by Rob Tidrow
Windows 98 provides a batch program--Batch 98--that helps you automate the installation of Windows 98 from a server-based install. Batch 98 can help you install Windows to any number of computers on the network, whether you have five or 500 network users. This chapter teaches you how to plan for and take advantage of Batch 98 to successfully deliver Windows 98 to every desktop in your organization.
NOTE: Unlike Windows 95, Windows 98 cannot be run from a diskless, floppy boot, or RIPL workstation over a network.
Also, the NETSETUP.EXE utility is no longer available for Windows 98 (as it was for Windows 95).
A server-based install provides a central storage location of the files necessary to set up Windows 98. Server-based installations provide control over the distribution of Windows 98 to network clients.
To perform a server-based install, install Windows 98 on the network server and ensure that your network works. A Windows 98 server is a computer that is running Windows 98 with file and printer sharing enabled and that is networked to other machines. This can be two computers or several computers connected together. You just need to be running File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks on the drive (a hard drive or CD-ROM drive, for example) on which the Windows 98 Setup disk resides.
You can copy the Windows 98 Setup files to a Windows 98 network server. You also can install from the Windows 98 Setup CD-ROM by using the CD-ROM drive housed on the Windows 98 server. Installing Windows in this manner can be much faster than installing it from floppy disks, because the network transfers the files quickly.
If you want to set up identical workstations, you can use Batch 98. Batch 98 enables you to easily create a script file with setup parameters for each of the machines on which you install Windows 98.
TIP: Installing from a network to a workstation is an excellent method of installation to use when only the server contains a CD-ROM drive.
If you plan to use batch scripts to automate your server-based install, use the Batch 98 utility. Batch 98 is an easy-to-use tool that builds an INF file that Window 98 Setup references for the options and components you want installed. This way, Windows does not prompt you for information to install.
Batch 98 is provided on the Windows 98 CD-ROM in the \Tools\Reskit\Batch folder. Install Batch 98 by running the SETUP.EXE program. After Batch 98 is installed, launch it. The main window appears (see Figure 4.1).
There are a couple of ways to use Batch 98. The following sections describe these ways.
FIG. 4.1 The Batch 98 main window.
One way to use Batch 98 is to set up the current Windows 98 machine exactly the way you want other computer set up. Use the following steps:
NOTE: The Gather Now feature cannot determine 16-bit networking clients, protocols, and services; or uninstall options.
FIG. 4.2 The General Setup Options dialog box includes several tabs for modifying your INF file.
FIG. 4.3 Use the User Info tab to fill out user and network information.
Here is a sample of an automatically created INF file:
; MSBATCH.INF ; ; Copyright (c) 1995-1998 Microsoft Corporation. ; All rights reserved. ; [BatchSetup] Version=3.0 (32-bit) SaveDate=03/10/98 [Version] Signature = "$CHICAGO$" [Setup] Express=1 InstallDir="C:\WINDOWS" InstallType=3 EBD=0 ShowEula=0 ChangeDir=0 OptionalComponents=1 Network=1 System=0 CCP=0 CleanBoot=0 Display=0 DevicePath=0 NoDirWarn=1 TimeZone="US Eastern" Uninstall=0 VRC=0 NoPrompt2Boot=1 ...
When you're ready to install Windows, use the following setup command:
SETUP drive:\MSBATCH.INF
In the preceding syntax, drive is the drive (such as C:) on which the installation files reside. Also, MSBATCH.INF is the default name given to the INF file created using Gather Now. If you've given the file a different name than this, be sure to update the syntax with that name.
Another way to use Batch 98 is to choose the individual components and system settings from the Batch 98 System Settings options. You can run Gather Now to create an INF file, and then modify the file using the System Settings options. Or, you can create a batch script from scratch by modifying the System Settings options and saving the settings as an INF file.
The System Settings options are described in the following sections.
General Setup Options From the General Setup Options dialog box, you can choose installation options that relate to the basic Windows 98 system setup. This dialog box includes eight tabs. On the Install Info tab, you can set the following parameters:
On the User Info tab, fill out the user and company name for the computer on which Windows will be installed. For many installations, the User Name field is usually filled out with a generic name, such as the name of the company or division. In the Computer Name field, enter the computer name for the computer on which Windows will be installed. You can use up to 15 characters, including these:
! . @ $ ^ ( ) { } _ ~
TIP: Leave the Computer Name field blank if you want Windows Setup to prompt you for a computer name for each computer. You also can use Multiple Machine-Name Save to create a list of computer names for your organization. See "Creating a Multiple Machine-Name File," later in this chapter.
