RIS hostnames during setup - new problem

[Kenneth Belferman]

Hello:

A few weeks ago I posted a question here about prompting for hostnames
during RIS setup.

Thanks to one response, I was able to include a Custom Setup option in the
RIS menu which enables me to enter a hosntame and continue with the OS
install.

However, although the hostname I enter in Custom Setup is created in Active
Directory, when the OS install is complete the computer still comes up with
a generic name. If I try to edit the "computername" line in the
ristndrd.sif file, for example by leaving it blank hoping I'll get prompted
to enter a name, I get an error during RIS setup that says "the entry
'computername' in the [userdata] section of the INF file is corrupt or
missing." At this point, the installation fails.

I looked at the Properties/RemoteInstall/Advanced Settings of the RIS
server. There are options there to customize hostname assignment but none
of them seems to solve my problem.

So, is there a way to assign a hostname to a client computer during RIS
setup?

Thanks in advance.


Ken B.

 

[NIC Student]

Look at http://www.mvps.org/serverstuff/RIS/customrisscreens.htm for some
suggestions.

We use the above plus a *.sif that has these sections:

[UserData]
FullName = "ourDomain"
OrgName = "ourDomain"
ComputerName = %MACHINENAME%
ProductID = "*-*-*-*"

[Identification]
JoinDomain = %MACHINEDOMAIN%
CreateComputerAccountInDomain = Yes
DoOldStyleDomainJoin = Yes

The login.osc gathers the machine name plus the directory path of where to
put the machine accounts (and which domain to use)

 

[Kenneth Belferman]

Thanks for this info, but I don't think this is going to solve my problem.

In my situation, the client ocmputer is joined to the domain with the chosen
hostname. However, after the OS install and the computer boots up, I find
that it has a generic hostname. In other words, the hostname chosen in the
Custom Setup screen is created in AD but the computer itself still gets
assigned a generic hostname.

Look at http://www.mvps.org/serverstuff/RIS/customrisscreens.htm for some
suggestions.

We use the above plus a *.sif that has these sections:

[UserData]
FullName = "ourDomain"
OrgName = "ourDomain"
ComputerName = %MACHINENAME%
ProductID = "*-*-*-*"

[Identification]
JoinDomain = %MACHINEDOMAIN%
CreateComputerAccountInDomain = Yes
DoOldStyleDomainJoin = Yes

The login.osc gathers the machine name plus the directory path of where to
put the machine accounts (and which domain to use)

--
Scott Baldridge
Windows Server MVP, MCSE

"Kenneth Belferman"

Hello:

A few weeks ago I posted a question here about prompting for hostnames
during RIS setup.

Thanks to one response, I was able to include a Custom Setup option in the
RIS menu which enables me to enter a hosntame and continue with the OS
install.

However, although the hostname I enter in Custom Setup is created in Active
Directory, when the OS install is complete the computer still comes up with
a generic name. If I try to edit the "computername" line in the
ristndrd.sif file, for example by leaving it blank hoping I'll get prompted
to enter a name, I get an error during RIS setup that says "the entry
'computername' in the [userdata] section of the INF file is corrupt or
missing." At this point, the installation fails.

I looked at the Properties/RemoteInstall/Advanced Settings of the RIS
server. There are options there to customize hostname assignment but none
of them seems to solve my problem.

So, is there a way to assign a hostname to a client computer during RIS
setup?

Thanks in advance.


Ken B.