Sysdiff.exe: Automated Installation Tool

Using this tool, you can pre-install applications as part of an automated setup, including applications that do not support scripted installation.

Using SysDiff is a three-step process:

  1. Create a "snapshot" of Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Professional after it has been installed on a reference computer. This is the SNAP mode (/snap option).
  2. Install the applications you want on the reference computer and create a difference file with information on the these applications. SysDiff enables you to view this difference file in a readable format. This is the DIFF mode (/diff option).
  3. Apply the difference file to new installations on other computers, as part of an unattended setup or at any time after initial installation is complete. This is the INF mode (/inf option).

If many applications must be installed, the difference file can become unmanageably large, as it contains the files and settings for all these applications. In this case, SysDiff enables you to create from the difference file an information (.inf) file containing only registry and initialization (.ini) file directives. You can then use this information file to install the applications.

To create this separate .inf file, run SysDiff using the /inf switch.

Sysdiff.inf is a model information file used to customize SysDiff while the tool is running. Do not use Sysdiff.inf as a model for the kind of .inf file used to apply only registry changes and .ini file changes.

SysDiff Topics

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