I'm gearing up to deploy several Dell Optiplex PCs that I got from eBay, and they don't have an OS installed. I'm trying to set up an answer file to automate the Windows 11 installation. I placed the 'autounattend.xml' file in the root of my USB installer created with the Windows Media Creation Tool, but when I booted from it, the installer didn't recognize the disk due to missing Intel RST storage drivers. I managed to download those drivers and added them to the thumb drive, but during the installation, it seemed to ignore my answer file altogether. Can anyone explain why this is happening? Also, is there a way to integrate these drivers into the installation media so it doesn't interrupt the process? Thanks for any help!
4 Answers
You could also check out NTLite. It's a powerful tool for integrating drivers into your installation media, so you don’t have to deal with the manual driver injection during the install process. Here's the link: https://www.ntlite.com/.
To get around the issue, make sure to place the Intel drivers in a folder named '$winpedriver$' at the root of your USB drive. This way, the installer can access them without you having to point to them manually. If your answer file still isn't working, it might be formatted incorrectly. I usually use an unattended answer file generator for mine; it simplifies the process a lot! Check it out here: https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/.
Honestly, unattended setups and answer files are a bit old-school. If you're looking for something simpler, you might want to try using provisioning packages (ppkgs). They can streamline things a lot more than traditional unattend files.
Honestly, if it’s only a few PCs, you might end up spending more time troubleshooting automation than just doing it manually. Sometimes keeping it straightforward is the fastest way to go.
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