winoutreach5

Anyweb is a great resource to go to when it comes to System Center Configuration Manager questions. As far as your questions concerning MDT go, it would be a good idea to become familiar with MDT since you already have experience with ConfigMgr. With that said, I suggest you check out the following two videos from the Springboard Series on TechNet as they walk you through a deployment with MDT: · Deployment Day Session 1: Introduction to MDT 2012 · Deployment Day Session 2: MDT 2012 Advanced These videos will answer your questions building various task sequences including a standard client task sequence, sysprep and capture task sequence and then modifying the task sequences by editing the unattend.xml file. One final video that also will give you a good walk through for both MDT and ConfigMgr is Alphabet Soup Deployment: Understanding MDT, WDS, MAP, ACT, SCCM, and USMT also from the Springboard Series page. The video is a deep dive into the full deployment process using all the Microsoft package-based imaging tools. Hope this helps and keep us posted! Jessica Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

The first suggestion I would make would be to check the logs (BDD.log, LiteTouch.log and SMSTS.log). For MDT, the logs can be found, usually, in C:\MININT\SMSOSD\OSDLOGS. You also might want to check the setupact.log. The location of this log will vary depending on where your deployment failed. This knowledge base article from Microsoft has a list of the possible locations for the setupact.log. When looking for a solution to your problem, I stumbled on this TechNet forums thread in which the OP has a similar issue. He discovered the problem related to boot-p requests and the client requests for an IP address were not being handled properly from the DHCP server. You might want to check your network settings just to be safe. Finally, it is strongly recommended to check out the Troubleshooting the PXE Service Point and WDS in Configuration Manager 2007 blog post. I realize you are not using Configuration manager and are only using WDS and MDT however, the post reviews the configuration process of the PXE settings and WDS which you may find beneficial. One more thing, you also should check out the Deliver and Deploy Windows 7 page from the Springboard Series on TechNet as there are quite a bit of resources there that go over WDS, PXE and various deployment tools. Keep us posted and I hope this helps! Jessica Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

Hi J, When you boot into Windows PE using MDT, you have the option of refreshing the system (and also import the user data) or simply treating the system as a “new computer” which, as you said, is your end goal. With that said, you shouldn’t need to set a command line reference to specify this MDT will, by default, format the drive and install the image associated with the selected task sequence. Because the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) by itself offers a Lite Touch Installation (LTI) option for deployment there will still be minimal interaction required on your end such as the need to push the “Run the Deployment Wizard” button to begin the deployment. Next, you said the deployment completes successfully when you use a disk; I have to wonder what method you are currently using to deploy Windows and what, if anything may have changed. Are you using Windows Deployment Services via PXE boot? It is also is a good idea to update the deployment share with every change / addition. Since the default action of a deployment task sequence is to format the drive, I would suggest building a new simple task sequence to see if you experience the same sort of issue. If so, it could mean an issue with the deployment share, drivers, etc. If not, it could mean it was one of the script customizations, which you could then bring in your customizations one by one until you encountered the errors. Your task sequence should include only the settings you need such as product key, OS settings, and admin password. If you require tasks such as domain join and systemlocale, you can easily edit the unattend.xml and add those settings. The inject drivers task is already added and enabled by default in the standard client task sequence and should not need to be edited. After you create the new task sequence outlined above, update the deployment share and please proceed to deployment. Using the above suggestion I was able to recreate your scenario with the provided information and successfully complete my new system deployment with drivers installed successfully. I did not import any previous data and the install turned the computer into a “new” Windows machine. There are some great videos on using MDT to deploy Windows available on the Springboard Series page of TechNet. Two that I always recommend are Deployment Day Session 1: Introduction to MDT 2012 and Deployment Day Session 2: MDT 2012 Advanced. Also, there is a great deal of deployment information available from the Springboard Series on TechNet that you might want to check out. For example, if you are deploying Windows 7, you will want to check out the Deliver and Deploy Windows 7 page; if you are deploying Windows 8, you will want to check out the Deliver and Deploy Windows 8 page. Again, the more information we have about the task sequence settings you are using, the scripts you are running, the version of Windows you are deploying and the method in which are you are booting into Windows PE, the better we will be able to assist you. Hope this helps! Jessica Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

There are some great screencasts on TechNet that walk you through customizing the wizard pages in MDT UDI you might want to check out. Also, the Deliver and Deploy page on the Springboard Series page of TechNet has a great deal of resources for planning and pushing out Windows. Let us know if this works for you! Jessica Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

In addition to Peter’s response, you might also want to take a look at the Windows 8 Jump Start Module 5: Windows Apps video from the Springboard Series page on TechNet that explains the process of deploying and managing applications in Windows 8. There are other videos that are also available from the same page for other questions regarding managing Windows 8. Jessica Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

