WDS and bootable media

[Sheridan]

We're running WDS on Server 2003, and now that most laptops come with the crappy uefi bios that doesn't work with PXE boot I thought we'd use a bootable usb pen.

 

I've created the bootable USB, and exported the Boot image we use for network devices and then copied over the winpe\ISO\ folder, with the exported boot.wim file in the sources folder. The laptops we're trying to image boot from this usb pen and then crash out with the error 0x00000cf claiming the winload.efi is missing or corrupt.

 

I've never had to use a bootable usb to image from WDS before, so has anyone sucessfully managed to do this? If anyone got and guides how they got it working I would be grateful! I'm hoping a move to MDT will solve this in the future but we need to get these imaged now.

[sted]

if uefi is turned on you need to use iirc x64 and x64 with the uefi bits on the stick which again iirc arnt there by default

[Sheridan]

Which uefi bits are these? Do you mean I have to use the x64 boot image from WDS?

[sted]

Which uefi bits are these? Do you mean I have to use the x64 boot image from WDS?

 

cant remember and iirc yes uefi is I think x64 only (or mainly)

[free780]

Server 2003, upgrade time. Uefi isn't crappy it just isn't as well supported as legacy bioses. You should be able to turn legacy on in the bios.

[JOrdan01070]

Sheridan, server 2003 does not support uefi at all from what i have read and found, you need server 2008 and then it is only supported on x64 for full support you need server 2012. I have just spent the last several days figuring out why our new machines would not image properly and with some help from verypc managed to get them sorted.

[Sheridan]

No legacy mode on these laptops unfortunately. I'm happy to upgrade to a new server but don't want to lose my images on the old wds server!

 

I might set up a separate 2012 server and enable that for awkward images. I find uefi is the answer to a problem no one had!

[FN-GM]

Why not just import all images onto the new server? You will have to get rid of 2003 soon anyway. (although i thought WDS was on 2008 and above).

 

I find uefi is the answer to a problem no one had!

 

Apart from support of hard drives over 2TB for boot drives, Also lets you have more partitions. Plus its quicker booting with UEFI.

[Sheridan]

Well I've progressed, sort of - setup a test rig 2012 server and installed WDS and imported one of our well used 64bit Windows 7 images.

 

The laptops now pxe boot correctly, and even download the image. So thats a good step forward. Shame the laptops then freeze at the Starting Windows logo screen when they boot but I guess thats an image issue. Shame really as that image has been used on countless PCs without any issue, but these uefi based laptops are the first to reject it.

 

So far uefi has offered nothing but problems for us!

Edited December 3, 2013 by Sheridan

[FN-GM]

I assume you syspreped the image?

[Sheridan]

Yup. We've used that image on over 100 other computers and laptops!

[free780]

Assuming you dont have any drivers in the image. You could try f8 safe mode see which driver it gets stuck on. You may be able to pull the minidump file if it bluescreens to find the cause.

[JOrdan01070]

Hi sheridan does the image sort the partitions out as well if so have you made sure it creates an efi msr and system partion other wise i think you will have problems.

[Sheridan]

Ive been setting the partitions manually. I.e delete any existing and then let the setup create what it wants. It creates 4 partitions by default before beginning the installation.

[DMartin]

I have been having a similar issue with this recently too - I found that some drivers had been added and were causing a similar crash have you added any drivers into the slip stream recently?