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Q191605: INFO: Incorporating ScriptIt with Unattended Installation

Article: Q191605
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbOPK kbSBK
Last Modified: 05-OCT-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

The unattended installation process includes several techniques for added
customization, such as sysdiff and runonce. However, there are limitations with
these options; for example, installing and configuring a sound card or
installing a service.

ScriptIt is a freely available, unsupported utility from Microsoft, and is
approximately 489 KB in size. ScriptIt extends functionally to the Unattend
process. ScriptIt is a tool for automating interactive software installations
and system configuration tasks. ScriptIt can be used to start a process, monitor
the window titles of active processes, and, when appropriate, send a set of
keystrokes to the correct window. The keystrokes can be predetermined or they
can be determined at run time. ScriptIt can be configured to differentiate (and
respond appropriately) between multiple windows that have the same title bar but
different instructional text.

Note that ScriptIt is not a traditional scripting language and does not offer
many of the traditional programming language constructs. The ScriptIt command
must be started by a user with sufficient security privileges to perform the
designated installation or configuration task.

IMPORTANT: Microsoft does not provide technical support for scripts prepared with
the ScriptIt tool, but provides this article as information only. Consequently,
it is important that you test your scripts thoroughly before using them in a
production environment. Use this utility and information at your own risk.

ScriptIt is a executable that runs in conjunction with a script file. For
example, the following ScriptIt .ini file launches the Have Disk window under
Display Properties (further keystrokes can be added to install a specific
driver, set the resolution, and test the resolution).

     [SCRIPT]
     run="control.exe desk.cpl"
     Display Properties=+{TAB}
     Display Properties={RIGHT 4}
     Display Properties=!T
     Display Type=c
     Change Display=h

For additional information about parameters for the Unattend.txt file, please see
the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q155197 Unattended Setup Parameters for Unattend.txt File

For additional information about runonce and other techniques to install
applications using unattend installs, please see the following article in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q158447 How to Run a Program Only Once After Unattended Setup of WinNT

Runonce can be modified to call ScriptIt and ScriptIt .ini files by performing
the following steps:

1. Create a $OEM$ directory in the i386 share.

2. Within this directory create a Scriptit directory that resides in a C
  directory (that is, $OEM$\C\Scriptit).

3. Copy Scriptit.exe and any ScriptIt scripts to the $OEM$\C\Scriptit directory.
  The contents of the $OEM$\C directory will be copied to the C directory of
  the target workstation.

4. Create a Batch.cmd file that contains the location of the ScriptIt executable
  and the .ini file or files:

        c:\scriptit\scriptit.exe c:\scriptit\script.ini
        %SystemRoot%\System32\rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection
        DefaultInstall 132 %SystemRoot%\System32\cleanup.inf

  NOTE: The last two lines in the above command should be all on one line; the
  line is wrapped for readability (ensure that word wrap in Notepad has been
  disabled).

MORE INFORMATION
================

You can download the ScriptIt.exe utility from the following Microsoft Web
site:

  http://www.microsoft.com/technet/winnt/
  (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/winnt/)

For additional information regarding Scriptit, visit the following Microsoft Web
site:

  http://www.microsoft.com/NTServer/nts/deployment/custguide/scriptit3.asp
  (http://www.microsoft.com/NTServer/nts/deployment/custguide/scriptit3.asp)

Additional query words: sysdiff runonce unattended scriptit deployment Setup

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Keywords          : kbOPK kbSBK 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400
Version           : :4.0
Hardware          : ALPHA x86
Issue type        : kbinfo

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