RIS- PXE and Win2K Install

[Corneliu]

I have a small network where i test the setup prior to implementing it.
I am trying to figure this PXE thing out. I have a WIN2K image setup fully unattended, and works great, no errors no problems.

I have 2 questions please:
After the PXE boots up, you must enter a user name and password to start installation of the new OS.
Is ther a way to bypass that and just go to the installation menu? I only have 1 OS to choose.
Once I choose the OS to install from the PXE boot menu, the files are copied, etc etc, but:
Once the PC reboots, since the PXE is the first boot device, it goes back to the PXE boot menu again.
How do I make it so that it does not do that?

I tried to search tech net and knowledge base from microsoft, and maybe I searched for the wrong keywords, but I could not find an answer to the questions above.

Anyone can help me with these?
From my guess is you have to assign the computers to a GPO and than assign the OS to install, but I am just guessing here.
Thankx for your help.

 

[mozingod]

Is it a newly formatted hard drive you're installing on? If so, set the first boot device to HDD0, then Network. So on first boot it will see nothing on the hard drive, boot to network, install OS, reboot, see OS, and boot to hard drive. As for the other question, no idea, sorry.

Darrell Mozingo

 

[Corneliu]

Mozingod, the PCs have an operating system on them. They have NT 4.0 and Windows ME, etc.

How would I go about that?

 

[seamus19]

This is what i have been doing and it has worked:
Press F12 to connect to the server- it will get an IP from the server
Press F12 again after receiving an IP address for network service boot
client installation wizard starts, press enter
enter username password and domain press enter
select image -note description of image
press enter -- it cautions you all data will be erased
Press enter again to begin install

 

[Corneliu]

Seamus19, that is what I do now, but my question is this:

Is there a way to not request for a user name and password, and to choose the OS installation automatically?

The user does not have to press F12 with the setup I did, I read the Microsoft Knowledge Base and they tell you how to automatically have the boot files go into RIS setup without pressing F12.

I just dont want the user to choose a OS installation and not have to enter ID and password.
Basically, as I get new PCs, I want to just plug it in, and as you boot, the PXE would pick up the RIS server and go to install the OS without any user help.

Is that possible?

Thanks for your help.