Windows 7 OPK

[jimwtfs]

I have VMware Workstation 7.1.2 installed on Windows XP SP3, and I trying to implement the Windows 7 Pro for Embedded Systems OPK (OEM Pre-installation Kit) as a guest. I'm having some difficulty.

Part of the process is to create a Windows "answer file" and store it in the root of a flash drive as "Autounattended.xml". Then when you boot from the Win 7 Pro CD with the flash drive inserted, and the Win 7 Pro setup will read from the "answer file".

I was able to "auto mount" the flash drive by adding the following to the .vmx file:

usb.autoConnect.device0 = "name:USB\ Flash\ \ Drive vid:125f path:1/4/5"

All seems to be well, and the guest was reading from the "answer file", until after the guest re-boots as expected. It displays the message "Completing installation..." then seems to hang indefinitiely. If I "disconnect" the flash drive, then the process seems to resume, and the guest re-boots again as expected. Unfortunately, setup seems to no longer read from the "answer file", and several of the unattended steps/commands are not executed.

This all works correctly on real hardware.

I am hoping to get this working so I can iteratively customize the "answer file" and test the process in a guest rather than on real hardware.

Any thoughts as to why the guest is hanging until I disconnect the flash drive?

[jimwtfs]

Your reply is "blank".

[WoodyZ · Accepted solution]

Can you use a virtual floppy to test the "Autounattended.xml" file? If that would work then you can always use the file from a USB Flash on a physical machine.

[continuum]

sometimes USB-devices simly don't come up fast enough - in that case it helps to go into the BIOS first so that the VM has some more time ...




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VMX-parameters- WS FAQ -[ MOAcd|http://sanbarrow.com/moa241.html] - VMDK-Handbook

[WoodyZ]

sometimes USB-devices simly don't come up fast enough - in that case it helps to go into the BIOS first so that the VM has some more time

Would adding the following parameter to the VM's .vmx configuration file help or do you really need to go into the BIOS?

bios.bootDelay = "3000"

[continuum]

I have tried both when using VMs that boot from USB.

The boot-delay seems to have no effect - while entering the BIOS and hang around there for a few seconds helped




_________________________

VMX-parameters- WS FAQ -[ MOAcd|http://sanbarrow.com/moa241.html] - VMDK-Handbook

[WoodyZ]

Well at the very least then using the bios.bootDelay parameter gives extra time to get into the BIOS as sometimes it just goes by to fast.

[continuum]

sometimes ?

on my machines it is almost impossible to enter the BIOS without boot-delay - thats why I put that into the config.ini so that it applies to all VMs




_________________________

VMX-parameters- WS FAQ -[ MOAcd|http://sanbarrow.com/moa241.html] - VMDK-Handbook

[jimwtfs]

THANKS FOR THE SUGGESTION!

I created a virtual floppy, copied the "answer file" to the root of the virtual floppy, disconnected and removed the flash drive, re-booted, and the result is now the same as running on real hardware. No more hang.