WDS & MDT with Drivers etc

[jamin100]

I currently use WDS to push out my images to clients and have loads of drivers installed in the base image from DriverPacks.net. This is then scripted to installed only the required drivers and delete the rest. I get a few drivers missing on the odd machine but the main problem is that it adds about 7GB to the image size.

 

So, this year I thought id have a go with MDT (never used it before)

Im in the process of building the base image on a VM.

I install nearly all my applications on the base image and set up as required etc.,

 

I've installed MDT2012 but not done anything with it yet. I have read through the guides on how to set it up etc, but im getting confused with the deployment side. How do WDS and MDT "link" together to push out the image and then run the desired task sequence automatically?

 

I hope to have 1 or 2 base images, and then have all my drivers available in MDT so that the machines will take the image and then MDT will push out only the required drivers to the machines...

[jugglerjoe]

what happens is MDT basically controls the whole task sequence and deployment and the WDS side controls the network boot of the wim file.

 

To do this right click on your deployment share and click update deployment share. I prefer to do the "Completely regenerate" option rather than update. that will then make a boot image in the boot folder called something like LiteTouchPE_x64.wim and maybe an x86 version aswell if you dont untick it before hand

 

then in WDS you then import that boot image from the MDT.

 

To run everything fully automatic download the MDT print ready documentation from here this will help when editing the customsettings.ini file. I use the "Toolkit reference" that is in the documentation most as its super helpful.

 

you only really need 1 image for each OS you have. (i personally sysprep a base image with NOTHING in it but updates as .net updates take FOREVER to install )

 

for drivers you can use the drivergroup task sequence variable and set everything up correctly from there.

This will help. I Use the "Large Scale" Part but pick whatever suits your environment really.

 

Hope that helps,

Thanks

Joe

[fiza]

Have a look at this guide. Its for MDT 2010 but is still relevant.

 

Deploying Windows 7 - Part 7: Automated LTI Deployment :: Windows 7 :: Articles & Tutorials :: WindowsNetworking.com

[jugglerjoe]

As a plus from Fiza post. SkipWizard=YES can be used if you dont want to have to do anything however would recomend keeping something in there that will only allow IT staff to build them otherwise studewnts/teachers could accidentally trigger builds

[ADMaster]

I don’t setup fully automatic builds either, afraid a machine will get imaged that shouldn’t. I skip everything but machine name and task sequence.

[sted]

i tend to leave the language page there as well to check its right

[jugglerjoe]

we dont deploy language packs so we skip all but computername, applications, task sequence and connect to network share (so we have to put username and password so students couldn't do it)

 

I do have script to automate builds which parse a fully automated customsetting.ini tho these are for refresh and upgrade builds =]

[jamin100]

I see Im going to have to really look into this.

Im just finishing by custom build so will save a snapshot and sysprep it etc and capture it in WDS so that I have an image to work on in the summer should I not be able to get MDT to work as i require...

[ChrisH]

The deployment fundamentals series by Johan Arwidmark are good books for this. I make my reference image using a task sequence and scripts based on his book.

[maark]

Came across this MDT 2012 – Lite Touch Deployment Step by Step | Webbed Eye which was useful.

Decided to make an image with office and updates on as there were 120 windows updates since win 7 SP1 and a lot of office 2013 updates.

Edited June 19, 2013 by maark

[jugglerjoe]

maark, i know Office Updates are very annoying. i have alot of annoyances with updates. if the only reason you are syspreping with office in is for the office 2013 updates then a little tip. If you are using MDT 2012 which it looks like you are i guess you use the Office Customisation Tool. If you call that file something that begins with the number 1. I called ours "1 OCT.msp" then in that same "Updates" folder you can put in the office files and they will auto install after office when you install office. i found this to be easier for me rather then having to sysprep every month or so to put new updates in.

To get the updates go to this website and search for "Office 2013 32-Bit" or "Office 2013 64-Bit" whichever you are using. and download all the updates you need then

Hope that helps

 

As for jammin, backup plans are always good

[sted]

maark, i know Office Updates are very annoying. i have alot of annoyances with updates. if the only reason you are syspreping with office in is for the office 2013 updates then a little tip. If you are using MDT 2012 which it looks like you are i guess you use the Office Customisation Tool. If you call that file something that begins with the number 1. I called ours "1 OCT.msp" then in that same "Updates" folder you can put in the office files and they will auto install after office when you install office. i found this to be easier for me rather then having to sysprep every month or so to put new updates in.

To get the updates go to this website and search for "Office 2013 32-Bit" or "Office 2013 64-Bit" whichever you are using. and download all the updates you need then

Hope that helps

 

As for jammin, backup plans are always good

 

the problem with doing that for office updates is the installer spends longer sat on applying updates than actually installing teh software imo office is best built into a base image since they dropped the mst transform option that 2003 had that deployed it easily

[jugglerjoe]

Hmmm takes no longer then sysprep from what i have seen in my test. only twice i done the sysprep, my boss hates it xD he likes it all "fresh"

I just looked at the MDT monitoring service and for most things a complete rebuild seems to average the hour mark. on newer hardware and vs around 40 mins to do the whole thing. That does the image, Office, Live Essentials Movie Maker and Photo Gallery and Kaspersky and then all MSI software from group policy etc obv

[free780]

If you have the time creating a task sequence that works unattended to do a build and capture will save you time when its time to update the images. Also you don't need to worry about the rearm count with sysprep.