Fill out the Workgroup field with the computer's workgroup name using up to 15 characters. Also, enter a short (up to 48 characters) description of the computer in the Description field.
On the Setup Prompts tab, you can select unattended installation options that bypass prompts issued by Windows 98 Setup (see Figure 4.4). This makes the installation process more automatic (you might be prompted for some information, depending on your configuration, such as the install folder location).
FIG. 4.4 The Setup Prompts tab includes settings for bypassing prompts during installation.
The following list summarizes these options:
If you need to set time, keyboard layout, and regional-language settings, click the Regional Settings tab.
From the User Profiles tab, you can specify whether all users on the PC you're upgrading will use the same settings. Or, you can specify whether users can customize their settings and logon to Windows to always use these settings (called user profiles). Be sure to indicate the User Profile settings if you choose to let users customize their preferences. These settings include allowing desktop icons, Network Neighborhood, Start menu, and program groups in user profiles.
NOTE: There are times when you will not want to include the Start menu and other items in a user profile. You might want to disable the Start menu so that users cannot easily access the Control Panel and other items, for example. Or, you might want to create a kiosk environment in which all the applications and files a user needs are on the desktop.
On the MRU Locations tab, you can specify the most-recently-used file location (see Figure 4.5). The MRU list appears in drop-down lists during Setup when users are prompted for a location to install files. You can add up to 26 MRU locations. To add one, enter the path in the top field and click Add MRU. Click Remove MRU to remove an MRU setting; click Clear MRUs to remove all MRUs at once.
You can specify printers to set up during the batch install from the Printers tab. Fill out the Printer Name, Printer Type, and Printer Port fields with appropriate information. For the Printer Port field, you can enter the LPT port value or the UNC path to the printer. Click Add to add the printer.
The Desktop tab includes a number of options for specifying whether certain desktop icons and other Windows elements should be installed (see Figure 4.6).
FIG. 4.5 You can specify where users can install files from during a setup routine from the MRU Locations tab.
FIG. 4.6 Use the Desktop tab to indicate which icons and miscellaneous settings Windows Setup should install.
The following list explains what happens if you clear an option's check box:
The options in the Miscellaneous area are self-explanatory.
Click OK to return to the Microsoft Batch 98 main window.
Network Options As you create a batch file, you can specify which, if any, network options to install. These options include protocols, services, clients, and access control. Click the Network Options button to display the Network Options dialog box (see Figure 4.7). On the Protocols tab, specify the protocol or set of protocols you want each computer to have installed.
FIG. 4.7 Batch 98 makes it easy to specify the network options you want to install.
Most of these options are self-explanatory. However, if you select TCP/IP, you need to click the TCP/IP Settings button and fill out the TCP/IP Options dialog box with IP and subnet mask information (see Figure 4.8). If the computer will obtain an IP address automatically, such as from a WINS or DHCP server, select Obtain an IP Address Automatically.
TIP: If you select two or more protocols to install on the Protocols tab, select the Default Protocol drop-down list and choose the protocol you want to set as the computer's default.
On the Services tab, you choose the networking services you want to install. Click No File and Printer Sharing Services if the computer will not be sharing resources (drives, files, printers, and CD-ROMs). If the computer is to run over a Microsoft Network and share resources, click the File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks option. This enables you to specify browse master settings and whether LAN Manager announcing is to be used (check LM Announce if you have older LAN Manager servers on the network).
FIG. 4.8 You need to fill out IP and subnet mask addresses if your computer is to have a static IP address.
If the computers will run across a Novell network and share resources, click the File and Printer Sharing for NetWare Networks option. You can set Server Advertising Protocol (SAP) browsing for the computer, as well as workgroup advertising browsing.
To set up network clients on the computer, select the Clients tab (see Figure 4.9). Select the client(s) you want to install, including Client for Microsoft Networks (for Windows 98, Windows 95, Windows for Workgroups, or Windows NT networks) and Client for NetWare 3x/4x Networks. You also can enable NetWare Directory Service if available on your LAN. You can read more about Windows NT domains and NetWare logon scripts in Chapter 22, "Configuring Windows 98 as a Network Client."
FIG. 4.9 To run a network on the computer, you must install at least one client from the Clients tab.
TIP: Specify the type of logon you want to establish as the default logon by selecting a type from the Default Logon drop-down list box.
You can specify the type of access control for the computer by selecting the Access Control tab. Select Share-Level Access Control for share-level access or User-Level Access Control for user- and group-level access. If you're running File and Print Sharing for NetWare Networks or File and Print Sharing for Microsoft Networks, you can use share-level access.
