Network Booting to install Windows 7

Network Booting to install Windows 7

A utility has just appeared which makes installing Windows XP ,Windows 7, Windows 8 via PXE very easy.It is called Serva and can be found here. It is quite a small download - with it you can set up a RIS and WDS server on your Windows PC and you don't need to even touch any existing DHCP server or router.
What U Need:

1.     Windows 7 PC
2.     SERVA EXE
3.     TFTP SERVER
4.     SWITCH/HUB
5.     AND A PXE CLIENT

HOW TO

1.     Download Serva from the Serva website .
2.     Run the download to unpack the files and copy the Serva files to any convenient folder on your Windows hard disk (you might like to make a link on your Desktop to the exe)
3.     Create a C:\NET_BOOT empty folder.
4.     Run Serva.exe and click on the Settings button at the bottom (if you get a Windows FireWall warning then ALLOW the program access through the firewall)
5.     Click on the TFTP tab and set the Root directory to C:\NET_BOOT and tick the TFTP Server box.
   
6.  Click on the DHCP tab and set proxyDHCP (if you already have a DHCP server or DHCP router) and tick the BINL box.
   
   
   
7.  Quit the app and re-run the Serva.exe app again. This is necessary because when Serva re-starts it will generate the PXE download files according to what folders you have created. Serva only does this when it starts. If you make any changes to the folders under C:\NET_BOOT then you should always quit and re-run Serva before you try a PXE boot.
8.  Check that there are now some folders underneath the C:\NET_BOOT folder
9.  Set up a Windows share to the C:\NET_BOOT\WIA_WDS folder and after that, use the Windows Advanced Properties dialogue (click on the folder and then click Properties - Sharing) to set access for Everyone and set the Share name to WIA_WDS_SHARE. 
10. Copy the contents of your Windows 7 DVD to C:\NET_BOOT\WIA_WDS\Win7
11. If you have more DVDs, just make a new folder for each of them under C:\NET_BOOT\WIA_WDS
12. If you have NT OS source files (e.g. 2003, XP or Server2K8 non-R2) then put these under C:\NET_BOOT\WIA_RIS and share the C:\NET_BOOT folder as WIA_RIS_SHARE (see doc on website). Make sure "Everyone" group has read permission on the just created share. You also need to set a Null Session share on the C:\NET_BOOT folder.
13.  Quit the Serva app and re-run it
14.  Now try to PXE boot your target system
15. For a WDS install (Vista, Win7), you will be prompted for a username and password - use your host PC computername\username and password - e.g. TestPC\Administrator 123abc12.

Testing Using Oracle VM Virtual Box

1. Add a new Virtual machine which has a virtual hard disk that you can install the OS to.

2. Set up the Network Adapter to Bridged and set the Name to the physical network adapter on your host system .

3. Run the VM and press F12 to get the BIOS boot option menu:

4.Press L to boot from the LAN. You should then see the Serva menu if PXE booting was successful:.