How To Use Setup Manager to Create an Answer File in Windows 2000

This article describes how to install the Windows 2000 Setup Manager Wizard and use it to create an answer file. An answer file (the Unattend.txt file) is used to help automate Windows 2000 installations by providing Windows Setup with the information that it needs during an unattended installation.

How to Install and Run the Windows 2000 Setup Manager Wizard

The Windows 2000 Setup Manager Wizard is not installed by default. To install and use the Windows 2000 Setup Manager Wizard:

1. Start Windows Explorer, and then open the Support\Tools folder on the Windows 2000 Server CD-ROM.
2. In the right pane, double-click the Deploy.cab file to open it.
3. On the Edit menu, click Select All.
4. On the Edit menu, click Copy.
5. Create a new folder on your local hard disk. To do this:
   1. Click Local Disk (C:).
   2. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Folder.
   3. In the New Folder name box, type the name that you want, and then press ENTER.
6. Right-click the new folder that you created, and then click Paste.
7. Double-click the new folder to open it, and then double-click the Setupmgr.exe file. The Windows 2000 Setup Manager Wizard starts. Follow the instructions in the wizard to create an answer file.

If you use the answer file to install Windows from a CD-ROM, you may need to add the Windows 2000 product key information. To do this:

1. Use Notepad to open the Unattend.txt file that you created.
2. On a new, blank line under the [UserData] section, type the following line, where AB123 is a 5-character portion of the 25-character alphanumeric Windows 2000 product key:
   ProductID="AB123-AB123-AB123-AB123-AB123"
3. On a new, blank line under the [Unattended] section, type the following line:
   Repartition=Yes
   WARNING: This command instructs Windows Setup to remove all partitions on the first physical disk, and to create one partition that uses the NTFS file system on which to install Windows. This command deletes all data on the target hard disk.
   
   
4. On the File menu, click Save.
5. Quit Notepad.

Additional support information and sample answer files are available on the Windows 2000 Server CD-ROM in the following locations:

• I386\Unattend.txt
• Support\Tools\Deploy.cab\Unattend.doc
• Support\Tools\Deploy.cab\Deptool.chm (double-click the .chm file to open it)

For additional information about automating the installation of Windows, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: