How to specify target drive in answer file?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Donald Newcomb
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Donald Newcomb

I'm trying to do an In-place Upgrade on a Win2k system where the system/boot
partition is not "C:" but rather "G:". Every time I try to follow the Setup
procedure it wants to rename the drive "C:". I believe that the solution is
to provide a WINNT.SIF file the specifies both the TargetPath and what to
call the drive where the system is installed. Unfortunately in the various
references at my disposal, I can't find the parameter for the .SIF file that
tells it to call the drive "G:" Using either TargetPath=G:\Winnt or
TargetPath="G:\Winnt" produces and error that setup can't create the folder
"\G:" Either the answer file method can't do what I need, or I don't know
the right syntax. I have not found the answer in the Win2k Resource Kit book
or any of KB223188, KB235478, KB292175 or KB242066.

I'm not sure why setup was happy to originally install the OS on G: but now
won't permit an In-place Upgrade to the same disk, in the same location. I'd
like to try to salvage this install, if possible, but I'm near to chucking
the whole mess and reinstalling everything from scratch.

Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net
 
Donald Newcomb said:
I'm trying to do an In-place Upgrade on a Win2k system where the system/boot
partition is not "C:" but rather "G:". Every time I try to follow the Setup
procedure it wants to rename the drive "C:". I believe that the solution is
to provide a WINNT.SIF file the specifies both the TargetPath and what to
call the drive where the system is installed. Unfortunately in the various
references at my disposal, I can't find the parameter for the .SIF file that
tells it to call the drive "G:" Using either TargetPath=G:\Winnt or
TargetPath="G:\Winnt" produces and error that setup can't create the folder
"\G:" Either the answer file method can't do what I need, or I don't know
the right syntax. I have not found the answer in the Win2k Resource Kit book
or any of KB223188, KB235478, KB292175 or KB242066.

I'm not sure why setup was happy to originally install the OS on G: but now
won't permit an In-place Upgrade to the same disk, in the same location. I'd
like to try to salvage this install, if possible, but I'm near to chucking
the whole mess and reinstalling everything from scratch.

Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net
Click to expand...

Why don't you boot with CD and why don't you repair instead? And what
exactly are you upgrading from and to?
Winnt.sif is not used for upgrades, its for unattended clean installations.

You can run winnt32.exe from I386 directory with the appropriate switches to
designate the G: drive. I'ld suggest "winnt32 / checkupgradeonly" as a first
step. You'll need to assert that the G: drive is accessible in order to
upgrade/repair of course (if NTFS).
 
SaltPeter said:
solution

Why don't you boot with CD and why don't you repair instead? And what
exactly are you upgrading from and to?
Winnt.sif is not used for upgrades, its for unattended clean
Click to expand...
installations.

Booting from the CD and doing a repair is exactly what an "In-place Upgrade"
is. (Ask Microsoft, I didn't pick the name.) See KB292175 & KB235478. The
"In-place Upgrade" is suggested as a repair method to fix a mangled OS.
You can run winnt32.exe from I386 directory with the appropriate switches to
designate the G: drive. I'ld suggest "winnt32 / checkupgradeonly" as a first
step. You'll need to assert that the G: drive is accessible in order to
upgrade/repair of course (if NTFS).
Click to expand...

Thanks! I'll look into that.

Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net
 
Donald Newcomb said:
Booting from the CD and doing a repair is exactly what an "In-place Upgrade"
is. (Ask Microsoft, I didn't pick the name.) See KB292175 & KB235478. The
"In-place Upgrade" is suggested as a repair method to fix a mangled OS.
Click to expand...

I won't argue with that, an upgrade as akin to a repair. But an unattended
installation certainly is not. Only winnt32.exe executed from the I386
directory can eventually complete an upgrade, and thats assuming that an
upgrade path was followed. In other words, you can't upgrade from WinME to
W2K, for example.
 
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