Post-Installation and Installation Options
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[edit section] Post-Installation and Installation Options
After Windows XP has been installed, there is still much work to be done! Of course, we will cover most of the work in later guides, but in this guide we will be addressing some of the immediate tasks following the installation of XP. Specifically, we will be covering activation, updates, service packs, and drivers. Finally, we will take a brief look at error logs and troubleshooting.
[edit section] Activation and Unattended Installation
Windows XP is the first consumer version of Windows that requires the user to actually activate the software through Microsoft. Activation prevents the unlicensed use of Windows XP and is meant to discourage software piracy. In practice, you will find activation to be a bit of a nuisance as activation is required within thirty days of installation on every new Windows XP PC (with a few exceptions, of course, but this area is not tested). Since the idea of unattended installation is to actually reduce the amount of time spent attending to an installation, it would be useful for the administrator to be able to activate XP through the answer file. This is quite simple, following these steps:
1. Find and open the answer file (usually unattend.txt)
2. Add or edit the line ProductID = [the serial number]
3. Add or edit the line AutoActivate = yes
Following these steps, you should be able to now fully automate the installation of Windows, including activation. Note that if you do not use unattended activation, the steps for activation are still quite simple:
1. Go to Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Product Activation
2. Choose between activation by phone or by Internet (Internet is preferable)
3. If you must activate by phone, call the number listed and receive a verification code
4. Otherwise, your product is activated. Enjoy!
Note that there may be problems in the activation process. If you encounter a problem involving your serial number (Product ID), you should verify that you have installed a legitimate and licensed copy of Windows XP and that the copy has not been installed more than three times before.
[edit section] Dynamic Updates
Because Microsoft releases the occasional (or weekly) update for Windows, it can become dizzying trying to keep up with the updates. We will discuss later some ways to stay current with updates. However, one of the easiest ways to start off “on the right foot” is to use the dynamic update functionality in the unattended installation. Here is how you might set up a dynamic update:
1. When running winnt32.exe, use the switch /duprepare:path to specify a path to copy necessary installation updates to.
2. When running winnt32.exe to start the installation, use the switch /dushare:path to specify the network path to the files that you had copied using duprepare. Note that this path must be to another computer on the network.
The switch /dudisable will totally inhibit any dynamic update functionality within Windows XP installations. Note that dynamic updates are prone to errors and you will occasionally note such an error. Most of the time, these errors are related to how setup retrieves the files from the network, so in all cases, make sure that the path to the update files is available.
[edit section] Service Packs
Given that Microsoft releases so many updates, it only makes sense to occasionally clump these together into a single large update called a “service pack.” Some installations are configured to automatically install a new service pack (most recently, SP2) onto a new installation of Windows, allowing the user to skip the step of implementing the service pack. To reverse this or to uninstall an existing service pack use the spuninst.exe utility with the switch –u.
[edit section] Drivers
Some drivers should be loaded during the first stage installation process of Windows XP. These include the drivers necessary to enter the second stage of installation such as SCSI drivers. However, most drivers can be installed during or after the second stage installation of Windows. We will be covering drivers in a later guide, but just be aware that SCSI drivers should be loaded during the first stage of installation and that drive errors involving SCSI drives are usually the result of failed SCSI driver selection in that first stage of Windows installation.
[edit section] Troubleshooting a Failed Install
For the exam, you should know these five key logs of setup activity. Memorize the names and the functions of each of these log files as at least one is bound to show up on your exam.
- SETUPACT.LOG – Records all acts or actions taken by setup
- SETUPERR.LOG – Records all errors that occur during steup
- %WINDIR%\COMSETUP.LOG – Records COM+ components and errors
- %WINDIR%\SETUPAPI.LOG – Records setup information (INF) file errors
- %WINDIR%\debug\NETSETUP.LOG – Domain and Workgroup Setup
Also, for the exam, note that media errors always involve a CD or other removable media error, whereas dependency errors involve network resources that are unavailable to setup.
[edit section] Moving Forward
In our next guide, we will take a look at Windows XP file system structure and the various options available for the configuration of a Windows XP file system. We will also learn about the differences between the NTFS, FAT, and FAT32 file systems.
[edit section] Quick Review
1. You install Windows XP onto a single computer using an attended installation. The media that you use to install it is configured to also install Service Pack 2. However, you do not desire to have SP2 on the new computer as it is known to cause conflicts with existing software on your network. How would you best resolve the problem?
a. Run through an additional installation of Windows XP using the unattended answer file unattend.txt created using the Setup Manager
b. Use a partition management and disk management software to split the existing partition into two smaller partitions; format and install the larger of the two and install Windows XP on the new partition
c. Delete all relevant Service Pack 2 registry entries and files from the Windows system folder and replace them with values you found from the I386 folder on the media
d. Upgrade the remainder of the network computers to SP2 and retain SP2 compatibility with the new software. Contact the vendor over the SP2 issue
e. Back up relevant information; locate and execute spunist.exe –u
2. Which of the following is not necessary in order to run a fully automated installation of Windows with automatic activation?
a. Unattend.txt
b. Product ID
c. Internet connection
d. Activation verification number
e. Winnt32.exe
3. During an attended installation of Windows XP, you notice that setup continues to stop functioning and displays an error message related to “media.” Which of the following is most likely to be the culprit?
a. A faulty disk drive
b. Scratched or damage CD or DVD
c. Network connection unavailable
d. Incorrectly configured unattend.txt file
e. Too little disk space to fit installation files
[edit section] Answers
1. The most viable choice is to simply run the service pack uninstall tool spuninst.exe as this option will remove the service pack from the installed Windows without affecting other systems or requiring a lot of time. The option D requires too much additional work and too many complications, and the choices A, B, and C will not resolve the problem. The answer is E.
2. An activation verification number is only necessary in a telephone activation of Windows XP and is not necessary to install Windows XP in a fully automated setting is. However, the answer file unattend.txt, the product ID, the utility winnt32.exe, and an Internet connection are all necessary for activation. The answer is D.
3. Media refers to the removable installation disk used to install XP. Since CD’s and DVD’s are commonly used to install XP and thus a media problem is likely to include or involve a CD problem. The answer is B.
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