Bypassing Display Settings Test During an Unattended Setup (140413)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
This article was previously published under Q140413

SUMMARY

After the unattended installation of Windows NT is completed and the computer is rebooted, the display settings dialog box appears requiring you to test the display settings. The display setting test can be bypassed by modifying the default SYSTEM hive in the \I386 directory after you copy it from the Windows NT 3.5 and 3.51 compact disc.

MORE INFORMATION

An unattended installation is run by specifying the /U switch with Winnt.exe or Winnt32.exe. For more information, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: 136153
TITLE : Using an Answer File for an Unattended Installation


To bypass the display setting test, remove the DETECT value from the default SYSTEM hive in \I386 directory after you copy it from the Windows NT 3.5 and 3.51 compact disc (The registry editor, Regedt32.exe, is required to modify the SYSTEM hive.):

WARNING: Modification of the default SYSTEM hive can cause serious, system- wide problems before and after Setup and may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems res ulting from the modification of SYSTEM registry can be solved. Make the registry modifications at your own risk.
  1. From the Windows NT 3.5 or 3.51 compact disc, copy the \I386 directory from the CD-ROM to the local directory. For example, if your CD-ROM drive is drive D and the local directory is on C:\NTSETUP, type the following:

    xcopy d:\i386 c:\ntsetup
  2. Expand System._ in the local directory by typing:

    expand -r system._
  3. Rename the System._ file to System.bak.

To load SYSTEM hive into the registry

  1. Run the registry editor (Regedt32.exe).
  2. From the Registry menu, choose the Load Hive option.

    The Load Hive dialog box appears.
  3. In the Drives scrolling list, select the drive which contains the SYSTEM hive.
  4. In the Directories option box, choose the directory that contains the SYSTEM hive. The files in this directory now appear in the option box beneath the File Name option box.
  5. Choose OK. A second "Load Hive" dialog box appears.
  6. In this dialog box, enter SYS_TEMP and Choose OK.

    The SYS_TEMP hive now appears as subkey of the HKEY_USERS and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE predefined keys.
  7. Click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE window and choose DETECT value in \SYS_TEMP\System\ControlSet01\GraphicDrivers.
  8. Remove the DetectDisplay value by pressing the DELETE key.

To unload the SYS_TEMP hive from the Registry

  1. Choose SYS_TEMP hive.
  2. From the Registry menu, choose the Unload Hive option.
The SYS_TEMP hive that you have unloaded no longer exists in the registry and it is saved as SYSTEM hive in the local directory.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:12/16/2003
Keywords:kbusage KB140413
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.