Avantis CD Server Client 2.4 MSI Drive letter assignment

[noah]

Hi - We are in the proccess of depolying all our software via GPO using MSI's. We have over 500 computers on our LAN all running XP so we think this is the most effectient way of deploying software.

We currently have a problem deploying Avantis Client 2.4 MSI as there doesn't seem like a way to specifiy which drive letters it uses. It just picks the next avaiable drive letter.

Does anyone know of a way to specify what drive letters Avantis client 2.4 MSI is to use?

Help would be much appricated

[noah]

:?

[User3204]

Hi,

I have just sent an email to you.

But just so everyone else has the chance to know how this crappy thing works..

I created two files on the netlogon share (in a folder), one called "avantisdrive.reg"

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices]
"\\??\\Volume{dbc4b6fc-3e76-11dc-82fd-806d6172696f}"=hex:5c,00,3f,00,3f,00,5c,\
  00,53,00,43,00,53,00,49,00,23,00,43,00,64,00,52,00,6f,00,6d,00,26,00,56,00,\
  65,00,6e,00,5f,00,41,00,76,00,61,00,6e,00,74,00,69,00,73,00,26,00,50,00,72,\
  00,6f,00,64,00,5f,00,4f,00,70,00,65,00,6e,00,5f,00,43,00,44,00,4d,00,56,00,\
  44,00,30,00,30,00,31,00,26,00,52,00,65,00,76,00,5f,00,30,00,30,00,30,00,32,\
  00,23,00,31,00,26,00,36,00,39,00,39,00,36,00,61,00,31,00,34,00,26,00,30,00,\
  26,00,30,00,30,00,30,00,23,00,7b,00,35,00,33,00,66,00,35,00,36,00,33,00,30,\
  00,64,00,2d,00,62,00,36,00,62,00,66,00,2d,00,31,00,31,00,64,00,30,00,2d,00,\
  39,00,34,00,66,00,32,00,2d,00,30,00,30,00,61,00,30,00,63,00,39,00,31,00,65,\
  00,66,00,62,00,38,00,62,00,7d,00
"\\??\\Volume{dbc4b6fd-3e76-11dc-82fd-806d6172696f}"=hex:5c,00,3f,00,3f,00,5c,\
  00,53,00,43,00,53,00,49,00,23,00,43,00,64,00,52,00,6f,00,6d,00,26,00,56,00,\
  65,00,6e,00,5f,00,41,00,76,00,61,00,6e,00,74,00,69,00,73,00,26,00,50,00,72,\
  00,6f,00,64,00,5f,00,4f,00,70,00,65,00,6e,00,5f,00,43,00,44,00,4d,00,56,00,\
  44,00,30,00,30,00,31,00,26,00,52,00,65,00,76,00,5f,00,30,00,30,00,30,00,32,\
  00,23,00,31,00,26,00,36,00,39,00,39,00,36,00,61,00,31,00,34,00,26,00,30,00,\
  26,00,30,00,31,00,30,00,23,00,7b,00,35,00,33,00,66,00,35,00,36,00,33,00,30,\
  00,64,00,2d,00,62,00,36,00,62,00,66,00,2d,00,31,00,31,00,64,00,30,00,2d,00,\
  39,00,34,00,66,00,32,00,2d,00,30,00,30,00,61,00,30,00,63,00,39,00,31,00,65,\
  00,66,00,62,00,38,00,62,00,7d,00
"\\??\\Volume{dbc4b6fe-3e76-11dc-82fd-806d6172696f}"=hex:5c,00,3f,00,3f,00,5c,\
  00,53,00,43,00,53,00,49,00,23,00,43,00,64,00,52,00,6f,00,6d,00,26,00,56,00,\
  65,00,6e,00,5f,00,41,00,76,00,61,00,6e,00,74,00,69,00,73,00,26,00,50,00,72,\
  00,6f,00,64,00,5f,00,4f,00,70,00,65,00,6e,00,5f,00,43,00,44,00,4d,00,56,00,\
  44,00,30,00,30,00,31,00,26,00,52,00,65,00,76,00,5f,00,30,00,30,00,30,00,32,\
  00,23,00,31,00,26,00,36,00,39,00,39,00,36,00,61,00,31,00,34,00,26,00,30,00,\
  26,00,30,00,32,00,30,00,23,00,7b,00,35,00,33,00,66,00,35,00,36,00,33,00,30,\
  00,64,00,2d,00,62,00,36,00,62,00,66,00,2d,00,31,00,31,00,64,00,30,00,2d,00,\
  39,00,34,00,66,00,32,00,2d,00,30,00,30,00,61,00,30,00,63,00,39,00,31,00,65,\
  00,66,00,62,00,38,00,62,00,7d,00
"\\DosDevices\\X:"=hex:5c,00,3f,00,3f,00,5c,00,53,00,43,00,53,00,49,00,23,00,\
  43,00,64,00,52,00,6f,00,6d,00,26,00,56,00,65,00,6e,00,5f,00,41,00,76,00,61,\
