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  4. How can I deploy Windows 8 X64 to the Microsoft Surface Pro using Configuration Manager 2012 SP1

    in Configuration Manager 2012

    Posted

    Introduction

     

    Now that the Microsoft Surface Pro is available organizations are buying it and re-imaging the default Windows 8 Professional installation with their own corporate install (usually means installing an Enterprise edition of Windows 8). In this post I'll show you how to install Windows 8 X64 Enterprise in UEFI mode, with BitLocker enabled using USB based Standalone media created using Configuration Manager 2012 SP1.

     

    04ec2ccd-8137-4191-b05a-e6a9bf30cb9c.jpg

     

    Note: Use this guide with care, it is provided to assist you with imaging your Surface Pro in an automated way. windows-noob.com will not be held responsible for any problems that may arise as a result of deploying Windows 8 X64 to your Surface Pro using the methods described below.

     

    First of all, re-imaging the Surface Pro is not that straight forward given the fact that the device has no external facing network card (RJ-45), however it does however have a USB 3 port so you can connect USB devices and use them accordingly.

     

    Secondly, the Surface Pro is UEFI only and 64 Bit so you can only install a 64bit UEFI capable operating system on it.

     

    Thirdly, the Surface Pro has only got one USB 3 port, and we are going to use this port to do our imaging, however we want to connect both a USB flash key and a USB network dongle at the same time, as a result we will use a USB 4-port hub to split one USB port into many.

     

    Lastly, and more importantly there is no ability in the current Surface Pro firmware to boot over the network, (it's rumored to be available in a later firmware release from Microsoft, no ETA on that however) therefore we'll use USB Standalone media to install our corporate image. (Update, see the note below about PXE boot).

     

    For the purpose of this guide i've used some additional hardware listed below:

    • USB network dongle model dlink Dub E-100
    • 8GB USB key
    • USB 4-port hub

    So, in the photo below you can see the Surface Pro is connected to a USB 4-port hub, and that hub has a USB key and USB Network dongle attached, that is in turn connected to my Configuration Manager 2012 SP1 Server environment running on HyperV (it's a LAB).

     

    Surface Pro connected to 4 port USB hub.JPG

     

    Update: After writing this guide, Microsoft have released a PXE capable Network adaptor for the Surface Pro available from here. I don't have access to one but if you'd like me to test it, feel free to send one my way.

     

    Step 1. Create the task sequence

     

    In the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1 console navigate to Software Library, select operating systems and right click on task sequences, select Create Task Sequence

     

    Create Task Sequence.png

     

    The Create New Task Sequence wizard appears, choose Install an existing image package

     

    Install an existing image package.png

     

    On the Specify Task Sequence information screen give the task sequence a suitable name like Deploy Windows 8 X64 Enterprise - Surface Pro and choose the X64 boot image (this is very important as it will not boot with the x86 boot image)

     

    Note: For UEFI deployments, you must use the boot image matching the architecture of the system being deployed. So for x86 only hardware it must be an x86 boot image and for x64 hardware it must be an x64 boot image. The Surface Pro is X64 hardware therefore you must use a 64 bit boot image.

     

    Specify Task Sequence information.png

     

    for the Install the windows operating system step click on Browse

     

    Install the windows operating system.png

     

    and select the Windows 8 Install.wim file (from the sources folder on your Windows 8 media) which has been previously added as an Operating System Image and distributed to your distribution points,

     

    install wim from the sources folder.png

     

    fill in the product key and change the administrator password so if your deployment fails for any reason and it's not domain joined you'll at least be able to login and troubleshoot. Note that the BitLocker ability is now available and you can select or deselect it if you wish, if you do select it then keep in mind that you may need to extend the Active Directory Schema to support Bitlocker.

     

    Install the windows operating syste details.png

     

    fill in the domain join details in the Configure the Network step and verify your domain join account settings by clicking on verify before continuing

     

    Configure the Network.png

     

    point to your Configuration Manager Client package in the Install the configuration manager client step

     

    Install the configuration manager client.png

     

    if you want to migrate users data then make your appropriate choices in the Configure State Migration step

     

    Configure State migration.png

     

    on the include software updates screen, it's not selected by default so leave it like that

     

    include software updates.png

     

    and then add some applications by clicking on the Yellow starburst and selecting your application, to continue installing applications if one fails, select the appropriate checkbox

     

    Install Applications.png

     

    and click next through to completion

     

    completed.png

     

     

    Step 2. Import drivers for the Surface Pro into Configuration Manager

     

    We need to install drivers for the Surface Pro during installation of Windows 8 otherwise certain functionality won't work (like wireless for example), you could use something like Driver Genius to extract the drivers stored on your Surface Pro before you wipe it or use the drivers that someone else has already extracted, I like using ready made drivers so head on over to this site, and download those drivers and extract them to your Configuration Manager server somewhere like \\sccm\sources\os\drivers\source\W8\Surface

     

    Update: Microsoft has released a driver pack for the Surface Pro here.

