should be upgraded. This parameter is only valid for Winnt32.exe.

Set NTUpgrade = Yes to upgrade the previous Windows NT or Windows 2000 installation. If OemPreinstall = Yes, NTUpgrade should not be set to Yes.

Value: <path to \$OEM$ folder>

Specifies the path to the \$OEM$ folder (containing OEM files) if it does not exist under the i386 folder of the distribution share point. The path can be a UNC name.

For more information about the \$OEM$ folder, see the Microsoft Windows 2000 OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) User Guide if you are a computer manufacturer. Otherwise, see the Microsoft Windows 2000 Deployment Guide.

Value: "<folder 1 on system drive>;<folder 2 on system drive>; …"

Specifies the path to folders that contain Plug and Play (PnP) drivers that do not ship on the Windows 2000 CD. The folders must contain all the files necessary to install the particular devices—catalog files, .inf files, and drivers.

For example, if you have a folder called \drivers with subfolders called \audio and \net, you would specify OemPnPDriversPath = "drivers\audio;drivers\net" in the answer file. Setup adds:

Values: Yes | No

Determines whether an installation from distribution folders is being performed. When value is Yes, any other existing subfolders are copied. When set to No, a regular unattended installation is performed.

Values: Yes | No

Determines whether the user should be prompted to accept the Microsoft license agreement (previously known as the End User License Agreement or EULA) included with Windows 2000. Setting this parameter to Yes implies that the person performing the installation has read and agreed to the contents of the License Agreement included with the product. It also implies that the end user on whose behalf Windows 2000 is being installed has agreed to the License Agreement.

Values: Yes | No

Determines whether OEM-supplied files that have the same name as Windows 2000 system files should be overwritten during an unattended upgrade.

Yes means overwrite the files. No means do not overwrite the files if found. The default behavior is to overwrite OEM-supplied files.

Value: Yes | No

Specifies whether or not all partitions on the first drive on the client computer should be deleted and the drive reformatted with the NTFS file system.

Values: * | <path name>

Determines the installation folder in which Windows 2000 should be installed.

* indicates that Setup should generate a unique folder name for the installation. The folder name given is usually Winnt, unless that folder already exists. In that case, Setup installs into Winnt.x (where x is 0, 1, … 999) if that folder does not already exist.

<path name> is the user-defined installation folder and should not include the drive letter. If you want to specify the target drive, you must use the /tempdrive parameter with Winnt32.exe or the /t switch with Winnt.exe.

Values: GuiAttended | ProvideDefault | DefaultHide | ReadOnly | FullUnattended

UnattendMode defines the unattended Setup mode to be used during GUI-mode Setup. The default value is DefaultHide when the key is not specified. When this key is specified, text-mode Setup is fully automated with or without the necessary answers.

where:

Values: Yes | No

Determines whether previous installations of Windows 95 or Windows 98 should be upgraded to Windows 2000.

Yes means that the Windows installation should be upgraded, and No means that the Windows installation, if found, should not be upgraded. The default is No. This parameter is only necessary when using an answer file to upgrade an existing Windows 95 or Windows 98 computer to Windows 2000. This parameter is only valid for Winnt32.exe.

This section contains a list of SCSI drivers to be loaded by the Setup Loader and installed during text-mode Setup. If this section is missing or empty, Setup attempts to detect the SCSI devices on the computer and install the corresponding retail drivers.

Value: Retail | OEM

Identifies the driver to be installed. It must match one of the strings defined in the right-hand side of the [SCSI] section of Txtsetup.sif (for a retail driver), or Txtsetup.oem (for an OEM driver). Multiple instances of <mass storage driver description> may be specified.

where:

Specifies OEM-supplied boot files. This parameter is only valid if OemPreinstall = Yes and the files listed here have been placed in the \$OEM$\Textmode folder of the OEM’s distribution share point.

Maps to a HAL description that has been defined by the ComputerType key in the [Unattended] section of the Unattend.txt file.

Maps to a mass storage device driver description defined in the [MassStorageDriver] section of the Unattend.txt file. There may be multiple instances of <SCSI driver file name> listed in the [OEMBootFiles] section.

This file contains descriptions of all the OEM-supplied drivers listed in this section and includes instructions on how to install them. This file must exist if this section is listed.

This section instructs Setup to modify the default end user background bitmap and add a logo at the top right corner of the screen.

Values: <file name> [,<resource ID>]

Specifies a background bitmap to be displayed. If this line has only one field, then it refers to a .bmp file located in the distribution share point in the \$OEM$ folder. However, if two fields are specified, then the first field is the name of a .dll and the second is a base-10 number that represents the resource identification (ID) of the bitmap in the .dll. The .dll specified should be located in the \$OEM$ folder.

Values: <file name> [,<resource ID>]

Specifies a bitmap to be displayed in the upper-right corner of the screen. If this line has only one field, then it refers to a .bmp file located in the distribution share point in the \$OEM$ folder. However, if two fields are specified, then the first field is the name of a .dll and the second is a base-10 number that represents the resource ID of the bitmap in the .dll. The .dll specified should be located in the \$OEM$ folder.

Value: <password> | *

Sets up the Administrator account password. If the value is *, Setup sets the administrator password to NULL.

