Microsoft KB Archive/892857

= The Setup program does not prompt you for input, or you receive an &quot;unable to continue&quot; error message when you try to install Windows Server 2003 =

PSS ID Number: 892857

Article Last Modified on 2/3/2005

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Web Edition

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SYMPTOMS
When you try to install Microsoft Windows Server 2003, the Setup program may continue all the way through the process without ever prompting you for input. Or, if the Winnt.sif file and the Unattend.txt file are used to automate the setup process, you may receive the following error message:

Unattended setup is unable to continue because a setup parameter specified by your system administrator or computer manufacturer is missing or invalid. Setup must therefore ask you to provide this information now. Once you have finished the required information, unattended setup operation will continue.



CAUSE
You are not prompted during the setup process if the following conditions are true:
 * The Windows Server 2003-based computer supports Emergency Management Services.
 * Emergency Management Services is enabled in the computer's BIOS.

When Emergency Management Services is enabled in the computer's BIOS, Setup overrides any settings in the Winnt.sif file and in the Unattend.txt file for the UnattendMode value. It does this by changing the UnattendMode value to FullUnattended. The original Winnt.sif file and the original Unattend.txt file are copied to a temporary location on the computer's hard disk, and then the value is updated.

You receive the error message that is mentioned in the &quot;Symptoms&quot; section when required settings are missing from the Winnt.sif file or from the Unattend.txt file. Specifically, this issue occurs because Setup changes the UnattendMode value to FullUnattended. Because a minimum set of requirements must exist for FullUnattended mode to work correctly, you may be prompted for additional information when you run Setup in this scenario.

Note Emergency Management Services is also unofficially known as EMS.



WORKAROUND
To work around this issue, disable Emergency Management Services in the BIOS before you install Windows Server 2003.



MORE INFORMATION
For additional information about how to perform an unattended installation of Windows Server 2003 on a computer that supports Emergency Management Services, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

815273 How to perform an unattended Emergency Management Services installation of Windows Server 2003

Keywords: kbtshoot kberrmsg KB892857

Technology: kbWinServ2003Ent kbWinServ2003EntSearch kbWinServ2003Search kbWinServ2003St kbWinServ2003Web

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