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Creating an Automated Installation of Windows 95

Articles and Tips:

Daniel G. Newell

01 Mar 1998


If you are like most network administrators, you have installed Windows 95 and intraNetWare Client for Windows 95 several times. Perhaps Windows 95 became unstable, and you could not fix it. Perhaps you upgraded a hard drive, or a user inadvertently deleted essential Windows 95 files.

Whatever the reason, installing Windows 95 can be time consuming. Even when you select a typical Windows 95 installation, you must remain at the workstation throughout the installation process. For example, the Windows 95 Setup program prompts you to accept the licensing agreement, prompts you to click the Next button before moving from one step to another, requires you to enter a username and a company name, prompts you to install additional components, and requests confirmation to reboot the workstation. And after you complete the installation process, you must install intraNetWare Client for Windows 95.

Recently, a reader asked us if you could automate the installation process and reduce the time it takes to install Windows 95 and intraNetWare Client for Windows 95. The answer is yes--if you have the Windows 95 Upgrade CD-ROM.

This article explains how to use the tools included on the Windows 95 Upgrade CD-ROM to automate the installation of Windows 95 and intraNetWare Client for Windows 95.

COPY WINDOWS 95 SOURCE FILES TO THE SERVER

Before you can configure an automated installation, you must create a network setup directory on a server. Because the Windows 95 source files and intraNetWare Client for Windows 95 require 130 MB of hard drive space, you must ensure that at least this much space is available on the server.

To create a network setup directory and to copy the Windows 95 source files to this directory, you run the NETSETUP utility from the Windows 95 Upgrade CD-ROM. (The Windows 95 source files are located in the WIN95 directory.) You can use the Windows 95 Upgrade CD-ROM even if Windows 3.1x is not already installed on the workstation.

Although this section explains how to copy the Windows 95 source files from the Windows 95 Upgrade CD-ROM, you can also copy these source files from the Windows 95 version A CD-ROM, which includes the updates from Windows 95 Service Pack 1. However, you cannot use the Windows 95 source files from the Windows 95 version B (OSR2) CD-ROM because the OSR2 version of the NETSETUP.EXE file does not work with an MSBATCH.INF installation. If you must use the OSR2 updates, you can install these updates after you install version A or earlier of the Windows 95 source files.

To copy the Windows 95 source files onto the server, you complete the following steps on a Windows 95 workstation:

  1. Run the NETSETUP utility from the ADMIN\NETTOOLS\NETSETUP directory on the Windows 95 Upgrade CD-ROM. The Server Based Setup window appears.

  2. Click the Set Path button. The Server Path dialog box appears, prompting you to enter a directory path to which the NETSETUP utility will copy the Windows 95 source files.

  3. Enter the directory path using either the DOS format, such as X:\WIN95, or the universal naming convention (UNC) format, such as \\SERVER NAME\SYS\WIN95.

  4. If the server directory does not exist, the NETSETUP utility prompts you to create this directory. Click the OK button.

  5. You are returned to the Server Based Setup window. Click the Install button. The Source Path window appears.

  6. Select the Local Hard Drive option. The Path to Install From dialog box appears.

  7. Enter the location of the Windows 95 source files (*.CAB) (usually the WIN95 directory on the Windows 95 Upgrade CD-ROM).

  8. Verify that the Path to Install To is correct, and click the OK button.

  9. The Create Default dialog box appears, giving you the option to create a default batch script, or MSBATCH.INF file, to automate the installation of Windows 95. Click the Don't Create Default button. (You will create a custom MSBATCH.INF file later.)

  10. The Product Identification dialog box appears. You do not have to enter a product identification number. Ignore this prompt, and click the OK button. The NETSETUP utility copies the Windows 95 source files to the server directory you specified.

  11. After the Windows 95 source files are copied, the NETSETUP utility flags these files as read-only files. The Server Setup window appears, notifying you that the Windows 95 installation process is completed. Click the OK button.

  12. You are returned to the Server Based Setup window. Click the Exit button to close the NETSETUP utility.

  13. At the command prompt, navigate to the server directory that now contains the Windows 95 source files. Then use the following commands to flag the MSBATCH.INF and NETDET.INI files as read-write files:

    FLAG MSBATCH.INF +RW-RI -DI

FLAG NETDET.INI +RW-RI -DI

You must have read-write access to these files so thatyou can replace the MSBATCH.INF file and modify the NETDET.INI file.

COPY INTRANETWARE CLIENT TO THE SERVER

You must also copy intraNetWare Client 2.2 for Windows 95 to the network setup directory. You can download this client software from Novell's World-Wide Web site (http://www.novell.com/download) and decompress the software in a server directory, such as the SYS\PUBLIC\CLIENT\W95 directory.

