Unattended XP deployment with WDS?

We upgraded our Windows 2003 server serving RIS to WDS using SP2 upgrade.
1) We then deployed one of our legacy Windows XP installations to a
reference machine using the RIS functionality of WDS running in mixed mode.
2) After this we further customized this installation to fit our needs.
3) Runned sysprep to prepare for capture
4) Captured the installation to a .WIM file and uploaded to server (using an
earlier created capture image, created from the Vista DVD)

The issue we have is that we want to automate the deployment using the
unattended files. The first phase (WindowsPE) should be automated using the
..xml to skip logging in, selecting image etc.
This is where the first problem reases. When we want to open our capture.wim
file in WSIM it complaines about catalog and read/write issues. So i can't
create an .xml answer file for this WindowsPE phase.
The second thing we can't get automated correctly is the mini-setup.
Before, using old RIS we used the riprep.sif to do the job of automating
this part. Now i don't know how to do the same using sysprep.inf
How do i, for example let the machine automaticaly join the domain without
hardcoded put in the admin user/pwd in the inf file. Riprep.sif used the
username/pwd provided by login. And what about the computername etc..
You get my point.
And further, where do i put this answerfile? The technet site provides me
with this:
"
To associate Sysprep.inf with a down-level image:
Create a directory with the same name as the .wim file you want to associate
the image to.
Create an $OEM$ directory structure.
Copy a Sysprep.inf file appropriate to the image to the $OEM$ directory.
"

Is this what i need to do, or do i need more info regarding this type of
deployment?

So how do i create the right wdsunattended.xml file for the first WindowsPE
phase for the deployment of a WXP.wim file, and the same question is valid
for the sysprep.inf for the mini-setup phase.
Thx, Joris

[SeanLaBrie]

Joris,

I'm having the same problem with the XML part of the config, if you figure this out please let me know.

as for sysprep this is how i set it up. I copied the sysprep folder onto the c: drive on the computer to be imaged. i ran the setupmgr.exe and configured a sysprep.inf file. choose sysprep setup and fully automated. When you get to the product key it's best to use a volume license key(which means you needed to install windows from a volume licenses windows cd or other media) and for the computer name i enter "%machinename%" which takes the name from AD when you prestaged the PC using the GUID. the administrator password i left black because i configure this ahead of time when i staged the PC. I configured the domain aspect with a generic account that has permission to join the domain, it's okay to use do this because one of the things sysprep does it remove the sysprep file after it runs, therefore the admin passwont wont be in a file somewhere on the pc for the user to find later.

at the end of the wizard it creates a file in the same folder as sysprep.exe. run sysprep, reboot, capture the image and deploy it.

please let me know if you figure out the first part of auto deployment.

Thanks,

Sean