However, if a non-blank password is used, end users cannot change or specify their own passwords in the Mini-Setup wizard. A new password may be entered in the appropriate dialog box, but the password is not changed.

Also, security breaches may occur if you use a common, non-blank administrator password for all computers provided to end users. You should, prior to running Sysprep, use an automation process to set the administrator password to blank. End users can then specify their own passwords upon receipt of the computer.

Value: ServerNT

This key and its value are valid only when upgrading Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server.

Value: <string>

Indicates that arguments or parameters accompany the custom program that runs concurrently with the Setup program.

Value: Yes | No

Sets up the computer to automatically log on once with the Administrator account if set to Yes. The default behavior is No. The key is not valid on upgrades.

Value: Yes | No
Default: Yes

Specifies whether a computer account should be created automatically for the user whose name specified by FullName. For more information about this parameter, see "FullName," later in this document. AutoLogonAccountCreation also allows the generated user account to automatically logon to the computer.

This parameter is only valid on computers that are configured with the Workgroup option. This will not work for computers that are configured as members of a domain.

Value: <integer>

Specifies the number of times that the computer automatically logs on using the Administrator account and password specified. The value decrements after each logon and the feature is disabled after the specified number of logon attempts.

This parameter is only useful when AutoLogon = Yes and AdminPassword = <password> are specified in the answer file. If AdminPassword = * (is blank) and AutoLogon = Yes, the computer logs on only one time, regardless of the value given for AutoLogonCount.

Value: <detached program string>

Indicates the path of the custom program that should run concurrently with the Setup program. If the program requires any arguments, the Arguments key must be specified.

Values: 0 | 1

Allows unattended Setup to skip the Regional Settings page in GUI-mode Setup and Mini-Setup.

Value: 1 | 0

Allows unattended Setup to skip the Welcome page in GUI-mode Setup and Mini-Setup.

Value: "<path to profile folder>"
Default: "%systemdrive%\Documents and Settings"

Specifies the location of Windows 2000 profiles. This parameter is only valid on clean installations of Windows 2000 and is ignored during upgrades.

The ProfilesDir parameter is useful in scenarios that require new installations to use the same profile folder as Windows NT 4.0. For example:

ProfilesDir = "%systemroot%\Profiles"

Value: <index>

Specifies the time zone of the computer. If the key is not present, the user is prompted to select a time zone.

The following table lists the valid TimeZone indices:

Value: <string>

Specifies the computer name. If the ComputerName key is empty or missing, the user is prompted to enter a computer name. If the value is *, Setup generates a random computer name based on the organization name specified.

Value: <string>

Specifies the user’s full name. If the key is empty or missing, the user is prompted to enter a name.

Value: <string>

Specifies an organization’s name.

Value: <string>

Specifies the Microsoft Product Identification (Product ID) number.

This section contains proxy settings for the Windows 2000 browser. If these settings are not present, the default for Windows 2000 is used.

[Branding]

BrandIEUsingUnattended = Yes

Value: <URL or IP address>

Specifies the IP address or URL of the FTP proxy on the network. For example:

FTP_Proxy_Server = http://proxyserver:80

Value: <URL or IP address>

Specifies the IP address or URL of the Gopher proxy on the network. For example:

Gopher_Proxy_Server = http://proxyserver:80

Value: <URL or IP address>

Specifies the IP address or URL of the Http proxy on the network. For example:

HTTP_Proxy_Server = http://proxyserver:80

Value: 1 | 0

Specifies whether a proxy server is used to connect to the Internet. A value of 1 is Yes and 0 is No.

Value: <list of IP addresses>

Specifies a semicolon-separated list of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to be used to bypass the proxy. The list must be enclosed in quotes (for more than one address) and may contain the string <local> to override local addresses. For example:

Proxy_Override = <local>

Value: <URL or IP address>

Specifies the IP address or URL of the Secure proxy on the network. For example:

Secure_Proxy_Server = http://proxyserver:80

Value: <URL or IP address>

Specifies the IP address or URL of the Socks proxy on the network. For example:

Socks_Proxy_Server = http://proxyserver:80

Value: 1 | 0

Specifies whether the same proxy server should be used to for all protocols. A value of 1 is Yes and 0 is No. If this key is specified, the value of the HTTP proxy is used for all other transports.

This section contains default URL settings for the Windows 2000 browser. If not present, the default for Windows 2000 is used.

[Branding]

BrandIEUsingUnattended = Yes

Value: 1 | 0

Specifies whether the browser should be auto-configured from a server. A value of 1 is Yes and 0 is No.

