WDS wdsclient error

[Sheridan]

I've got the familiar error when trying to install an image from our Server 2012 WDS onto a new PC - wdsclient: an error occured while obtaining an ip address

 

Problem is I've rebuilt the boot image with the drivers (realtek) injected into it so I'm now stuck - its definitely the right set of drivers but no joy.

 

Is there anything else that causes this or should I give up now and install from dvd instead!

 

Edit: I've just realised its probably the uefi bios, even set to legacy I've never ever got a uefi bios to work with wds, even on our newer 2012 version! Either that or zoostorm PCs just don't work with WDS.

Edited March 18, 2014 by Sheridan

[Sam_Brown]

You should be able to do a Shift+F10 to bring up the console. Can you do an IPCONFIG at all to see if it's actually picked up the network card and you've gotten an IP Address or not.

 

Then try Notepad.exe x:\Windows\INF\setupapi.app.log and see if it's moaning about drivers etc. Although I appreciate you've said you have the drivers added every time I've seen this issue it's been a drive issue.

[Sheridan]

I do get an error in there relating to VEN=10EC DEV=8168 which is the Realtek 8168 that is onboard. I've copied over about 5 different versions of those drivers!

 

Always the same error though: Loading Module "x:\windows\system32\wwaninst.dll" failed. The specified module could not be found

 

Every other PC we try is working fine - whatever zoostorm have put is this doesn't like wds.

[Sam_Brown]

I know it's frustrating. I've had similar issues in the past. Are you using the Vista version of the drivers? I usually have better luck with them than Windows 7 because Windows PE is based on Vista.

 

Also how are you added the drivers to the image out of curiosity? That might also be the issue.

Edited March 18, 2014 by Sam_Brown

[Sheridan]

I've added the drivers using the old dism commands, and also through the WDS gui (from driver packages)

 

I've even created a new empty boot.wim and added only the single driver required!

[Sheridan]

Ha! Created a new blank 64 bit boot image from the DVD, and then added only 1 single driver - the 64bit version (the oldest one!) of the realtek driver and its worked! So adding the later versions kills it so there must be some kind of driver conflict with this set of drivers. Very odd and not UEFI's fault at all this time

[Sam_Brown]

Rings a bell. I've had similar issues in the past. Glad you got it working

[Sheridan]

Even if I have to have a seperate, single boot image just for these PCs I can suffer that.

[Sam_Brown]

I remember a similar issue with drivers for our older Dell Machines where we had to have a separate boot image because the standard USB Drivers were "too new". We had to force it to use drivers from about 6 years ago for KB+M to work lol.

[Sheridan]

WDS is great, but frustrating when it goes wrong! Especially when mixed with uefi - I've got this one switched to legacy for everything to make this work!