The first item to check would be to ensure the deployment share is updated to reflect the latest changes. You also might want to consider moving from MDT 2010 to MDT 2012 Update 1 which is the latest update for MDT. After you upgrade to the latest version of MDT, you will be asked to update your deployment share as well. Some additional items you might want to check are permissions, location path for the content specified, and any firewalls that may be in place. Keep us posted! Jessica Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

As suggested in this TechNet forums thread, you might want to ensure you update the deployment share so that the proper USMT folder is created in the tools directory. Another poster, Frank, suggests adding the USMT5 folder to the tools folder and necessary architecture. Also, you might want to check the Windows 8 page on the Springboard Series on TechNet for additional resources. Jessica Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

Anyweb has a point; you might want to look into the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) because you can integrate it with WDS since WDS supports multicasting – especially to do a deployment that large. For example, after you successfully capture your reference image with a capture utility of your choice (I recommend ImageX or MDT’s Sysprep and Capture Task Sequence) you would import it into your deployment share within MDT. After you have your customized image added into your deployment share, you will create a task sequence that contains all your necessary requirements. If necessary, you can also add applications and drivers to your deployment share to have them pushed out with your image if you like. Next, you will boot to your lite touch deployment from the workstation in which you are imaging (not your reference machine). In the Microsoft Solution Accelerator GUI, you will select your captured image and the task sequence. Enter any necessary information (domain join settings, language, time zone etc.) Follow the on screen prompts and let the deployment proceed. After the deployment completes successfully, the system should reboot into Windows. To help visualize some of the steps I have outlined above, I recommend the following three videos which explain the deployment process using MDT: · Deployment Day Session 1: Introduction to MDT 2012 · Deployment Day Session 2: MDT 2012 Advanced · Deployment Day Session 3: Deployment using WDS Let us know if you have any questions! Jessica Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

When looking for a solution to your problem I came across this TechNet forums thread where Kim Oppalfens, a Microsoft MVP, and Nico Sienaert suggests restarting the WDS service or removing the resource from configmgr and re-import it. I also found this TechNet blog which explains troubleshooting PXE service point issues and WDS service not starting. Please let us know what happens when you try the above recommended solutions. Jessica Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

Les, So glad to hear it is working for you! Let me know if I can be of help in the future. Jessica Windows Outreach Team -- IT Pro

When you create an unattend.xml file using Windows System Image Manger (WSIM), a component of Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK), a catalog file is generated and the xml file is designed to work with that image. If you wish to use the same unattend file with a different image than the image you used to create the file the architecture must be the same as well as the service pack version. If your deployment is failing because of the unattend file specifically, you will want to check the unattend logs. You should be able to find the log file in one of the following paths: · %WINDIR%\System32\Sysprep\Panther · %WINDIR%\Panther\ · %WINDIR%\Panther\Unattendgc If you don’t find the error code listed in the log file paths listed above, you might also want to check the Event Viewer on the WDS server and see what, if any, error is logged. To generate general server health information, you would use the following command: WDSUTIL /get-server /show:all /detailed More information on multicast deployments can be found on TechNet here. Another option is that you might want to consider the use of the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) as it acts as a common console that combines all deployment tasks into an easy to use interface. MDT even allows you to create “universal images” by allowing you to easily add and remove drivers and applications to and from the deployment images. While the current version of MDT is MDT 2012, there is still a great introductory video on TechNet here that walks you through the process of using the deployment workbench of MDT 2010. One more benefit of MDT is that it is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2003, 2008, and 2008 R2 so you would only have to learn one utility to learn ALL of your deployments. Jessica Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

Zeuzzzz, This error can happen when the DNS server service binds to all ports in the Windows Deployment Services port range. You might want to try the workaround listed in this Microsoft Knowledge Base article. If you do not require a static port range, you would do as the KB page states: First, navigate to the Registry Editor within Windows Server by clicking on Start, typing “regedit” and then press “enter”. Next, you will perform the following steps: · Locate and then click to select the following registry key: · HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\WDSServer\Parameters · Right-click UdpPortPolicy, and then click Modify. · In the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK. · On the File menu, click Exit to exit Registry Editor. · Restart Windows Deployment Services. If you do require a static port range you could try one of the two methods listed in the same Microsoft KB article. Please keep us posted on your progress. Jessica Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

