Creating a network bootdisk for win2k..HELP!

ivwshane

Lifer
May 15, 2000
33,362
16,741
136
I'm practicing doing some remote installs using win2k server and RIS. On the system I plan on deploying to doesn't have a pxe enabled network adapter and it's not in the list of supported adapters for the bootdisk creator that comes with win2k server. So I need to create a bootdisk and add the drivers to it, how would I do this? I would like to accomplish this without any additional software (meaning I want to use only MS software that comes with win2k server). If it helps I have a linksys line100tx (v5) network card.


Thanks in advanced.
 

RyDogg1

Senior member
Jun 11, 2001
297
0
71
Here's the short of it,

Create a typical system disk with just command.com on it. Now create a folder called "NET" and place your NIC card's DOS driver in it. Usually this file ends in a .DOS extension. You will also need some additional files including and the ones in the autoexec.bat, config.sys files:

net.exe
netbind.com
protman.exe
protocol.ini
setup.inf
tcptsr.exe

and a few more. In this net folder create a system.ini file containing:


[network]
filesharing=no
printsharing=no
autologon=yes
computername=<<name something that is not on your network>>
lanroot=A:\NET
username=<<insert user name>>
workgroup=<workgroup or domain name>>
reconnect=no
dospophotkey=N
lmlogon=0
logondomain=<<domain name>>
preferredredir=full
autostart=full
maxconnections=8

[network drivers]
netcard=el90x.dos
transport=tcpdrv.dos,nemm.dos
devdir=A:\NET
LoadRMDrivers=yes

[Password Lists]

Next create a protocol.ini in the NET Folder:


[network.setup]
version=0x3110
netcard=ms$elnk,1,MS$ELNK,1
transport=tcpip,TCPIP
lana0=ms$elnk,1,tcpip

[ms$elnk]
drivername=EL90X$
; INTERRUPT=3
; IOADDRESS=0x300
; DMACHANNEL=none
; DMAMODE=burst
; MAXTRANSMITS=12
; MAXREQUESTS=8

[protman]
drivername=PROTMAN$
PRIORITY=MS$NDISHLP

[tcpip]
NBSessions=6
DefaultGateway0=
SubNetMask0=
IPAddress0=
DisableDHCP=0
DriverName=TCPIP$
BINDINGS=ms$elnk
LANABASE=0

Make sure you add all parts of your NIC DOS driver to this folder. Next create your autoexec.bat, config.sys files in the root of floppy.

autoexec.bat

path=a:\net
a:\net\net initialize
a:\net\netbind.com
a:\net\umb.com
a:\net\tcptsr.exe
a:\net\tinyrfc.exe
a:\net\nmtsr.exe
a:\net\emsbfr.exe
a:\net\net start
call map.bat

config.sys

files=30
device=a:\net\ifshlp.sys
lastdrive=z
DEVICE=A:\NET\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=A:\NET\EMM386.EXE NOEMS
DOS=HIGH,UMB

Of course this might have to be modified for your purposes, I have given you the network boot disk we use for most of our Dell laptops, which have a 3Com NIC's in them.

Ryan

 

ivwshane

Lifer
May 15, 2000
33,362
16,741
136
Thanks! Now is there a utillity that will do this for me (preferably a free one)?
 

RyDogg1

Senior member
Jun 11, 2001
297
0
71

So basically you want to take the lazy way out.

;)

Do a search for a network boot disk on Google.

Ryan
 

ivwshane

Lifer
May 15, 2000
33,362
16,741
136
Here's what I have so far;

In root a:\ I have
autoexec.bat
command.com
config.sys

In the NET folder I have every file needed including
protocol.ini
system.ini
and are configured as follows;

protocol.ini
[network.setup]
version=0x3110
netcard=ms$elnk,1,MS$ELNK,1
transport=tcpip,TCPIP
lana0=ms$elnk,1,tcpip

[ms$elnk]
drivername=LNE100$
; INTERRUPT=3
; IOADDRESS=0x300
; DMACHANNEL=none
; DMAMODE=burst
; MAXTRANSMITS=12
; MAXREQUESTS=8

[protman]
drivername=PROTMAN$
PRIORITY=MS$NDISHLP

[tcpip]
NBSessions=6
DefaultGateway0=
SubNetMask0=
IPAddress0=
DisableDHCP=0
DriverName=TCPIP$
BINDINGS=ms$elnk
LANABASE=0
------------------
lnet100 being my DOS driver.

system.ini

[network]
filesharing=no
printsharing=no
autologon=yes
computername=MASTERCLIENT
lanroot=A:\NET
username=Administrator
workgroup=
reconnect=no
dospophotkey=N
lmlogon=0
logondomain=mcse.com
preferredredir=full
autostart=full
maxconnections=8

[network drivers]
netcard=LNE100.dos
transport=tcpdrv.dos,nemm.dos
devdir=A:\NET
LoadRMDrivers=yes

[Password Lists]
*Shares=a:\net\Share001.PWL
ADMINISTRATOR=A:\NET\ADMINIST.PWL
-------------
mcse.com being my domain.

And just for the hell of it here is the autoexec.bat on the root a:
autoexec.bat
path=a:\net
a:\net\net initialize
a:\net\netbind.com
a:\net\umb.com
a:\net\tcptsr.exe
a:\net\tinyrfc.exe
a:\net\nmtsr.exe
a:\net\emsbfr.exe
a:\net\net start
-----------------

Everything seems to go fine (Nic cards loads ok and netbind goes through) untill I get to the;
"Enter a user name and pass. If you are the administrator press enter"
I do, then I type my password and it says it completed successfully but then just takes me to an a:\ prompt and that's it. What am I missing? I verified the ris server and it says all was well.
I'm guessing I'm missing some sort of exe or the autoexec.bat isn't 100% complete.
Any ideas?