Simoneverett

I am quite amazed with fog, i do wish that I'd come across this early in my development process. I must admit that i've become a used to using windows batch files in with in PE. That said i really like their wiki doc about HAL its saved me no end of time.

Why At present the school i work haven't spent a penny in equipment/software since 2008/9, my predecessor had been using a unlicensed version of ghost, witch means either buy ghost or reinstall everything by hand. Believe it or not ghost was to expensive, installing everything by hand was the only way, for some time until i fell over the below YouTube clips; Introduction to Windows PE v2 0 Part 1 by AppDeploy - YouTube AppDeploy are amazing, after loads of googleing it soon became apparent use useful Windows PE was in conduction with ImageX and disk part, 15 cds later and i had my self a networked workstation that installed its self, adding sysprep into the mix to get the imaged system onto the domain, Almost all the hard work was done ( i was wrong ), after looking over all the existing work I've done i soon released that i could have a massive mess on my hands so i looked at all the different options; Windows PE can boot from USB, CD, PXE Boot and Hard disk Partition (How do i boot it???) Image management ImageX or Xcopy?? Settings?? XML? text documents? logging? php mysql webpage? How do i control it? how do the correct PC receive the correct images? EG the Dell 520 know to pull the relevant images down? After countless nights looking at all the options it became apparent, the computers already know what their called and what make and model they are. Windows WIMS has all the data i need, its a simple as running a wim query and writing the resulting data to the hard disk C:\hostname.txt = Computers name C:\make.txt = Manufacturer C:\model.txt = Model, did require some adjustments because i only wanted the 745 bit. Because Windows PE has access to the C: on first boot it was able to load theirs settings into RAM as system virables; IF EXIST c:\hostname.txt for /F "delims=" %%i in (c:\hostname.txt) do set Computername=%%i IF EXIST d:\hostname.txt for /F "delims=" %%i in (d:\hostname.txt) do set Computername=%%i IF %Computername% == null set /P Computername=Computer name: %=% echo ================== echo Computername: [%Computername%] echo ================== Y:\fart.exe %Settings_Drive%:\Computermake.txt " " --remove Y:\fart.exe %Settings_Drive%:\Computermake.txt " " --remove Y:\fart.exe %Settings_Drive%:\Computermake.txt "/n" --remove -c set Computermake=null IF EXIST c:\Computermake.txt for /F "delims=" %%j in (c:\Computermake.txt) do set Computermake=%%j IF EXIST d:\Computermake.txt for /F "delims=" %%j in (d:\Computermake.txt) do set Computermake=%%j IF %Computermake% == null SET /P Computermake=Enter Computer make: %=% echo ================== echo Computer make: [%Computermake%] echo ================== Y:\fart.exe %Settings_Drive%:\Computermodel.txt " " --remove Y:\fart.exe %Settings_Drive%:\Computermodel.txt " " --remove Y:\fart.exe %Settings_Drive%:\Computermodel.txt "/n" --remove -c set Computermodel=null IF EXIST c:\Computermodel.txt for /F "delims=" %%k in (c:\Computermodel.txt) do set Computermodel=%%k IF EXIST d:\Computermodel.txt for /F "delims=" %%k in (d:\Computermodel.txt) do set Computermodel=%%k IF %Computermodel% == null set /P Computermodel=Computer model: %=% echo ================== echo Computer model: [%Computermodel%] echo ================== Once windows PE knew what the computers name should be most of the blocks fell into place, Sysprep; Y:\fart.exe c:\sysprep\sysprep.inf change-me-computer-name %Computername% Copying the image from the server; ROBOCOPY g:\ d:\ Windows-XP-%Computermake%-%Computermodel%.wim ImageX "y:\Windows AIK\tools\x86\imagex.exe" /apply d:\Windows-XP-%Computermake%-%Computermodel%.wim 1 c:\ Diskpart ECHO list disk > x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO list vol >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO select disk 0 >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO select part 1 >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO assign letter=k >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO select part 2 >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO assign letter=d >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO select part 1 >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO assign letter=c >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO format label="WinXP" quick >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT echo == Setting up the drives and formating == diskpart /s x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT After a few days of playing it started to look easy, but i had over looked something really important, whats the point of doing all this when i have to go to the PC to image it. say i update the image with some new software i then need to F12 200 PC. Thats like 15/20 cubs of coffee, forget that. i need a way to image the PC from my desk, Psexec.. perfect, i can run a batch file or something on the remote system while their in windows XP, but what uses it that?? back to google, after a good look i relised i could use the windows 7 boot loader to boot Windows PE from a VHD. that wasted a day i dont know what i am doing wrong but i cant get VHD to boot using Windows 7's boot laoder. i uses the imaging process for about 1.5 months before i made the break through i needed, in fact it was a stupid webbook that gave me the idea, Toshiba ship some of their web books with a recovery partition, it looks alot like Windows 7 Boot screen. 35Mins later and i had it in bits and soon relised i could using the existing Windows XP boot loader... I had already written the solution... Diskpart has a command called active, that sets the current part active for booting. ECHO list disk > x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO select disk 0 >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO clean >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO create part primary size=50000 >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO create part primary size=20000 >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO select part 2 >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO assign letter=w >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO format label="WinPE" quick >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO active >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT ECHO list vol >> x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT echo == Setting up the drives and formating == diskpart /s x:\CREATE.WIN.PE.TXT A clean 150 lines later and winpe.bat was able to take the flowing command line y:\winpe.bat image e12- 30 cmd windows pop up, 20 seconds later all 30 PC in the it suite reboot and start imaging their self's, i shall include some links to you tube video over the new few days.. If anybody knows of a easier way, please let me know. I am writing this blog to show others the madness in my ways, the current batch file is almost 400 lines, its almost self contented. its much easier to maintain one file with different scripts included that 10 over 3 different languages. Dissimilar: i am using a number of freely available programer to do something really useful, i didn't write them but did make the do something really useful.

