Automated Install of Client for Microsoft Network on Windows 98

Hi All

I need to install the Client for Microsoft Networking onto about 5,500
Windows 98 Clients. These PCs have been attached to a Novell Network
only, until now, and therefore have only the Novell Client 32
installed. The MS Client was never required - until now.

Before anyone mentions it - FPNW and Gateway services are currently
under pilot with us but things are looking pretty bleak due to system
instability - MS have been involved directly in this. I am looking at
Plan B!

Can anyone give me a steer on how I can use scripts or automated tools
to deliver and configure the Microsoft Client onto these PCs. I have
Novell Zenworks which is a top-notch app delivery tool but there seems
to be no way of automatically/remotely installing the MS Networking
client after initial Windows installation.

All of this is a precursor to upgrading desktops to Windows XP.

All help gratefully accepted (shoe leather is expensive these days)!

Regs.

JIM R

I don't have any thoughts on a delivery system , but winxp installs it by
default

"Jim Reynolds" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> Hi All
>
> I need to install the Client for Microsoft Networking onto about 5,500
> Windows 98 Clients. These PCs have been attached to a Novell Network
> only, until now, and therefore have only the Novell Client 32
> installed. The MS Client was never required - until now.
>
> Before anyone mentions it - FPNW and Gateway services are currently
> under pilot with us but things are looking pretty bleak due to system
> instability - MS have been involved directly in this. I am looking at
> Plan B!
>
> Can anyone give me a steer on how I can use scripts or automated tools
> to deliver and configure the Microsoft Client onto these PCs. I have
> Novell Zenworks which is a top-notch app delivery tool but there seems
> to be no way of automatically/remotely installing the MS Networking
> client after initial Windows installation.
>
> All of this is a precursor to upgrading desktops to Windows XP.
>
> All help gratefully accepted (shoe leather is expensive these days)!
>
> Regs.
>
> JIM R

Thanks Haggis, but I need to get the MS Windows Client onto W98 to
give transitional data access while my users have their desktops
upgraded. 5.5K user upgrades in one hit is a little risky !

Regs,

JIM

"Haggis" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<A_s_b.927$G3.9671@localhost>...
> I don't have any thoughts on a delivery system , but winxp installs it by
> default
>
> "Jim Reynolds" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> > Hi All
> >
> > I need to install the Client for Microsoft Networking onto about 5,500
> > Windows 98 Clients. These PCs have been attached to a Novell Network
> > only, until now, and therefore have only the Novell Client 32
> > installed. The MS Client was never required - until now.
> >
> > Before anyone mentions it - FPNW and Gateway services are currently
> > under pilot with us but things are looking pretty bleak due to system
> > instability - MS have been involved directly in this. I am looking at
> > Plan B!
> >
> > Can anyone give me a steer on how I can use scripts or automated tools
> > to deliver and configure the Microsoft Client onto these PCs. I have
> > Novell Zenworks which is a top-notch app delivery tool but there seems
> > to be no way of automatically/remotely installing the MS Networking
> > client after initial Windows installation.
> >
> > All of this is a precursor to upgrading desktops to Windows XP.
> >
> > All help gratefully accepted (shoe leather is expensive these days)!
> >
> > Regs.
> >
> > JIM R

Get yourself a copy of SMS Installer. I personaly use the one that comes
with the SMS 1.2 Suite install CD. From a current setup machine, turn on
SMS installer in the background and then do an install of the Client with
all your customizations. Stop SMS installer, and it produce an executable
file that has all the drivers, registry settings, and ini settings that you
need.

Tke the file to another clean machine, and run it. It should install just
fine.

After passing QA, let ZenWorks send the file across to the company for
installation. Or you could build it into your login script.

Failing that, you could build your own install package using RegMon to
detect registry and INI changes, and DIFF to detect file changes. You end
up building a source directory and a batch file, but ZenWorks should be able
to handle that easily also. But SMS Installer has the added advantage of
allowing you to use Add/remove programs in case all hell breaks loose.

"Jim Reynolds" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> Thanks Haggis, but I need to get the MS Windows Client onto W98 to
> give transitional data access while my users have their desktops
> upgraded. 5.5K user upgrades in one hit is a little risky !
>
> Regs,
>
> JIM
>
> "Haggis" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:<A_s_b.927$G3.9671@localhost>...
> > I don't have any thoughts on a delivery system , but winxp installs it
by
> > default
> >
> > "Jim Reynolds" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> > > Hi All
> > >
> > > I need to install the Client for Microsoft Networking onto about 5,500
> > > Windows 98 Clients. These PCs have been attached to a Novell Network
> > > only, until now, and therefore have only the Novell Client 32
> > > installed. The MS Client was never required - until now.
> > >
> > > Before anyone mentions it - FPNW and Gateway services are currently
> > > under pilot with us but things are looking pretty bleak due to system
> > > instability - MS have been involved directly in this. I am looking at
> > > Plan B!
> > >
> > > Can anyone give me a steer on how I can use scripts or automated tools
> > > to deliver and configure the Microsoft Client onto these PCs. I have
> > > Novell Zenworks which is a top-notch app delivery tool but there seems
> > > to be no way of automatically/remotely installing the MS Networking
> > > client after initial Windows installation.
> > >
> > > All of this is a precursor to upgrading desktops to Windows XP.
> > >
> > > All help gratefully accepted (shoe leather is expensive these days)!
> > >
> > > Regs.
> > >
> > > JIM R

--- Gerry

Thanks for the feedback. I have used SMS Installer before (and agree
that it is a great tool). ZENworks has an equivalent application
called SnAPPshot that does similar things in a NetWare environment.

I had considered using an application imaging/packaging tool like
these but, from what I remember, the MS Client tends to bind to
specific enumerated stuff in the scary part of the registry that
relates to hardware drivers. This will vary significantly between
machines and therefore I am not sure that this approach will work. I
may try it if all else fails.

--- All

Is there anyone from MS on this forum that could confirm whether MS
are aware of a suitable tool or technique that could help - or confirm
Gerrys approach?

Regs,

JIM

"Gerry Voras" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<edKZo0b$(E-Mail Removed)>...
> Get yourself a copy of SMS Installer. I personaly use the one that comes
> with the SMS 1.2 Suite install CD. From a current setup machine, turn on
> SMS installer in the background and then do an install of the Client with
> all your customizations. Stop SMS installer, and it produce an executable
> file that has all the drivers, registry settings, and ini settings that you
> need.
>
> Tke the file to another clean machine, and run it. It should install just
> fine.
>
> After passing QA, let ZenWorks send the file across to the company for
> installation. Or you could build it into your login script.
>
> Failing that, you could build your own install package using RegMon to
> detect registry and INI changes, and DIFF to detect file changes. You end
> up building a source directory and a batch file, but ZenWorks should be able
> to handle that easily also. But SMS Installer has the added advantage of
> allowing you to use Add/remove programs in case all hell breaks loose.
>