     

    The extracted drivers should look something like this:

     

    Surface Driver package source.png

     

    Once done, create a new empty driver package by right clicking on Driver Packages and choose Create Driver Package

     

    Create Driver Package.png

     

    give the package a suitable name like Microsoft Surface Pro - Windows 8 X64 and note that the path is for the driver package itself and not the drivers we extracted above, so keep them separate, in this case use \\sccm\sources\os\drivers\packages\w8\Surface

     

    Microsoft Surface Pro - Windows 8 X64.png

     

    Next wee need to import the drivers (into the package), so In the configuration Manager console select Drivers, right click and choose Import driver

     

    Import Driver.png

     

    point to the UNC path where you copied the extracted files eg: \\sccm\sources\os\drivers\source\w8\surface

     

    import all drivers in the following network path (unc).png

     

    on the specify the details for the imported driver step click on Categories

     

    specify the details for the imported driver.png

     

    and click create, give the category a name like Microsoft Surface Pro - Windows 8 X64

     

    category created.png

     

    so our driver details now looks like this

     

    driver details.png

     

    on the Add drivers to packages screen select our Microsoft Surface Pro - Windows 8 X64 package

     

    select the packages to add the imported driver.png

     

    we will not be adding any drivers to any boot images so click next through that step

     

    select drivers to include in the boot image.png

     

    and click next through the wizard and it will start importing the drivers (warning, can take some time....)

     

    importing driver 5%.png

     

    After a (long) while the driver import should complete

     

    The import new driver wizard completed successfully.png

     

    Lastly, don't forget to select the Driver Package and distribute it to your distribution points by right-clicking the driver package and choosing Distribute content.

     

    distribute content.png

     

     

    Step 3. Edit the Task Sequence

     

    Now we want to edit the task sequence to change how it applies drivers, so right click on the Task Sequence and choose Edit

     

    Edit Task Sequence.png

     

    Disable the Apply Device Drivers step by selecting it, clicking on the options tab and selecting disable this step

     

    disable this step.png

     

    once done, click on Add then Drivers then Apply Driver Package like in the screenshot below

     

    apply driver package.png

     

    select the Microsoft Surface Pro - Windows 8 X64 driver package by clicking on browse

     

    apply driver package step.png

     

    then click on the Options tab and click on add condition then query wmi, use the following WMI query

    SELECT * FROM Win32_ComputerSystem WHERE Model Like "%Surface with Windows 8 Pro%"

    wmi query.png

     

    Tip: If you want to set the DPI (dots per inch) on the Surface Pro display then please see this post.

     

     

    Step 4. Create the Task Sequence standalone media

     

    Now everything is in place to create the Standalone media, so insert a USB key into your computer running a Configuration Manager console and browse to Task Sequences in the Operating System Deployment section.

     

    In the ribbon click on Create Task Sequence media

     

    Create Task Sequence Media.png

     

    when the Select the type of media screen appears, choose Stand-alone media

     

    select the type of media.png

     

    on the Specify the media type screen select USB (first option) and select the drive letter corresponding to your USB key

     

    specify the media type.png

     

    answer yes to the format prompt

     

    The device will be formatted and all the files will be erased.png

     

    enter a security password (to ensure that no one accidently wipes a device)

     

    select security settings for the media.png

     

    and click on browse to select our previously created Task Sequence

     

    select the task sequence.png

     

    next you'll see what packages are on distribution points, select the ones appropriate for your environment (if you forgot to distribute a package exit the wizard and fix that, then start this process again), in the example below i've clicked on Add and added 8 of 8

     

    select the distribution points for the media.png

     

    next you can add any computer variables or a prestart command, i've covered those elsewhere but for this task sequence i'll add the OSDComputername variable and leave it blank to forcefully prompt for a computername during deployment otherwise we'll get the MININT-xxxxxx name.

