Microsoft KB Archive/929839

Knowledge Base

How to disable the command prompt during the Windows Vista Enterprise installation process

Article ID: 929839

Article Last Modified on 11/2/2007

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APPLIES TO

• Windows Vista Enterprise

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INTRODUCTION

In some cases, you may want to use the command prompt to troubleshoot the Windows Vista Enterprise installation process. By default, the command prompt is enabled in Windows Vista Enterprise. This article describes how to disable the command prompt during the Windows Vista Enterprise installation process.

Note To start a command prompt during the Windows Vista Enterprise installation process, press SHIFT+F10.

MORE INFORMATION

During all phases of the Windows Vista Enterprise installation process, Windows Setup and the related setup files examine the Windows Vista Enterprise setup directory for a file that is named the DisableCMDRequest.tag file. When Windows Setup and the related setup files find the DisableCMDRequest.tag file, Windows Setup disables the command prompt for the duration of the Windows Vista Enterprise installation process.

The Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) runs when you start Windows Setup for the first time. To disable the command prompt during the Windows Vista Enterprise installation process in other setup stages that follow the Windows PE stage, follow these steps:

1. Verify that the computer has Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) or Windows OEM Preinstall Kit (Windows OPK) installed.
2. Click Start, click All Programs, click Windows AIK or Windows OPK, and then click Windows PE Tools Command Prompt.
   
   Note If you follow these steps on a Windows Vista Enterprise-based computer, right-click the Command Prompt window, and then click Run as Administrator.
3. Use the ImageX tool to mount the Boot.wim file to a folder. To do this, run the following command:

   md \mount imagex /mountrw WimFileFolderName\boot.wim 2 \mount

   Note In this command, WimFileFolderName is a placeholder for the name of the folder that contains the Boot.wim file.
4. In the Windows Vista Enterprise setup directory, create the DisableCMDRequest.tag file. To do this, run the following command:

   md \mount\windows\setup\scripts echo.>\mount\windows\setup\scripts\DisableCMDRequest.TAG

5. Apply the changes to the Boot.wim file. To do this, run the following command:

   Imagex /unmount /commit \mount

   Note After you follow these steps to disable the command prompt during the Windows Vista installation process in other stages of setup, you cannot run audit mode by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+F3.
6. Deploy the image. To do this, use the methods that are specified in the documentation for Windows AIK, for Windows OPK, or for Windows Deployment Services.

Note After you follow these steps, you cannot run audit mode by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+F3.

Keywords: kbhowto kbinfo kbtshoot kbexpertiseinter KB929839

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