Unattended Windows XP deployment.

[Steg]

Hello, I don't know if anyone can help but I'm getting a major headache over getting WDS to deploy Windows XP unattended.

I have WDS on Windows Server 2008 R2, I can get the images for XP to deploy but I just can't get the unattended part to work. I don't want to make the initial WDS setup unattended (Ie loggin in choosing image/disk etc) but I do want to automate the machine setup after the image is deployed.

 

Everywhere I have read simply states I need to put the sysprep.inf file in a created folder structure located at remoteinstall\images\imagegroup\createdimagenamefolder\$OEM$\$1\sysprep\sysprep.inf

 

Which I have done, I assume the image file itself stays in the Imagegroup folder, but I deploy the image and it just doesn't automate.

 

Can anyone help?

 

Below is the sysprep.inf file I am using.

 

;SetupMgrTag

[unattended]

OemSkipEula=Yes

InstallFilesPath=C:\sysprep\i386

 

[GuiUnattended]

AdminPassword=616ebdcc419c5adc48425b0d78f8a45ddd4a50eca914823336ce52aeea2090b5

EncryptedAdminPassword=Yes

OEMSkipRegional=1

TimeZone=85

OemSkipWelcome=1

 

[userData]

ProductKey=blahblah

FullName="user"

OrgName="school"

ComputerName=*

 

[RegionalSettings]

LanguageGroup=1

SystemLocale=00000809

UserLocale=00000809

InputLocale=0809:00000809

 

[setupMgr]

DistFolder=C:\sysprep\i386

DistShare=windist

 

[identification]

DoOldStyleDomainJoin=Yes

JoinDomain=DOMAIN

DomainAdmin=domain\user

DomainAdminPassword=password

 

[Networking]

InstallDefaultComponents=Yes

 

[tosh74]

Deploy XP Images in the Computer Lab with Windows Deployment Services on Server 2003.

This guide works well for me - start at Prepare the client machine for imaging with Sysprep

[Guest Guest]

Never sussed WDS on it own out personally, try MDT.

[themightymrp]

Go with MDT 2010 on top of WDS, its free and makes life so much easier

[Steg]

Deploy XP Images in the Computer Lab with Windows Deployment Services on Server 2003.

This guide works well for me - start at Prepare the client machine for imaging with Sysprep

 

That is exactly what I did do, but when I restart the machine after capturing the image the sysprep folder has been automatically deleted, so I copy the sysprep.inf file before hand as well and put in the $OEM$ etc structure but when I image a machine it still prompts for the serial number etc.

 

As for MDT I've no idea how it works and the manual seems to be 500 pages long, does it work on a similar thought process like WDS?

[alexsanger]

Go with MDT 2010 on top of WDS, its free and makes life so much easier

 

+1 - Exactly what we're doing here with XP and 7

[Duke5A]

You've got the path right, but you need the entire contents of the sysprep directory placed in there and not just the inf.

[apeman]

if all your xp machines are going to use the same sysprep.inf information (ie global settings) you can just put it all in the WdsSysprepTemplate.inf file which is located in Reminst\Templates. if you do this then you WONT need to create a sysprep.inf for each image you deploy

 

here is my wdssyspreptemplate.inf

 

;SetupMgrTag

[unattended]

DriverSigningPolicy = Ignore

OemPreinstall = yes

OemPnPDriversPath=\Drivers\Network;

OemSkipEula=Yes

InstallFilesPath=C:\sysprep\i386

 

[GuiUnattended]

AdminPassword=*

OEMSkipRegional=1

TimeZone=85

OemSkipWelcome=1

 

[userData]

ProductKey=1111-1111-1111-1111-1111

FullName="SYSTEM ADMIN"

OrgName="School Name"

ComputerName=%MACHINENAME%

 

[Display]

BitsPerPel = 32

Xresolution=1680

YResolution=1050

 

[TapiLocation]

CountryCode=44

Dialing=Tone

AreaCode=

 

[RegionalSettings]

LanguageGroup=1

SystemLocale=00000809

UserLocale=00000809

InputLocale=0809:00000809

 

[setupMgr]

DistFolder=C:\sysprep\i386

DistShare=windist

 

[identification]

JoinDomain=domain.com

DoOldSysleDomainJoin=YES

DomainAdmin=user

DomainAdminPassword=password

MachineObjectOU="OU=Orphan Machines,OU=Workstations,DC=domain,DC=com"

 

[Networking]

InstallDefaultComponents=Yes

Edited December 12, 2011 by apeman

[Steg]

