Deploying Windows 8 and the copy profile setting using SCCM 2012

[o0JeZ0o]

Hi all,

 

let me start by saying what a fantasic resource this site is for IT admins to share knowledge. I have been able to find answers to many questions on here.

 

I'm having a bit of trouble trying to capture and build a Windows 8 deployment solely using SCCM 2012 SP1 though. I have been able to achive my goals using MDT stand alone, but I'd really like to be able to use SCCM as my one stop solution for most needs.

 

I've created a reference Windows 8 system in Hyper V and customised it to my liking. My main goal is to preserve the start screen look and tile placement for all users, so I am wanting to use the "copyprofile" setting during the specialize phase of deployment. The rest of my customizations are handled by group policy.

 

So I have my reference system, I then use the capture media iso created in SCCM to capture the wim file. I then import the wim and build a task sequence to deploy this image. In doing so I create a package to hold my unattended.xml that only changes the copy profile setting and make sure that is deployed as part of the task sequence during the apply operating system section.

 

Now, the problem is once the deployment completes and I log on as the local administrator all of my start screen customisations are gone, I'm looking at a blank start screen and searching for any app returns no results. Everything from the start screen is wiped during deployment.

 

Has anyone else encountered this? I must be doing something slightly wrong because some form of copying of the local admin profile must be happening, just not with any of my customisations and in fact wipes the entire start screen blank.

 

Should I just go through the process of captuing the initial wim manually instead of using the sccm capture media?

 

Any help would be appreciated

 

Jez

[ibanezfreak4]

@GolfKingUK - I am experiencing the same as the rest of the gurus here STILL right now. Our organization has the latest release as well SCCM 2012 SP1 5.0.7804.1300. CU2 did not cure this issue unfortunately...

 

What I do not understand is why Microsoft would release the support for WinPE 4.0 (forcefully) and the importance it delivered in Service Pack 1 for Windows 8 support. They just failed to mention that the entire process is different for deploying source files and the capture method. If system administrators have to manually execute Sysprep and specify an answer file, we may as well be deploying Vista...

 

Side note question: Is anyone using Windows 8 currently and deploying it in their environment? I am only going to be using this for a few of our development teams to test out for fun really.

 

Another side note: Windows 8.1 preview is not supported in SCCM 2012 SP1 CU2. The Boot Image WIM is not supported and SCCM cannot insert the binary files it needs to execute System Center specific functions. Essentially WinPE 4.1 will be needed, but SCCM cannot connect to the foreign resource. Result:

Error: The wizard detected the following problems when updating the boot image.

• Failed to inject a ConfigMgr driver into the mounted WIM file

The SMS Provider reported an error.: ConfigMgr Error Object:

instance of SMS_ExtendedStatus

{

• Description = "Failed to insert OSD binaries into the WIM file";

• ErrorCode = 2152205056;

• File = "e:\\nts_sccm_release\\sms\\siteserver\\sdk_provider\\smsprov\\sspbootimagepackage.cpp";

• Line = 4566;

• ObjectInfo = "CSspBootImagePackage::PreRefreshPkgSrcHook";

• Operation = "ExecMethod";

• ParameterInfo = "SMS_BootImagePackage.PackageID=\"00200453\"";

• ProviderName = "WinMgmt";

• StatusCode = 2147749889;

};

 

 

I just did not want someone to SKIP Windows 8 and start troubleshooting something that is not officially supported until R2 of SCCM 2012 SP1.

 

Thanks guys, still looking for solutions. I am currently testing a new packaged Unattend.xml file with that only file in the package to see if it cures the issue | @SpinnZ

 

Thanks again.

[Andris1k94]

Hello there!

 

Has anyone found a usable work-around or solution of any kind?

This problem is really grinding my gears..