Value: <URL>

Specifies the URL of a JavaScript file that auto-configures the proxy settings for the browser. For example:

AutoConfigJSURL = http://configserver/autoconfig.js

Value: <URL>

Specifies the URL of an .INS file that auto-configures the proxy settings for the browser. For example:

AutoConfigURL = http://configserver/autoconfig.ins

Value: <URL>

Specifies the URL for HTML-based Help. For example:

Help_Page = http://configserver

Value: <URL>

Specifies the URL for the browser’s default home page. For example:

Home_Page = http://www.msn.com/

Value: <site name, URL>

Specifies shortcuts in the link folder of [FavoritesEx]. This key is a set of "Quick_Link_N_Name" and "Quick_Link_N," where N is a numerical designation for the site and URL. For example:

Quick_Link_1_Name = "MS HomePage"

Quick_Link_1 = http://www.microsoft.com/

Quick_Link_2_Name = "MS Japan HomePage"

Quick_Link_2 = http://www.microsoft.com/Japan

Value: Title<#> = "<Site Name>.url"
URL<#> = "<Site Address>"

This section contains default favorite settings for the Windows 2000 browser. If not present, the default for Windows 2000 is used. For example:

[FavoritesEx]

Title1 = "MSN.url"

URL1 = "http://www.microsoft.com/"

Title2 = "Cable News Network.url"

URL2 = "http://www.cnn.com"

Title3 = "MSNBC.url"

URL3 = "http://www.msnbc.com"

Title4 = "USA Today.url"

URL4 = "http://www.usatoday.com"

[Branding]

BrandIEUsingUnattended = Yes

This section contains parameters to "brand" Internet Explorer during an unattended Setup. If not present, the default for Windows 2000 is used.

Value: Yes | No

Specifies which file is to be used to brand Internet Explorer during an unattended Setup. If set to Yes, the Unattend.txt file is used to brand the browser settings using the parameters specified in the browser-specific sections of the answer file: [Proxy], [URL], and [FavoritesEx]. If set to No, the .ins file specified in IEBrandingFile is used.

[Branding]

BrandIEUsingUnattended = No

IEBrandingFile = <filename>

For more information, see "IEBrandingFile."

Value: <file name>

Specifies the name of the .ins file (created by IEAK) to be used for branding Internet Explorer. (The full path to the file is not required.) If this key is specified:

This section is only valid when installing Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server.

Values: PerSeat | PerServer

Determines whether Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, or Windows 2000 Datacenter Server is to be installed in a per seat or a per server license mode. If AutoMode = PerServer, the AutoUsers key must also be specified.

where:

If AutoMode is empty, or missing, the user is prompted to select the license mode.

Value: <integer>

This key is only valid if AutoMode = PerServer. The integer value indicates the number of client licenses purchased for the server being installed.

This section contains a list of commands to be executed the first time a user logs on to the computer after GUI-mode Setup has completed. Each line specifies a command to be executed by the GuiRunOnce registry entry. For example:

For more information on these examples, see their respective sections in this document.

Commands run using the GuiRunOnce key run in the context of the currently logged in user. If the user does not have the permissions necessary to run the command completely, then the application fails. Because this is run in the context of a logged-in user rather than as a service, the registry entries that the application creates are written for the current user rather than the default user. (Default user registry settings are propagated to new users.) If you want any settings and updates to show only for the specifically logged in user, then this may be appropriate. Otherwise, Cmdlines.txt is a better approach to running commands and installing applications because it runs as a system service.

This section specifies display settings for the particular graphics device being installed. For this to work properly, the user must know what settings are valid for the graphics device under consideration.

If the previously specified settings are not valid for the particular graphics device, Setup finds the closest match to the selected settings to configure the device.

Value: <valid bits per pixel>

Specifies the <valid bits per pixel> for the graphics device being installed. For example, a value of 8 (2⁸) implies 256 colors, 16 implies 65,536 colors.

Value: <valid refresh rate>

Specifies a <valid refresh rate> for the graphics device being installed.

Value: <valid x resolution>

Specifies a <valid x resolution> for the graphics device being installed.

Value: <valid y resolution>

Specifies a <valid y resolution> for the graphics device being installed.

This optional section specifies regional options.

Value: <locale ID>:<keyboard layout ID>, <locale ID>:<keyboard layout ID>, …

Specifies the input locale and keyboard layout combinations to be installed on the computer (the first keyboard layout specified is the default layout for the installation). The specified combinations must be supported by one of the language groups defined using the LanguageGroup key or the default language group for the language version of Windows 2000 being installed. If an available language group does not support the combination specified, the default combination is used for the installation. This key is ignored if the Language key is specified.

Value: <locale ID>

Specifies the language/locale to be installed. This language must be supported by one of the language groups specified using the LanguageGroup key. If an available language group does not support the locale, the default language for the Windows 2000 version being installed is used.

For a list of valid locales and their language group, visit the Microsoft Global Software Development Web site at:
http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/

Value: <language group ID>, <language group ID>, …

Specifies the language group support to be installed on the computer. Supported language group IDs are:

Value: <locale ID>

Specifies the system locale to be installed on the computer. (System locale enables localized applications to run and display menus and dialogs in their native language.) The specified system locale must be supported by one of the language groups specified using the LanguageGroup key or the default language group for the language version of Windows 2000 being installed. If an available language group does not support the locale specified, the default system locale is installed. This key is ignored if the Language key is specified.

Value: <locale ID>

Specifies the user locale to be installed on the computer. (The user locale controls the settings for numbers, time, currency, and dates) The specified user locale must be supported by one of the language groups specified using the LanguageGroup key or the default language group for the language version of Windows 2000 being installed. If an available language group does not support the locale specified, the default user locale is installed. This key is ignored if the Language key is specified.

Value: <area code string>

Specifies the area code that the computer is located in, for example, 425.

