HOWTO: Unattended Setup Does Not Offer Option for ERD (143171)

SUMMARY

When you perform an Unattended Setup of Windows NT 4.0, you are not given the option either during or after Setup, to create an Emergency Repair Disk (ERD). Use one of the following methods to create an Emergency Repair Disk:

Method 1: Have an ERD Created After Setup

To have an Emergency Repair Disk created after Setup is complete, use these steps:

1. Set up the following files in $oem$\d\temp:
   

         Rdisk.ini:
            \Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
            \RunOnce
            Run-Rdisk = rdisk.exe /s
   
         R-rdisk.bat:
            D:\Temp\Regini D:\Temp\Rdisk.ini
            del D:\Temp\Regini.exe
            del D:\Temp\Rdisk.ini
            del D:\Temp\R-Rdisk.bat
   						

   
   The Regini.exe file is from the Resource Kit.
2. Add the following line to Cmdlines.txt:
   
   cmd /c d:\temp\r-rdisk.bat
   
   Substitute drive D: with the drive where you install Windows NT.

NOTE: This option causes a console window to appear during the GUI-mode of Setup when the batch file is run. After your computer reboots, another Saving Configuration message appears.

Method 2: Create a Shortcut

Add a shortcut to the desktop of the default user which starts "rdisk /s" (without the quotation marks.)

Method 3: Create a Login Script

Create a login script for your users that runs "rdisk /s" (without the quotation marks) on a regular basis. This reminds users to keep their Emergency Repair Disk current.

NOTE: An Emergency Repair Disk becomes increasingly more important as you make changes to the system. The ERD created can, in most cases, be duplicated by repeating Setup. Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.