This news explains how you will be able to modify the WinPE (Windows Preinstall Environment) to execute consumer-automated tasks at the startup of WinPE.

In WinPE, you can employ the Diskpart.exe function to manually progress the removal or formation of new separation prior to starting an install of Windows XP or the clean-up of an whole hard disk (or hard disks).

Automating Diskpart

To mechanize a WinPE boot and a repartition with Diskpart, and to start an install of Windows XP:

1. Correct the Startnet.cmd file in the I386\System32 folder of the WinPE source files and put a Formatbat.cmd entry to the end of the file.

NOTE: This step is performed when the WinPE source files have been copied from the CD-ROM to a Flat folder for customization. For example:

regsvr32 /s netcfgx.dll
factory -minint
netcfg -v -winpe
net start dhcp
net start nla
a:\floppy.cmd
formatbat.cmd

2. Create a file known Formatbat.cmd and place it in the I386\System32 WinPE source folder with the following text. This step calls the Diskpart script to make two partitions in this example, and then formats them and initiates Windows XP Setup:

diskpart /s delpart.txt
echo Y | format c: /v:Syspart /fs:ntfs /q
echo Y | format d: /v:Sysdata /fs:ntfs /q
net use x: \\Server\XPShare
X:\XPPro\i386\winnt32.exe /syspart:c: /unattend:X:\XPPro\unattend.txt /s:X:\XPPro\i386"
exit

NOTE: You must use the parameter /syspart:c: for Setup to start successfully.

3. Create a file known as Delpart.txt and put it in the I386\System32 WinPE source folder with the following text. This step makes the separations, a main division that uses 4,096 MB (megabytes) of drive space; assigns a drive letter (C and marks it as "active", makes an unmitigated and logical division by utilizing the remaining space on disk 1 and assigns the drive letter (D, and then exits to permit the next command in the Formatbat.cmd file to process or proceed with formatting both of these partitions as NTFS. Start an unfocus install of Windows XP from a share network:
Select disk 1
clean
create partition primary size 4096
assign letter c
Active
create partition extended
create partition logical
assign letter d
Exit

The previous step can be prepared to initiate an "unattended sysprep factory install" when the divisions are formed: The main division is marked dynamic or assigned disk letters and formatted.