Value: <country code number>

Specifies the country code to use for telephony, such as 1 for the United States. For more information, search on the Internet for "ISO 3166" for a list of valid country codes, or visit the International Telecommunication Union Survey Web site at:
http://www.itu.int/net/cctlds/index.html

Value: Tone | Pulse

Specifies the type of dialing to use for the telephony device in the computer.

Value: <number to get outside line>

Specifies the number to dial to gain access to an outside line, such as 9.

This is an optional section that can be used to specify custom installation information for the fax service in Windows 2000. If the parameters are not specified, the defaults are used for the installation.

Value: <folder to save faxes to>

Value: True | False
Default: True

Specifies whether outbound faxes should be archived or saved into a folder. If set to True, a folder must be specified using the ArchiveFolderName parameter.

Value: <called subscriber ID string>
Default: "Fax"

Specifies the Called Subscriber ID (CSID) transmitted by the receiving fax machine when receiving an inbound fax. This string is usually a combination of the fax or telephone number and the name of the business. It is often the same as the Transmitter Subscriber ID.

Value: <fax number>
Default: "Fax"

Specifies the fax phone number.

Value: <fax printer name string>
Default: "Fax"

Specifies the fax printer name for outbound faxes. The value for this setting cannot be the same as the value of the RoutePrinterName parameter.

Value: <number of rings>
Default: 2

Specifies the number of rings before the phone is answered.

Value: <folder to route faxes to>

Specifies the destination folder for inbound faxes.

Value: <printer to route faxes to>

Specifies the printer name to which faxes should be routed automatically. If the printer is remote, the value must be the UNC name of the fax printer, for example, \\server\printername.

Value: True | False
Default: True

Specifies whether faxes should be directly routed to a folder. If set to True, a folder can be specified using the RouteFolderName parameter.

Value: True | False
Default: False

Specifies whether inbound faxes should be directly routed to a printer. If set to True, the custom printer can be specified using the RoutePrinterName parameter.

Value: <transmitter subscriber ID string>
Default: "Fax"

Specifies the Transmitter Subscriber ID (TSID) sent by the fax machine when sending a fax to a receiving fax machine. This string is usually a combination of the fax or telephone number and the name of the business. It is often the same as the Called Subscriber ID.

This section specifies the parameters for an unattended upgrade from Windows 95 or Windows 98. These parameters are not valid on any other upgrade path.

Value: Yes | No
Default: No

Enables MS-DOS boot mode.

Value: <password>

Optional

Provides a default password for all local accounts created during a migration process. Since Setup cannot migrate the Windows passwords of users when upgrading a system, it must assign passwords for those created accounts. When Setup needs to assign one of these passwords, it first checks to see if a UserPassword (see "UserPassword," earlier in this document) entry for that user exists. If not, it uses the value of this key if specified.

If a local account needs to be created for a user without a UserPassword entry and no DefaultPassword is specified, Setup creates a random password. After the first reboot, the user is prompted to enter a password for all users created during Setup.

For more information, see "UserPassword," earlier in this document.

Value: <"HTML text">

Optional

Inserts the HTML text on the Domain Join page of the GUI-mode Setup wizard.

Value: Yes | No
Default: Yes

Optional

Instructs Setup to automatically require a password change on all local accounts it creates during the migration process. When a user first logs on using one of these accounts, the user is informed that the current password has expired. The user is forced to select a new password before logging on.

Value: Yes | No
Default: No

Instructs Setup to skip domain checks and to run the computer in Workgroup mode after the upgrade.

Value: Yes | No
Default: No

Instructs Setup not to retry a domain that fails. If this parameter is set to Yes the setup is completely unattended; however, if this parameter is set to Yes, the domain account migration may fail.

Value: Yes | No
Default: Yes

Instructs Setup to keep all links. Setting this parameter to No removes incompatible links.

Value: Yes | No
Default: Yes

Optional

Causes Setup to migrate the default Windows 95 or Windows 98 user account settings to the default Windows 2000 user account.

Value: Yes | No
Default: Yes

Optional

Causes Setup to add all accounts that it creates during migration to the Local Administrators group, giving those users full control over the computer. If users are not migrated as administrators, some migrated applications and settings may not work properly after the upgrade is completed.

Value: Yes | No
Default: Yes

Optional

Causes Setup to add all accounts that it creates during migration to the Power Users group, giving the new users in the Power Users group more permissions than users in the Users group, but fewer permissions than users in the Administrators group. Power Users can perform any operating system task except tasks reserved for the Administrators group.

Value: <migration dll path> [,<migration dll path>, ...]

Optional

Specifies the location of upgrade packs that Setup needs to copy and process during an upgrade to Windows 2000. If multiple paths are specified, commas must separate the paths. Setup searches each of these paths (including its subfolders) for upgrade packs. Multiple upgrade packs can be located at a single location, but each upgrade pack must exist in its own subfolder of that single path. Do not put more than one upgrade pack in a single folder.

Value: Yes | No
Default: No

Optional

Instructs Setup to generate an upgrade report and then exit without making any changes to the current Windows 95 or Windows 98 installation. The upgrade report contains a list of hardware and software incompatibilities and is saved to the root of the system drive if the SaveReportTo key is not specified.

For more information, see "SaveReportTo," later in this document.

