[Problem Deploying XP With WDS on Server 2008r2]

Are you booting to a 64-bit boot image? You will only see 64-bit images unless you boot to a 32-bit boot image.

 

Have you setup MDT completely? There is no need to use install images in WDS if you are running MDT. MDT can use WDS as a deployment method, and it will make it easier for you in the long run. All you have to do is replace the boot images in WDS with the ones that can be created in MDT when you update the deployment share (LiteTouchPE_x86.wim and LiteTouchPE_x64.wim). Once you have your deployment share all setup and the proper boot images in WDS, then you would import your Windows XP image into MDT as an operating system, create a task sequence for it, and when you PXE boot, choose the LiteTouchPE_x86 boot image. You will get a list of all your Task Sequences to choose from. And since you can run MDT from your technician machine, you will not have to log into the server very often. This short video will show you how to import your custom image and create the task sequence.

 

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team – IT pro

[MDT 2010 - Error: 500 = Variable is undefined]

In your attached file is the line:

Property ImageFlags is now =

This would usually state what SKU of the OS you are installing (Enterprise, Standard, etc...). More information on this can be found in the MDT help files. Search for DeployWiz_Initialization.vbs, and it will tell you to look for the DeployWiz_Initialization.log or the BDD.log file to see the exact error message.

According to this article, the logs are stored in x:\minint\smsosd\osdlogs, c:\minint\smsosd\osdlogs, or c:\windows\temp\deploymentlogs, depending on where the deployment fails.

You can also collect your logs automatically in the Deployment share by setting the SLShare= setting in the customsettings.ini file. The SLShare setting information can also be found in the help files.

 

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

[injecting drivers to a captured image]

Markkk,

Did you solve this issue?

David

[injecting drivers to a captured image]

Great! I will follow this thread to see how this works out.

 

David

[KMS multiple questions]

According to this article, The Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 activation requests will register in the same activation count. However, Windows 7 machines will not activate until the total activation count is at 25 or higher. The servers will activate when the count reaches 5. Office activations will not count towards this threshold. Also, this article explains the hierarchy of the different channel licenses you should have received.

In this thread on TechNet, a Microsoft Employee explains that multiple keys are possible on the same host, but if you have the correct volume key for your situation, you will only need one for Windows and one for Office. Here is a video showing how to setup an Office KMS host on a 2008 R2 server that is already setup as a KMS Host for Windows 7 and Server 2008R2.

 

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

[injecting drivers to a captured image]

It sounds like the older chipset drivers are conflicting. Sysprep removes the old drivers, which is why that works. This article may help you to remove the old drivers while offline before injecting the new drivers. Another option would be to boot the old model up and use Device Manager and Programs and Features to remove the old drivers.

 

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

[Help capturing XP image]

You would create a capture image in WDS. About half way down this page are instructions to create a capture image, and the next section will show you how to boot the client into the capture image. However, this only works if you have sysprepped the system. If you are just looking to back up an existing system without sysprep, I would recommend booting into WinPE and using imagex to capture the drive(s).

Here is a walk-through article on how to create a customized WinPE image with imagex. This article makes use of the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) which can be downloaded here.

I would also recommend that you get the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit - MDT. MDT is a task based deployment solution that works in conjunction with WDS, and is a common console for Microsoft's deployment tools (like WAIK). Here is a 10 minute video - "Building the Deployment Environment" that will get you started with MDT.

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

[Hard Disk Configuration in WSIM]

This can be accomplished easily in the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit – MDT. MDT is a common console for many of Microsoft’s deployment tools, like the Windows Automated Installation Kit - WAIK (WSIM is part of WAIK). MDT works in conjunction with WDS, but simplifies many things about deployments.

 

When you create a task sequence in MDT using the ‘Standard Client Task Sequence’ template, you can edit the task sequence and modify the ‘Format and Partition Disk’ task to create the partitions using a percentage of the remaining space. Remove the partition that is already set up and add one partition using 40%, then a second partition using 100%. This will work regardless of the actual drive size.

 

If you are unfamiliar with MDT, I have three recommendations to get you started. This video on TechNet is a wonderful introduction into understanding Lite Touch deployments utilizing MDT and creating task sequences. This article ‘Automated Installation to upgrade to Windows 7: Step-by-step Guide’ is designed to get you started with MDT. Finally, the Deliver page of the Springboard Series on TechNet has many more articles and videos to help you.

 

 

 

Hope this helps,

 

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

[noob windows 7 imaging]

Since you are new to imaging, let me start by giving you a link to the Deliver and Deploy page of the Springboard Series on TechNet. Here you will find information and tools you can use to accomplish your goal. There are some great articles in the ‘Start with the Basics’ section that will help you get started.

 

I recommend that you get MDT – the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, which is a common console for several deployment tools including Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK), and Windows System Image Manager (WSIM).

Here is a link to a KB article that should help with setting up and copying the default profile: How to Customize the default local user profile…

 

You are getting all the same model machines this time, but Windows 7 can have an image that is hardware independent and you can add the drivers for various models to MDT and not have an image for each model anymore. You can also deploy software while deploying the OS.

That should be enough to get you started…

 

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

[Can MDT2012 be installed side by side with MDT2010]

I had no problems installing MDT 2012 over my MDT 2010. When I opened the deployment share, MDT automatically upgraded it. I also have a co-worker that did the same thing with no issues. Do you have a link to what you read about things breaking?