To enable user-level access control, you must specify File and Print Sharing for Microsoft Networks, and you must specify a Windows NT domain or workstation from which to download a list of users to authenticate users.
If you have additional network clients for which you have drivers, select the Additional Clients tab and fill out the information for them (see Figure 4.10).
FIG. 4.10 Windows does not provide the drivers for the network clients listed on the Additional Clients tab; you must provide them.
You can specify the following clients:
You also can specify other protocols, clients, and services in the Other Clients area.
Click OK to save your Network Options settings.
Optional Components Click the Optional Components button from the Microsoft Batch 98 dialog box to access the Optional Components dialog box (see Figure 4.11). Here, you can specify which Windows components you want to install. To select a component from the Optional Components dialog box, select an item from the Available Areas list box and choose the item to install in the Available Components list box. Click Select All to select all components. Click Clear All to deselect all components.
FIG. 4.11 Optional components include games, accessories, communications, Internet tools, and other utilities.
TIP: Click Restore Defaults if you want to return to the default setup that Windows installs.
Click OK to save your optional components settings.
These components are discussed in Chapter 3, "Selecting Windows 98 Components." See that chapter also for component file sizes.
Internet Explorer Options The Internet Explorer Options dialog box includes settings for items ranging from the desktop to proxy settings (see Figure 4.12).
FIG. 4.12 The Internet Explorer dialog box includes more than just the IE browser.
On the Desktop tab, you can specify which, if any, icon should appear on the Quick Launch toolbar. Do this by selecting Internet Explorer, Outlook Express (if selected from the Optional Components dialog box), Show Desktop, or View Channels in the Quick Launch Toolbar area.
You also can specify whether you want to enable the Channel bar on the computers you set up.
Select the Display tab to set up the way in which you want certain Windows elements to behave. You can set up the following items:
To set which Web pages display for certain IE actions, select the Browser tab (see Figure 4.13). You can set URLs for the default home page, post-setup page (when IE is first launched), search pane, and online support.
FIG. 4.13 The Browser tab includes settings for default URLs in IE.
On the Security tab, you can set IE security-zone information (see Figure 4.14). Zones distinguish the security level for the type of zone you're in, including local intranet zone, trusted sites zone, Internet zone, and restricted zone. You can learn more about setting zones in Chapter 20, "Configuring Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0."
Finally, you can set proxy-server settings on the Proxy Settings tab (see Figure 4.15). A proxy server enables you to access the Internet through a LAN firewall. The fields on this tab are self-explanatory, but you can read a description of each in Chapter 20.
Click OK to save your settings.
FIG. 4.14 Specify zone settings on the Security tab.
FIG. 4.15 Configure proxy settings for your computer on the Proxy Settings tab.
Advanced Options Back at the Microsoft Batch 98 dialog box, you can click Advanced Options to access the Advanced Options dialog box (see Figure 4.16). Here, you can configure Batch 98 to import Registry files from a location you specify. You can specify multiple Registry files. If you want to specify system-policy files that the computer should use, enter the policy file and its location. If you don't enter a location, the default location is used; this is the NETLOGON folder in Windows NT and the PUBLIC folder in NetWare.
Finally, select the Windows Update tab (see Figure 4.17). Place an x in the Disable Windows Update check box if you do not want Windows to use the Windows Update feature to retrieve updated drivers and software from the Internet via the Update Wizard.
Click OK to save your settings.
FIG. 4.16 Use the Advanced Options dialog box to specify Registry and system-policy files, and to control how Windows Update works.
FIG. 4.17 Windows Update is used to automatically download and install Windows 98 system updates from the Internet.
After you specify the options you want install, click the Save Settings to INF button in the Batch 98 dialog box. You now can start Windows Setup and specify your new INF file by using this syntax:
SETUP drive:\MSBATCH.INF
This is the same command that was discussed in "Using Gather Now," earlier in this chapter.
Batch 98 supports running Setup on multiple machines by specifying a Multiple Machine-Name file. You create this file to specify computer names and IP addresses for all the machines to which you plan to install Windows 98.
To set up a Multiple Machine-Name file, use the following steps:
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CAUTION: Do not insert a blank line between names. When Batch sees a blank line, it interprets it as the end of the machine names and stops there when creating Multiple Machine-Name files.
FIG. 4.18 Use the Multiple Machine-Name Save dialog box to set up a file so that you can install Windows to multiple machines simultaneously.
FIG. 4.19 The Select a Target Directory dialog box.
After you create Multiple Machine-Name files, you can run Windows 98 Setup using these files to automate the setup process.
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