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Using ISO image with Linux PXE BOOTP Possible?

Started by WindozeXp, June 15, 2013, 06:42 AM

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scarface

#20
It seems sysprep for xp was indeed complicated:

"Audit boot and factory" probably stands for "audit mode and oobe" in 7. As for the flags, I don't know their meaning. But you will likely not follow this way.

harkaz

Sysprep 1.0 and 2.0 for Windows XP have serious flaws compared to the sysprep v 3.14 found in Windows Vista and later.

-To use sysprep in XP, you have to log in as system Administrator immediately after installing Windows. (Trick: to do this in oobe after XP Setup completes, enter "System" as a user name at the "Who will use this computer?" screen.) After that, create a folder named "Sysprep" in C: drive. (C: must be the drive where you have installed windows xp).
-Copy sysprep executable files in C:\Sysprep folder. Run sysprep.exe and click the "Audit" button. Optionally, create a winbom.ini file with configuration details about entering the audit mode.
-System will restart in audit mode. Audit mode in XP is similar to the Windows 7 audit mode. In audit mode you can install software and updates for your image. Avoid installing antivirus software.
-Perform all necessary system reboots. Your system will continue in audit mode until you decide to reseal your system. The "Factory" button is used when you have changed the winbom.ini file and you want to apply those changes.
-Create an appropriate sysprep.inf file, include mass storage (SCSI/RAID) driver files for the first boot, unattended settings, HAL-related tricks,  specify OS installation files (use Windows XP CD files or merge them with the updated DLLCache files) and more. sysprep - bmsd command from the command line to prepare sysprep.inf with all native Windows XP SCSI/RAID Drivers
-Prepare your system for the end-user= Use mini-setup, Scan for PnP, generate SIDs (do not check the NoSIDGen box) and refresh the original 30-day grace period (do not check Preactivated) + finally click reseal.
-Capture image.

You should use the sysprep executable found in the CD-ROM for the Windows XP Service Pack you are using. For example, if you want to sysprep windows xp SP3 you have to use sysprep from the official Windows xp sp3 disk (not a manually slipstreamed one). (The image you posted is from sysprep 1.0).

Second, sysprep is actually a frontend for Mini-Setup or Windows Welcome. Windows Welcome is another name for the out-of-the-box experience while Mini-setup is a compact mode of Windows Setup. Windows Welcome is ludicrous and cannot be used to deploy Windows XP on different Hardware. Mini-Setup is the best option. Mini-setup generates a new security identfier (SID) for your system, uninstalls all previously installed devices, detects the new computer hardware and optionally updates the HAL, configures basic system settings (computer name, product key, date and time, locale, networking, etc.) and prepares the user environment for first time use. Problem: it is available only under Windows XP Professional. Moreover, you have to use the same HAL with the reference computer (the system you have created the image from).

I will be back later with more info about XP's sysprep.

harkaz

Probably I will also make the switch to ubuntu rather soon. Windows 8.1 has no significant improvements over Windows 8. Linux is a very powerful and free platform. By the way, do you know backtrack?

scarface

#23
I dont but it seems complete. For windows 8 lets see, I have a windows 8 phone and it is rather convenient.
For linux the plus is an antivirus is not needed and the firewall is very good (can manage both incoming and outgoing connection contrary to windows, technically I think you can connect in passive mode with linux like behind a router, thats not the case with windows which dont block incoming connection, so its not secure at all...even if in pratic the passive mode is not recommended), anyway the command "sudo apt-get install gufw" is needed to install the firewall gui.
Also the mingw compiler is interesting, its used to compile...some windows apps: I wanted to recompile handbrake, which is compiled under ubuntu lts with mingw for my own needs. It will be probably done next year, I'm going to be busy this year.
Beware with your wep software, airplay, airdump are not really legal, now most keys are wpa by the way.

harkaz

I have used backtrack to retrieve WEP passwords. Backtrack is much more powerful than that, It can be used to penetrate in Windows systems, for example, but I don't know at all how to do that. It's not so familiar an interface.