[Add drivers on XP wim]

So, I have two questions.

1. Why are you opening WSIM and trying to create a catalog file? This should not be necessary to inject drivers.

2. What is the exact peimg command you are using?

[Add drivers on XP wim]

I have found two things which might help you. This KB article suggests that you might be trying to create a 32 bit catalog file with a 64 bit version of WSIM, which will not work. I also found this thread that suggests not using your captured WIM to create the catalog file, but the standard WIM from the install disk. There are some other things in the thread that might help you solve your issue also.

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

The Springboard Series on TechNet

[Sysprep issues; Workgroup and Original Computer Name]

Fantastic! Glad you have it working again.

[Sysprep issues; Workgroup and Original Computer Name]

Mt204,

 

Is sysprep.xml the only answer file? You may want to search the implicit answer file locations for answer files since you are not calling yours directly. This TechNet article shows the Implicit Answer File Search Order locations and file names. Alternatively, you can call your answer file directly in the sysprep command by using the /unattend switch with the location of the answer file.

 

Example: Sysprep.exe /oobe /generalize /shutdown /unattend:C:\myanswerfile.xml

 

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

The Springboard Series on TechNet

[Pxe Boot does not time out.]

For anyone else with this problem, I found that maniakmyke has also posted this question in the TechNet forums and he seems to have resolved his issue.

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winserversetup/thread/c3f932f0-0241-4d1a-9dd9-71f8e4135d72/

 

Glad you resolved this Maniakmyke.

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

[SCCM task sequence works - Need to sysprep and join domain]

Petebuk,

 

The first thing I notice is that you said you are using Windows 7 X64 Enterprise, but the unattend file has “processorArchitecture="x86"” throughout.

I recommend that you use WSIM to create a new unattend file. WSIM (Windows System Image Manager) is a part of the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK Download page is here). WAIK can be downloaded and used by itself or as part of the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT Home page is here). All of these tools are free, and can be used in conjunction with SCCM.

 

Hope this helps,

 

David

Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

The Springboard Series on TechNet

[XP to Windows 7 inplace hardlink migration SCCM MDT TS]

To start your project, I would like to recommend these 2 web pages:

First, this blog article has links to several tools and walk-through videos to help you with your migration from Windows XP to Windows 7.

There is a link to the Windows 7 Migration Guide, and a video walk through of a Windows XP to Windows 7 migration using the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010.

 

Second, there is the Deliver and Deploy page of the Springboard Series on TechNet. Scroll down to the 'Deploy Windows 7' section and there is a section specific to using SCCM with your deployments.

 

Hope this helps,

 

David

Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

[wds / pxeboot issue]

Microsoft does not support the use of the DHCP options 60, 66, and 67 to redirect PXE clients (when the DHCP server and PXE server are on different computers). In the article I linked below (Managing Network Boot Programs) it is stated that option 60 requires that DHCP and PXE need to be on the same server. You will need to either put them together on the same server, or use the router’s IP Helper tables (BOOTP) to resolve this issue.

Please see this knowledgebase article for full details on this issue.

Also, this is the TechNet article mentioned above: Managing Network Boot Programs

 

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

www.microsoft.com/springboard

[Windows Deployment Services (WDS)]

I know this question is a bit old, but maybe this will help (or help others).

This error message is often due to DHCP problems or IP Helper (BOOTP) settings on the router. There is a knowledgebase article about the DHCP issue, and I have found several conversations about this where this is discussed. I have linked what I think are the 2 most helpful to your issue.

1. http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/configmgrosd/thread/26af0eb0-08c6-453b-9edf-86ed9ae26ee7

2. http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winserversetup/thread/e39e4c8c-ed48-460b-901b-aebf1f1f8d95

 

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

www.microsoft.com/springboard

[MDT Multicast without PXE]

It does require WDS to use multicast, but PXE booting is not required. There is a conversation here that discusses this, and the user in this case was told to add a boot image (in WDS) browse to the deployment share and select the image you are going to deploy. Use this newly created boot image on your USB key or CD to boot the machines that you are going to image. This boot image will make the request to the WDS server and get added to the stream.

 

The requirement for WDS is in the document that wmmayms linked on page 445.

 

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

www.microsoft.com/springboard

[Learn more about MDT?]

I would recommend the MDT Home page as the first place to start. On the right-hand side is a section called Key Resources which should help.

 

For further help, the SpringBoard Series on TechNet has a section called ‘Pilot & Deploy’. Scroll down to the Advanced (300-400 level) and you will see a link to download the MDT 2010 print-ready documentation. The document named Toolkit Reference.docx should help you with the scripts.

 

It may also help to know that MDT is a central interface for many of Microsoft's deployment tools, so much of the information you are looking for would be listed under the specific tool that is in use during that portion of the deployment process (WSIM, ImageX, DISM, etc...)

 

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

[Sysprep Fails with Fatal Error]

One of the most common causes for this error is the Windows Media Player Network service. To stop this service before running sysprep, click on the start button and type services.msc. This will open the services window. Find the “Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service” and double click on it. Stop the service and try sysprep again.

(This conversation is my reference: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itproinstall/thread/8f5002e1-95b4-47bf-b031-4b72b3eb388a)

 

If it still fails, please check the setuperr.log file in the sysprep folder to see what problem was reported.

 

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

www.microsoft.com/springboard