[wds] How do I use a captured image to use offline?

[marsdenprimary]

Hello,

 

I have been using WDS successfully and capturing and deploying an image over PXE. Unfortunately i've got a laptop that just does not want to connect using PXE :/ Doesn't even connect to our server.

 

I need to know a SIMPLE way, hopefully without the need for DOS, on how to take the captured image on our server, stick it on a or external hard drive and just image the laptop with it.

 

Easy step by steps would be most appreciated!

[LeMarchand]

I've never been unlucky enough to have to test this, but I was under the impression that you could use a WinPE boot disk with ImageX to achieve this. See here for a walkthrough on creating the disk. It's still a lot of command line work both to create the disk and deploy the image, though!

 

There's also

, which might be easier to use for the deployment.

 

Just a thought: is WDS the only available option for PXE booting (i.e. no Ghost or anything else)? If so, have you included the network drivers for the offending laptop in your deploy image? That's caught me out a couple of times!

[marsdenprimary]

I've never been unlucky enough to have to test this, but I was under the impression that you could use a WinPE boot disk with ImageX to achieve this. See here for a walkthrough on creating the disk. It's still a lot of command line work both to create the disk and deploy the image, though!

 

There's also

, which might be easier to use for the deployment.

 

Just a thought: is WDS the only available option for PXE booting (i.e. no Ghost or anything else)? If so, have you included the network drivers for the offending laptop in your deploy image? That's caught me out a couple of times!

 

Cheers for this x The laptop doesn't even SEE the server to connect- just waits and waits and then boots into the OS as normal. Weird. Could this be a driver issue?? I did have one that brought up a 'network driver missing' error type thing so i injected the drivers into the boot image and it worked. This one doesn't get that far...

[fairm010]

Does it look for a DHCP address in the PXE boot interface? Can you see that happen? Do you get a message such as Cable not connected? Or a PXE response error?

 

Also, sounds recidulous but ive had to remove the WLAN card from laptops before in order for PXE boot to function.

 

Matt

[LeMarchand]

IIRC it went PXE>Shake hands with server>Choose what to do>hang, so it sounds like a different problem. (Though I guess it wouldn't hurt to inject the drivers).

 

Not the solution you need, but possibly quicker in the long run (especially as it's only one machine): apply the image to a different machine, sysprep it and clone it with Clonezilla/any other suitable program and use that image to apply to the laptop. (I have to do this a bit as I'm trying to keep new machines x64 and a couple of my schools have x32 servers).

 

Just seen @fairm010's reply, which would only take a few minutes to test, so I'd only use the above it doesn't work.

[marsdenprimary]

Does it look for a DHCP address in the PXE boot interface? Can you see that happen? Do you get a message such as Cable not connected? Or a PXE response error?

 

Also, sounds recidulous but ive had to remove the WLAN card from laptops before in order for PXE boot to function.

 

Matt

 

It gets an error- no DHCP servers available kind of error. If it comes to it i'll remove the card but is there no way of disabling it in the BIOS?

[fairm010]

It gets an error- no DHCP servers available kind of error. If it comes to it i'll remove the card but is there no way of disabling it in the BIOS?

 

On the newer laptops, yes you can disable in BIOS. The ones I was dealing with were old Toshiba things.

 

Have you defined option 60 in DHCP to PXEClient?

[marsdenprimary]

On the newer laptops, yes you can disable in BIOS. The ones I was dealing with were old Toshiba things.

 

Have you defined option 60 in DHCP to PXEClient?

 

Sorry for the late response. Still not had chance to revisit this yet. X

[timbo343]

Have you thought about clonezilla? Not sure if it will work though

[free780]

Back to the original question.

Create winpe media.

Boot from it with you captured image on the media.

diskpart

sel dis 0

clean

cre par pri

format fs=ntfs quick

assign letter=c

active

imagex /apply 1 c:\

 

wait

 

bcdboot c:\windows

 

You will have to set the pc name and joint he domain manually. Unless you have a answer file that will work.