Software Deployment

It has been a while for me but if you change the value of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\SourcePath to C:\ and Change HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Sourcepath to C:\I386 then it should not ask for the Windows CD. If you installed a service pack off of a CD there will be more fun to be had.

Wouldn't this cause problems though in the future when the user tried to install something from their CD?

I could change it, then change it back with a reg file, but the problem is that everyone seems to have different drive letter mappings.

Thoughts?

Thanks

Kkaminsk is absolutely right.

In our environment, the standard for all servers, desktops, and laptops is to copy the i386 folder to c:\utility, and change the value at HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\SourcePath to c:\utility

This will not only NOT cause any problems in the future, it will mean that Windows will not prompt you for the disc when you add/change/remove Windows components.

There is one thing to be aware of, though, as kkaminsk also hinted at. After you install the latest Service Pack, you will again begin to be prompted for a CD. This is because your source files at c:\utility are now not at the same Service Pack level as the OS, and are – therefore – obsolete. By default when you install a Service Pack, the files are cached at C:\%systemroot%\ServicePackFiles. Sometimes pointing Windows to that folder will be work. Sometimes it will not, though, and Windows will continue to prompt you for the disc.

This is where “slipstreaming” your Service Pack files into your source directory becomes handy or even necessary. Here is how you do it, assuming:

1. you have your original source files at C:\utility\i386
2. you have your extracted Service Pack files at (for example) C:\utility\sp2

Go to the command prompt, and change directories to C:\utility\sp2\i386\update

Now run the command: update /s:c:\utility

When finished, you will have a sp2 level i386 directory. As long as the path in the registry key noted above matches up, you will not be prompted for a disc for any adds/changes/removes of Windows components.

Once this is done, the ServicePackFiles folder at C:\%systemroot% can be deleted. It is no longer needed.

If you know how to make a bootable disc the Microsoft way, this also plays into how you make a OS disc that has your Service Packs already incorporated.

Craig --<>.