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Customising Windows 7 deployments - part 4.

Question

If you live in Europe you'll most likely need to deploy some additional languages on top of English Windows 7. To achieve this we can add them at the Build and Capture stage or indeed in our Deploy Windows 7 Enterprise task sequence.

All installations of Windows® 7 contain at least one language pack and the language-neutral binaries that make up the core operating system. Licensing requirements state that Windows 7 can include only a single language, with the exception of the Windows 7 Ultimate and the Enterprise editions. These are referred to as single-language editions. However, the Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise editions can include multiple language packs. These are referred to as multilingual editions.

 

To see which versions of Windows support Language Packs please review this post on MSDN and scroll down to the Windows 7 editions multilingual support summary.


What do I need ?

You will need some things in place to add the languages offline, namely MDT 2010 Update 1 integrated into ConfigMgr 2007 SP2 and you'll need to download the Language packs from MSDN.


Where can I find Windows 7 Language Packs ?

Download the language pack from MSDN which suits your architecture, choose a language other than English (eg: Swedish) then choose the Windows 7 operating system, in the downloads listed you’ll see these:-

Windows 7 Language Pack (x64) - DVD (Multiple Languages) 8/6/2009 - 2,200 (MB)
Windows 7 Language Pack (x86) - DVD (Multiple Languages) 8/6/2009 - 1,846 (MB)

How can I Add Language Packs to ConfigMgr?

Language packs are .cab files that you can add to System Center Configuration Manager packages either offline or online. Before adding language packs, however, create a System Center Configuration Manager package that contains one or more language packs.

In our example here, we will add language packs using one language per package, so for the Swedish Langauge pack, our SCCM package looks like so:-

swedish langauge pack.jpg

the Data Source points to the share with our Swedish Language Pack eg:-

\\sccm\sources\Windows 7 Language Pack - Swedish

and that path contains the following, a sub dr (eg: sv-se) which contains the lp.cab file and nothing more.

data source path.jpg

Note:- All language packs in the same System Center Configuration Manager package are deployed together. If you want to deploy different combinations of language packs, create multiple System Center Configuration Manager packages.


Get the Task Sequence

Download the following Task Sequence and import it into ConfigMgr.

Install Language Pack Offline.XML

Let's look closer at this task sequence,

install language packs offline.jpg

First you'll notice that the entire section is separated into a Group, this is to keep things organised and to help you in adding it to your Deploy Task Sequence.

Important: This group must be placed in the PostInstall section of your Deploy Task Sequence, and preferably after that Apply Windows Settings and Apply Network Settings Steps, in addition this group must go before the Setup Windows and ConfigMgr steps otherwise the Install Language Pack offline step will fail.

install language pack offline in a ts.jpg

Ok let's look at the steps themselves and see what they do.

The Swedish sub Group is responsible for installing the Swedish Language pack if a variable called languageValue=Swedish. How you set that variable is up to you, you can set it via a FrontEnd HTA (recommended) or by simply using a Set Task Sequence variable step (before this Group) such as this (not included in the sample task sequence):-

Task Sequence Variable: languageValue
Value: Swedish

Swedish options.jpg

If languageValue is determined to = Swedish it then carries out two steps
Sets a task sequence variable called OSDUILanguage = sv-SE

OSDUIlanguage.jpg

and then calls the built-in MDT Step, Install Language Packs offline (which references the ZTIpatches.wsf script). This step points to our previously made Swedish Language Package.

install language pack offline step.jpg

The actual step takes some minutes as it has to expand lots of files in the cab, and inject them offline (using DISM) into our Windows 7 image.

How do we set OSDUILanguage in Windows

You'll need to create an Unattend.xml file which specifically mentions the OSDUILanguage variable

<UILanguage>%OSDUILanguage%</UILanguage>

or use this one which I created earlier.

OSD_Variables_added.xml

This file must be referenced in the Apply Operating System Image step otherwise the Install Language Pack Offline step will fail as it won't know what variable to set.

osd_variables_added.jpg

You can create this unattend.xml file yourself using Windows SIM or use the sample i provide, just remember that the architecture must match the image, and this sample is for 32bit Windows 7 Enterprise (X86).


Ok I've done all the steps, now what ?

