Member Avatar for jindalarpan

hi all
can any one help me out in setting up the windows xp home installation with the features of kickstart.
i meen to say that i need to install many desktop in my lab so i wanted to install from network without having any intraction with the computer just start the setup and it will install automaticaly
any any can provide me with the solution
thanks

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Short answer: two practical routes work best for a lab — image-based deployment (fast and repeatable) or an unattended network install using a WinPE/BartPE preboot environment. As noted, RIS exists for larger deployments, but for Windows XP Home the imaging + Sysprep approach is generally simpler and more reliable in mixed‑hardware lab situations.

Image-based workflow (recommended for labs)
Build one reference PC: install XP Home, updates, apps and drivers. Run Sysprep on that machine to generalize it (so SIDs and machine‑specific data are removed) and prepare an answer file for first boot. Capture the disk image with a tool such as Ghost, Acronis, or Clonezilla, and deploy that image to target machines using multicast (GhostCast) or a network-imaging server. Notes: keep one image per hardware family (same chipset/NIC drivers); make partition layouts identical; handle Windows activation/licensing (see next paragraph).

Unattended network install workflow
Create an unattended answer file with Setup Manager and place the full XP setup files on a network share. Boot targets to a network preboot environment (WinPE or BartPE) that includes the NIC driver, mount the share, and run setup pointing to the share and the answer file. RIS/WDS can automate this on a Server OS, but RIS is primarily aimed at Professional editions — test compatibility with XP Home before committing.

Troubleshooting & cautions
Common failures are missing NIC drivers in PE, share permissions, and imaging onto different disk layouts. Sysprep is required before cloning to avoid duplicate machine SIDs and activation problems. For many desktops, imaging + multicast is fastest; for small numbers, an unattended network setup or custom CD/USB with an answer file may be easier.

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Member Avatar for nanosani

I've read about two methods of automatic network installation of xp ... RIS and Sysprep. Microsoft recommends that if you have a lab of atleast 50 PCs .. then you use RIS.

Member Avatar for jindalarpan

hey
i have also heart about it but u know the steps to configure it out and how it works
thanks

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