SCCM 2007R2 - WDS/OS Deplyment.

[Dan_ATR]

Is the WDS service supposed to be started? It does not seem to want to start... needs to be configured (hell no...SCCM should have done this...)

[Gatt]

Hmm, yeah it should've done..

 

I've had issues in the past with SCCM 2012 and WDS and found that I've had to strip the Distribution Point roles out of SCCM and strip WDS, delete the REMINST folder, reboot and try again.

 

You can monitor the removal and installation by going to Monitoring > System Status > Site Status > Distribution Point

[Dan_ATR]

fixed that part... in DHCP I told it 060 PXEClient and took out 67 and 66. Then went to registry and followed this post = The WDS server may not start, and an error is logged in the System log when you start the WDS server

 

Then restarted WDS and it worked.

 

Rebooted client PC, and picked up SCCM.

 

Unfortunitly it aborted (smsboot\x64zabourtpxe.com)

 

Think it needed accepting as it was pending.

[Gatt]

Also check in SCCM for "unknown" machines

There was a bug where if an OSD/PXE failed on a new PC it didn't remove the "Unknown" object and thereby lock the PXE assignment to it

[Dan_ATR]

Thats stupid...

 

Who ever did that needs taking into a dark room and giving a right good beating.

 

Your the boss

[Dan_ATR]

umm.... where do i find this?

[Gatt]

The unknown machines?

 

Asset & Compliance > OVerview > Devices >

Find and delete all "Unknown" devices

 

Except these two:

x64 Unknown Computer (x64 Unknown Computer)

X86 Unknown Computer (x86 Unknown Computer)

Edited November 21, 2013 by Gatt

[Dan_ATR]

nothing but these two are in it...

 

on the client PC its now on Pending Request ID:7

[Gatt]

That's fine means it working

 

Have you created and advertised a Task Sequence?

If not you'll get an AbortPXE error - as it has nothing to do!

[Dan_ATR]

nothing but these two are in it...

 

on the client PC its now on Pending Request ID:7

 

Still says that Configuration manager is looking for policy.. :/

[Gatt]

Ok you need to import an "install.wim" from an Installation DVD (eg Windows 7) to: Software Library > Operating Systems > Operating System Images

Deploy it to your DPs

Then in Software Library > Operating Systems > Task Sequences, create a basic Task Sequence to install that OS (just the OS for now)

 

This is my "Base Build" for Windows 7:

 

 

You only need it as far as the first Reboot / Restart Computer section and configure the relevant components

 

Use Create Task Sequence > install an existing image package

Give it a name and select a boot image (both need to be deployed btw)

Select the Install.Wim you just uploaded and provide a key if not using KMS and if you want to enable the local admin account

Join a Workgroup or Domain & credentials

Provide any CCM options (or move on for default options)

If you want to do a capture or not (I don't so I untick these)

Any updates?

Any Applications?

Move on and finish

 

Edit the TS and delete anything your not using (such as Capture files and settings / Bitlocker / Restore User Files and settings

 

One thing to add is the "Use Drive C:" section - otherwise it could try and install to D: - another bug from the sounds of it

To do this Add > General > "Set Task Sequence Variable" to just under the Partition Disk task

Task Sequnce Variable = OSDPreserveDriveLetter

Value = false

 

Save the TS

Deploy it to a Collection - eg "All Unknown Computers" for new devices (those not known to SCCM yet)

 

Now when you PXE you should get the F12 prompt

[Dan_ATR]

umm.... I have this problem > Cannot select Operating system installer - Configuration Manager 2012 - www.windows-noob.com

 

But the fix wont fix it. I can add a boot.wim file though but not a install.wim

 

Also currently we use WDS to boot PCs into so that we can run disk tools etc.. we have diffrent images which we select for this. Is the selection possible still?

[Dan_ATR]

umm.... I have this problem > Cannot select Operating system installer - Configuration Manager 2012 - www.windows-noob.com

 

??? it now works :S??SS?

[Gatt]

Hmm, you adding it into this Node?

 

 

Not sure about the 2nd question - SCCM tends to want full control of WDS and has a tendancy to have a hissy fit and go into mega sulk if it doesn't..

 

EDIT: ah I see you got it working!

[Dan_ATR]

With the second question....

 

We have WDS on one of our live servers. This has about 3 Windows PE instances which cover things from Automatic hard disk cloning using gost and error checking etc...

 

We usually boot a machine, select the one we want, and boom its done.

 

Can we still do this with SCCM??? I will need to import the existing *.WIMs..

[Gatt]

If you have a bootable WIM you *might* be able to import it into SCCM - have a google cos its not something I've done!

(You can import MDT bootable WIMs, so it may very well be possible!)

[Dan_ATR]

but can you then just boot a PC to it with having to go through the polava of allowing it and all that junk we have just done? SCCM seems to be allot more complex than the old WDS way... even with the CLI...

[Gatt]

Is it similar to this? PXE Booting DaRT 8.1 with SCCM 2012 SP1 Including Remote Viewer | Idea Data Services Ltd

[Dan_ATR]

We use a HTA exe with loads of tools linked to it like chkdsk, notepad, nortan ghost etc...

 

Where can I download DaRT? Microsoft Download Center only had document downloads for it. Ill check on our Volume Licensing for it....

[Gatt]

I just used DaRT as an example of how it might be possible to do it.

I'd not heard of it until then so will need to look into it more

 

IIRC, you should be able to add another boot image and add a custom HTA to that boot image, then use the DaRT method to access the custom HTA?

[Dan_ATR]

Seems liable... but how do you boot a PC to it? Do you still get a long list of things to select or is it all pre determine from SCCM?? rubish...

 

We have 3 sites of up to 1500+ machines and 3000 users. If a machine goes wrong, no way am I walking back to base to set one machine to boot from DaRT.... I want to do it then.

[Gatt]

As I understand it:

 

Create a new custom boot image and enable the HTA inside it

Create a Task Sequence that uses the custom boot image

 

Create a collection (EG Recovery)

Deploy the recovery TS to the new collection - make sure its required (Mandatory) - this means as as soon as you press F12 on the pC it will use this image regardless of any other boot images the computer has.

 

Now when you boot that computer using PXE and the Recovery Boot image should load up.

Remove the computer from your collection when done (do this before you reboot if your first boot device is PXE!)

 

The steps in the link above show this in more detail, but can be applied to any bootable WIM file.

[Gatt]

We have 3 sites of up to 1500+ machines and 3000 users. If a machine goes wrong, no way am I walking back to base to set one machine to boot from DaRT.... I want to do it then.

 

Ah right yeah - same as last post, but deploy it to all computers - but not as required , it will then appear in the list of available task sequences - select it and it'll load the necessary info