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Winnt32

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Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Essential Business Server, Windows Home Server, Windows HPC Server 2008, Windows HPC Server 2008 R2, Windows SBS 2003, Windows SBS 2008, Windows Server 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 Foundation, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation, Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1, Windows Server 7, Windows Storage Server 2008, Windows Storage Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista

Performs an installation of or upgrade to a product in Windows Server 2003. You can run winnt32 at the command prompt on a computer running Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, or a product in the Windows Server 2003. If you run winnt32 on a computer running Windows NT version 4.0, you must first apply Service Pack 5 or later.

Syntax

winnt32 [/checkupgradeonly] [/cmd: <CommandLine>] [/cmdcons] [/copydir:{i386|ia64}\<FolderName>] [/copysource: <FolderName>] [/debug[<Level>]:[ <FileName>]] [/dudisable] [/duprepare: <PathName>] [/dushare: <PathName>] [/emsport:{com1|com2|usebiossettings|off}] [/emsbaudrate: <BaudRate>] [/m: <FolderName>]  [/makelocalsource] [/noreboot] [/s: <SourcePath>] [/syspart: <DriveLetter>] [/tempdrive: <DriveLetter>] [/udf: <ID>[,<UDB_File>]] [/unattend[<Num>]:[ <AnswerFile>]]

Parameters

Parameter Description

/checkupgradeonly

Checks your computer for upgrade compatibility with products in Windows Server 2003.

If you use this option with /unattend, no user input is required. Otherwise, the results are displayed on the screen, and you can save them under the file name you specify. The default file name is upgrade.txt in the systemroot folder.

/cmd

Instructs setup to carry out a specific command before the final phase of setup. This occurs after your computer has restarted and after setup has collected the necessary configuration information, but before setup is complete.

<CommandLine>

Specifies the commandline to be carried out before the final phase of setup.

/cmdcons

On an x86-based computer, installs the Recovery Console as a startup option. The Recovery Console is a command-line interface from which you can perform tasks such as starting and stopping services and accessing the local drive (including drives formatted with NTFS). You can only use the /cmdcons option after setup is finished.

/copydir

Creates an additional folder within the folder in which the operating system files are installed. For example, for x86 and x64-based computers, you could create a folder called Private_drivers within the i386 source folder for your installation, and place driver files in the folder. Type /copydir:i386\Private_drivers to have setup copy that folder to your newly installed computer, making the new folder location systemroot\Private_drivers.

  • i386 specifies i386

  • ia64 specifies ia64

You can use /copydir to create as many additional folders as you want.

<FolderName>

Specifies the folder that you created to hold modifications for your site.

/copysource

Creates a temporary additional folder within the folder in which the operating system files are installed. You can use /copysource to create as many additional folders as you want.

Unlike the folders /copydir creates, /copysource folders are deleted after Setup completes.

/debug

Creates a debug log at the level specified, for example, /debug4:Debug.log. The default log file is C:\ systemroot\Winnt32.log, and

<level>

 

Value Description

0

Severe errors

1

Errors

2

Default level. Warnings

3

Information

4

Detailed information for debugging

Each level includes the levels below it.

/dudisable

Prevents Dynamic Update from running. Without Dynamic Update, setup runs only with the original setup files. This option will disable Dynamic Update even if you use an answer file and specify Dynamic Update options in that file.

/duprepare

Carries out preparations on an installation share so that it can be used with Dynamic Update files that you downloaded from the Windows Update Web site. This share can then be used for installing Windows XP for multiple clients.

<PathName>

Specifies full path name.

/dushare

Specifies a share on which you previously downloaded Dynamic Update files (updated files for use with Setup) from the Windows Update Web site, and on which you previously ran /duprepare:< PathName>. When run on a client, specifies that the client installation will make use of the updated files on the share specified in <PathName>.

/emsport

Enables or disables Emergency Management Services during setup and after the server operating system has been installed. With Emergency Management Services, you can remotely manage a server in emergency situations that would typically require a local keyboard, mouse, and monitor, such as when the network is unavailable or the server is not functioning properly. Emergency Management Services has specific hardware requirements, and is available only for products in Windows Server 2003.

  • com1 is applicable only for x86-based computers (not Itanium architecture-based computers).

  • com2is applicable only for x86-based computers (not Itanium architecture-based computers).

  • Default. Uses the setting specified in the BIOS Serial Port Console Redirection (SPCR) table, or, in Itanium architecture-based systems, through the EFI console device path. If you specify usebiossettings and there is no SPCR table or appropriate EFI console device path, Emergency Management Services will not be enabled.

