Yeah, it’s old news that SBS2008 setup can be done “unattended” with an answer file. Just run SBSAFG from the DVD, fill in the blanks, save the file to removable media, attach it to the target server, put the DVD in, turn it on, and…

Wait, what’s up with all of these prompts? I thought this was supposed to be unattended?

Well, yes, the SBS wizard portion is unattended, but you still have to go through the OS setup. You see, MS tried really hard to make the transition from OS install to SBS configuration seamless. What they really did, however, was remove the ability for us to make any fine adjustments after the OS load and before SBS installation. For example, partitioning and formatting additional disk volumes.

Anyway, the end result is that the SBSAFG generates an answer file that answers the SBS questions, but not the OS load questions.

Generating an answer file for the OS load is not nearly as simple as double-clicking an executable and filling out a structured form. It’s not even as simple as it was in 2003, where you could extract and run sysprep to generate an answer file, and then use a text editor to fill in the missing bits, with simple, easy to understand formatting.

Now, you need to download a huge program, install it, copy an even larger file from your installation media, catalog it, choose your OS version and type, start an answer file, add some things to various stages of setup, fill in the blanks, and then save the answer file. Some of those fields have tips to help you determine what needs to be typed in there. Others do not.

As if that was not confusing enough, most of the tutorials on this are focused on deploying Vista using Windows Deployment Services. On a small, disregarded, deeply buried web page, I found a note saying that to deploy Windows 2008 with an answer file, just follow the Vista instructions and use Win2008 media.

Ready? Here we go:

Download and install the Windows Automated Installation Kit (992 MB). I believe this must be installed on Vista or Server 2008. I used Server 2008.

Copy the install.wim file from the SBS2008 DVD to the hard disk of the computer you are running the IAK on. I am not sure if it can be run from the DVD directly, but I didn’t want to listen to the drive whine/click/whir longer than necessary, or be prompted for the file again later, so I just went ahead and copied it.

Run Windows System Image Manager. 

1. Right-click the Select a Windows Image, choose to select one, and browse to the WIM file.
   Choose the OS you want (in this case let’s go with ServerStandard, because we’ll be automating SBS2008 Standard).
2. Choose to create a catalog for that OS.
3. Right-click in the answer file section, and choose to create a new answer file.

Great! Now we have some components, and a framework of installation stages in the answer file. Now what?

You can have all kinds of fun with this, and here is a reference guide to help.

However, there is a small set of core pieces listed on this page that we need to put in there to make it unattended. Before you slam those in there, however, be aware that those pieces are required for a fully built, distributable instance of Vista, resealed and all. If you include all of those things, it will break your SBS2008 installation.

Below is a listing of what I put in there, the values I entered.
All of it goes into “1 windowsPE”.

Note: This is not XML-formatted text. Do not copy/paste this into an XML file, that will not work for you. Instead, look for these settings in the AIK. I am not planning to post a full XML file because your settings/requirements might be significantly different – so it is best if you build yours from scratch.

amd64_Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE_neutral
  InputLocale: 0409-000000409
  SystemLocale: en-us
  UILanguage: en-us
  UserLocale: en-us
\-> SetupUILanguage
      UILanguage: en-us
      WillShowUI: OnError
amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Setup_neutral
\-> DiskConfiguration
      WillShowUI: OnError
   \-> Disk[DiskID=”0”
         Action: AddListItem
         DiskID: 0
         WillWipeDisk: true
       \-> CreatePartitions
           \-> CreatePartition[Order=”1”]
                 Action: AddListItem
                 Extend: false
                 Order: 1
                 Size: 61500
                 Type: Primary
       \-> ModifyPartitions
           \-> ModifyPartition[Order=”1”]
                 Action: AddListItem
                 Active: true
                 Extend: false
                 Format: NTFS
                 Label: OS
                 Letter: C
                 Order: 1
                 PartitionID: 1
\-> ImageInstall
    \->OSImage
         WillShowUI: OnError
       \->InstallTo
            DiskID: 0
            PartitionID: 1
\-> UserData
      AcceptEula: true
      FullName: John Q. Public
      Organization: Your Company
    \->ProductKey
         Key: TM24T-X9RMF-VWXK6-X8JC9-BFGM2
         WillShowUI: OnError

Some notes about the above values:

The values in the first section assume US English installations. Check out the reference guide for your locale.

The disk configuration I specified wipes out any existing partitions and creates a single 65 GB partition at the start of the disk. Adjust as appropriate for your installation, and be careful not to wipe out an important partition on your server. I recommend duplicating your server’s disk structure on a white box and testing before you actually run this on your server.

The UserData section is unimportant, as it gets replaced later by the answers from the SBS answer file. These will get you through without requiring customization for each client.

The product key I used is a special key for unattended installations. It is not a “real” key, and you will need to replace it when it is time to activate. SBS2008 provides an easy mechanism in the activation UI for this.

Once you have inserted all of these items and typed in the values, it is time to save your answer file to removable media. I suggest also saving it to the same folder with the WIM file and the catalog, for later use.

A quick note about virtualization: When running SBS2008 setup on a Hyper-V platform, the display size goes to 1600×1200 pixels. I tried adding display settings in every stage of setup, to no avail. When done, I was still looking at a 1600×1200 desktop. If I figure this out later, I’ll post an update. This issue does not happen on ESXi.

So, now that we have the initial OS answer file, we need to create the SBS answer file. This step is fairly straightforward.

You can run the SBSAFG executable straight from the DVD, or copy it to a workstation somewhere and run it there. It does not like being run over the network, I have found, but it executes locally on Windows 2008, Windows 2003, and Windows XP without fuss. I did not try it with Vista, but I assume it would work there as well.

Fill out the form as you wish, and save the file to the same removable media you put your OS answer file on. Thankfully, they use different file names, so there will not be a conflict.

Now you’re ready to attach your removable device, insert your SBS2008 DVD, and build a system.

Good luck!

Tags: answer file, from boot to welcome, SBS 2008, SBSAFG, System Information Manager, unattended, Windows AIK