This chapter describes how an administrator can customize the Windows NT Setup program to meet the specific needs of an organization. Administrators can customize Setup, for example, by adding files and applications to Windows NT, or by excluding certain unused features, such as POSIX or OS/2 support, to reduce the amount of disk space needed to install Windows NT.
This chapter also explains how to use Computer Profile Setup (CPS), a utility that makes it easy to install Windows NT on multiple computers with identical configurations within your organization.
This chapter assumes that you are familiar with the Windows NT Setup procedures presented in the Windows NT System Guide, and with the material in the Windows NT Installation Guide.
You can customize Windows NT installation for your organization by using an unattended answer file for unattended setup, modifying TXTSETUP.SIF and selected .INF files, or by using Computer Profile Setup (CPS), or by using some combination of these three.
Using an unattended answer file for unattended setup is the simplest method. You can create an unattended answer file for each hardware configuration used in your organization (for example, where a large number of users have the same model of computer with the same adapter cards and video displays), or an unattended answer file for each division, or even an unattended answer file for each user. The granularity you choose depends on how much input you want to require from your users when they install or upgrade to Windows NT 3.5. For more information about unattended setup, see "Installing Without Bootable Floppy Disks" later in this chapter.
If you want to modify the normal Windows NT installation by adding or excluding files, you'll need to modify TXTSETUP.SIF and selected .INF files. These files control what files are copied, what changes are made to the Registry, and so on. For more information about unattended setup, see "Customizing Setup" later in this chapter.
If there is little or no variation in the hardware configurations used on your network, CPS is a convenient method of installation. CPS can be used to copy either a stock or a customized setup to large numbers of identical systems. This method is often used by hardware manufacturers to pre-load the operating system on the units they sell. If you have created a customized installation on your master system (by modifying the TXTSETUP.SIF and .INF files), then the customized version will be downloaded to all the target systems. For more information about unattended setup, see "Preinstalling Windows NT Using CPS" later in this chapter.