DOS-based Remote Installation

Some network administrators suggest to do away with NetBEUI protocol in order to reduce the network overhead. I disagree for three reasons:

• When you install Remote Access Server (RAS), NetBEUI is included. Deleting NetBEUI may affect RAS.

• NetBEUI is non-routable. When routers are down, the local area network can still function.

• NetBEUI is very useful when you want to do a DOS-based remote installation.

In this write-up I will discuss the last point.

If you want to install Windows in a PC that does not have a CD drive or does not have the proper CD driver, you have two options to deal with this problem: Either use a floppy disk version of Windows installer or do a remote installation by connecting the PC to the server in DOS mode. Although you can make a DOS mode connection by using different protocols, the easiest way is to use NetBEUI. The procedures are as the following:

• Copy the folder WIN95 to the server. It is advisable that you have two folders of WIN95. One is copied from a full version of Windows 95 for a new computer. Another one is from an upgrade version. You may name the second one as WIN95_UG. If you want to reinstall Windows to a PC which has corrupt Windows and the existing Windows version is different from the full version Windows installer, the installer may stop at the half way and ask you to use an upgrade version.

• Download MS-DOS client for NT from Microsoft homepage to a floppy disk.

• Install DOS in the PC and run memmaker. Later you need more conventional memory to run Windows setup.

• Insert the DOS client for NT in the floppy drive. Type a:setup.

• The default client directory is c:\net. Accept it.

• The DOS client installer can detect the network adaptor automatically. If not, select the proper network card.

• In the Change Name option, enter your NT user name and your NT domain.

• In the Change Protocol option, select NetBEUI.

• After the installation and restart, the DOS-based client would start the networking. At the DOS prompt type net use f: \\your_server_name\win95. A network drive will be mapped.

• Type f:\setup to install Windows. If the hard drive is not freshly formatted, the Windows scandisk may fail and refuse to proceed the installation. If so, type f:\setup /IS to skip scandisk.

• If you are a network administrator and you will install multiple PCs, you may want to write a batch script for a hand-free installation. You can use batch.exe, which comes with the admin tools in the Windows CD, to write a batch script. You may also finish the installation of one computer first, then rename setup.log to setup.inf. But you must edit the IP address and computer name in the setup.log otherwise all of your PCs will have the same IP number and name. Please keep in mind that using a batch script assumes that the hardware devices of all your PCs are the same, otherwise you will shoot yourself on your foot. To install Windows with a batch script, type f:/setup setup.inf.

Note: You may also use utilities such as Ghost, DriveCopy, or Disk Magic to replicate workstations.