Deploy Windows 7, set the language pack variable either in the Task Sequence or using a HTA, and the end result is that you get your language pack installed as the default language within Windows. The Setup Windows and ConfigMgr step actually inserts our value (sv-SE) in place of our variable in our unattend.xml file so that the following line

<UILanguage>%OSDUILanguage%</UILanguage>

becomes

<UILanguage>sv-SE</UILanguage>

which eventually means that your OS is in Swedish.

swedish.jpg


Troubleshooting Notes

* use the log files, in particular ztipatches.log which documents what happens when it trys to use DISM to inject the changes

* Use at least 1gb ram in your virtual machines otherwise the step will fail to install any language packs (will run out of ram). (1gb for X86 and 1.28 gb for X64)

* create the MDT toolkit package the proper way via a Create MDT Task Sequence wizard - why ? see this post

After the Install Language Pack Offline step the following will be created in c:\_smstasksequence\

dirs.jpg

namely:-

Packages<dir>
ZTIPatches.tmp
packageGroups.xml

in the Packages directory you’ll have more subdirectories based on how many lp’s you included, one language pack, one dir, 4 language packs in your ConfigMgr Language Package, 4 dirs...

package dirs.jpg

you may also see a directory called _smstasksequence\SMSOSD\osdlogs and in there are three files including a log file called BDD_PKGMGR.LOG, analyse it if you are having issues deploying Language packs offline as it will reveal the success or failure of the DISM operations.

Unattend.xml changes

You can press F8 in WinPE and browse to the locations below and use notepad to examine the changes to the unattend.xml file.

Note: The unattend.xml file and/or C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend folder may not appear in your image until directly after the Apply Operating System Image step and the contents of that file depends on whether or not an unattend.xml file was specified in that step.

Before the Setup Windows and ConfigMgr step is complete you can monitor c:\windows\panther\unattend\unattend.xml to see what is happening in relation to your modifications taking place or not

After the Setup Windows and ConfigMgr step is complete, you’ll see the following has been added to your c:\windows\panther\unattend.xml file. If it is not added or if there are no changes to the %OSD...% variables then something has failed and it's time to troubleshoot.

 

lp added.jpg

Note: The above locations are during the Windows PE phase. After the Setup Windows and ConfigMgr step is complete it will reboot your computer (unless you have a command prompt open in WinPE), and after that reboot the unattend.xml file will have been removed (by the Setup Windows and ConfigMgr step...).



the other values (keyboard layout and so on) are added via separate steps in the Task Sequence which I'll cover in another post.

cheers !

niall.

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Hello,

 

I followed the steps but get an error at the installation of the languagepack, can someone help me?

See error below. Did i miss somethong during the configuration?

 

 

The task sequence execution engine failed executing the action (Install Dutch Language Packs Offline) in the group (Install LanguagePack Offline) with the error code 2147942402

Action output: stallation state.

Load XML....

FindFile: The file Packages.xml could not be found in any standard locations.

Packages.xml not found. Creating Packages.xml

Creating new Package: D:\_SMSTaskSequence\packages.xml

About to run command: expand "D:\_SMSTaskSequence\Packages\H0100126\nl-nl\lp.cab" -F:update.mum "D:\_SMSTaskSequence\ZTIPatches.tmp"

Return code from command = 0

Create Package Item : Microsoft-Windows-Client-Refresh-LanguagePack-Package

Adding non-language pack entries to unattend.xmlOpen Control File: Packages

Add package {FA530DE3-E392-40CB-975E-6EF596E51641}

Copying package from D:\_SMSTaskSequence\Packages\H0100126\nl-nl\lp.cab to D:\_SMSTaskSequence\Packages\Package_0001

Copy File: D:\_SMSTaskSequence\Packages\H0100126\nl-nl\lp.cab to D:\_SMSTaskSequence\Packages\Package_0001Package {FA530DE3-E392-40CB-975E-6EF596E51641} added.

Ready to Save!

Adding language pack entries to unattend.xml

Nothing to save, exit.

Language pack entries added to unattend.xml successfully. The operating system reported error 2147942402: The system cannot find the file specified.

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At http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrosd/thread/6fb55d1e-f66e-4fda-a940-a918746d66ef i read underneath.

I have two partitions that are sized equal, is that a problem with the installation of the language pack?

