Unattended install using nLite

nLite

An unattended install (or silent install) is, as the name suggests a way to install without having to answer any questions during setup.  With nLite, you can also “slipstream” Service Packs, hotfixes, patches, drivers as well as applications.  This tutorial will take you through the basic steps on how to perform a slipstreamed unattended install using nLite.

Requirements
If your XP cd is pre-Service Pack 2, make sure you have Service Pack 2 or 3 downloaded separately.
Download nLite.
[Optional] A driver backup utility will save you from downloading the drivers again later.

How To!
The first step is copying the files you want onto a single folder on the disk.  For the purpose of this example, we decided to call the folder “XP_Clean”.

When you’re sure you have everything you need, it’s time to start nLite.

Select your language and click Next.
Select the location of your XP files and yup, you got it, click Next, followed by Next again at the presets screen.
At the ”Task selection” screen, you can select as much or as little as you wish here, nLite is very useful for adding/removing components misc tweaks etc, but for now we just want Service pack, Hot fixes…, Drivers,Unattended and Bootable ISO, and then click Next.
At the “Service pack” screen, click the Select button and browse to your service pack 2 file it will then start slipstreaming, stick some music on, have a cup of tea or do whatever it is you do, this usually takes a moment.
When it has finished, click Next and it will bring you to the “Hot fix integration” screen.  From here, click on the Insert button and browse to your post sp2 update pack and select it.  Note: you do not need to extract it. You may also select any hot fixes you downloaded.
Click Next which will bring you to the “Driver integration” screen.  One easy way to get all of your system drivers and insure they are correct is to back them up with the linked utility.  For the purpse of this example, we have used “IcemanND driver backup utility”.  Open the driver backup utility and click Scan System then click Select All to select the found drivers then click Backup Now to backup the drivers to specified location.

Back to nLite, click Insert, Multiple driver folder and browse to where you saved the backed up drivers.  The “Select multiple drivers” window will pop up and ask you which of the found drivers to integrate, click All then click OK, followed by Next.  Here comes the fun, unattended!
Under the General tab where it says “Unattended mode” select Fully automated from the dropdown.  Enter a product key and the rest in General is up to you.  From there you must set up users which is pretty self explanatory and you must configure the computer name etc under Owner and Network ID tab.  There’s not really much else that’s required but I like to add my display settings, regional info and automatic update settings, remember time spent now is time save later.  When you are satisfied, click Next.
It will ask you if you wish to start the process, go on, you know you wanna!
nLite will then gen to work, which can be quite a lengthy process and compressing the cabinet files etc.
When it’s finished it will give you a report, this is not important info but it’s just useful to know.


Wait!  One final step, click Next, and you’ll need to create/burn the final image onto CD.  From here you have a few options, you can choose to save the image for later burning or burn the image directly, I tend to do both. Put in your label and click Make ISO and save where ever you want, to burn just select Direct Burn from the “Mode” drop down box.

See also:
MSFN’s Unattended Windows : Unattended Windows Introduction
Slipstreaming Windows Service Packs
Integrate software into your Win install CD - Neowin Forums

As a small side note, creating an unattended install DOES NOT mean you bypass the legalities of using windows or the license and handing it out to a couple of dozen friends will still cause activation issues!

Tags: hotfix, install, installation, service pack, setup, slipstream, unattended