     

    customize the task sequence media.png

     

    click next at the summary and accept any UAC prompt, it will begin creating the USB media

     

    creating the usb media.png

     

    and after a while it will complete.

     

    create task sequence media wizard completed successfully.png

     

     

    Step 5. Boot from the USB stand-alone media

     

    Shutdown the Surface Pro and when it is powered off, make sure the USB 4 port hub with the USB stand-alone media and USB Network dongle is connected, then press and hold the volume down key on the left side of the Surface Pro and press the power button once. If you do the combination correctly, the system will attempt to boot from the USB stand-alone media.

     

    Below you can see the boot process (YouTube video with no narration sorry) and I also enter the ComputerName as part of that process, yes you can even see one of our cats, called Trauma in the background.

     

    usb boot surface.png

     

    Ok once the process kicks off you can sit back and admire the automation via Configuration Manager 2012 SP1, it will install all the drivers included in your Driver Package and join the domain,

     

    Surface Getting Ready.JPG

     

    then it will Setup windows and Configuration Manager, reboot and enable BitLocker install your Applications and eventually present you with the login screen.

     

    Surface - Configuration Manager.JPG

     

    Login and you'll see the Surface Pro is installed with Windows 8 X64 Enterprise, it has BitLocker Enabled, it's paritioned for UEFI and it's managed by Configuration Manager 2012 SP1.

     

    Now is that cool or what ? oh yeah ! some more screenshots below

     

    Screenshot (1).png

    Screenshot (2).png

     

    Screenshot (3).png

     

    Screenshot (4).png

     

     

    Troubleshooting notes

     

    • You can enter the bios/firmware screen by shutting down the OS, then press and hold Volume UP and then press the power button. The bios/firmware screen allows you to enable or disable secure boot amongst other things. Secure Boot is a feature that helps prevent unauthorized firmware, operating systems, or UEFI drivers (also known as Option ROMs) from running at boot time. For further details please see http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh824987.aspx

       

    • You can bring up the command prompt during the task sequence deployment provided that you've enabled command support in the boot image and press the FN key plus the Settings key (which corresponds to F8)

     

     

    Summary

     

    Imaging the Surface Pro does present some technical challenges given it's current firmware and lack of a physical RJ-45 network port, and the fact that it is 64 bit hardware in UEFI mode, however it's possible to image the Surface Pro with an UEFI compatible 64bit Operating System using standalone media from Configuration Manager 2012 SP1.

     

    Update. PXE boot has become available since the time of writing this guide but only if you use the official network adapter supplied from Microsoft.

  5. The CM12 BitLocker FrontEnd HTA - video

    in Events

    Posted

    here's a live demo I did in Seattle during the 2013 Global MVP summit, I demo'd the CM12 BitLocker FrontEnd HTA to a few other Configuration Manager MVP's and Rob Marshall decided to video it ! so here's the result, the lighting quality is a bit low (video'd with a mobile phone.), apologies for that and we were both tired after a long day attending sessions, however it was an on-the-spur-of-the-moment thing and we wanted to share the experience

     

    video.png

     

    In this demo I did a refresh from Windows 8 BitLockered to Windows 8 BitLockered using an MBAM 2.0 backend and of course using Configuration Manager 2012 Service Pack 1

     

    cheers !

    niall

  17. Internet Explorer 10 now available for Windows 7 users

    in Windows News

    Posted

    Internet_Explorer_10_icon.svg.png

     

    Developers have had early access to Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 for a few months now, but Microsoft is making the final release available to consumers and businesses today. Available in 95
    languages, Windows 7 users will be auto upgraded to IE10 in the coming weeks, with the initial push targeted at IE10 Release Preview users.


    Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 7 includes improved JavaScript performance, and a focus on battery life improvements for mobile PCs. Although Internet Explorer 10 has been available on Windows 8 since October 26th, Microsoft opted for a delayed Windows 7 schedule to ensure the release was fully ready, a decision that drew some criticism from users waiting on an updated browser.


    Windows 7 users will now get integrated spell checking and auto-correct within IE10, as well as improved support for web standards like the latest CSS3 improvements. The user interface in IE10 for Windows 7 is largely the same as IE9, so users won't get the fullscreen experience that's available in Windows 8. Nevertheless, Internet Explorer 10 is now available to download for Windows 7.

     

    via > http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/26/4029306/internet-explorer-10-windows-7-download?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WinRumors+%28WinRumors%29

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