WDS Deploy help

[firefighting]

Help! I going mad
W2K3 Deploying an XP Pro image.
1. Successfully saved and uploaded a sysprep WIM image file of a Eee PC B202 to WDS server.

2. injected correct NIC drivers into boot.wim for deployment.

3. booted client and it hangs with a command window startnet.cmd open. When I run ipconfig I get a correct IP address shown.

if I run wpeinit and it hangs again.
What should I enter
TIA

[Gatt]

This sounds like the Windows PE 2.0 environment has loaded and not the WDS Deployment tool
Have you imported the boot.wim file from a Vista or W2k8 DVD? You need this - not the WAIK supplied wim file

Did you create a Discover Image in WDS?

Fromwhat you've said you have a Capture image as you have manage to create a WIM image of your system.

Right Click your Vista/Win2008 boot image, and choose "Create Discover Boot Image"
If you were not using a Vista/Win2008 boot.wim - recreate your Capture Image too..

Despite its name - the Discover Image is the image from Deploying your WIM files to the client.

You can give both these options a more relevant descriptor (Eg I call the Discover Image - "Deploy Image")

Now when you PXE boot a PC you should see at least 2 options - choose the Discover Image option and follow the prompts on screen to deploy it..

[firefighting]

This sounds like the Windows PE 2.0 environment has loaded and not the WDS Deployment tool
Have you imported the boot.wim file from a Vista or W2k8 DVD? You need this - not the WAIK supplied wim file

Yes, I did use the WAIK boot.wim file. I have now changed to a copy from Toshiba Satelllite Vista Restore disk. Which does not work either. I have seen one suggestion to download Server 2008 and extract the boot.wim. Will this work as I cannot get a OEM Vista disk?

Did you create a Discover Image in WDS?

I did not create a Dicover Image in WDS. I used selected > Boot Image>File location>Browse to Boot.wim with the injected drivers>Next>Finish. If I selected Create Discover Image I get an error "The image cannot be used to create a Discover Image as it does not have the required WDSClicent binariers" Which would explain using the Toashiba Recovery Vista disk.

Fromwhat you've said you have a Capture image as you have manage to create a WIM image of your system.

I did managed to capture a sysprep image and it appears in WDS server.

When deploying image and the process stops at startnet.cmd command window open, isn't there anything I can do to start the reimage process manually? I can the server ok and I only have a few new Eee PCs to install.

Why does MS make it sooo difficult to implement!

[Gatt]

You need the Boot.wim from any version of Vista or Windows 2008 to get WDS to deploy images - I believe the Boot.Wim from trial copies will work also..

Discover/capture images can only be created from the OS boot.wim files..

This link might help... Step-by-Step Guide for Windows Deployment Services in Windows Server 2003

[firefighting]

You need the Boot.wim from any version of Vista or Windows 2008 to get WDS to deploy images - I believe the Boot.Wim from trial copies will work also..

Discover/capture images can only be created from the OS boot.wim files..

This link might help... Step-by-Step Guide for Windows Deployment Services in Windows Server 2003

Thankyou Gatt, I will start again and report back and hopefully close this thread with good news.
regards

[firefighting]

Got it all going at long last
Just for the record, I downloaded the trial copy of Server 2k8 and extracted the boot.wim file.
Then I injected the VISTA NIC drivers into boot.wim. Must be done on a vista pc and run cmd as administrator.

Install boot.wim into WDS server. Network boot and that it....

A big thank you to Gatt for pushing me in the right direction. Now I just need to construct an answer file for a lite touch install...