  • off disables Emergency Management Services. You can later enable it by modifying the boot settings.

/emsbaudrate

For x86-based computers, specifies the baud rate for Emergency Management Services. (The option is not applicable for Itanium architecture-based computers.) Must be used with /emsport:com1 or /emsport:com2 (otherwise, /emsbaudrate is ignored).

<BaudRate>

Specifies baudrate of 9600, 19200, 57600, or 115200. 9600 is the default.

/m

Specifies that setup copies replacement files from an alternate location. Instructs setup to look in the alternate location first, and if files are present, to use them instead of the files from the default location.

/makelocalsource

Instructs setup to copy all installation source files to your local hard disk. Use /makelocalsource when installing from a CD to provide installation files when the CD is not available later in the installation.

/noreboot

Instructs setup to not restart the computer after the file copy phase of setup is completed so that you can run another command.

/s

Specifies the source location of the files for your installation. To simultaneously copy files from multiple servers, type the /s:<SourcePath> option multiple times (up to a maximum of eight). If you type the option multiple times, the first server specified must be available, or setup will fail.

<SourcePath>

Specifies full source path name.

/syspart

On an x86-based computer, specifies that you can copy setup startup files to a hard disk, mark the disk as active, and then install the disk into another computer. When you start that computer, it automatically starts with the next phase of setup.

You must always use the /tempdrive parameter with the /syspart parameter.

You can start Winnt32 with the /syspart option on an x86-based computer running Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, or a product in Windows Server 2003. If the computer is running Windows NT version 4.0, it requires Service Pack 5 or later. The computer cannot be running Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Millennium Edition.

<DriveLetter>

Specifies the drive letter.

/tempdrive

Directs setup to place temporary files on the specified partition.

For a new installation, the server operating system will also be installed on the specified partition.

For an upgrade, the /tempdrive option affects the placement of temporary files only; the operating system will be upgraded in the partition from which you run winnt32.

/udf

Indicates an identifier (<ID>) that setup uses to specify how a Uniqueness Database (UDB) file modifies an answer file (see the /unattend option). The UDB overrides values in the answer file, and the identifier determines which values in the UDB file are used. For example, /udf:RAS_user,Our_company.udb overrides settings specified for the RAS_user identifier in the Our_company.udb file. If no <UDB_file> is specified, setup prompts the user to insert a disk that contains the $Unique$.udb file.

<ID>

Indicates an identifier used to specify how a Uniqueness Database (UDB) file modifies an answer file.

<UDB_file>

Specifies a Uniqueness Database (UDB) file.

/unattend

On an x86-based computer, upgrades your previous version of Windows NT 4.0 Server (with Service Pack 5 or later) or Windows 2000 in unattended setup mode. All user settings are taken from the previous installation, so no user intervention is required during setup.

<num>

Specifies the number of seconds between the time that setup finishes copying the files and when it restarts your computer. You can use <Num> on any computer running Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, or a product in Windows Server 2003 . If the computer is running Windows NT version 4.0, it requires Service Pack 5 or later.

<AnswerFile>

Provides setup with your custom specifications

/?

Displays Help at the command prompt.

Remarks

If you are deploying Windows XP on client computers, you can use the version of Winnt32.exe that comes with Windows XP. Another way to deploy Windows XP is to use Winnt32.msi, which works through Windows Installer, part of the IntelliMirror set of technologies. For more information about client deployments, see the Windows Server 2003 Deployment Kit, which is described in Using the Windows Deployment and Resource Kits.

On an Itanium-based computer, winnt32 can be run from the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) or from Windows XP 64-bit Edition (Itanium); the Itanium-based version of Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition; or the Itanium-based version of Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition. Also, on an Itanium architecture-based computer, /cmdcons and /syspart are not available, and options relating to upgrades are not available.

For more information about hardware compatibility, see Hardware compatibility.

For more detailed information about using Dynamic Update and installing multiple clients, see the Windows Server 2003 Deployment Kit, which is described in Using the Windows Deployment and Resource Kits.

For information about modifying boot settings, see the Windows Deployment and Resource Kits for Windows Server 2003. For more information, see Using the Windows Deployment and Resource Kits.

For information about upgrading, including information about the operating systems from which you can upgrade, see Upgrades compared to new installations

Using the /unattend command-line option to automate setup affirms that you have read and accepted the Microsoft License Agreement for Windows Server 2003. Before using this command-line option to install Windows Server 2003 on behalf of an organization other than your own, you must confirm that the end user (whether an individual, or a single entity) has received, read, and accepted the terms of the Microsoft License Agreement for that product. OEMs may not specify this key on machines being sold to end users.

Additional references