  00,6e,00,74,00,69,00,73,00,26,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,64,00,5f,00,4f,00,70,00,\
  65,00,6e,00,5f,00,43,00,44,00,4d,00,56,00,44,00,30,00,30,00,31,00,26,00,52,\
  00,65,00,76,00,5f,00,30,00,30,00,30,00,32,00,23,00,31,00,26,00,36,00,39,00,\
  39,00,36,00,61,00,31,00,34,00,26,00,30,00,26,00,30,00,30,00,30,00,23,00,7b,\
  00,35,00,33,00,66,00,35,00,36,00,33,00,30,00,64,00,2d,00,62,00,36,00,62,00,\
  66,00,2d,00,31,00,31,00,64,00,30,00,2d,00,39,00,34,00,66,00,32,00,2d,00,30,\
  00,30,00,61,00,30,00,63,00,39,00,31,00,65,00,66,00,62,00,38,00,62,00,7d,00
"\\DosDevices\\Y:"=hex:5c,00,3f,00,3f,00,5c,00,53,00,43,00,53,00,49,00,23,00,\
  43,00,64,00,52,00,6f,00,6d,00,26,00,56,00,65,00,6e,00,5f,00,41,00,76,00,61,\
  00,6e,00,74,00,69,00,73,00,26,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,64,00,5f,00,4f,00,70,00,\
  65,00,6e,00,5f,00,43,00,44,00,4d,00,56,00,44,00,30,00,30,00,31,00,26,00,52,\
  00,65,00,76,00,5f,00,30,00,30,00,30,00,32,00,23,00,31,00,26,00,36,00,39,00,\
  39,00,36,00,61,00,31,00,34,00,26,00,30,00,26,00,30,00,31,00,30,00,23,00,7b,\
  00,35,00,33,00,66,00,35,00,36,00,33,00,30,00,64,00,2d,00,62,00,36,00,62,00,\
  66,00,2d,00,31,00,31,00,64,00,30,00,2d,00,39,00,34,00,66,00,32,00,2d,00,30,\
  00,30,00,61,00,30,00,63,00,39,00,31,00,65,00,66,00,62,00,38,00,62,00,7d,00
"\\DosDevices\\Z:"=hex:5c,00,3f,00,3f,00,5c,00,53,00,43,00,53,00,49,00,23,00,\
  43,00,64,00,52,00,6f,00,6d,00,26,00,56,00,65,00,6e,00,5f,00,41,00,76,00,61,\
  00,6e,00,74,00,69,00,73,00,26,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,64,00,5f,00,4f,00,70,00,\
  65,00,6e,00,5f,00,43,00,44,00,4d,00,56,00,44,00,30,00,30,00,31,00,26,00,52,\
  00,65,00,76,00,5f,00,30,00,30,00,30,00,32,00,23,00,31,00,26,00,36,00,39,00,\
  39,00,36,00,61,00,31,00,34,00,26,00,30,00,26,00,30,00,32,00,30,00,23,00,7b,\
  00,35,00,33,00,66,00,35,00,36,00,33,00,30,00,64,00,2d,00,62,00,36,00,62,00,\
  66,00,2d,00,31,00,31,00,64,00,30,00,2d,00,39,00,34,00,66,00,32,00,2d,00,30,\
  00,30,00,61,00,30,00,63,00,39,00,31,00,65,00,66,00,62,00,38,00,62,00,7d,00

This is basically the export from regedit for a machine that I had setup right first, then I tidied the (really) local stuff out.

and one called "avantisdrive.vbs"

Set oShell = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell") 

'Your .Reg file and path goes here as in the example below
sRegFile = "avantisdrive.reg" 

'This line runs Regedit in silent mode
oShell.Run "regedit.exe /s " & Chr(34) & sRegFile & Chr(34), 0, True

'regedit /s avantisdrive.reg

To import the reg file.

The point is, this has to run _before_ the avantis is deployed out, as otherwise it will just make up drive letters, and we use G drive, as an important network drive map.


I have also run the setup and created an MSI, that does the right number of drives (I think this is a setup /a switch).

I have also editted the MSI, using Orca, to remove the shortcuts, as I don't want these links visible to the students (or staff). I usually remove all the shortcuts from the MSIs, should really figure out how to make a MST file (and how to use one).


Additional:

1. I stole the VBS from the internet;

2. I run this script from Group Policy, in the machines startup scripts.