Value: Yes | No
Default: No

When set to Yes, this parameter instructs Setup to maintain a list of settings during the upgrade. If any setting causes Win9x to hang or crash, that setting is skipped during the next setup. Using this parameter slows Setup but allows Setup to skip certain types of malfunctioning software installed on Win9x.

Value: <path to report>

Optional

Specifies the full path and file name of the upgrade report (text file) generated by Setup. If the Windows 95 or Windows 98 installation has network connectivity, the <path to report> can be a UNC path.

For more information, see "ReportOnly," earlier in this document.

Value: [drive][,drive,drive]

Optional

Enables scanning of drives that are normally skipped. This parameter is used with ReportOnly and allows software on network drives to be checked.

For more information, see "ReportOnly," earlier in this document.

Value: Yes | No
Default: No

Optional

Directs Setup to create a local account if a network account cannot be automatically determined or resolved. This is only valid on computers with the Microsoft Networking Client software installed.

Windows 95 and Windows 98 only keep the domain of the last logged in user in the registry. Because neither Windows 95 nor Windows 98 keep the domains of other users who may have logged on to the computer, Windows 2000 Setup searches all trusted domains on the network by default. Windows 2000 Setup automatically uses a domain account when an exact match is found.

If a user is not found on any trusted domain or if the user account is found on two or more domains on the network, a dialog box appears prompting the person performing the upgrade to resolve the conflict. This dialog box also appears if network errors occur.

Specifying UseLocalAccountOnError = Yes in the Unattend.txt file ensures a complete unattended installation. This causes Setup to create a local account whenever a network account cannot be automatically resolved.

In addition, if a computer cannot be added to the computer domain during installation of the network on Windows 2000, all user accounts change to local accounts.

For more information, see "UserDomain," later in this document.

Value: <domain name>, <user name> [, <user name>, <user name>, ...]

Optional

Specifies the user domain for a user. Multiple UserDomain lines can be used to specify different domains for different users. When specified, this key prevents Setup from searching all trusted domains on the network for a matching user account. (The search process can be time-consuming if a large number of trusted domains exist on the network.)

If the account is not found in the specified domain, either because the account does not exist or the domain is not accessible, a dialog box appears prompting the user to resolve the account unless the UseLocalAccountOnError key is set to Yes.

For more information, see "UseLocalAccountOnError," earlier in this document.

Value: <user>,<password> [,<user>,<password>,...]

Optional

Provides Setup with the names of the passwords to create for specific local accounts. Because Setup cannot migrate the Windows passwords of users when upgrading a system, it must create passwords for non-domain accounts during the migration process. Using this key, an administrator can predetermine what those passwords are for specific users.

If a local account needs to be created for a user without a UserPassword entry and no DefaultPassword is specified, Setup creates a random password. After the first reboot, the user is prompted to enter a password for all users created during Setup.

For more information, see "DefaultPassword," earlier in this document.

In Windows 2000, a new feature, called Windows (or System) File Protection (WFP), prevents the replacement of certain monitored or protected system files. By preventing the replacement of essential system files, file version mismatches can be avoided. WFP runs in the background on a Windows 2000 system. All .sys, .dll, .exe, and .ocx files that ship on the Windows 2000 CD are protected. True Type fonts Micros.ttf, Tahoma.ttf, and Tahomabd.ttf are also protected.

WFP is activated when:

Windows File Protection also maintains version control of protected files. It looks up the file signature in a catalog file to determine if the new file is the correct Microsoft version. If the new file is not the correct Microsoft version, Windows File Protection looks for the replaced file(s) in the following order:

The following parameters are used by the Windows File Protection service. If this section is missing or empty, Setup installs Windows File Protection using default values.

Value: <location of Dllcache folder>
Default: "%systemroot%\System32\Dllcache"

Specifies the folder that is used by Windows File Protection to cache the system files (the \Dllcache folder location.) This path must be a local path. Environment variables are also allowed for this parameter. For example:

SFCDllCacheDir = "%systemroot%\Winnt\System32\Dllcache"

Value: 0 | 1
Default: 0

Specifies if System File Checker displays a progress meter during scans. If SFCShowProgress = 0, no progress indicator is displayed. If SFCShowProgress = 1, a progress meter is displayed during file system scans.

Value: <size in MB (hex)>
Default: 0x32h (50 MB for Windows 2000 Professional;
FFFFFFFF for Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced
Server, and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server)

Specifies the size of the Dllcache file cache stored on the system hard drive. If FFFFFFFF is specified, all system files will be cached in the Dllcache folder. For example:

SFCQuota = FFFFFFFF

This section contains parameters for installing the components of Windows 2000. A value of On installs the components, and a value of Off prevents the component from being installed.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs the Accessibility wizard on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs the Calculator on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs the CD Player program on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: Off

Installs the Certificate Services components.

Value: On | Off
Default: Off

Installs the Web client components of the Certificate Services feature. These components allow you to publish Web pages on your server for submitting and requesting certificates from a Certification Authority. Options for the Web client services must be specified in the [Certsrv_Client] section.

