Need to reboot during install

[ssweb]

I am developing a script for installing XP SP2 on the desktop.

I want for the package to check if the machine has been restarted and if not to restart the machine. (I want to have the machne without any apps running).

A package has been developed that checks for a dummy file. If it is there it will do a dos call to shutdown.

I also have a ExitProc(Undone) after the Dos Call shutdown.

If I do this as and AutoInstall it restarts and continues the installation.

However if I run it with an F7(Excute) it reboots yet does not see any permisions so it does not continue the install.

Now, I do not have the permission set in the Auto Install for I do not want the instalattion to start until I perform the F7.

I tried this with permissions in the Interactive but that did not help.

Please let me know of any ideas.

Thanks

Scott

[Scott]

I am having a hard time following exactly what you are doing with the F7 and execute. I get that you want to restart a machine before installing SP2 but you kind of lost me after that.

If you do the package with autoinstall permissions it works but if you do it via F7 from the manager it doesn't?

[ssweb]

That's it in a nutshell.

The F7 execute starts in that it reboots but does not have any way in finishing the installation for there are no permissions set.

[Scott]

I think that is how the F7 execute command is intended to work. When using it from the manager you do not need any permissions or scheduling setup for testing purposes but if the project you are testing reboots the pc there is no way for it to know that it needs to continue after you have rebooted if there are no permissions/scheduling/project released. I could be wrong though. Anyways, you seem to have the project working with autoinstall permissions correct?

[map]

Hello Scott!

I am developing a script for installing XP SP2 on the desktop.

I want for the package to check if the machine has been restarted and if not to restart the machine. (I want to have the machne without any apps running).

A package has been developed that checks for a dummy file. If it is there it will do a dos call to shutdown.

I think there we got the problem ight from the start.

A doscall to shutdown is a bad idea in 99% of the cases. You are triggering a shutdown NetInstall doesnt know about. That means, you are killing the NetInstall Agent in an unefined state, the execution of that package is not performed in a proper way, the agent cant report, trigger Inventory.... and all other tasks it does at ending itself.

That is what NetInstall does have built-in shutdown commands for. I recommend to use "InitiateSystemShutdown", as it is the safest one and cannot be blocked, not even by unsaved open files.
When NetInstall encounters one of these Commands, it will continue to finish the script*), continue with all other installations that are in the queue**), register everything, do a lot of other sophisticated stuff :), and then perform a shutdown.

*) if you don't want the Script to continue, you need to set a label at the end of the script and do a jump there using "goto"

**) if you don't want other Installations to be done after this one, use the "EntInstallerSession" command.



What i would do to sole your problem:

Have a package (A) that restarts the system. put that on autoinstall.
Have a second Package(B) that installs SP2. create a condition that checks if Package (A) has been run (-> Situation after reboot).

In order to test this, you can use the test machine feature of NetInstall. Unless you release the packages, there is no danger these might get executed on any other machines than those defined as being "test".

Hope this helps a bit :)

regards,
Martin