DOS Program Automation

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T1junkie

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I have a disk Imaging program (Power Quest Disk Image 3.0)
and I am try to automate the imaging process
the PQDI exe doesn't support automation.
is there a way to automate the process from an external file
ie a batch file.
 
I don't think so, at least not from a batch file. In my experience, batch files are only for automating DOS commands. Once you enter a program, the batch file stops processing the commands until you exit the program and return to DOS. If the program itself doesn't support any automation, then I don't think that you can do it.
 
If you want command prompt automation you might have to use a program like Symantec Ghost.

You can fully customize it to your desired specifications all via an .ini file that the program makes for you.
 
what is it you want to automate? the entire process?

I use Drive image, i love it...

I find though that it doesn't take to long to kick off if you boot from a cd. Only takes a few minutes to boot up and start the restore image process.
 
ekÆsine>
the image is only 600MBish so I can use a regular CD
well I dont have ghost so that doesn't help me.

asupertech>I wanted to be able to boot off the CD and restore the image
 
there was a good write up online as to how to create the boot cd and kick off the program automagically... but since symantec bought power quest i cant seem to find any helpful support info. So i will try from memory.

Using the Create boot floppies wizard do what you normally do. Install the dos drivers and such. Create the two disks.
the first one is the boot disk that kicks off the Networkboot and all that jazz...
the second floppy contains the program files to run power quest..

After the two floppies are created.
Create a folder in the shared folder on the network that you told power quest where the image will go. \\computer\networkshare
call the folder PQDI. or what ever you want that is less then 8 letters. (remeber you are using DOS)
copy the entire contents of the second floppy into that folder.

Insert Disk #1
right click on Autoexec,bat and choose edit.
scroll down, you will see "please enter disk #2"
before that line type in \\computer\networkshare\PQDI\PQDI.EXE
@Rem out the rest of the statments.

Save the autoexec.bat file.
TEST the floppy to make sure it will boot the computer and kick off the program.
after you have it working....

Open your CD burning program. Most CD buring porgrams have an option to create a bootable CD. Usually it is under file/create cd/create bootable cd... do a search in help for your cd burning program for 'bootbale cd'....

It will read the floppy convert it and burn a bootable cd for you. Nice...


Now go to the computer you want to image put in cd, reboot and it will go all the way to the create image screen... a few clicks and it will create the image....

the issue is you are cutting it pretty close to the amount of space you have on the cd compared to your image.

if you can fit it all, you can create the bootable cd to run the program and restore an image on the cd.

do all the above steps, edit the autoexec.bat file acordingly, and burn the image, and the boot files to a cd.

I have never done that though, all of my images are about 2 gigs or more so i have no need to do that.

Automation if fine, but i have never had a need to do it all automatically, Since I am creating an image, i want to make sure all of the setting are correct and it kicks of properly. Nothing worse then THINKING you have a good image, and finding out it is no good when you REALLY need it.... considering it only takes less then am inute to click the buttons and confim it is correct and starting..it is worth it to be infront of the computer.
 
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