INFO: What Does the Winnt.sif File Do?

This article describes the initial installation settings for a BackOffice Small Business Server (SBS) computer when you use the Winnt.sif unattended answer file to install SBS. If you install SBS on a computer without using the Winnt.sif file, Microsoft will use commercially reasonable efforts in addressing support problems.

To solve some problems, it may be necessary to use the original Winnt.sif file to perform a reinstallation of all the components of SBS on the computer. Microsoft does not provide support for modifications made to the Winnt.sif file or for installations performed with a modified Winnt.sif file.

When you install SBS, you must first perform an unattended installation of Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server. Unattended installation uses the Winnt.sif file, which forces Windows NT to be installed with all the components and settings required for SBS. Some of the settings may be modified after the installation, but others cannot be modified unless you reinstall the server. In SBS 4.0, the Winnt.sif file places an entry in the RUNONCE registry key to run the SBS installer, Startsam.exe. Startsam.exe installs all the additional applications that comprise SBS. In SBS 4.5, the SBS installer is renamed Startbo.exe.

The following configuration options are forced by the Winnt.sif file and can only be modified during the installation process. These options are common to both SBS 4.0 and 4.5. If you install the Windows NT portion of SBS without the Winnt.sif file and incorrect settings are chosen during installation, you must reinstall SBS on the computer.

• The installation directory is set to Winnt.sbs.
• The installation drive is converted to NTFS.
• The Administrator password is left blank.
• The server is configured as a primary domain controller.
• The server computer name is restricted to alphanumeric characters.
• Server Licensing Mode is set to Per Server with the number of licenses purchased for SBS.

The following configuration options are also set by the Winnt.sif file. These settings are common to both SBS 4.0 and SBS 4.5. SBS 4.0 and SBS 4.5 have a few unique settings, which are listed at the end of this section. You can manually add or modify any of these configuration settings after the Windows NT portion of SBS is installed. If some of the components are not installed and functioning prior to running the SBS installer, certain components of the SBS suite may not be installed.

The following options are common to both SBS 4.0 and 4.5:

• The installation detects any installed modems.
  After installation, you can use the Modems tool in Control Panel to install and configure the modems. If a modem is not installed, Microsoft Fax Server and Microsoft Modem Sharing Server cannot be installed.
• The installation detects a network adapter. If no network adapter is detected, MS Loopback Adapter is installed.
  After installation, you can install and configure a network adapter on the Adapters tab of the Network tool in Control Panel. If the network is not available, many of the server programs installed by the SBS installer are not installed.
• TCP/IP is installed and bound to the detected network adapter. TCP/IP is configured with the following parameters:
  IP Address: 10.0.0.2
  Subnet: 255.255.255.0
  Primary WINS Server: 10.0.0.2
  Default gateway: 10.0.0.2
  
  You can manually install and configure TCP/IP on the Protocols tab of the Network tool in Control Panel.

The following network services are installed automatically. You can add each service on the Services tab of the Network tool in Control Panel.

• Remote Access Server is installed with the following configuration:
  
  
  • TCP/IP is set as the only Dial-In Protocol.
  • All installed protocols are enabled for dial out.
  • TCP/IP access is set for This Computer Only.
  • Any modem on COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4 is enabled for remote access.
  The Remote Access Server configuration can be modified by viewing the properties of the Remote Access Service on the Services tab of the Network tool in Control Panel.
  
• Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is installed and a scope is created with the following properties:
  Scope Range: 10.0.0.1 to 10.0.0.255
  Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
  Exclusion Range: 10.0.0.1 to 10.0.0.10
  
  The DHCP server scope can be added or modified by running DHCP Administrator (click Administrative Tools on the Start menu). For additional information about creating DHCP scopes, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  150565  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/150565/EN-US/ ) Creating DHCP Scopes Using DHCP Manager
• Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS) is installed.
• The video display resolution is set to 800x600 with a refresh rate of 60 Hz, if the video adapter is capable of 800x600 resolution.

The following configuration settings are unique to SBS 4.0: The following configuration settings are unique to SBS 4.5: In addition to the changes in the Winnt.sif file, Startbo.exe contains a hardware confirmation section. Administrators can use this tool to ensure that the hardware is properly configured and installed prior to installing SBS programs. In SBS 4.0, it is often necessary to quit Startsam.exe and use the tools in Control Panel to properly set up hardware.