If you purchased intraNetWare in August 1997, you can also find intraNetWare Client 2.2 for Windows 95 in the PRODUCTS\WIN95\languagedirectory on the intraNetWare CD-ROM. You must ensure that your copy of the intraNetWare CD-ROM contains this version of the client software.

Thelanguagedirectory names on the intraNetWare CD-ROM may be confusing: For example, the IBM_ENU directory contains English files. If you want to ensure that you have selected the correct directory, view the directory's SETUPNW.HLP file, which is written in the language you selected.

Because the network setup process requires a specific version of the NWSETUP.DLL file, you must download the 95211ut1.exe file, which includes this version of the NWSETUP.DLL file. You can download the 95211ut1.exe file from Novell's Support Connection web site (http://support.novell.com/search/ff_index.htm), and you can decompress this file in a server directory, such as the SYS\PUBLIC\CLIENT\W95\95211ut1 directory.

If you download intraNetWare Cli-ent for Windows 95, you must also download the ADM32_22.EXE file, which contains administrative files, from Novell's Support Connection web site (http://support.novell.com/search/ff_index.htm). You can decompress the ADM32_22.EXE file in a server directory, such as the SYS\ PUBLIC\CLIENT\W95\ADM32 directory. (If you copy intraNetWare Client 2.2 for Windows 95 from the intraNetWare CD-ROM, the necessary ADMIN files are located in the PRODUCTS\ADM32\language\BATCH95\NLS\languagedirectory.)

To copy intraNetWare Client for Windows 95 to the server and to configure this client software for an automated installation, you complete the following steps:

  1. Create the C32 directory on the server (for example, SYS\C32).

  2. Copy the intraNetWare Client for Windows 95 files to the SYS\C32 directory.

  3. Rename or delete all *.INF files in the SYS\C32 directory.

  4. Copy the NWCLIENT.INF, NWTRANS.INF, and NWLAYOUT.INF files to the SYS\C32 directory. These files are located in two places:

    • If you downloaded the ADM32_22.EXE file, the files are located in the BATCH95\NLS\languagesubdirectory of the directory in which you decompressed this file.

    • If you have the intraNetWare CD-ROM, these files are located in the PRODUCTS\ADM32\language\BATCH95\NLS\languagedirectory. (The intraNetWare CD-ROM includes two versions of the NWCLIENT.INF file. The NWCLIENT.INF file contained in the PRODUCTS\WIN95\languagedirectory doesnotwork with MSBATCH installations. You must use the NWCLIENT.INF file contained in the PRODUCTS\ADM32\language\BATCH95\NLS\languagedirectory.)

    If you want intraNetWare Client for Windows 95 to support NetWare/IP, you should also copy the NWIP.INF file to the SYS\C32 directory.If you want intraNetWare Client for Windows 95 to support Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), you should copy the NWSERV.INF file to the SYS\C32 directory.

  5. Replace the NWSETUP.DLL file (dated 07/09/97) in the SYS\C32 directory with the NWSETUP.DLL file that is contained in the 95211ut1.exe file.

Unfortunately, the NWSETUP.DLL file that shipped with intraNetWare Client for Windows 95 does not fully support the function calls made by the Windows 95 Setup program. If you do not replace this NWSETUP.DLL file, an unrecoverable error occurs during the Windows 95 installation process.

CREATE A CUSTOM MSBATCH.INF FILE

After you copy intraNetWare Client for Windows 95, you must create a custom MSBATCH.INF file by completing the following steps:

  1. Run the BATCH utility from the ADMIN\NETTOOLS\NETSETUP directory on the Windows 95 Upgrade CD-ROM. The Untitled-Windows 95 Batch Setup window appears.

  2. Enter the appropriate setup information in the Untitled-Windows 95 Batch Setup window. Since you are configuring the MSBATCH.INF file to run an automated installation, you may want to enter only general information. For example, instead of entering Sara Jones in the Username field, you might enter Engineering Workstation instead.

  3. Click the Network Options button. The Windows 95 Network Options dialog box appears. Uncheck all of the options in this dialog box unless you want to set up Microsoft TCP/IP. (In BATCH 1.0, the network options are listed in one window. In BATCH 2.0, the network options are listed on several tabs. These instructions assume that you are using BATCH 1.0.)If you want to set up Microsoft TCP/IP, select the TCP/IP option in the Available Protocols section, and then click TCP/IP Settings button. Enter the appropriate TCP/IP information, and click the OK button.

  4. After you deselect the network options in the Windows 95 Network Options dialog box, click the OK button.

  5. If you did not configure TCP/IP, a dialog box appears, reminding you that you have not selected any protocols. Click the No button to confirm that you do not want to install the default protocols. Later, you will configure intraNetWare Client 2.2 for Windows 95 to install the protocols you need.

