Help Installing Windows XP

[PeterGriffin]

I want to install WinXP Pro on a machine but not fully set it up. So that when it is booted for the first time it will ask what you want to name the computer and ask you to enter to names of the user that will be using the computer. I want it to be similar to what a computer looks like when you buy one from a major computer manufacture such as Dell.

[John Prophet]

easy..you set it up...do all the updates, drivers etc etc....then you run 'sysprep" on it....which is on the xp cd (in the tools, deploy folder?)

see this thread http://www.techimo.com/forum/t115140.html

when sysprep finishes running it shuts down..then upon the next boot it goes into the OOBE (out of box experience) just like a Dell etc

If you are building it for a customer I suppose you would just check the option to leave the product key as it is so they dont have to go thru the hassle of entering it....if you are going to use the build for a reference build to build several comps (identical hardware etc) then you would choose the option to strip the product key...and after it runs and shuts down you would then run ghost on it using the ghost boot floppy and you would copy the image to cd or to a network.....that way when you build your other machines you dont have to install windows again etc..u simply ghost the hard drive and then boot up and enter the product key etc

the only issue I have found is that when you run it, it leaves the current named account still on the comp and it asks for the new name when u boot..so you end up with 2 accounts....so i think youd have to delete the user account before you run it or something like that...not sure, havent done it for a while

JP

[PeterGriffin]

PERFECT....Thanks!