I've got a Dell workstation core i7 Running up to 11 Clients using T100 no problems, HD Youtube happy runs on all 11 USB clients with only little bit of clipping, It looks like the only difference between T100 and T150 is the USB keyboard and mouse options, finding/using USB keyboard and mouses for the T100 is a real pain. that a side T150's look like they need power to use the USB options. Hope that helps..

I must admit i am beening abit unfair, as a system admin, i sorted expect things to work even after they have been updated, i've read alot about people talking about theirs pre built webpards, dose anyboady know were they came from? or who might have devloped said webparts i am despreet from a timetable webpart. MSsql and ASP arent my favorite languages.

Its over USB, this reduceds network laod and power points requirments and datapoints required.

As i under stud it, theirs a OEM verson that alows you to ONLY use local account point less for buniess and theirs a Edcudectoin verson that can be added to the domain, very use full, ours is from ms software assurance but you do need CALS per seet. just like termal services.

my first muitpoint box was a DELL OptiPlex 745 system with built in dual head, i had to use 2 USB hubs with USB sound cards, MutPoint Requires the USB sound card to be on the same USB hub as the Keyboard And mouse you want to use, at start up the sreens ask you to press a certin letter to pair the monitor up to the screen, my first muitpoint test hasnt go so well, it crashed alot, could be hardware, its totaly serve 2008 64bit ready and powermanagemt seems to crash it. that said, its always a traid off between pure graphs. I've not yet tested the dual head in my new Dell T1500 system, but i couldnt find a Dell box that was cheep enoth with 4+ vidio cards.. and becuse i am dell shop it seemed point less bulding a system my self. Evey useing the HP USB t100 flash vidio is really good, bbc iplayer, we have some CAD software that wont work on anything that i am yet to try. but normal evey day programs work fine.. i feel its down to, if you think your pupils are going to unplug/robb the USB sounds cards then useing a big dual headed pc is ok, i saw this epesoid of hack 5 the other day their useing ATI cards and getting 12 Displays i think, its the 26foot bar bit your looking for..

At present i have a MS MuitPoint 2010 server setup in one of our class, i've for 10 uses running off 1!!!! WorkStation. To be fair, i cant really call it a WorkStation. its a DELL T1500 with 8 core i7 and 8gb of ram, I am useing 9 HP MultiSeat t100 Thin Client. The current limiting factor is that USB on the T1500, the t100 dont like going vir a USB hub, it becomes very delayed and un responcive. At first i was intrested in look at away to deploy as many seats with out the needed for 1 cat5 point and 2 power point per seat, after looking into the problem and whats currenly on the market it seem that MuitPoint has all the pros and cons of Termal Services but it dosent require large amounts of cat5 and switcheing. I've looked a SoftXpand but it cost a lot more, and i wasnt totaly happy with their pants licencing problems, and the hardware While doing alot of resertch i decoved almost all of the USB muit point hardware is basied on displaylink techlongly, good.. no. displaylink dont support server 2008 they dont support windows 7 they dont suppoer vista. they do have BETA drivers out, that dont work at all. Hp have a very odd installer that contains some drivers that happen to work very well with MuitPoint 2010 64Bit and they do use a installer that looks like it belongs to displaylink, very odd. one think that did catch me out was make sure you have the HOSTS pc vga card install before you install the t100s. this will save you time scratching your head, and if you buy a T1500 for DELL for god sake make sure you take a note of the Vidio card before you install MuitPoint. i had to contact dell just to find out with vidio card i had. becuse they have about 10 opctions with this moddle and the card didnt have a make or model. After ordeing some a number 12 t100 and the dell T1500 with had dual head DVI cards, so i can run 2 more seets with out any over heads, i had the hard task of finding a loction to test it, all schools are diffrent its the simple things that get you, i found a guinea pig and spent some time ziptying all the USB leeds desks anything that might dammage the Dell T1500. MS recomd no more than 6 but say you can go up to 7-11 seets Capacity Planning for MultiPoint Server hp and MS also recomend the HP MultiSeat ms6000 to be used with mutipoint, my advice is GO I7. Performance I cant beleve my eyes, the first think i did was coppie a 720P vidio to the local HDD, and started it running useing VLC on the first 7 systems i had installed. i alwasy say, go big or go home.. theirs a little clipping bit total watchable i was watching 7 coppies of vidio audio sounds as good as any standalown pc. when you compare it to our other Dell 550s. i will admit the CPU load was at 80/90% i do belve this limmliting facter might have been the local HDD, its only a Sata drive, should have consied SAS. I've had it in about a month now, had a number of class useing it 9/10 at 1 time, no problmes. The most the pupils have managed is about 30% load on the CPU when i have 2 of them on BBC iplayer 4 watching Youtube vidios and 2 playing flash games. 1hr later no complants. 1 think i must say, is with the T100 units, they have a USB b connection leading into the device, if this connection is disconnected/connected or a new t100 is connected to the box while uses are useing it, it dose clauses all clients desktop expercenec to stop dead for about 2/6 seconds while it adds the new t100. The system dose use a lot of ram up, but no ware near the 8 gb its go. Problems Its Server 2008 64bit, 64bit IE dosent suppoer flash 10 uses have to use the 32bit verson, Its Server 2008 64bit, 64bit for our HP printer arent avable Its Server 2008 it uses v2 verson profiles, desktops dont sysn very well, easy to fix. The T100 are PS keyboard and Mouse, ???? why? all the other opiction reauire external Power that i could find. when the system is idle id dose use about 10/20% load all the time, its most likely the USB over heads, becuse USB dose relay on the host CPU to proccess its commands. The feacher i like the most, pupils can move to another seet with out haveing to log off and back in again, say a pupil in useing the MutiPoint Server P1 he can disconect untill P3 when he loggs into a diffrent seet and gets the same open windows and only has to wait a few seconds not minits while the server finds his settings and GPOS. I am more than happy to demo our muitpoint server to anyboy whos intrested thats in the debry city area im me if your intrested, this would need to be authrised by the school out of hrs. so far it's exceeds my expectations, 3 of setups could fit out a good sized it suite. i think we only payed about 2, 000 in total for the Workstation and the t100s

Sharepoint 2010 is amazing, eportal diffrent. i've come accorss a odd problem this week when trying to put eportal into a, simple Web Page Web Part It turns out when viewing eportal through a sharepoint/iframe the Find Bitlet does not recognise the Student/Teacher radio buttons being changed. I've contacted seco and got the responce; (This is not currently a known issue although there is a workaround by going to the Main Menu | Record and searching that way. I would recommend logging a change request on out forums. ) but they did suggest a work around. Surely i am not the first person ever to deplay eportal this way in sharepoint 2010? has anyboady else experienced this problem? I plan to pull the html appart this week to see why it dosent work while under a iframe, could be a IE 7 bug/features. not very impresed with secos support this week. I wasnt aware a html bug counts a change request.

Thankyou, i guse i am luck that ive done a good amount of scripting before, so it didnt take me to long to get into the STUPID sysntax of Batch/Dos, it dose pay to have a setup were it only take me 10 minis max to start ghost cast servers and network boot the relvent RIS image up. i guse its all about makeing sure everything un-breakable. Its turned out the contractors i work for didnt relised it could be this easy.. i hope my spelling didnt put you off to much, i didnt relised it had gone live or showed up anyware..

My ghost story. I've recenly taken over a large secondry schools it deparment, well when i say taken over my commanty won the contract and after a new months i got dumped with the problem of over 400 systems and 1 me, After looking at what we had. What end users were complaining about, mostly speed problems, turned out the NAS servers about had it, it turnes out we have Ghost installed on one of the 13 servers, but not the whole suite, with kinda sucks. so pushing out new images onto the many diffrent systems was always going to be a pain in the ass. and then haveing to name them by hand and add them to the AD and move then into the corect OU, and becuse we uses a System Var. to control the printers, i would need to set that as well. And becuse the existing images are like 13GB incluseing software IE office 2003. it was taking about 30 mins per system over 400+ system would take about over 200hr just to get eveything images, as a result most of the systems had a old broken image from 2006, that seemd to be devloping problems with some BROKEN MSI that a perviuse tech tryed to make him self. i started looking about for a work around, tryed talking to the people i worked with see if they could suggest away to speed things up, all i got back was stop beening a lazzy as, then were beening payed for you to do eveything by hand then were happy, dosent solve my problem. or even help for that matter, first off i looked at my problem, i needed away to install a copy of Windows XP Vol, then config it to auto rename its self and add its self onto my domain, as we all know evey pc has its own MAC address, so that seemed like a easy way to start from, so i check out to see if i could harvist my existing computer names, what a suppirse none of the curent PC names dont have anything to do with were they are. in the school. So i have to make note of the MAC, NEW HOSTNAME AND were ad AD i want them to go. as ive got to uses a Batch file i started with a text CSV layout. EG 00-13-72-CB-1B-12,LIB-12,LIB, 00-13-72-CB-1B-A3,LIB-06,LIB, 00-13-72-CA-F4-22,LIB-05,LIB, 00-13-72-CB-15-B7,LIB-04,LIB, thats all fair and well but how to i do the look up?? FOR /F "tokens=1,2 delims=," %%G IN (%MAC_CONFING_FILE%) DO IF %%G == %MAC% SET NEW_HOSTNAME=%%H FOR /F "tokens=1,3 delims=," %%G IN (%MAC_CONFING_FILE%) DO IF %%G == %MAC% SET NEW_OU=%%H Useing a batch For can step thro text files one by one. Easy, perfect, how to i change the name of the system, well thats not so easy, NetDom can do this once your on the domain, and says it can do it when your off domain but not for me.. so i used 3rd party problem from, i beleve it change a had full of reg entrys. http://www.willowhayes.co.uk/ add to domain usesing NETDOM by MS, cool, now what happens if i need to add something to my script after the image has been taken, becuse the verson of ghost i have a about 3 million years old <8? i cant exit images that are NTFS, so i used a prelaoders that mount a network drive so i can make changes at any point. Simple, well, after 100+ lines of batch and colecting over a 400 Mac addresses, to be colected its taken abit more work than i wanted but saves my hrs, expectly when i have already indexed and have a problem with it, i can set it imagesing 15 mins later its renameing its self and adding its self to the domain, when its come round for the last time loges it self on and the GPUPDATES reboots pulls down office and other software, then its ready to be used again, now its a 10 min images job i managed to get 50 system images in 1 half day, i even had change to have a 1 hrs sit down and cup of coffee,