  6. You are returned to the Windows 95 Network Options dialog box. Click the Installation Options button. The Windows 95 Installation Options window appears. To avoid user input during the Windows 95 installation process, complete the following steps:

    • Select all of the setup options except for the Prompt for Startup Disk option and the Search Source Folders for Devices option.

    • Select the Typical option under the Type of Installation section.

    • Enter the workstation directory path in which you want Windows 95 to be installed (for example, C:\WINDOWS).

    • Set the time zone.

  7. Click the Printers button in the Windows 95 Installation Options window. The Printer Setup window appears.

  8. Select the Don't Prompt to Install Printers During Setup button or the Install the Following Printers During Setup button. Then enter the necessary information.

  9. Click the OK button to close the Printer Setup window.

  10. Click the OK button to close the Windows 95 Installation Options window.

  11. Click the Done button in the Untitled-Windows 95 Batch Setup window, and save the file as MSBATCH.INF in the SYS\WIN95 directory. The Save As dialog box appears, prompting you to confirm that you want to replace the existing MSBATCH.INF file with this new file.

  12. Click the Yes button. The BATCH utility closes automatically.

ADD INTRANETWARE CLIENT TO THE NETWORK SETUP DIRECTORY

You must then add intraNetWare Client for Windows 95 to the network setup directory. To add this client software, you complete the following steps:

  1. Run the INFINST utility from the ADMIN\NETTOOLS\NETSETUP\INFINST.EXE directory on the Windows 95 Upgrade CD-ROM. The INF Installer-Utility for Server Based Setup window appears.

  2. Click the Set Path button. The Server Path dialog box appears.

  3. Enter the server directory that contains the Windows 95 source files (for example, SYS\WIN95). Then click the OK button.

  4. You are returned to the INF Installer-Utility for Server Based Setup window. Click the Install INF button. A standard Open dialog box appears.

  5. Select the NWCLIENT.INF file in the SYS\C32 directory, and click the OK button. The INFINST utility copies the intraNetWare Client for Windows 95 files to the network setup directory and updates the MSBATCH.INF file.

  6. Click the No button in response to the Version Conflict message.Do notkeep the existing NETWARE.DRV file, even if it is newer than the file you are copying. The existing file is for Microsoft's Client for NetWare Networks; intraNetWare Client for Windows 95 requires the file being copied from the SYS\C32 directory. (If the workstation appears to hang, be patient. The process should finish normally.)You may be prompted for the location of one or more files, which are located in either the SYS\C32 directory or the SYS\WIN95 directory. For example, suppose that the INFINST utility could not find the NWCLIENT.INF file in the SYS\WIN95 directory. In this case, you would change the directory path to SYS\C32 and click the OK button. Repeat this procedure as necessary.

  7. When the integration process is completed, the INF Installer dialog box appears, stating that the MSBATCH.INF file was updated to integrate the NWCLIENT.INF file. Click the OK button.

  8. You are returned to the INF Installer-Utility for Server Based Setup window. Click the Exit button.

MODIFY THE NETDET.INI FILE

A message similar to the following frequently appears when you install intraNetWare Client for Windows 95: "intraNetWare Client marks a departure away from VLM technology and does not support loading files with a .VLM extension. If you need to load a VLM program, you must use intraNetWare Client for DOS/Windows 3.x."

You can prevent this message from appearing by commenting out several lines in two copies of the NETDET.INI file located in the SYS\WIN95 directory and the SYS\WIN95\SUWIN directory. To comment out lines in the NETDET.INI file, you complete the following steps:

  1. Use the Windows 95 Notepad to open the NETDET.INI file in the SYS\ WIN95 directory.

  2. Modify the NETDET.INI file by adding a semicolon (;) in front of the following lines:

    ;; NOVELL Directory Services VLM 4.x ;;

; [VLM] 

; detection0=custom_dll 

; detection_dll=NETOS.DLL 

; detection_call=NW_IsNDSinUse 

; full_install0=prevent

  3. Save the NETDET.INI file.

  4. At the command prompt, enter a command to flag the NETDET.INI file as a read-write file.

    FLAG NETDET.INI +RW -RI -DI

  5. Use the Windows 95 Notepad to open the NETDET.INI file in the SYS\WIN95\SUWIN directory. Then edit this file as shown in step 2.

  6. Save the NETDET.INI file, and then exit the Windows 95 Notepad.

ADD INTRANETWARE CLIENT SETTINGS TO THE MSBATCH.INF FILE

Next, you must complete the following steps to add the settings for intraNetWare Client for Windows 95 to the MSBATCH.INF file:

  1. Use the Windows 95 Notepad to open the sample MSBATCH.INF file, which is contained in the PRODUCTS\ADM32\language\BATCH95\NLS\languagedirectory on the intraNetWare CD-ROM or in the BATCH95\NLS\languagesubdirectory of the directory in which you decompressed the ADM32_22.EXE file. The sample MSBATCH.INF file contains sample settings for Microsoft TCP/IP, intraNetWare Client for Windows 95, and NetWare/IP.

