Hmm, I'm not sure quite what this is. Perhaps this is some chunk of code left over from the Windows Pre-install Environment (aka WinPE)? I may have got the acronym wrong, but WinPE is essentially a Windows 2K (or something else) installer-installer. Does that sound weird? It should. Basically you can script Windows for very specific applications.

A certain three-letter company uses WinPE to deploy customized environments for major customers. These customers have machines that they want installed in a nearly-totally-automated fashion. Just stick in the CD, and presto, ACME Default Windows Configuration will be installed.

Seeing Microsoft's sponsorship of ActiveState, I wouldn't be suprised if some Perl was down there.