Value: On | Off
Default: Off

Installs the server components of the Certificate Services features for Windows 2000 Server products only. These components allow you to create a Certification Authority on your server for issuing digital certificates. When certsrv_server is set to On , the certsrv_client parameter must also be set to On. Options for the server services must be specified in the [Certsrv_Server] section.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs the Character Map program that inserts symbols and characters into documents on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: Off

Installs the Chat program on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs the Cluster service Node and Administration components. This is only valid when installing Windows 2000 Advanced Server or Windows 2000 Datacenter Server. When set to On, the parameters in the [Cluster] section are processed.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs desktop wallpaper on your computer desktop.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs the Phone Dialer program on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: On (Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server);
Off (Windows 2000 Professional)

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs the Freecell game on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs the HyperTerminal program on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: On (Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server);
Off (Windows 2000 Professional)

Installs the common set of files needed by the Internet Information Services (IIS).

Value: On | Off
Default: On (Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server);
Off (Windows 2000 Professional)

Installs the Microsoft Script Debugger.

Value: On | Off
Default: On (Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server);
Off (Windows 2000 Professional)

Installs documentation for IIS.

Value: On | Off
Default: On (Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server);
Off (Windows 2000 Professional)

Installs the FTP service.

Value: On | Off
Default: On (Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server);
Off (Windows 2000 Professional)

Installs the HTML-based administration tools for IIS. This parameter is only valid on Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server.

Value: On | Off
Default: On (Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server);
Off (Windows 2000 Professional)

Installs the Microsoft Management Console-based administration tools for IIS.

Value: On | Off
Default: On (Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server);
Off (Windows 2000 Professional)

Installs the Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) Service on Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server.

Value: On | Off
Default: On (Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server);
Off (Windows 2000 Professional)

Installs the documentation for the NNTP service.

Value: On |Off
Default: Off

Installs the Personal Web Manager. This parameter is valid only on Windows 2000 Professional.

Value: On | Off
Default: On (Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server);
Off (Windows 2000 Professional)

Installs the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) Service on Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server.

Value: On | Off
Default: On (Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server);
Off (Windows 2000 Professional)

Installs documentation for the SMTP service.

Value: On | Off
Default: On (Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server);
Off (Windows 2000 Professional)

Installs the World Wide Web (WWW) service.

Value: On | Off
Default: On (Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server);
Off (Windows 2000 Professional)

Installs the Indexing Service files.

Value: On | Off

Turns Terminal Services licensing on or off.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs sample sound clips on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: Off

Installs the Utopia Sound Scheme on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs the Minesweeper game on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs all the available mouse pointers that ship with Windows 2000 on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs the Media Player program on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: Off

Installs the Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) components.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs the WordPad program on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: On (Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server);
Off (Windows 2000 Professional)

Installs the Microsoft COM Internet Services.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs additional optional networking components. To modify the default components installed, see the [NetOptionalComponents] section. If the value of netoc is Off, the [NetOptionalComponents] section is not processed.

Value: On | Off
Default: Off

Installs the Object Packager program on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs the Paint program on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs the Pinball game on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs the Sound Recorder program on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: Off

Installs the Remote Installation Services, which provides the ability to remotely install an operating system onto a computer that either contains a new PXE-based remote boot ROM, or a network card that is supported by the remote installation boot floppy.

Value: On | Off
Default: Off

Installs the Remote Storage Service feature that allow the use of tape libraries as extensions of NTFS volumes.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs the Solitaire game on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs Document Templates on your computer.

Value: On | Off
Default: Off

Installs the files (approximately 10 MB) required to create Terminal Services client disks.

Value: On | Off
Default: Off

Installs Terminal Services on Windows 2000. This key is only valid for the Windows 2000 Server products.

To fully automate the installation of a server with Terminal Services enabled, include the [TerminalServices] section and appropriate ApplicationServer parameter. For more information, see "[TerminalServices]," later in this document.

Value: On | Off
Default: On

Installs the Volume Control program on your computer.

This section header must be present for unattended installation of networks.

Specifies the network identification parameters of a computer. If this key is not present, the computer is added to the default workgroup. If the information for this key is not complete, the user is prompted to provide this information.

Value: <account name>

Specifies the name of a user account in the domain that has permission to create a computer account in that domain. This key is required if you set the value of the JoinDomain key to Yes even though the computer account may already exist on the domain. For example:

DomainAdmin = accountname

Value: <password of user account>

Specifies the password of the user account as defined by the DomainAdmin parameter. This key is required if you set the value of the JoinDomain key to Yes even though the computer account may already exist on the domain. For example:

DomainAdminPassword = abcdef123

Value: <domain name>

Specifies the name of the domain in which the computer participates. You can specify either this key or the JoinWorkgroup key, but you cannot specify both. For example:

JoinDomain = MYDOMAIN

Value: <workgroup name>

Specifies the name of the workgroup in which the computer participates. You can specify either this key or the JoinDomain key, but you cannot specify both. For example:

JoinWorkgroup = MYUSERGROUP

Value: "<Domain Name System (DNS) name, ldap path>"

Optional

Specifies the full LDAP path name of the organizational unit (OU) in which the computer belongs. For example:

MachineObjectOU = "OU = myou,OU = myparentou,DC = mydom,DC = mycompany,DC = com"

This section specifies the network adapters to be installed. Each adapter present in the computer must be listed as a key = value pair.