  2. Launch the Windows 95 Notepad, and open the MSBATCH.INF file you created in the SYS\WIN95 directory.

  3. Copy the [MSTCP], [NOVELL32], and [NWIP] sections from the sample MSBATCH.INF file, and paste these sections in the MSBATCH.INF file in the SYS\WIN95 directory. The sections should appear after the existing [NETWORK] section.The [MSTCP] section configures Microsoft TCP/IP, the [NOVELL32] section configures intraNetWare Client for Windows 95, and the [NWIP] section configures NetWare/IP. If you are not installing Microsoft TCP/IP or NetWare/IP, you can omit one or both sections. You can also comment out these sections by inserting a semicolon (;) at the beginning of each line.

  4. You will now modify the sections of the MSBATCH.INF file that you have copied: Replace the default settings with your own custom settings. The following example shows the contents of the [NOVELL32] section. The Name Context parameter defines a login context. Use your own login context for this parameter. Later, you can change the login context for each user after the Windows 95 setup process is completed.

    [NOVELL32] 

PreferredServer=alpha 

PreferredTree=alpha_corp 

NameContext=donjuan.alpha_corp 

FirstNetworkDrive=F 

DisplayConnectionPage=on

  5. The [Optional Components] section at the end of the MSBATCH.INF file configures the optional Windows 95 components. The value 0 means that the component will not be installed. The value 1 means that the component will be automatically installed. Change these values for each component to create the custom Windows 95 installation that you need.

  6. Save the MSBATCH.INF file in the SYS\WIN95 directory, and close this file.

  7. Close the MSBATCH.INF file on the intraNetWare CD-ROM.

MODIFY THE NETWORK SETUP DIRECTORY

Because the Windows 95 Setup program expects the NWPASSWR.DLL and NWSHELLR.DLL files to be located in the SYS\WIN95 directory, you must copy these files from the SYS\WIN95\NLS\languagedirectory to the SYS\WIN95 directory. Copying the files to the SYS\WIN95 directory saves time and allows the Windows 95 Setup program to proceed uninterrupted.

RUN AN AUTOMATED INSTALLATION

To begin an automated installation of Windows 95 and intraNetWare Client for Windows 95, you run the SETUP utility from the SYS\WIN95 directory. If you are upgrading a Windows 3.1x workstation, start Windows 3.1x first. Then in Program Manager choose the Run option from the File menu, and enter the SETUP command. If the workstation is running DOS or has been booted from floppy diskette, simply type the SETUP command at the command prompt.

You must include the MSBATCH.INF file and the complete directory path to this file in the SETUP command. To prevent the Windows 95 license agreement screen from appearing, you must also include the /IW parameter. (The /IW parameter must appear in uppercase letters. If you use lowercase letters, the Windows 95 license agreement screen appears.) For example, you would enter a command similar to the following:

SETUP /IW X:\WIN95\MSBATCH.INF

The entire Windows 95 installation process runs without prompting you for any input other than to confirm the initial scan disk operation.

FINAL DETAILS

If you used a floppy diskette to boot the workstation, remember that in this example we have configured the Windows 95 Setup to proceed without requiring user intervention. As a result, when the workstation is rebooted to complete the Windows 95 installation process, you will not be prompted to remove the floppy diskette from this workstation's floppy diskette drive. If you start the Windows 95 installation process and return later to the A:\ prompt, eject the floppy diskette, and reboot the workstation. The Windows 95 Setup program then completes the installation process.

If you configured the MSBATCH.INF file to install Microsoft TCP/IP, every time you use this file you must change the IP address either by modifying the file before the Windows 95 installation process begins or by reconfiguring each workstation after this installation process is completed. Otherwise, multiple workstations will contend for the same IP address.

Finally, if you encounter problems related to specific hardware or software configurations, consult Novell's KnowledgeBase (http://support.novell.com/search/kb_index.htm). KnowledgeBase contains technical information documents that address a variety of issues.

CONCLUSION

Although configuring the network setup directory takes a few hours, you will save time in the long run by running an automated installation of Windows 95. If you install Windows 95 more than two or three times a month or if you need to upgrade a number of workstations at one time, these few hours are well worth it.

To ensure that the "Practical Networking" column meets your needs, we need to know what you want to learn about. Please send your suggestions for future issues to practical@niche-associates.com. In addition, please send any networking tips or tricks you would like to share with other network administrators.

Daniel G. Newell works for Niche Associates, an agency that specializes in technical writing and editing.

NetWare Connection, March 1998, pp.42-46

* Originally published in Novell Connection Magazine

Disclaimer

The origin of this information may be internal or external to Novell. While Novell makes all reasonable efforts to verify this information, Novell does not make explicit or implied claims to its validity.

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