Hmm, I've tried both Duke's suggestion by copying the entire sysprep folder into the $oem$ etc folder structure however that didn't work and I also tried your method Apeman and that to didn't work. I also removed the folder structure after changing the wdssystemtemplate just incase and I restarted the WDS Service after each change. I don't know if its worth mentioning but I noticed the sysprep folder in the C: Drive on the image is gone after I have deployed it, is Sysprep meant to remove the folder after running? It just seems that C:\sysprep\i386 is refenced in the answerfiles, yet it doesn't exist, and on that note the i386 folder doesn't exist in my sysprep folder when extracted from the .cab. I don't know, I'm not getting any errors or anythign it just doesn't seem to read it.

[apeman]

hmm that should of worked. where did you get your windows install disc from?? volume licence?? or did you just use the version of windows that came with the machine??

 

when you sysprepped windows before you captured it, did you tick the box that said use mini setup??

 

the wdssyspreptemplate.inf should get copied to c:\sysprep and renamed to sysprep.inf and then it will be read by sysprep when it runs

 

you are correct the sysprep folder will go from c: once sysprep is complete

Edited December 13, 2011 by apeman

[Arthur]

I've tried both Duke's suggestion by copying the entire sysprep folder into the $oem$ etc folder structure however that didn't work

Did you place the SysPrep folder in $OEM$\$1? i.e.

 

[b]$OEM$[/b]
 |
 |-- [b]$1[/b]
      |
      |-- [b]SysPrep[/b]

 

 

I noticed the sysprep folder in the C: Drive on the image is gone after I have deployed it, is Sysprep meant to remove the folder after running?

Yes. That's normal.

[Steg]

My Windows Install disk is the volume licensing version, and I did tick the box for mini setup, and yes my folder structure is $OEM$\$1\sysprep,

I just tried it again from scratch and wrote down what I did,

 

Build Windows XP SP3 from disc (Volume licensing version)

Install Drivers/software etc (Though for testing I created a new image with just drivers so it's faster to image)

Remove from Domain and restart

Extract files from deploy.cab from XP CD into a created folder C:/sysprep (I also downloaded it from the MS website but the versions are the same anyway)

run setupmgr.exe

Create new answer file

Sysprep Setup Option

Windows XP Proffessional

Fully automate the installation

Go through Setup process filling in appriopriate fields

Save to default location C:\sysprep\sysprep.inf

Copy Sysprep folder to USB pen drive (Leave on machine as well)

Run Sysprep.exe

Tick Use Mini-Setup

Shutdown Mode - Reboot

Click Factory

Machine syspreps and restarts

Log in after sysprep auto starts click "Reseal" (I don't check the mini-setup box a second time do I need to?)

Machine reboots again

PXE Boot into Capture image

Select C: Volume

Name Image

Save to local machine in created folder on C:

I don't upload the the server at this point as I had a duplication issue

WDS Captures image

Once image captured reboot machine run through welcome screen applying settings etc

Copy image saved to C: to WDS\Custom Images folder

Add Install Image to Install Image Group

Copy sysprep.inf file from pen drive taken from machine to created folder \images\imagegroup\imagename\$oem$\$1\sysprep\ (Also tried copying entire sysprep folder)

PXE machine to deploy to, select image, delete partitions etc,

Image deploys fine but after restarting get the Welcome to Windows XP screen etc as if it was just "resealed" and didn't read the answer file.

[apeman]

Extract files from deploy.cab from XP CD into a created folder C:/sysprep (I also downloaded it from the MS website but the versions are the same anyway)

 

 

Run Sysprep.exe

Tick Use Mini-Setup

Shutdown Mode - Reboot

Click Factory

Machine syspreps and restarts

Log in after sysprep auto starts click "Reseal" (I don't check the mini-setup box a second time do I need to?)

 

 

I don't upload the the server at this point as I had a duplication issue

 

i would always download the latest sysprep from microsoft and not use the one off the disc

 

when you run sysprep you DONT use the factory option and reboot, you just tick mini setup and then click reseal

 

i have never had the issue with WDS having duplication issues, i would imagine that its because you used the same image name when you save it to your local drive, i always put the date and computer model in the image name (14122011delld600), as it helps identify when it was made and keeps the name unique

[Duke5A]

You don't let the machine boot up again after sysprep finishes. This when you're supposed to capture it as an image. Run sysprep with these options:

 

sysprep -mini -reseal -shutdown

 

Then capture it and import into WDS.