[sted]

If you have the time creating a task sequence that works unattended to do a build and capture will save you time when its time to update the images. Also you don't need to worry about the rearm count with sysprep.

 

easier imo tom build on a vm and just snapshot before you sysprep and capture

[ChrisH]

If you are using automated task sequences to build your task sequences you can install all office on a test machine and then use a script to extract all the office updates and dump them into your office install folder, you can obviously use these updates in other scenarios as well.

[maark]

thanks for help with mdt here.

One more question - on my machine with office 2013 installed that is going to be a custom image ospprearm.exe does not exist - not in usual places and did a search of c drive. How can I rearm office or do I need to? - I have a KMS server running and previously have run this before uploading image.

[jamin100]

ok, I think i need some pointers.

 

Here's where i've got to;

 

Created an image (full with apps)

Sysprep'd it and captured it with WDS

Added a unattend.xml file in the sysperep that asks for computer name and then joins the domain etc

Tested this deployment through WDS - WORKS FINE.

 

on the same server as the WDS server, setup MDT and the deployment share

Imported the WDS image into MDT

Added the drivers for one particular laptop

followed the instructions in Driver deployment with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) – Part 1: OS deployment - 4sysops

Updated the delpoyment share and grabbed the lite_touch ISO.

 

On said laptop, started MDT, filled in the info (i plan to automate this later im just testing at the moment)

The image deployed

 

HOWEVER . . .

When I deployed it with WDS the image stopped asked for a computer name, joined the domain and carried on.

With MDT it doesnt ask for the name (from my unattend.xml) and just boots to the desktop...

 

I then get a message saying

 

a connection to the deployment share (\\server\\deploymentshare$) could not be made

 

Seems like the drivers didnt install and the NIC isnt working...

 

Any help on the above?

 

Firstly - why am I not being asked to specify my machine name from my custom unattend.xml file (it is imported into WDS)

secondly - any ideas why my drivers didnt install?

[jugglerjoe]

First of all, the computer name.

Right, in MDT the unattend.xml is kept in the "\Control\\Unattend.xml"

 

So you need to check that or something similar to that is in your unattend.xml file. to edit the file properly go into the task sequence -> OS Info -> Edit unattend.xml.

 

also, another thing to to check is that the CustomSetting.ini file in the Deployment Share Control Folder doesnt have "SKIPWIZARD=YES" OR "SKIPComputerName=YES" set. Even if they arnt set try doing "SKIPComputerName=NO" then when you first network boot the machine you will have to put in the computer name then.

 

Secondly, with the drivers, sounds like a generic problem. First of all, can you manually install the drivers and they work? I do not know exactly how your doing drivers. If your doing the DriverGroup001=%make%\%model% way then you need to make sure the folders are correct. You can do this by running this in powershell: "Gwmi win32_computersystem" on the computer in question. The Manufacturer is what the %make% needs to be. and Model is %model%. thats how the folder structure will need to be. Then in your Task Sequence (TS) you need to go to the first "Inject Drivers" step and set the selection profile to "Nothing" and you can choose what you want for the option below, i personally use matching option.

 

Hope that helps,

Joe

[jamin100]

right, I may have found a problem then. Running Gwmi win32_computersystem in powershell gives me this

 

Manufacturer: ERGO

Model : To be filled by O.E.M

 

 

[jugglerjoe]

ah that could defo be your problem if you want to double double triple check boot into the MDT (but dont start the task sequence). Press F8 and a CMD box should appear. if you type "cscript Z:\scripts\ztigather.wsf" it should output loads of TS variables. Look for the Make and Model variables and see if these are the same.

 

If that is the case for all ERGO machines AND you only have ERGO machines then in your Customsetting.ini you can just put DriverGroup001=\%make% and then your out of box driver structure would be (for windows 8) "Windows 8\ERGO"

 

If you have other machines then in your CustomSettings.ini then you can put in "Model" or "Make" in the priority part of the CS.ini and then put the Model/Make in [] then under that put your driverGroup001. For Example

 

This is cut and paste from ours.

 

Priority= Model,BeginningFix,UserApps,ByVMType,Default

 

[sATELLITE R830]

'Toshiba R830 Laptops need to have this installed to enable certain button functions

MandatoryApplications001={7a12a60c-62bd-4125-8530-3ef5b1b48b94}

 

[sATELLITE R930]

'R930 Keys

MandatoryApplications001={6c417364-dffc-4e99-8f05-1f8d5fdbdcb1}

 

'DriverGroups

DriverGroup001=Windows 8\TOSHIBA\Satellite R930

 

[300E4C/300E5C/300E7C]

DriverGroup001=Windows 8\SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.\300E5C

 

Hope that helps.

Joe