Phurious

I must respectfully disagree with this statement. Having an Enterprise license for Windows allows you to use and natively boot VHDs, which are a thing of beauty. I boot my main system from VHD, and even go so far as to use a differencing VHD when I am going to "try" something on my OS. If my experiment fails, I simply boot back into the "host" OS, discard the differencing VHD, at which time I can recreate a new differencing VHD or edit my BCD and choose to boot from my original VHD. VHDs are a large carrot that Microsoft dangles in order for you to purchase Software Assurance, and therefore receive "Enterprise" licenses for Windows 7. In the end I decided to go ahead and purchase a Microsoft TechNet subscription. It's $299 price was less that a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate, and it gave me 10 licenses each for Windows 7 Enterpise, Professional, Ultimate, Home, Server 2008 R2, Server 2008 . . . you get the idea. Here is some good information on VHDs

Thank you for your reply! It had occurred to me to try using the admin share for the USB drive on the reference computer, but I had hoped Microsoft would allow use the use of a drive letter supplied in either the customsettings.ini or bootstrap.ini. I will test this and post my results. Also, the image will have to be tweaked for each OU. The different locations have different software requirements, so the image will have to be applied to a reference PC for each location, the software and settings configured, and the then the image will be re-sysprepped and sealed. I had assumed that since the image had to be sysprepped again, I should use a different UNATTEND.XML for the various OUs. Is this not a good idea?

<RANT> I must confess I completely skipped Vista, so this new Unattended process is alien to me. I have the Windows AIK installed for Windows 7, as well as the Microsoft MDT 2010. I have built a LiteTouch install for Windows 7 that works pretty well, but after the install is where things get confusing. Applying the LiteTouch install to a reference computer, I wish to then capture that image TO A USB drive for distribution/testing using LiteTouch. 1. It appears Microsoft has made this impossible by requiring a UNC path for a Deployment Share to capture the image. 2. We have a hierarchical structure to our AD OU requiring that machines be joined to our domain in a variety of OUs. The idea of requiring Admins to type the various paths to those OUs 20 - 100 times CORRECTLY during deployments seems unrealistic at best. 3. I find it puzzling that Microsoft does not have one tool that aides in the Unattended.xml creation. Why build a task sequence, and then have to verify and customize it in System Image Manager, to only later have to open the XML in Notepad to further customize settings that could not be done through the previous two tools. </RANT> If I must Sysprep an image (sysprep /generalize /shutdown /oobe /unattend:answerfile), for each separate OU so I may use the "MachineObjectOU" value, can I just copy and edit my original UNATTEND.XML file, or do I need to create a new one? If I may copy my original UNATTEND.XML, how much of the information in it is actually required? I have found plenty of documentation on the proper syntax of DISM, but no clear explanation of how it works. If I want to service my custom WIM images offline, I understand I may use DISM, but does that ACTUALLY install the updates on the image, or does it copy them to a location on the image from where they are run the first time the OS is installed?

Perhaps you may have more luck with Partition Magic?

Thanks for the boot to the head! I had not previously looked at that tool. Allow me to further demonstrate my ignorance; how does this tool fair with varying disk geometries? The image I am creating is to be used on several different types of desktops and laptops, with several different HD sizes.

I am attempting to build a two partition to use on Dell desktops/laptops for use in re-imaging. What we are attempting to capitalize on is the ability to boot from the Dell “Utility” partition. Normally, this is a bootable partition created by Dell loaded with their tools and utilities. I am using it to boot Windows PE 2.0 so we may expedite a re-image on a machine if necessary. Previously, I used PE 2005 on the utility partition and had no problems capturing an image of the drive I created. Now I am trying to adopt PE 2.0 for the utility partition and it is giving me fits. Here are the steps I am taking: 1. Using DISKPART I am creating two primary partitions. The first, a 2GB Utility partition, the second a 78GB System/Data partition. 2. I apply a working PE 2.0 image to the 1st partition, and my system image to the 2nd. 3. Using PTEDIT32.EXE I verify that the 2nd partition is set to boot (“80” in the second column) 4. I capture an image of the drive in this state to use it as a “work in progress” in case I wish to make changed to my boot.wim. 5. After the image has been captured, I check the integrity of the image by running Local --> Check --> Image File. Everything checks fine. 6. I then run PTEDIT32.EXE again and edit the partition type for the first partition changing it to “DE”, which is the Dell Diagnostic Type. 7. I then capture an image of the drive again, 8. The problem becomes apparent when I run the image integrity check on the new image – it IMMEDIATELY fails giving me “Error 15004, Internal Inconsistency Detected” I have attempted to create this image on two different machines using Ghost32.EXE build 8.0.0.984, 11.0.0.1502 AND build 11.0.0.1533 in both Windows PE 2.0 and Windows XP SP2. I also have tried doing this in DOS; it failed also. In addition, I have tried running Ghost with the "–or" switch hoping to suppress errors. Has anyone seen anything like this? Can anyone point out something I should take a closer look at? TIA

