Cloning/Imaging - Startup and Recovery Options 2

[Currivan]

Hello. We are having a problem setting the Startup and Recovery options on imaged/cloned systems. We already know how to modify the
"Time to display list of operating systems:" without going into
"My Computer\Properties\Advanced\Startup and Recovery\Settings" to uncheck the first two boxes on every individual machine. However, we don't know how to modify the "Time to display recovery options when needed:" without physically going to every computer and unchecking that box. (When Mini-Setup runs after imaging/cloning, the OS resets these boxes and their time values.) We were hoping there was a registry setting or file, like boot.ini, that could be modified by a batch or script. Does anyone know of such a thing? (We know how to setup batch files to run at the end of Mini-Setup after SysPrep-ing an image.) Your assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Chris Currivan

 

[bcastner]

Time to display recovery options" == "Time to display list of operating systems."

XP treats an install of Recovery Console identicly to it treats the enumeration of an second or third, etc. operating system in boot.ini.

The same value for the operating system display affects the ablity to select Recovery Console. In short, it is the same exact value, just named differently to reflect that Recovery Console is installed instead of an OS.

 

[Currivan]

The problem is that when you delete the "timeout=30" entry in boot.ini, say for example, the checkbox for the "Time to display list of operating systems:" becomes unchecked in the System Control Panel, but not the "Time to display recovery options:" - and this is the one we really need to get rid of. What happens to the machines after they have been cloned, with "Deep Freeze" protection software, every time they are shut down, while protected, the system apparently registers an improper shutdown and, on every next bootup, the system asks you what system recovery option you would like, i.e. Safemode, Safemode with Network, Safemode with Command-Prompt, etc., or Boot Windows Normally? (Our users, therefore, are delayed and confused.) Our "Deep Freeze" support told us that unchecking those two boxes would solve the problem, and it has. But, we would like to automate the process during cloning. I don't think unchecking the first one will actually solve the problem, because it is the second one that causes the system to behave as though you have pressed the F8 key during bootup. I appreciate your response and input, but I think without some testing this method may not solve the problem we set-out to resolve.

Respectfully,

Chris Currivan

 

[bcastner]

I was viewing a different issue than you were asking. My apologies.

I have requested some deep Shell folks to answer your question, as it is not clear to me that it is in fact a registry entry. It seems sensible that it could be for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, but I cannot find it. It is an interesting puzzle.

I have at least six linear feet of books about Windows from Win2k to Windows 2003. And likely another six linear feet of books for pre-NT. And I could not find a single reference to that clickable box, or the timer interval. Not one.

In the meantime, DeepFreeze has a good tech support department. Surely they know the answer to your question. And when they provide it, please post back here again. I am more than interested.

Best,
Bill Castner

 

[bcastner]

Ramesh Srinivasan (MS-MVP, AH-VSOP) responded to my query elsewhere abut the settings needed here, as I did not believe them to be a registry based item:

http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=13469

In the Bootstat.dat file in %systemroot% (I used FMon)

Related article:
The Automatic Recovery Screen Is Not Displayed If the Bootstat.dat File Is Compressed:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;309481&Product=winxp

Ramesh used FMon, I used RMon, and could not find anything to help answer this question.

I will without embarassment tell you that Ramesh has been in my hero list for quite a long time.

Now how this helps you for an unattended rollout -- I think you are out of luck.

I have never tried, buy you could pust through an unattended installation through [GuiRunOnce] or other features of the install the replacement of this file. I mention GuiRunOnce as it is one of the last things run. You can do some creative replacements using .bat files during an unattended install. See:

http://www.msfn.org/unattended/xp/index.htm

The utilities mentioned above (from the freeware and great guys at Sysinternals.com:

http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/source/filemon.shtml

http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/source/regmon.shtml

Best regards, and a very interesting question.
Bill Castner

 

[linney]

This link merely confirms "Bcastner's" findings -

http://groups-beta.google.com/group...ns+when+needed"&rnum=2&hl=en#35a08a1c6678eece

 

[bcastner]

Well, Torgeir Bakken (MVP) is in my Hero list as well. Thank you linney for the link. As suggested above, you trace these weird GUI changes by using monitoring tools on the file and registry.

I think you could do a total replace of Bootstat.dat using the above linked tools for an unattended installation use of .bat files or otherwise. But I have never tried replacing the file. My gut instinct is that if you have a bootstat.dat file that reflects a time zero and unchecked for the Advanced Recovery Options window, you can "push" this out during an install.

Great question.
Bill

 

[Currivan]

Thanks to all of you for working on this! (And thanks for pointing out yet another support group for future reference.) I did a quick test of my own (without FileMon) and noticed a character missing in the bootstat.dat file after unchecking the box. A simple batch operation to copy the modified version of the file from the "Temp" folder to the %SystemRoot% directory after Mini-Setup should be sufficient to do the job. A "quick" test of this, after getting the batch file right, proved it works. Now we're almost fully automated, save the interaction required by our *.reg files. (That's for another day! - maybe VBScript will help there.)

Thanks again,

Chris Currivan

 

[bcastner]

regedit /s regfile.reg

Or for simple entries, use REG.EXE ADD, the native command line tool.

 

[Currivan]

Thanks again. I wasn't expecting that one. I thought there ought to be a switch, but couldn't recall any. (The process just keeps getting more and more automated.) I may leave the last *.reg file in non-silent mode, just so the user gets a status update of what's been accomplished. Either that, or some echo commands followed by a pause.

Thank you,

Chris Currivan