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kosmo

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Attempting to install an NTL modded version of W10 Iot-LTSC-21H2 to a Dell Opti 5070 with a prepartitioned GPT disk. About 1/3 of the way through "Collecting Info" it throws up a window that asks me what OS I want to install - showing "no images are available" where the OS's would be listed.

What did I screw up?

Mod note: Redacted passwords from Auto-saved preset & autounattend.xml
 

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Presumably you're using the Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 KMS product key for installation?
Code: 
KBN8V-HFGQ4-MGXVD-347P6-PDQGT

Windows Setup will determine which edition to install, based the ProductKey provided in the unattend file.
 
garlin said:
you're using the Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 KMS product key
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply and the link to the right key.

No I "skimmed over" learning about KMS keys. I collected 3 different "generic" install keys online that were supposed to be specificly for the Iot-LTSC-21 OS. (The fact that I found 3 different keys should have been a red flag from the get-go!) I used key # 3 (which is not the one M$ lists) and it was accepted for the successful install on my (now) old computer. While building the ISO for my new computer I decided to try my #2 collected key in that build ( and I also filled in the wrong partition #). That brief attempted install failed 2 different ways: 1st it asked me for a product key - which shouldn't have happened with an unattended install and then it complained that it couldn't find a suitable partition.

When building todays ISO I corrected the partition # and reverted back to the product key that I used successfully in the install on the old computer.

So, is the error message I got today - "what OS do you want us to install?" - the expected response if they don't like the PK i've entered into the unattended setup?
 
WinPE Setup follows a priority order when determining which images are to be installed/displayed:
1. Product key listed in the Unattended file​
2. Product key embedded in BIOS​
3. Matching the existing copy of Windows on the install disk​
4. <InstallFrom> directive in the Unattended file (by name or index number)​

By providing an install key which doesn't correspond to any bundled edition, Setup has to fallback and ask for help.
 
Ok, Windoze is playing hard to get...

The computer that i'm attempting to install this OS to has a GPT disk. There's a 100mb "EFI" partition at the begining of the disk that's unlabeled and formatted FAT32. The 2nd partition is 32gb, labeled "Win" and formatted NTFS. In my Unattended Install file I pointed setup to partition 2 of disk "0" Here's the results:

It started of by asking me for a product key - even though the M$-specified KMS key was in the UI file. Then next it complained that:

Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition.

Diskpart tells me that my C: partition is #2 so it's being pointed to the correct place with more than enough room but it's still not happy. What do I have to do get it to quit complaining?
 

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For a clean install, it's normal to wipe the previous disk layout and create all partitions using the Configure disk / Disk template wizard.

The exception is if you're dual-booting two OS'es from a single drive, or have to do advanced customization. The general rule is to avoid using Unattended mode to manage your disk layout if it's a non-standard setup, because Setup will blindly follow it.

UEFI disks follow a specific partitioning model: UEFI/GPT-based hard drive partitions
 
Ok before I continue my tale of woe i'd like to point out that i'm typing this on my 20 yr old computer where last week I installed a NTL-modded ver of W10-IoT-LTSC-21H2 to my mbr multi-partition disk on the 1st try and the install was accomplished in full automatic mode. Setup asked no questions. The only partition that wasn't already populated with my files was C: So this OS CAN be installed without fuss to a pre-partitioned disk.

So I built the "mandatory" partitions on this GPT disk to appease M$: An "EFI", a System Reserved, and a MSR. And then I built yet another ISO (6 so far - I think). I have to acknowledge that setup does change the error messages each time. (attempting to keep my interest up no doubt) As you can see from the "screenshots" below it claimed this time that there wasn't enough room on the target partiton. In the unattended install I speced: Disk 0, Partition 4. As you can see from the diskpart screenshot the (empty) 32gb C: partition is #4

View attachment 12255

View attachment 12256

So which of M$'s ever-changing rules did I break this time?
 
I have no idea what you're doing. Assuming this drive is entirely reserved to installing one copy of Windows, then use Unattended mode's disk configuration wizard to wipe the current MBR partitions and create a normal UEFI layout.

There's no reason not to use a clean disk layout. Set a reasonable Recovery partition size (768 MB is a good number), and then extend the Windows partition to the remaining disk space.

Follow Step 4 of this post:
Custom ISO is stuck at "Nearly done! We are only taking care of things" window
 
garlin said:
use Unattended mode's disk configuration wizard to wipe the current MBR partitions and create a normal UEFI layout.
Click to expand...

This is a brand new M2 SSD. I configured it as a GPT disk, built the "required" M$ partitions plus those for my normal setup. After that I copied all of my files from the old computer to the D: through H: partitions. The "template" method that you linked to, as I understand it, tells setup to build an entirely new partition structure for the entire disk - which defeats the entire purpose of my normal practice - having everything you need already on the disk - making post-install config a matter of minutes rather than days.

This is exactly what I did with last weeks install on my old computer. I used Disk Config > Modify and specified the target partition and setup followed those instructions without question or complaint.

I'm afraid i'm baffled as to why your suggesting that the new SSD has MBR partitions. Or why setup can't see the C: partition.
 
If you're going to insist on doing your own custom layout, then the only thing autounattend.xml needs to know is where to install Windows to:
Code: 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
        <settings pass="windowsPE">
                <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
                        <ImageInstall>
                                <OSImage>
                                        <InstallTo>
                                                <DiskID>0</DiskID>
                                                <PartitionID>3</PartitionID>
                                        </InstallTo>
                                </OSImage>
                        </ImageInstall>
                        <UserData>
                                <ProductKey>
                                        <Key></Key>
                                </ProductKey>
                        </UserData>
                </component>
        </settings>
</unattend>

This can't be done in NTLite cleanly, since it wants to handle disk layout duties at the same time. Since you can't be convinced to follow normal practices, my work on this topic is done.
 
This is exactly what I did use.

Let me try a different question. Is there a way to config Unattended Install to get setup to take all of the other info but stop and ask me where I want to install the OS?
 
kosmo said:
This is exactly what I did use.

Let me try a different question. Is there a way to config Unattended Install to get setup to take all of the other info but stop and ask me where I want to install the OS?
Click to expand...
There is the Autofill option in the Unattended page toolbar to fill all the options, except the disk partitioning.
To leverage those, it's a bit trickier as we're playing with potential data loss, functionality is all sound.

If wiping entire drive on install, then select Disk Template in the toolbar, self-explanatory.
But if you plan on keeping other partitions, then make sure no wiping is done, and use Individual Partition instead, careful with indexes be it disk or partition.
More info here, untick Wipe and tick Install to this partition, it will be formatted.

I would recommend to observe how Disk Tamplate prepares those partitions, then remove it and add your own edits only.
And test in a virtual machine if unsure of IDs and all, setup with the same layout prior.

As for sizes issue, Windows now requires 64GB, best would be to target such partition, 32GB may be too little as described by setup (probably not even formatted prior).
 
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