VirtualBox 2.1.4 Issue: Using USB stick during setup

[webJose]

Hello everybody:

I am facing an issue when I try to install Windows Vista Enterprise with or without SP1 in unattended mode.

As you may, or may not know, an XML file called Autounattend.xml can be fed to the Windows Vista DVD in order to install Vista without the installer asking any questions. Microsoft documentation states that this file is normally put in a floppy or USB stick. So who uses floppies these days?? USB stick is my way to go.

I created the XML file and the first part of the installation worked OK. The computer reboots for the first time, then it goes back to the installation screen where it runs the final step of the installation. At this point, the computer should restart and enter into Windows Vista for the first time. Well, it doesn't happen. The virtual PC never restarts.

Troubleshooting the problem I found the following:

1. USB sticks are not recognized by WinPE 2.0 if the option for USB 2.0 is not used.
2. The presence of the USB stick in the second stage (the one that never reboots) is the cause of the problem.
   To work around the problem, I just unplug the USB stick from the host machine (a Windows Vista Ultimate x64 machine) and the installation seems to complete OK, including every setting in the unattended response file.

I suppose that I don't need help with this right now, but I thought it would be good to let you know, in case this bug can be fixed in the next releases. Thanks for the time!!

P. S.: I clearly don't understand how to use the Ordered List thingy in this forum.

[Sasquatch]

For ordered lists, it would be useful if you checked the BBcode help on the right . I fixed it for you.

Doesn't the Vista installer tell you to remove the USB drive? That was the case when with XP, you needed to load SCSI/SATA drivers. At the reboot message, it would say to remove the floppy, else the computer might try to boot from it.