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Ultra Book Imaging / PXE Booting / USB stick imaging?


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Posted

I've got a shiny ultra book to test and I've had to buy a USB - LAN adaptor ( USB 3.0 to 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 LAN Network Adapter for Macbook PC | eBay ) because I didn't realise ultrabooks didn't have LAN (d'oh).

 

I want to image via WDS, but I can't get it to PXE boot. The adaptor is working within Windows. I've been through the BIOS and I can't find anything about USB boot or LAN boot.

 

SO...

 

Can I put my image onto a USB HDD and somehow boot the windows imager jobby? Is that even a thing?

Posted
I've got a shiny ultra book to test and I've had to buy a USB - LAN adaptor ( USB 3.0 to 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 LAN Network Adapter for Macbook PC | eBay ) because I didn't realise ultrabooks didn't have LAN (d'oh).

 

I want to image via WDS, but I can't get it to PXE boot. The adaptor is working within Windows. I've been through the BIOS and I can't find anything about USB boot or LAN boot.

 

SO...

 

Can I put my image onto a USB HDD and somehow boot the windows imager jobby? Is that even a thing?

 

yes or put the mdt boot image on a usb pen/dvd that should work. if you have a wim file image for mdt you can literally create a std winx dvd and swap your wim file for install.wim

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Posted

I don't use MDT but I do have my wim file...

 

Just had a look in my bag and I have FAILED to bring a USB HDD with me. Damnit.

Posted
I don't use MDT but I do have my wim file...

 

Just had a look in my bag and I have FAILED to bring a USB HDD with me. Damnit.

 

wds file should work just as well its just likely to have wrong drivers in it which may or may not cause you an issue

Posted

Chances are that the USB ethernet adapter that you bought doesn't have a PXE boot ROM on it. Assuming that the ultrabook isn't a low end consumer model, it should be able to boot from a suitable adapter.

 

According to the comments, this widget can be used for PXE booting.

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Posted
Chances are that the USB ethernet adapter that you bought doesn't have a PXE boot ROM on it. Assuming that the ultrabook isn't a low end consumer model, it should be able to boot from a suitable adapter.

 

According to the comments, this widget can be used for PXE booting.

 

I've ordered it. I just totally assumed that the PXE booting was all about the BIOS and not the adaptor. Lesson learnt!

Posted

Gah! That cable doesn't PXE boot either :'(

 

At this point I'm thinking staff might have to have full size laptops instead of shiny ultrabooks.

Posted

@sted

 

d'yknow how you said about swapping the wim file from the DVD with my image one? Well when I look on the server, my image wim file is 8MB and the one from the DVD is 3GB. There is also a Res.RWM file in there which is 21GB, which I figure is the *actual* image... any more guidance?

Posted

I have these instructions:

 

PXE Boot does not exist on these machines and should not be sold as supporting it.

 

A general rule of thumb is that if a machine doesn’t have a LAN it doesn’t have PXE Support unless its added into the firmware by the manufacturer as a specialty. IE what MS did with the Surface.

 

For these you have to have a boot USB key that boots into your network share and makes a network connection for you to deploy with.

 

In the terms of MDT it’s the LiteTouchPE_x64.wim.

 

With MDT you can create a Bootable ISO file which can then be put on a USB and used.

 

Once the machine has booted and the network connection kicked in the machine doesn’t need the USB anymore and can be removed.

 

I only use WDS not MDT... I'm assuming it will still work?

Posted
@sted

 

d'yknow how you said about swapping the wim file from the DVD with my image one? Well when I look on the server, my image wim file is 8MB and the one from the DVD is 3GB. There is also a Res.RWM file in there which is 21GB, which I figure is the *actual* image... any more guidance?

 

You can export an image in WDS by right clicking it. You should then be able to see the total size of this file and copy it over.

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Posted (edited)
You can export an image in WDS by right clicking it. You should then be able to see the total size of this file and copy it over.

 

Screenshot of how to export the WIM image from WDS

Export.png

 

(Image replaced due to attachment error message)

Edited by DJ-1701
English fail.
Posted
I have these instructions:

 

I only use WDS not MDT... I'm assuming it will still work?

 

Those instructions you have are just for MDT. :(

Posted
You can export an image in WDS by right clicking it. You should then be able to see the total size of this file and copy it over.

yeah by default iirc (i havnt used wds in years for anything other the booting to mdt) it basically creates differencing files so you have 1 big file the rwm and then the wims have whats different and some sort of link to the rwm doing an export will smoosh it all back to 1 file

Posted (edited)

Right... I'm having a right mare with this. I've installed MDT on the server and created a bootable USB drive, but now hurdle number 10930218490318....

 

it doesn't recognise the USB-LAN adaptor. DAMN YOU!

 

How do I get drivers on my bootable USB? :(

 

le edit: just plugged in my cheapo usb-lan thingy and it's connected to the server... oh man I don't think I have any of this configured properly o.O

Edited by Joanne
Posted
Right... I'm having a right mare with this. I've installed MDT on the server and created a bootable USB drive, but now hurdle number 10930218490318....

 

it doesn't recognise the USB-LAN adaptor. DAMN YOU!

 

How do I get drivers on my bootable USB? :(

 

le edit: just plugged in my cheapo usb-lan thingy and it's connected to the server... oh man I don't think I have any of this configured properly o.O

did you install windows wadk before you installed mdt if not it will not do a lot. To add drivers basically go to the drivers section and create sensibly named folders then point it at a folder full of drivers. To get them into the boot file right click your deployment share click updte and wait then add this wim file to wds/boot media

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Posted

@Joanne I had that demo model before you. I used an external DVD drive to install a fresh Win 10 and installed the drivers from the supplied USB stick.

Not much help I'm afraid, but what a lovely machine it is. The IPS screen looks amazing and makes using a 13.3" perfect.

 

I've got @VeryPC_Colin_M looking for a suitable charging storage unit now so we can have them in sets of 10 in the classrooms.

  • Thanks 1
Posted
@Joanne I had that demo model before you. I used an external DVD drive to install a fresh Win 10 and installed the drivers from the supplied USB stick.

Not much help I'm afraid, but what a lovely machine it is. The IPS screen looks amazing and makes using a 13.3" perfect.

 

I've got @VeryPC_Colin_M looking for a suitable charging storage unit now so we can have them in sets of 10 in the classrooms.

 

Yeah it's sexy as!

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