PRB: Unattended Installation of RAS May Fail

When you try to install the RAS client through Unattend.txt, it may result in the following error message when connecting to a site: Followed by:

This is because the Serial.ini file is not created during an unattended installation. The Serial.ini file is not part of the Windows NT 4.0 installation set, but is created by the Remote Access Setup wizard.

To correct the problem after the unattended installation has completed, simply create a blank Serial.ini file in the %SystemRoot%\System32\RAS directory. Another workaround is to launch the Remote Access Setup wizard by clicking Properties for the Remote Access Service on the Service tab in the Control Panel Network tool.

You can correct the problem during an unattended installation by using either of the following methods:

Method One

This workaround assumes that you are installing from a server and not from the actual compact disc.

1. Create a Serial.ini in the I386 directory. Make sure the file contains at least some type of data.
2. Edit the Txtsetup.sif file in the I386 directory. Add the following entry to the [SourceDisksFiles] section:
   

         serial.ini   = 1,,,,,,,7,0,0
   						

3. Edit the Dosnet.inf file, and add the following entry to the [Files] section:
   

         d1,serial.ini
   						

4. Run your unattended setup.

Method Two

An alternate method would be to create a batch file that runs during the unattended installation that copies the Serial.ini file to the %SystemRoot%\System32\RAS directory.

If it is an unattended, then instead of modifying txtsetup.sif, use the following procedure:

1. In the $oem$\$ directory, create the following directory: system32\ras
2. Place the serial.ini file there.
3. Make sure that OEMPreinstall=yes.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 4.0. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.