The SYSPREP program consists of several required files, all of which must be copied to the %SystemDrive%\SYSPREP folder of the master computer (usually C:\SYSPREP):
■ Sysprep.exe is the actual SYSPREP executable program, and prepares the master computer for reimaging to a target computer by stripping out customized information such as computer name, network address information, and product registration.
Color profile: Generic CMYK printer profile Composite Default screen
■ Setupcl.exe generates new security identifier (SID) values for the target computer, and must be in the same folder as Sysprep.exe.
■ Factory.exe is a program that is used to support SYSPREP in a special Factory Mode, which is reviewed later in this section (“Running SYSPREP in Factory Mode”).
In addition to these mandatory files, there are several other files optionally involved in the SYSPREP process that can enhance and automate the installation process:
■ Sysprep.inf is an optional text file, similar to an .ini file, that contains
customized information to be applied to the target computer, such as network configuration, domain membership, and product registration and activation. This is a completely optional file, but if it is used, it will partially or fully automate the installation of Windows Server 2003 on the target computer during the Mini-Setup phase of SYSPREP.
■ Winbom.ini is an optional text file (the “bom” in the filename stands for “bill of materials”) used when running SYSPREP in Factory Mode. Unlike the other required and optional SYSPREP files, Winbom.ini does not need to be installed in the %SystemDrive%\SYSPREP folder. See “Running SYSPREP in Factory Mode,” later in this section, for details on using this file.
■ Setupmgr.exe, the Setup Manager, is a powerful optional utility that will automatically copy the required SYSPREP files to the %SystemDrive%\ SYSPREP folder for you, and also provides an easy-to-use GUI for developing a Sysprep.inf file. If you use the Setup Manager to develop a Sysprep.inf file, there’s no need to manually copy the SYSPREP mandatory files to the %SystemDrive%\SYSPREP folder.
All of these files, except the customized Sysprep.inf and Winbom.ini files, are found in the \SUPPORT\TOOLS\DEPLOY.CAB file on the Windows Server 2003 CD.
Creating Sysprep.inf
It’s not necessary to create a Sysprep.inf file in order to use SYSPREP. However, it can greatly reduce, and even eliminate, user interaction during installation. When the target computer is rebooted for the first time after the master computer image is installed, a special reduced-inputMini-Setupstage is launched, which requires the person installing the target computer to answer questions about the customization of the computer, such as network settings, regional settings, and domain or workgroup membership. However, if a Sysprep.inf file is present in the %SystemDrive%\SYSPREP folder, the Mini-Setup will use the values in this file.
Sysprep.inf is a text file that is very similar in syntax and layout to the UNATTEND .TXT file used in the unattended setup method. The file is broken into sections, and each section provides a set of parameters and values that are used when installing the master image on a target computer. There are a huge number of individual entries available, and many are the same as the entries in UNATTEND.TXT. However, for
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Section Entry Allowed Values Description
[Display] Xresolution Any integer
>= 640
Horizontal resolution in which Windows Server 2003 starts.
Yresolution Any integer
>= 480
Vertical resolution in which Windows Server 2003 starts.
[GuiRunOnce] n/a Any command,
enclosed in quotes
For each line in the
[GuiRunOnce] section, SYSPREP executes the command in the context of the logged-on user.
[GuiUnattended] AdminPassword Any valid
Windows Server 2003 password, enclosed in quotes
This value becomes the local administrator password.
AutoLogon Yes or No Tells SYSPREP to automatically
log on to the computer after the first reboot, using the value of AdminPassword.
AutoLogon Any integer Tells SYSPREP how many times
to log on to the computer using the specified AdminPassword.
OEMSkipRegional 0 or 1 When set to a value of 1,
instructs SYSPREP to skip the regional and language options page in the Mini-Setup stage. Regional information can be included in the [RegionalSettings] section of the Sysprep.inf file.
OEMSkipWelcome 0 or 1 When set to a value of 1, instructs
SYSPREP to skip the Welcome screen at the beginning of the Mini-Setup stage.
[Networking] n/a None Specifies network identification
information. [Identification] JoinWorkgroup Any valid
workgroup name
Identifies the workgroup name to which the target computer will belong.
JoinDomain Any valid domain name
Identifies the domain the target computer will be joining. If you specify this value, you can also specify the DomainAdmin and DomainAdminPassword entries.
Table 2-6. Commonly Used Sysprep.inf Data Items Color profile: Generic CMYK printer profile
For a complete overview of all the sections and entries available for Sysprep.inf, see the Windows Pre-Installation Reference help file, located in \SUPPORT\TOOLS\ DEPLOY.CAB on the Windows Server 2003 CD.
Setup Manager allows you to generate a preconfigured Sysprep.inf file that is customized based on your responses to questions presented in the Setup Manager GUI.