Unattended and Computer Profile Setup Fails to Install OEM NIC

ID: Q141519

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Resource Kit versions 3.5 and 3.51

SYMPTOMS

Unattended and Computer Profile Setup (CPS) fails to install original equipment manufacturer (OEM) network interface cards (NICs).

If you follow the instructions in Cpsread.txt of the Windows NT 3.5 Resource Kit and Cps.hlp of the Windows NT 3.51 Resource Kit explaining how to profile systems with OEM netcards, the following noncritical error message appears:

An error has occurred.
External library procedure Copysinglefile reported the following error:
Unable to do the specified copy operation.

If you click the Ignore button, you will receive the following setup message:
A network card of this type is already installed in the system. Do you want to continue?

If you click the OK button you will receive the following network warning message:
The dependency service or group failed to start.
This error prevented the network from starting.

At this point your only option is to click the OK button, after which you will receive the following network malfunction message:
The network software failed to start successfully. Choose YES to return to the Network dialog to reconfigure the software.

If you choose NO to continue with the installation you will unable to join a domain at the present time.

Choosing Yes will cycle you back to the dependency error.

Choosing No will continue with the rest of Setup, and although network software will be installed, the network services will not start because of a failure in the binding process, due to the previous errors.


CAUSE

There are three issues here:

  1. Setup cannot locate the Oemsetup.inf file for the adapter. Ntlanman.inf incorrectly references the global variable OEMNetDrive.


  2. Setup is unable to copy over read-only files.


  3. Many Oemsetup.inf files are not designed to work with Unattended or Computer Profile Setup. Consequently, you may have no other alternative, but to respond to configuration dialog boxes, which defeats the purpose of CPS and Unattended Setup.



WORKAROUND

Computer Profile Setup

  1. Before you run Uplodprf.exe, modify Cps.ini as described in the following note, which is included in both the Cpsread.txt in the Windows NT 3.5 Resource Kit and the Cps.hlp in the Windows NT 3.51 Resource Kit:



    2. If you are profiling a systems with a Netcard installed that does not appear under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft key in the registry, you will need to modify the Cps.ini file before running UpLodPrf. Find the [Registry] section, then the "FindInstalledServicesAt" key in that section. Add the name of the registry key that contains the OEM network adapter after the "SOFTWARE\Microsoft" entry and separate the entries with a comma.

    For example:

    [Registry] FindInstalledServicesAt = SOFTWARE\Microsoft,SOFTWARE\<OEM>

    This allows the OEM specific entries to be added to the Profile Setup Defaults.inf file as well as the unattended answer file referenced by the "/p" switch (if used).

    NOTE: The reference to <OEM> depends on your network card. This value can be found by running Regedt32.exe and verifying the network card manufacturer name in
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE


  2. Run Uplodprf.exe


  3. After running Uplodprf.exe, on the Distribution System back up %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\Ntlanman.inf to Ntlanman.bak.




    4. WARNING: Modification of Setup files can cause serious, system-wide problems before and after Setup and may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the modification of Setup files can be solved. Make Setup file modifications at your own risk.

  4. On the Distribution System modify %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\Ntlanman.inf (partial resolution to issue 1):

    
   ; Original Line below with exclamation point
   ;            set AdapterSrcDir = $(OEMNetDrive)
   ; Corrected syntax with exclamation point

                set AdapterSrcDir = $(!OEMNetDrive)


  5. On the Distribution system, modify %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\Defaults.inf (final resolution to issue 1):
    [NetworkAdapterData]
    !AutoNetOption = "<OEMNIC>"
    !OEMNetOption = YES
    !OEMNetDrive = C:\OEM\
    !OEMNetInfFile = C:\OEM\oemsetup.inf

    NOTE: The reference to drive C depends on which partition you are installing Windows NT to on the Target System. The reference to <OEMNIC> depends on your network card. Although you should not have to modify this value, it can be found in the [Options] section of the Oemsetup.inf file.


  6. On Distribution System, disable the Read-Only attribute on %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\Oemnad0.inf (resolution to issue 2).


  7. On the Target system, create a directory called OEM on the partition where Windows NT will be installed.


  8. Copy the OEM files to the OEM directory created in the previous step. These OEM files may be located on the Windows NT compact disc in the \DRVLIB\NETCARD directory or may be available from the network card manufacturer.


  9. Modify \OEM\Oemsetup.inf to avoid dialog boxes (resolution to issue 3). For more information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    ARTICLE-ID: Q143134
    TITLE : OEMSETUP.INF Modifications for Automated Windows NT Setup

    ARTICLE-ID: Q139897
    TITLE : Automating Intel EtherExpress Pro Setup



    10. You can also refer to the Programmer's Guide included in the Windows NT DDK, or contact Microsoft Consulting Services or a Microsoft Solution Provider. Microsoft Product Support Services, Corporate Network Systems, does not support the modification of Oemsetup.inf files. It is recommended that you perform a test run of Winntp.exe to verify whether your Oemsetup.inf file supports Unattended or Computer Profile Setup.

  10. Run Winntp.exe


Unattended Setup

  1. Copy the \i386 directory from the Windows NT compact disc to your hard drive.


  2. Expand i386\Ntlanman.in_ to Ntlanman.inf. The Expand.exe file is located in the %SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32 directory.


  3. Rename i386\Ntlanman.in_ to Ntlanman.bk_


    4. WARNING: Modification of Setup files can cause serious, system-wide problems before and after Setup and may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the modification of Setup files can be solved. Make Setup file modifications at your own risk.

  4. Modify i386\Ntlanman.inf as follows:

    
     ; Original Line below with exclamation point
     ;            set AdapterSrcDir = $(OEMNetDrive)
     ; Corrected syntax with exclamation point
                  set AdapterSrcDir = $(!OEMNetDrive)
    NOTE: It is not necessary to rename Ntlanman.inf to Ntlanman.in_. Windows NT Setup does not require the file to be compressed or named with an .in_ extension.


  5. Modify the [NetworkAdapterData] section in your "Answer File" as follows:

    [NetworkAdapterData]
    !AutoNetOption = "<OEMNIC>"
    !OEMNetOption = YES
    !OEMNetDrive = C:\OEM\
    !OEMNetInfFile = C:\OEM\oemsetup.inf

    NOTE: The reference to drive C depends on the partition to which you are installing Windows NT on the Target System. The reference to <OEMNIC> depends on your network card. The correct value can be found in the [Options] section of the Oemsetup.inf file.


  6. Create a directory called OEM on the partition to which Windows NT will be installed.


  7. Copy the OEM files to the OEM directory created in the previous step. These OEM files may be located on the Windows NT compact disc in the \DRVLIB\NETCARD directory or may be available from the network card manufacturer.


  8. Modify \OEM\Oemsetup.inf to avoid dialog boxes.
    For more information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    ARTICLE-ID: Q143134
    TITLE : OEMSETUP.INF Modifications for Automated Windows NT Setup

    ARTICLE-ID: Q139897
    TITLE : Automating Intel EtherExpress Pro Setup

    You can also refer to the Programmer's Guide included in the Windows NT DDK or contact Microsoft Consulting Services or a Microsoft Solution Provider. Microsoft Product Support Services, Corporate Network Systems, does not support the modification of Oemsetup.inf files. It is recommended to perform a test run of Winntp.exe to verify whether your Oemsetup.inf file supports Unattended or Computer Profile Setup.


  9. Run Unattended Setup



STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.51. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Additional query words: automate

Keywords : kbsetup ntsetup ntreskit NTSrvWkst
Version : 3.5 3.51
Platform : winnt
Issue type :


Last Reviewed: February 2, 1999
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