Complete guide to WDS...question

[agarabaghi]

We got PXE booting working... but i get this error now:

 

A connection to the deployment share \\imaging\deploymentshareT420s$ could not be made. The following networking device did not have a driver installed PCI\

 

Im assuming i should add Out of Box network driver to the deployment share, then hit update?

[Gatt]

Yeah I'd add it to your boot image, along with any Mass storage devices (eg Sata [Raid] Drivers) as MDT / WDS tend to shout a bit if they aren't present...

[agarabaghi]

updating image now... let's see what happens.

[agarabaghi]

So i loaded the driver as out of box driver, and then updated the deployment. It said injecting drivers etc... then finished. I then went into WDS and "Replaced Image" the boot image with the new LiteTouch_x64.wim... but it still errors out with the network card driver device ... oj hwait it wotrk now!

[agarabaghi]

Ok, well i created the task sequence to deploy, but it errored out

 

ERROR - Unable to find SETUP needed to install the image?

 

I should prob try with a fresh Deployment

[Gatt]

Ah.. right yeah - this is due to the captured WIM file

 

They don't have a setup file (liek the install.wim on a DVD has) so it fails

best bet is to look at creating a task sequence in MDT - it'll take a bit of work but not too long to import the apps get test it out

[agarabaghi]

yup ive built an image in mdt and deployed via usb.

 

Could i capture and image through MDT? Using the task sequence sysprep and capture?

[agarabaghi]

im just gonna build an image hehe

[sted]

Yes mdt will capture.

 

You need to enable it on the deployment share then on the pc your capturing go to \\server\deploymentshare$\scripts and run the capture script

[agarabaghi]

Ive just build an MDT deployment share, hopefully this deploys properly

[agarabaghi]

If I was to load all the drivers for several laptops into 1 deployment share, would it only pull the drivers needed??

[agarabaghi]

so i went to lunch and came back and now im trying to boot off the lan again, and im getting this weird issue, it loads the background of MS | Solution Accelerator but then it reboots the machine. usually it would launch the option to start deployment or command prompt?

[Gatt]

Check the deployment log if poss (F8?) it sounds like a driver - possibly Mass Storage

If using SATA then its most likely looking for a SATA RAID Controller

[agarabaghi]

ive loaded all the drivers for this laptop into MDTs. I was able to boot into it earlier, and now i cant =(

[agarabaghi]

weird i tried another T420s and it worked just fine.

[Gatt]

Bizarre.. the only other explanation is if the MDT sequence failed and didn't end completely (either with a White[all good], Yellow[Warnings] or Red[Fail] box) meaning it didn't delete the MDT Files..

[agarabaghi]

Yellow warnings last time, setup issue. I will nuke the machine manually.

 

THanks for all the help guys. Ive made more progress today than all of last week!

 

Does anyone know about my driver question? If i load all the drivers for a T420s and T410s will it work?

[Gatt]

If it helps - try running DiskPart and clean the disk (then reboot) before you try again...

 

Glad we could help you out

[agarabaghi]

1st deployment worked!!!

[agarabaghi]

what;s the best approach for running a script using MDT? I need to run the windows activation script

 

cscript //b c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /ipk

cscript //b c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /ato

 

unless there is another way to activate machines not on the domain...

[themightymrp]

You could add those lines into a .cmd batch file and then add that file as an application to install during the task sequence. If you have it as the last app to install that should hopefully work, I do something similar. There is a freebie add-in somewhere that you can download that lets you re-order the applications so they install in an order of your choosing - a feature that is not built into MDT for some reason :-/

 

As for the drivers question, I have almost all my drivers in the one folder, the deploy picks up the correct ones for the machine just fine

[Gatt]

You could add those lines into a .cmd batch file and then add that file as an application to install during the task sequence. If you have it as the last app to install that should hopefully work, I do something similar. There is a freebie add-in somewhere that you can download that lets you re-order the applications so they install in an order of your choosing - a feature that is not built into MDT for some reason :-/

 

Not sure about most of this as I was always doing to a Domain PC, however, if you are using KMS, then this gets published to DNS and should get found by the client (Don't take this as read as I am not 100% on it!)

 

Application ordering can be done from within MDT.. either via the database management side or by using Application Bundles (see here for more info), you can also use dependancies to ensure they get installed in the correct order....

 

As for the drivers question, I have almost all my drivers in the one folder, the deploy picks up the correct ones for the machine just fine

 

This is fine for the actual deployments, but not for when you are booting into WinPE - you need to inject the relevant drivers (NICs and Mass Storage) directly into the boot image otherwise it will fail before it can connect to the MDT Deployment point..

[themightymrp]

Fair point. Once I import my network/storage drivers I update the deploymentshare and replace the litetouch.wim file as a matter of course so yes you're right.

 

I don't use the database side of MDT (no reason other than being bothered to set it up) and the bundles/dependancies isn't suitable for me as I like to select various combinations of software depending on the room/laptop etc. So the free download allows an easy way to view the list of apps and use an up & down arrow button to shuffle them around

[agarabaghi]

The command line worked. The machines activate themselves weather on the domain or not.

 

Has anyone used the "Join Domain Prompt" does it work? That would be nice for lab machines. Will give it a try tomorrow.

 

I was wondering if anyone knew how to set certain local security rules? I could edit them via command line if it is possible? I want to remove remember last logged on user, and AlT-CTRL-DEL screen to not appear.

 

Also, is there a way to launch a bat file as an application? It would be nice to see in the list of application to install a box with [CSS LAB SCRIPTS] [DOMAIN USER SCRIPTS] as choices?

[agarabaghi]

Looks like i can run batch files off a networkshare if i select application without source files / network share option!