The key name is user-defined and acts as an identifier for the adapter to be installed. The value of this key (also user-defined) specifies a section that contains parameters for the adapter under consideration.

Value: <adapter parameters section>

This parameter is a user-defined name for the adapter for which specific settings need to be defined. Each adapter needs a parameter created with each one having a unique <adapter parameters section> specified for the value. For example:

Adapter1 = params.Adapter1

This section describes the parameters of a particular adapter’s instance on a computer.

To create an unattended answer file for identical computers with the same hardware configurations, including the same type of network adapters in the same PCI slots:

If only adapters of different types are on the computers (that is, the PnP IDs are not the same), the answer file can use the explicit PnP IDs of each adapter instead of PCI location information.

Value: "<network connection name>"

Optional

Specifies the name for the network connection associated with the network adapter being installed. If this key is not specified or its value is empty, the default connection name of "Local Area Connection" is used for the first enumerated network adapter and "Local Area Connection x" for subsequent adapters where x starts from 2. For example:

ConnectionName = "Corporate Network"

Value: <DMA channel number>

Optional

Specifies the direct memory access (DMA) channel setting of a network adapter. For example:

DMA = 1

Value: <InfID>[, <InfID>, …]

Specifies legacy (non-PnP) adapters that Setup should ignore when trying to detect the network adapters on a computer. These cards are not detected and/or installed on the computer. For example:

DoNotDetectLegacyCards = *PNP030b,*PNP8132

Value: <PnP ID of adapter>

This key uniquely identifies a network adapter. Its value is the same as the adapter’s PnP ID.

If InfID = "*", Setup matches the first enumerated/detected network adapter on the computer with the settings in this section. Therefore, on a computer with a single network card, you can specify adapter-specific parameters without knowing the name or type of the network adapter.

For example:

InfID = *PNP030b

If NetCardAddress or PCI location is specified, this parameter is not used because it is the least specific parameter that can be provided.

Value: <numeric IO address>

Optional

Specifies the IO address (hexadecimal number) of a network adapter. For example:

IOAddr = 330

Value: <IRQ number>

Optional

Specifies the interrupt number setting of a network adapter. For example:

IRQ = 5

Value: <memory range>

Optional

Specifies the memory base address setting of a network adapter. For example:

MEM = 0xC123456

Value: <network card media access control (MAC) address>

Specifies the MAC address for the network adapter being configured during unattended Setup mode. This key is required when installing multiple network cards of the same type (that is, each have the same PnP ID) on a computer and non-default parameters need to be applied to the adapters. For example:

NetCardAddress = 0x123456789AB

Value: <PCI bus number of adapter>

Indicates on which PCI bus the network card resides. This parameter is one of the three parameters that are required to specify the PCI location information. PCIDeviceNumber and PCIFunctionNumber must also be specified.

These PCI location keys are required if:

Value: <PCI device number of adapter>

Indicates the PCI device number for the network card and approximately relates to the particular slot number in which the network card resides on the given PCI bus. This parameter is one of the three parameters that are required to specify the PCI location information. PCIBusNumber and PCIFunctionNumber must also be specified.

These PCI location keys are required if:

Value: <PCI function number of adapter>

Defines which function on the card provides the networking function, for example if there is a combination modem/network card. The function number begins with 0. This parameter is one of the three parameters that are required to specify the PCI location information for the network adapter being configured during unattended Setup mode. PCIBusNumber and PCIDeviceNumber must also be specified.

These PCI location keys are required if:

For example:

PCIBusNumber = 0

PCIDeviceNumber = 11

PCIFunctionNumber = 0

This section specifies the network protocols being installed.

Value: <protocol parameters section>

Specifies the section where parameters of this protocol are defined. The protocol name must be selected from the Protocol ID column of the following table. This table describes each protocol and the components that are automatically installed with it. For example:

MS_TCPIP = params.TCPIP

This section contains parameters for the protocol specified by the <protocol name> key specified in the [NetProtocols] section.

Value: <section name>[,<section name>, …]

Optional

Specifies a list of sections that contain device-specific network protocol parameters. Each of the adapter sections listed here has a SpecificTo value specified. The value of the SpecificTo key is the name of a network adapter defined in the [NetAdapters] section. For example:

AdapterSections = params.TCPIP.Adapter1, params.TCPIP.Adapter2

For more information, see "SpecificTo," later in this document.

Value: <network component name>

Optional

Specifies that the parameters in this section are specific to the network component defined by the <network component name> value. If SpecificTo is not present, the parameters in the section are global to the network protocol being configured during Setup. For example:

SpecificTo = Adapter1

This section contains parameters for configuring the TCP/IP protocol.

Value: Yes | No
Default: No
Global

Optional

This option should only be used if the computer is going to be a Routing and Remote Access service of any type. If this is the case, this value must be set to No.

For more information, see "[<MS_RAS parameters>]," later in this document. For example:

DeadGWDetectDefault = No

Value: <DNS domain name>
Global

Optional

Specifies the primary suffix of the computer. For example:

DNSDomain = bar.com

Value: <suffix>[, <suffix>[, …]]
Global

Optional

Specifies the search order for DNS servers. For example:

DNSSuffixSearchOrder = server1.bar.com, bar.com

Value: Yes | No
Default: Yes
Global

Optional

This option should only be used if the computer is going to be a Routing and Remote Access service of any type in which case this value must be set to Yes. For example:

DontAddDefaultGatewayDefault = Yes

For more information, see "[<MS_RAS parameters>]," later in this document.

