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Settings used by Windows Setup

Here are examples for how to configure some common settings. All of these are used by Windows Setup, which means they are fully explained in Microsoft's documentation. These examples are just to help you get started quickly.

User Name, Organization Name, and Computer Name

[UserData]
    FullName="Jane Doe"
    OrgName="FooBar Widgets, Incorporated"
    ComputerName=magneto

Setting the ComputerName to * tells Windows Setup to pick a random name.

Product Key

[UserData]
    ProductKey=XXXXX-YYYYY-ZZZZZ-00000-11111

Note: Prior to Windows XP, this key was named "ProductID".

Local Administrator Password

To set the local Administrator account password:

[GuiUnattended]
    AdminPassword=sekrit

Joining a domain

To join the d omain FOOBAR using the account FOOBAR\wsadmin and password verysekrit:

[Identification]
    JoinDomain=FOOBAR
    DomainAdmin=FOOBAR\wsadmin
    DomainAdminPassword="verysekrit"

If you do not want to store the password in cleartext, you can omit the DomainAdminPassword entry; remember that the installation script will prompt you for any required values which you do not already provide.

Joining a workgroup

To join the workgroup FOOBAR:

[Identification]
    JoinWorkgroup=FOOBAR

Note that you are required to join either a domain or a workgroup.

Joining an OU

To specify the Organizational Unit to join within an Active Directory domain: 

[Identification]
    MachineObjectOU="OU=Foo,OU=FooParent,DC=department,DC=example,DC=com"

See also KB article 226315.

Time Zone

To set the workstation's time zone:

[GuiUnattended]
    ; U.S. Pacific
    TimeZone=004

The time zone setting is numeric; see the table of index numbers for a complete list. The default value for Unattended is 035 (U.S. Eastern).

OEM Plug&Play Drivers

You may specify additions to the search path for Plug&Play drivers. Elements of this path are separated by semicolons. Windows uses this path when searching for a driver for a piece of hardware. These elements are relative to the C: drive, and are usually used in conjunction with the $oem$/$1 mechanism.

For example:

[Unattended]
    OemPnPDriversPath="drivers\net\eepro;drivers\video\nVidia"

Windows XP look and feel

The [Shell] section controls the general look and feel of Windows XP. To use the classic Windows Start menu (with My Computer and My Documents on the desktop), and to use the "classic Windows visual style":

[Shell]
    ; Use classic start menu
    DefaultStartPanelOff=Yes
    ; Use classic visual style
    DefaultThemesOff=Yes