The router configuration is already complete. So waht I am hearing is there is NO way to preconfigure preferred wireless networks in XP and copy them to another machine? It seems reasonable that you should be able to - even if the settings are user specific. If I use the exact same wireless adapter (In fact THE wireless adapter I am shipping him) and connect to the router I configure, and then export the network settings from the reg (If anyone can tell me where they are), even if it is under HKU his machine should not care IMHO.

Thanks for the fast reply. Okay, given the information you provided, what if I created the connection using a Linksys USB wireless adapter, then sent the adapter along with the router. Then I would have the same driver and connection info. Where would I pull the settings from?

I am trying to help out my father-in-law by pre-configuring a wireless router and mailing it to him. Ideally, I would also like to pre-configure the preferred wireless network settings and mail him a REG file so he may do a one-click install, and I won't have to spend an hour on the phone walking him through it. Problem is, I cannot seem to find where in the registry XP is storing the wireless network settings so I may export. Anyone have any ideas? TIA

Here is my BAT file for a bootable PE 2.0 USB creation: @ECHO OFF REM Set our variables so our fingers do not wear down to nubs REM typing paths. Also helps reduce typos (Ask me how I know). SET sIMAGEX=C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86 SET sSOURCE=C:\winpe_x86 SET sPETOOLS=C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools SET sUSB=F: REM Creates the DISKPART.EXE script so you do not have to. This REM Script ASSUMES that your USB drive is the only other HDD on REM the computer. If you have more than one drive on your PC REM you are going to have to adjust the first line to reflect the REM correct disk number. ECHO SELECT DISK 1 > PEDiskPart.txt ECHO CLEAN >> PEDiskPart.txt ECHO CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY >> PEDiskPart.txt ECHO ASSIGN LETTER=%sUSB% >> PEDiskPart.txt ECHO SELECT PARTITION 1 >> PEDiskPart.txt ECHO ACTIVE >> PEDiskPart.txt ECHO *** Beginning file copy *** ECHO. ECHO. REM Creates the initial build location %COMSPEC% /c "%sPETOOLS%\copype.cmd" x86 %sSOURCE% REM Mounts the WINPE.WIM so we may customize the image "%sIMAGEX%\imagex.exe" /mountrw %sSOURCE%\winpe.wim 1 %sSOURCE%\mount REM Corrects a Microsoft error that looks for WINLOAD.EXE in the wrong directory XCOPY "%sSOURCE%\mount\Windows\System32\Boot\*.*" %sSOURCE%\mount\Windows\System32\ /e /y REM Copies the Servicing folder to the image so we have the extra tools when we REM boot into PE XCOPY "C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\Servicing" c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows /s REM This copies the IMAGEX.EXE tool and other required files so we may use when in PE XCOPY "C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86" c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows /s /Y ECHO. ECHO. ECHO *** File copy complete *** ECHO. ECHO. PAUSE CLS REM I am installing additional drivers for PE 2.0 below. As you can see, I am adding REM network drivers that cover most all of the PC and laptop hardware we currently REM use. ECHO *** Installing additional drivers *** ECHO. ECHO. "%sPETOOLS%\peimg.exe" /inf:C:\lan\3COMA\OEMSETUP.INF %sSOURCE%\Mount\Windows "%sPETOOLS%\peimg.exe" /inf:C:\lan\3COMB\NET556N5.INF %sSOURCE%\Mount\Windows "%sPETOOLS%\peimg.exe" /inf:C:\lan\B44\b44win.inf %sSOURCE%\Mount\Windows "%sPETOOLS%\peimg.exe" /inf:C:\lan\B57\b57win32.inf %sSOURCE%\Mount\Windows "%sPETOOLS%\peimg.exe" /inf:C:\lan\Intel\E1000325.inf %sSOURCE%\Mount\Windows ECHO. ECHO. ECHO *** Driver installs complete *** ECHO. ECHO. PAUSE REM You should specify any additional packages you want installed to the off-line image here ECHO *** Installing specified packages *** ECHO. ECHO. "%sPETOOLS%\peimg.exe" /install=WinPE-HTA-Package %sSOURCE%\Mount\Windows ECHO. ECHO. "%sPETOOLS%\peimg.exe" /install=WinPE-WMI-Package %sSOURCE%\Mount\Windows ECHO. ECHO. "%sPETOOLS%\peimg.exe" /install=WinPE-Scripting-Package %sSOURCE%\Mount\Windows ECHO. ECHO. "%sPETOOLS%\peimg.exe" /install=WinPE-XML-Package %sSOURCE%\Mount\Windows ECHO. ECHO. "%sPETOOLS%\peimg.exe" /install=WinPE-MDAC-Package %sSOURCE%\Mount\Windows ECHO. ECHO. ECHO *** Package installs complete *** ECHO. ECHO. PAUSE CLS REM Closes the WINPE.WIM file and copies it to C:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\boot.wim ECHO *** Closing and dismounting the image *** ECHO. ECHO. "%sIMAGEX%\imagex.exe" /unmount %sSOURCE%\mount /commit COPY %sSOURCE%\winpe.wim %sSOURCE%\ISO\sources\boot.wim /Y ECHO. ECHO. ECHO *** Image successfully dismounted and copied to BOOT.WIM *** ECHO. ECHO. PAUSE CLS REM The following commands clean the HD, create a primary Partition, and sets it to active. Afterwards, the drive REM is formatted, and BOOTSECT.EXE is run to add the Vista master boot code to the drive. ECHO. ECHO. ECHO !!! WARNING !!! WARNING !!! WARNING !!! WARNING !!! WARNING !!! WARNING !!! WARNING !!! ECHO. ECHO *** Please be aware the next step will erase all the data from your USB drive! *** ECHO. ECHO !!! WARNING !!! WARNING !!! WARNING !!! WARNING !!! WARNING !!! WARNING !!! WARNING !!! ECHO. ECHO. PAUSE ECHO. ECHO. DISKPART /s PEDiskPart.txt FORMAT %sUSB% /FS:NTFS /V:PE_2 /Q /Y "%sPETOOLS%\x86\bootsect.exe" /nt60 %sUSB% ECHO. ECHO. DEL PEDiskPart.txt PAUSE CLS REM Copies our source files the the newly prepared USB drive. ECHO. ECHO. ECHO *** Copying source files to the USB drive *** ECHO. ECHO. XCOPY %sSOURCE%\iso\*.* /s /e /y /f %sUSB% ECHO. ECHO. ECHO *** Bootable USB drive creation complete *** ECHO. ECHO. PAUSE If you want to use the format commands at the bottom be aware you need to change the /FS switch from NTFS to FAT32. I made this BAT for a couple of guys at work; that is why I have it generating the diskpart script at the begininng, so they don't have to (Or have it in the wrong place etc.) .

What is the /u in your format command? Have you tried running all these command manually first, and then adding them to the script/BAT file? Try running the bootsect command below: bootsect /nt60 %_target% /force

Just re-read your initial post - drinking coffee now - that is odd. If any error in the drive letters occured, I would expect it to be that PE sees drive E: as C:, your C: as D:, and D: as E:. I need a nap.

The way Windows is swapping drive letters around makes sense IF the second partition on DRIVE 0 is a logical partition and not a primary partition (See here for a reference. Are you saying PE sees the drive as D: after the install, or once you boot into 2003?

Just off the top of my head and before my first cup of coffee, but could you run diskpart before the rest of your scripts, to correct your drive letters?

nopants - Are you getting any specific error on boot? Download a copy of PTEDIT32 from here. You can run this under XP and see if the USB drive is set to active. Also, don't forget to include this line in your script: xcopy C:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows\System32\Boot\*.* C:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows\System32\ /e /y