Value: Yes | No
Default: No
Global

Optional

This option should only be used if the computer is going to be a Routing and Remote Access service of any type. If this is the case, this value must be set to No. For example:

EnableICMPRedirect = No

For more information, see "[<MS_RAS parameters>]," later in this document.

Value: Yes | No
Default: Yes
Global

Optional

Specifies whether LMHosts lookup should be used on this computer. For example:

EnableLMHosts = Yes

Value: Yes | No
Default: No
Global

Optional

Enables TCP/IP filtering. For example:

EnableSecurity = No

Value: <scope ID>
Global

Optional

Specifies the computer’s scope identifier if it is required on a network that uses NetBIOS over TCP/IP. Do not use a scope ID if DNS is enabled on the network in which the computer participates. For example:

ScopeID = REDMOND

Value: Yes | No
Default: Yes
Global

Optional

Enables domain name devolution when the DNS caching resolver is given an unqualified query to resolve. For example:

UseDomainNameDevolution = No

Value: <gateway address>[, <gateway address>[, …]]
Adapter-specific

Specifies the default gateway address(es). For example:

DefaultGateway = 193.1.1.1

Value: Yes | No
Default: Yes
Adapter-specific

Optional

Specifies whether Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) should be used on the network connection that uses this adapter. For example:

DHCP = Yes

Value: <string>
Adapter-specific

Optional

Specifies the DHCP class ID. For example:

DHCPClassId = foo

Value: <DNS domain name>
Adapter-specific

Optional

Specifies the suffix of the network connection that uses this adapter. For example:

DNSDomain = bar_interface.com

Value: <server address>[, <server address> [, …]]
Adapter-specific

Optional

Specifies a list of addresses to use when searching for the DNS server on the network. For example:

DNSServerSearchOrder = 193.1.1.3,193.1.1.44

Value: <IP address>[, <IP address>[, …]]
Adapter-specific

Specifies the IP address(es) for the network connection that uses this adapter. For example:

IPAddress = 193.1.1.33,193.1.1.34

Value: 0 | 1 | 2
Default: 0
Adapter-specific

Optional

Specifies the NetBIOS option to use on the network connection that uses this adapter.

Value: <subnet address>[, <subnet address>[, …]]
Adapter-specific

Specifies the subnet mask address(es). For example:

SubnetMask = 193.1.1.255

Value: Yes | No
Default: No
Adapter-specific

Optional

Specifies whether WINS should be used on the network connection that uses this adapter. For example:

WINS = Yes

Value: <IP address>[, <IP address>, …]
Adapter-specific

Optional

Specifies the IP addresses of the WINS servers on the network. For example:

WINSServerList = 193.1.1.95,193.1.1.97

This section contains parameters for the IPX protocol. The following keys are network adapter-independent.

Value: Yes | No
Default: No

Optional

Specifies that the computer is being installed as a dedicated router and other network services are not running on it. For example:

DedicatedRouter = No

Value: Yes | No
Default: Yes

Optional

Enables the RIP router. For example:

EnableWANRouter = No

Value: <hexadecimal number>
Default: 0

Optional

For example:

NetworkNumber = 0x1234

Value: 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | FF
Default: FF

Optional

Specifies the packet type/form to use for the IPX protocol. For example:

PktType = FF

Value: <hexadecimal number>
Default: 0

Optional

Specifies the internal network number for configuring the IPX protocol. For example:

VirtualNetworkNumber = 0

This section contains parameters for the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol.

Value: <integer value from 0 to 16384>
Default: 5

Optional

Specifies the number of virtual private networks to be supported by the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol. For example:

NumberLineDevices = 10

This section contains parameters for the Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol.

Value: <integer value from 0 to 30000>
Default: 5

Optional

Specifies the maximum number of virtual private network ports available to the Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol. For example:

WanEndpoints = 3

Since no configuration parameters are required for Data Link Control (DLC), this section should be left empty when specifying that DLC be installed on the computer.

This section contains parameters for configuring AppleTalk.

Value: <adapter name>

Optional

Specifies the network on which the Services for Macintosh (SFM) service names are registered. If the AppleTalk protocol is not routing, only Macintosh workstations connected to this network can access the file and print services on the computer. Normally, the default port is automatically set to the first Ethernet adapter, Token Ring adapter, or LocalTalk adapter found on the computer (in that order). For example:

DefaultPort = PCI\VEN_10B7&DEV_5900\1&5070

Value: <zone name>

Optional

Specifies the default zone for the network if the network adapter is seeding the network. For example:

DefaultZone = Zone2

Value: <zone name>

Optional

Specifies the zone in which the SFM service is present. If this value is not set, the SFM service for the default zone on that network is used. For example:

DesiredZone = Zone1

Value: Yes | No
Default: No

Optional

Starts routing for the AppleTalk protocol on this computer. If routing is started, Macintosh workstations connected to any of the networks that this computer is on are able to use the file and print servers for Macintosh. For example:

EnableRouter = No