 

I'm using the ZTIPatches.wsf fine as long as there is only one partition or the C: partition is larger than the second partition (D:) otherwise the Patches are downloaded to the second partition (D:) but to not get installed.

Having two partitons is a business requirement.

The path in the unattend.xml reflexs that the patches have been downloaded to the D: drive but they never get installed.

Does anyone know to resolve this? situation?

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I gave up on MDT 2010 for installing the language pack and went back to a script using 'lpksetup.exe /i * /p "%~dp0nl-nl" /r /s' for installing the language pack and an other using 'control intl.cpl,, /f:"%~dp0Dutch.xml"' for setting the language settings, both work perfectly. If anybody wants to know how to set the options in SCCM 2007 to make this work, just let me know.

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Hello,

 

I have two partitions that get set up in my task sequence of SCCM 2007 with MDTSP1 to deploy Windows 7 along with a language pack.

 

I get the following error that looks like it is a problem installing the language pack caused by having two partitions. The language pack install fails.

 

I have attached the ZTIPatches.log.

 

Thanks for any help.

ZTIPatches.log

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I gave up on MDT 2010 for installing the language pack and went back to a script using 'lpksetup.exe /i * /p "%~dp0nl-nl" /r /s' for installing the language pack and an other using 'control intl.cpl,, /f:"%~dp0Dutch.xml"' for setting the language settings, both work perfectly. If anybody wants to know how to set the options in SCCM 2007 to make this work, just let me know.

 

I'd like to know how you got this to work.

 

I'v tried everything.

 

Made a task sequence that:

 

1 - Creates a folder to the client computer %WinDir%\Custom

2 - Copy the XML file from a package (DP) to %WinDir%\Custom

3 - Run cmd /c control intl.cpl,,/f:"%WinDir%\Custom\xmlfile.xml" and other various versions of commands found with Google.

 

I get errors with Incorrect Function or then it seems to run OK, and it appears in logs and in SCCM client as "Successful", but it doesn't do what it's supposed to do.

If I run the command from the CMD prompt, it works fantastic.

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Hello Guys.

 

I'm trying to apply a pt-PT language pack with the same way explained here. But somenthing is going wrong...

the task sequence not show any error and process normaly, but the language pack is not install..

 

In the task sequence log i have the next message:

 

The task sequence execution engine started the group (Install Language Pack).

The task sequence execution engine skipped the group (PT-pt) because the condition was evaluated to be false.

The task sequence execution engine successfully completed the group (Install Language Pack).

 

Well, the deploy finish and continue in English...

 

Any Sugestions or ideas??

Thank You

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well it tells you

 

 

The task sequence execution engine skipped the group (PT-pt) because the condition was evaluated to be false.

 

what is your UILanguage variable set to ?

 

what the error above is telling you is that the group didn't start because Something was not equal to the value you specified....

I don't know how you set yours up so it's hard to tell..

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well it tells you

 

 

 

what is your UILanguage variable set to ?

 

what the error above is telling you is that the group didn't start because Something was not equal to the value you specified....

I don't know how you set yours up so it's hard to tell..

 

Thanks for your reply!

Well, step by step:

 

1 - i create a folder in my sccm server with the root languagepack\portuguese\pt-PT\.cab file

2 - Create a package of this language pack ( without program ) and point / update my DP

3 - In my Task Sequence i think i did you told here ( Below Apply Windows Settings and Apply Network configurations and UP Setup Windows Confmgr )

- Create a folder with a name Install Language Packs Offline

- Create a Sub folder with name Portuguese with the condition LanguageValue equals "Portuguese"

- Create a variable Task with "TASK SEQUENCE VARIABLE = OSDUILanguage and VALUE = "pt-PT"

- Finally i create a MDT Language Pack Offline contains the package i created before.

4- After that i change my unnatended file in 'oobeSystem':

- InputLocale = %OSDInputLocale%

- SystemLocale = %OSDSystemLocale%

- UILanguage = %OSDUILanguage%

- UILanguageFallback = %OSDUILanguageFallback%

- UserLocale = %OSDUserLocale%

5 - Save my Unnatended File

6 - Point this unnatended file in my Task sequence, under 'Apply Operation System'

 

What i doing wrong? i missed some steps?

Plz Help me! i'm already on it for days....

Thank You very Much

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