INFO: Incorporating ScriptIt with Unattended Installation

• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0

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 

Q155197 Unattended Setup Parameters for Unattend.txt File

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

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

ScriptIt is freely available from Microsoft at:

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

Additional query words: sysdiff runonce unattended scriptit deployment Setup

Keywords : kbOPK kbSBK
Version : winnt:4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbinfo