Explanation

• Windows setup manager is a "Sysprep tool," which can help a user create a "Sysprep.ini" file. "Sysprep.ini" is called an "answer file," which stores your answers to windows setup questions. Windows setup can use this file to apply your answers automatically during setup to reduce or eliminate user input needed during setup. This is called an "unattended setup" and is useful for people who do not have the time or desire to wait and manually answer each setup question as they are presented by the setup program. This is important as the windows setup process can take between 20 to 60 minutes (on average) depending on the performance of the computer and the complexity of the operating system being installed.
  
  

Answer Files

• Answer files can be viewed as "plain text" in notepad and can be manually created without the use of the wizard. You can make the answer file as complex or as simple as you like. You can expect the wizard to provide you with a functional answer file which uses the computer it is created on as a reference point.
  
  

Considerations

• Answer files created by the wizard can be used on other computers of "like design". Like design refers to computers that have compatible "HALs" (hardware abstract layer; it means similar hardware).
  
  Reference and designation computers (target computer for answer file) must also share a similar "ACPI" (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface; this means the computer can regulate its power consumption for individual devices and power itself on). You may also need a third-party disc imaging tool if you are running a windows version, such as Windows XP, that does not come with one.
  One final consideration is that destination computer(s) must match or exceed hard drive space requirements of the reference computer. The destination computer will also adopt the file system of the reference computer.
  
  Some windows operating systems and configurations may not have this wizard built-in and can be located on the Windows setup disc or the Internet. You can not install the wizard on an operating system that does not support it.
  
  

Professional Uses

• Answer files may seem a little redundant if you only have one computer and you only install windows on it once. In a business setting an IT professional may have to install Windows every day and watching a setup progress bar is a poor use of a technician's time. This wizard and the answer file it produces is an essential piece of the automated setup process that will allow a technician to start an install (even remotely) and let windows install itself without requiring further input or attention.
  
  

Additional Information

• The wizard was originally created for Windows XP, but the answer files have been used for Microsoft operating systems since Windows NT. Windows 95, 98, ME and 2000 did not have a wizard, but could use manually created answer files. Windows Vista and Windows 7 both have a wizard, but it is called "Windows Setup Image Manager". This wizard has additional features and built-in imaging software.