So to answer your question, I’m going to provide a two part answer. First off, when creating the unattend.xml files you intend to use with Windows Deployment Server and Windows 7 image deployment it is strongly recommend to use Windows System Image Manager (WSIM), a part of the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK), as it simplifies the creation of the XML files ten-fold. If you are currently using WSIM, that’s wonderful. If not, you may download WAIK here. The nice thing about WSIM is that you can validate your answer files so as to ensure complete accuracy. When I attempted to validate your answer file that you are using with your Windows 7 deployment the computer name field issued an error for the value “%Please input a computer name%”.Properly having your sysrep’d machine prompt you for a computer name is a well discussed topic on TechNet as can be seen here. Mike_EEC of Microsoft proposes a work around solution that involves a VB script. Alternatively, you can pre-stage the computer in AD to make sure the name you want is selected using a variable such as %machinename% as outlined in the sample unattend file here. As a last resort, you could use an asterisk (*), also known as a wildcard, which will automatically assign a randomly generated computer name for you. You also might want to consider using the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) to fulfill your Windows PE deployments as it sounds as though you are intending to do a Lite Touch Deployment anyway. MDT offers a common console to handle all of your deployment tasks such as creating partitions, injecting drivers, applications, and more. You can also create task sequences to accomplish all the goals you mentioned in your OP. It is even compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2003, 2008, and 2008 R2, which means learning one utility to do all of your deployments. A great video to watch to understand using MDT and WDS together is available on TechNet here. Next, to address each of your XML files and help you understand the purpose and best practices for imaging and deployments, it would be good to check out the Deliver and Deploy page of the Springboard Series on TechNet as there are several wonderful resources available to help get you started in the right direction with Windows 7 deployment. Just as reference, sample unattend files can be found here. The first XML file you posted, I’m assuming, is the one you are using with WDS under the ‘client’ tab of your Windows Deployment Server. I’m going to refer to this as WDSUnattend. This unattend file should be as basic and general as possible. For example, mine has SetupUILanguage under the windowsPE pass and that’s it. Yours is fine as it is with the exception of the SetupUILanguage fields not being filled out entirely and the locale ID used being incorrect. For the proper Locale IDs, Input Locales, and Language Collections you might want to refer to this resource. An example of how yours should read is: <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" processorArchitecture="x86"> <SetupUILanguage> <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI> <UILanguage>en-GB</UILanguage> </SetupUILanguage> <UILanguage>en-GB</UILanguage> <InputLocale>en-GB</InputLocale> <SystemLocale>en-GB</SystemLocale> <UILanguageFallback>en-GB</UILanguageFallback> <UserLocale>en-GB</UserLocale> </component> Next, in your WDSUnattend, the login credentials provided are only credentials back to your WDS server so that you do not have to enter them in the windowsPE stage. You usually have to enter your administrator credentials to install / deploy an image. Entering the proper credentials here will eliminate that need, if you so desire. This area does not imply that your domain credentials will add to itself to every image you deploy. That is done within the image unattend itself. Speaking of, now let’s take a look at your Windows 7 image unattend.xml in which there was also a problem with an improper locale ID being used under UILanguage. You had English specified in which, I would assume, you wanted en-GB. Finally, if you want the system to automatically log in after deployment, you would want to add the AutoLogon component (in WSIM) to the oobeSystem pass under Microsoft Windows Shell Setup Neutral. An example would be: <AutoLogon> <Password> <Value>CHANGEME </Value> <PlainText>false</PlainText> </Password> <Domain>CHANGEME</Domain> <Enabled>true</Enabled> <LogonCount>5</LogonCount> <Username>CHANGEME</Username> </AutoLogon> I hope all this information helps. I know it’s a lot to absorb but using utilities like WSIM and MDT will truly streamline your imaging and deployment process greatly. A final great magazine article to read is Desktop Image Management: Build a Better Desktop Image by Mitch Tulloch of Microsoft. It really helps the reader see the bigger picture of imaging. Jessica Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

You may want to use the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) in conjunction with WDS. WSIM is great to modify unattend files that you plan to use with WDS images however if you are not familiar with MDT it may prove to help you tremendously in this situation. MDT simplifies the automation of the deployment process by allowing you to inject applications, drivers and more into each image. You can also create task sequences to accomplish certain goals such as the one you alluded to in your OP. You can use the Format and Partition Disk in MDT to add volumes contingent upon the percentage of remaining free space or a specific size. From within MDT you would select a task sequence, right click and select properties. Next, you would select the Task Sequence tab and proceed to click add, hover over “disks” and then select “format and partition disk”. Next, you would select the yellow star for “add” at the bottom of the right hand side above the volume area of the properties window. From there you could name the partition, choose the partition type and opt to use a percentage of remaining free space based on size in percent format. More information on using MDT and WDS to perform your deployments can be found here on TechNet. You also may find the following video Alphabet Soup Deployment: Understanding MDT, WDS, MAP, ACT, SCCM, and USMT helpful as it walks you through using the various technologies together. Jessica Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

