If you install the drivers from a substituted drive, then the install location gets set to that drive letter in the registry. Then in the future, if windows needs to install drivers or other components, it will look for that X: drive (which may be mapped to a server by now).
This might work if, after the installation is done, there is a script to clean up the registry entries and fix the paths. BTW: I didn't think that the SUBST command was still around. I thought that they cancelled it around Windows 95. Scott Parrill <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Unattended Info Sent by: <unattended-info@lists.sourceforge.net> [EMAIL PROTECTED] cc: urceforge.net Subject: [Unattended] Substuting Windows installation directory 10/20/2005 04:45 PM Has anyone looked at what would be necessary to change in Unattended to have Windows install from a drive letter created with the SUBST command? My idea here is the current configuration of Unattended places the operating system installation files in separate directories in the Z:\OS directory. So if we put Windows XP Service Pack 2 in a directory called Z: \OS\WinXPsp2 we end up with drivers to be installed during the initial setup in the Z:\OS\WinXPsp2\i386\$OEM$\$1\drivers directory which is 34 characters long. If the drivers extract into a directory structure that is very deep, we quickly run into problems where we reach the 64 character file name limit. (Ok, we can eliminate 6 characters by calling the directory d instead of drivers but it is a much less descriptive name.) However, I think we could eliminate some of the overall length of the file name, with its full path, by using the SUBST command to redirect the Z: \OS\WinXPsp2 or the Z:\OS\WinXPsp2\i386 directory (I can't recall at the moment if the second option will work) to another drive letter, such as X: and then install from that location. As a result we would eliminate either 12 or 16 characters from the path name and hopefully have less conflict when we install new drivers into the $OEM$ directories. I do know that the $$Rename.txt could potentially be used to help overcome this problem as well but my experience in getting the $$Rename.txt file to do what I expect has been less than successful. I would appreciate people's comments on this. Scott -- Scott Parrill | When the legends die, the dreams end. Area Technology & Communications | When the dreams end, there is no Manager more greatness. Wyoming GISciences Center | University of Wyoming | Laramie, WY 82071 | When the Legends Die PH: (307)766-2524 FAX: | Hal (307)766-2744 Bowland [EMAIL PROTECTED] | ------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by: Power Architecture Resource Center: Free content, downloads, discussions, and more. http://solutions.newsforge.com/ibmarch.tmpl _______________________________________________ unattended-info mailing list unattended-info@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/unattended-info NOTICE: The information contained in this email message, and any attachments accompanying this transmission, may be legally privileged and/or confidential and protected health information. This information is intended only for the use of the individual(s) and/or entity identified above. The authorized recipient of this information is prohibited from disclosing this information to any other party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to protect the information after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible to deliver it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, printing, copying, forwarding, or distributing of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately, by telephone or return email, to advise of wrongful receipt and confirm your understanding of this Notice. Thank You. ------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by: Power Architecture Resource Center: Free content, downloads, discussions, and more. http://solutions.newsforge.com/ibmarch.tmpl _______________________________________________ unattended-info mailing list unattended-info@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/unattended-info