Running Custom Setup Scripts

After creating your custom script, you can run Setup with minimal user interaction.

To run Windows 98 Setup using a setup script with minimal user action

1. Change to the directory where the Windows 98 Setup files are located.
2. At the command line, run Windows 98 Setup by specifying the batch file that contains the setup script, using this syntax:

   setup msbatch.inf
   

   Note

   You must specify a complete path and name for the INF file; otherwise, Setup returns an error.

If Msbatch.inf exists in the Windows directory on the server containing the Windows 98 source files, Setup uses it by default. Otherwise, for example, you would type setup e:\Mybatch.inf to run Setup using a setup script named Mybatch.inf on drive E.

To use a script in the Scripts directory on a server named NTSVR1, you would type setup \\ntsvr1\scripts\Mybatch.inf (provided, of course, that your operating system software can interpret UNC path names).

– Or –

Include the entire statement for running Windows 98 Setup in the logon script, so that the user does not have to type anything at the command prompt.

You can run Windows 98 Setup using a script that is located on a local computer or on a network server, as explained in the following sections.

Windows 98 Files Located on a Local Computer

You can automate Setup when both the Windows 98 files and the script are located locally on the same computer.

To automate Windows 98 Setup when files are located on a local computer

• At the command prompt, run Windows 98 Setup by specifying the batch file that contains the setup script, using the following syntax:

  D:\Windows_directory\Setup.exe a:\script.inf

  Where Windows_directory is the directory that contains the Windows 98 files and script.inf is the name of your setup script.

Windows 98 Files Located on a Network Server

You can also automate Setup when both the Windows 98 files and the script are located on a server that can be accessed by the local computer.

To automate Windows 98 Setup when files are located on a server

1. Start the computer running the existing network client software.
2. Connect to the server or drive that contains the Windows 98 source files.

   The network administrator can include this step in the logon script to avoid user action.

3. At the command prompt, run Windows 98 Setup by specifying the batch file that contains the setup script, using the following syntax:

   \\server_name\Windows_directory\Setup.exe script.inf

   Where server_name is the name of the sever, Windows_directory is the directory that contains the Windows 98 files, and script.inf is the name of your setup script.

Note

If Windows 98 is installed from a server, the location of that network directory is stored in the registry. When you add a device or require additional support files to run Windows 98, Setup automatically attempts to retrieve the files from the same location on the server. This eliminates the need to maintain a permanent network connection on the computer and makes it easier to modify the configuration of a computer in a networked environment.

When you run Windows 98 Setup in this way, Setup takes all settings from the custom script. For information not defined in the setup script, Windows 98 Setup migrates settings from an earlier version of Windows on the computer, uses built-in defaults, or prompts the user to provide information.

After copying files, Windows 98 Setup restarts the computer and begins the Run Once setup operations (printer setup, program group conversions, and so on). When these operations are finished, Windows 98 is completely installed.

When the user quits Windows 98 Setup at this point, Setup writes all changes to the registry. The user can restart the computer and log on with the usual logon name and password.

The network administrator can automate this process by providing each user with a floppy disk that contains the necessary files for starting the computer, connecting to the network, and running Windows 98 Setup with a custom setup script.

Note

Setting up Windows 98 from a network server requires the user to logon to the network to access the Windows 98 Setup files to complete the installation. This means that the completion of Setup cannot be fully automated; however, the majority of Setup can still be automated.