You could use a combination of Windows Deployment Services, Microsoft Deployment Toolkit and Sysprep to accomplish your needs for deployment. A great place to start would be with the Deliver and Deploy Windows 7 page on Technet. However, I have also included additional steps and resources below for using WDS and Sysprep for your imaging and deployments. First, when using WDS, you will likely want to create an install images group by right clicking on Install Images, and selecting “Add Install Image”. You could start by adding a boot.wim file to the boot images folder in WDS. I usually recommend labeling this "Install". From there, you would right click on the newly added install image (boot.wim) and select the option to “Create Capture Image”. I usually recommend labeling this "Capture". You could then run sysprep on the machine you just customized, boot to the WDS server and select the capture image you created. Through the process of preparing the newly configured and sysprep’d machine you will have the option to upload the image directly to your WDS and to add it to the install images group. More information on boot images, capture images and install images can be found on TechNet here. There is a wonderful and informative Step-by-Step Guide for Windows Deployment Services 2003 here and another page on TechNet entitled Windows Deployment Services Getting Started Guide (for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2) here. More information on Sysprep and how it works can be found here. Also, as mentioned above, you might be interested in using the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT). Many find MDT to be extremely useful as it combines all of the official tools (Sysprep, Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK), and Windows System Image Manager (WSIM)) into a single workbench interface that can help automate the entirety of the process. Additionally, it is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2003, 2008, and 2008 R2, which means learning one utility to do all of your deployments. Furthermore, as stated above, it is exceptionally useful in creating “universal” images as it can easily add or remove drivers or applications from the deployment images. Again, you can use this in conjunction with WDS. Also, one more side note is to check out Build a better desktop image as it is a great article for more detailed information on desktop image management. Jessica Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro P.S One more thing – There is a TechNet Webcast: Everything You Wanted to Know and Ask about Windows Deployment (Part 2) tomorrow, May 17th. To register for the event, click here.

I’m assuming you want to incorporate domain joining into your unattended installation for use with imaging and deployment. The process for joining a machine to a domain during an unattended installation is very different in Windows 7 than it used to be with Windows XP. There is a great library article on the TechNet site here that explains the entire process. An example of a working XML file joining the domain can be found on the TechNet forums here as posted by George Khalil and marked as best answer. You also might want to consider the use of the Windows System Image Manager (WSIM). WSIM might come in very handy for you as it streamlines the process of creating XML files. Jessica Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

There are a few tools you could use to create images and simplify your imaging and deployment process. Perhaps the best place to start would be on the Deliver and Deploy Windows 7 page on the Springboard site on TechNet so as to familiarize yourself with Windows 7 deployment. The integrated Sysprep utility is perhaps one of the more commonly used options to automate a successful deployment. The official Sysprep utility is located in the folder C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep of the Windows 7 environment. There are some tips that I can give you to assist you both with the use of the Sysprep utility and creating unattend.xml files and then proceeding from there. The first tip is to use the Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK), which includes WSIM (Windows System Image Manager) to create unattend.xml files, or an answer file. The Windows Automated Installation Kit or Windows AIK includes several utilities that can help make using the official Sysprep utility easier than ever. Windows AIK also includes ImageX, which is the Microsoft cloning utility that creates file-based images (.wim) allowing the images to be modified after their creation to apply updates, new drivers, or applications. You can even automate the process of joining a domain. For more specific assistance on domain joining, please use the steps outlined in “Automating the Domain Join” from the TechNet site. The second tip is to use Audit Mode to customize the system and perform customizations to the default profile. By allowing you to log into the system as Administrator, Audit Mode can significantly simplify the customization process. In order to customize the default profile in both Windows Vista and Windows 7 you will need to make your customizations in Audit Mode, and then run Sysprep with an answer file that has the copyprofile setting enabled. The final tip I will leave you with is to use the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) that combines all of the official tools above into a single workbench interface that can help automate the entirety of the process. Additionally, it is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2003, 2008, and 2008 R2, which means learning one utility to do all of your deployments. Furthermore, it is exceptionally useful in creating “universal” images as it can easily add or remove drivers or applications from the deployment images. For a step-by-step guide to deploying Windows 7 I recommend this step-by-step guide from the Springboard Series on TechNet and the Build a better desktop image resource as it too is a great article with additional detailed information on desktop image management. Jessica Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

From the sound of it, you are using USMT 3.0.1 to migrate user files and settings from Windows XP to Windows 7. This is likely the cause of the problem you are experiencing and error messages you are receiving. Windows 7 requires the use of USMT 4.0 which is available as part of the Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows 7 available here. There are a few different PC refresh scenarios that are most common with USMT 4.0. These and more can be found on TechNet here. From the sound of it you might want to consider a hard-link migration store that is mentioned in PC refresh scenario #2. I recommend reading the TechNet blog post How to use USMT 4 hardlinking in a Configuration Manager 2007 Task Sequence for additional guidance. As a final recommendation, there is a wonderful Windows XP to Windows 7 migration guide available on the Springboard Series part of TechNet here in addition to the Step-by-Step Guide: Basic Windows Migration using USMT for IT Professionals. Jessica Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro