[W2kR1sp1 AutoUnattend.xml location for headless install from DVD]

My apologies, I linked to the article written for Windows Vista... Here is the proper version of the article

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744314(v=ws.10).aspx

Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2

[W2kR1sp1 AutoUnattend.xml location for headless install from DVD]

My Understanding: an AutoUnattend.xml on the ROOT of available media is be read and processed.

Is this correct?

Not exactly... There are 3 other places that setup will look first before going to media. This TechNet Article explains the implicit search order for answer files. When it does get down to the media locations, it searches in drive letter order.

If you mount the ISO, can you find an 'Install.wim' file (I am unfamiliar with the Dell disc, so pardon me if I'm incorrect)? If so, you might be able to pull the wim file off the DVD, use ImageX to mount it and replace the answer file with your own, then create a new ISO with the modified wim file.

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT pro

[Boot OS from vhd in fat32 drive. Can it be done?]

No, NTFS is a requirement to mount a VHD. In thisTechNet Blog article, at the very bottom are 3 important limitations for VHDs. The first limitation is that VHDs can be mounted only on NTFS volumes.

David

Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

[Sysprep crashes on Vista or 7]

2012-08-10 18:50:43, Error [0x0f0082] SYSPRP LaunchDll:Failure occurred while executing 'drmv2clt.dll,Sysprep', returned error code -2147024864[gle=0x00000020]

This is most commonly caused by Windows Media Player's media sharing service (wmpnetwk.exe). A quick work-around is to open Task Manager, switch to 'show processes from all users' and end the process on wmpnetwk.exe. Halfway down this article in the 'Sysprep Known Issues' section is a detailed explanation.

I would also note that the first error is that you are calling an unattend file that doesn't exist...

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

[3rd party drivers]

Using this command in the WindowsPE settings pass would try to install the drivers in Windows PE, not in Windows. Using this command in the AuditSystem pass would only take effect if you booted into Audit Mode. According to the article 'Add Device Drivers During Windows Setup', you could use this in the OfflineServicing pass. This is also touched upon in the article 'How Configuration Passes Work' which shows how the different passes work. Based on your post, I believe the OfflineServicing pass matches what you are intending to accomplish.

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

[windows 7 with my program in the iso?]

There are 2 ways that programs can be deployed with Windows.

1. If you use Audit Mode to setup your image, you can install software prior to capturing the image. This article "Understanding Audit Mode" will help understand using Audit mode to customize your images.

2. If you deploy Windows 7 with the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, you can also install software as a part of the deployment process. This short video shows an MDT setup with many applications and application groups that can be selected in the deployment wizard, and MDT installs those programs after Windows is installed.

Hope this helps (and translates well),

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

[Building an Image in Audit Mode]

That is possible, however you willbe storing multiple images (one for each model). If you were to use MDT, you could keep just the master image and use selection profiles to install theproper drivers for each specific model during the deployment and have it give alist of applications to choose from for each deployment. This eliminates the need to load an image that is in audit mode and sysprep again. This also helps when new drivers or new versions of the applications are released, as you canjust make a quick change in MDT to replace the drivers or applications. There will be no need to load the image to make changes and then re-capture the image again. This will save you time during your deployments, as it will require less interaction from you. Here is a short video that will show you how MDT can make deployments easier (links are giving me trouble today, here is the URL: http://technet.micro...indows/ee529974 ).

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

Edited: words are being merged...

[Question About Win7 Sysprep]

If you set SkipRearm to 1, you can sysprep as many times as you want. However, you need to set this to 0 (or remove it entirely) when you capture your final image. It can also cause other problems if it is left set to 1. Please see this TechNet blog post for details. Also of note in that post, is the section on using MDT for creating reference images. MDT can be downloaded here and more information on using MDT for you imaging needs can be found here.

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

[default user proflile]

You said that you are creating a temporary admin account, and using that to install/setup the computer? You should perform all customizations in Audit mode. Audit mode uses the built-in administrator account, and the copyprofile setting copies the built-in administrator account to the default user profile. Do not create other profiles, as this can confuse the system during sysprep. This article may help: Customize Windows in Audit Mode

Also, you may want to look at the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit for your deployments. There is no need to inject drivers and have different images for various models of computer. MDT can control driver installations during the deployment. It can also install software after Windows is installed, so if the program you are installing releases a new version, you don't have to re-create your image. Simply change the task in MDT and the newer version will install instead. More information on MDT and other Windows deployment tools can be found on the Deliver page of the Springboard Series on TechNet.

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

[Building A "Perfect" Windows 7 Installer?]

Have you tried the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit? It allows you to customize your deployment in great detail. MDT is a task based deployment solution. Tasks can include running commands and scripts, so you can customize even further as the deployment happens. In your case, I would suggest creating the master image in Audit mode (link is for Vista, but it applies to Windows 7 also), using the <copyprofile> setting in your unattend file to make those changes a part of the default profile when you sysprep and deploying that image to your users. Post Installation tasks can install (or un-install)software, so if one of your applications releases a new version, you don't have to re-capture a new image, you just replace the application installation files and the next deployment has the new version. Also, you can add your updates into MDT to be installed during deployment, or install them off-line into your image using DISM. Further, device drivers can be imported into MDT, and during deployment MDT uses PnP requests to install the correct drivers. A new model of computer no longer requires building a new image, you would simply download the drivers for that model and import them into MDT and deploy. And it's free.

There is a huge amount of information on deploying Windows 7 on the Deliver and Deploy page of the Springboard Series on TechNet, including articles, walk-throughs, and videos.

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

[Injecting USB 3.0]

You might also consider using the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit- MDT for your deployment needs. You can import your drivers into the driver store, and when you generate your boot images, can inject all the drivers, or by using selection profiles can inject just the drivers you want. This ''Build a Better Desktop Image' article touches on this subject, and this blog post explain selection profiles in detail.

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro

[Building an Image in Audit Mode]

There are many benefits of using MDT over a sector based imaging solution. Since MDT is task based, you can keep a base Windows 7 wim file (thin image), and use post installation tasks to install software after the deployment. This works well when you have different software requirements for different departments, as you will not need a separate image for each department or spend time installing software manually after deploying. You can update images off-line, so there is no need to deploy an image just to run Windows update and re-capture, or to wait for updates to install after deployment. The same is true for software. Since the software can be installed separately, you can update just that piece of software without (again) deploying the image and making changes and re-capturing. These features alone can be huge time savers. Further, MDT uses other deployment tools like USMT, so if you are going to upgrade computers, you can capture user settings and documents and re-deploy those to the freshly upgraded computer automatically using USMT in MDT.

MDT also allows you to deploy either by DVD, USB drive, or using the network. It will also integrate with SCCM or WDS. If you already have a Windows Server 2003 SP2 or higher, WDS is a built-in role you just have to enable, so WDS is free also under those conditions. WDS allows you to setup multicasting for large deployments, and PXE booting.

A great place for more information is the Deliver and Deploy Windows 7 page of the Springboard Series on TechNet, and a few things to get you up to speed on the capabilities of MDT –

1. Article- Automated Installation to upgrade to Windows 7: Step by Step Guide

2. Video – MDT, MAP, ACT, WDS, SCCM, AIS and P2V: You can’t spell deployment without them

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

[Building an Image in Audit Mode]

Audit mode is usually combined with the Copy Profile setting in your Unattend.xml and is used to create a default user profile. Audit mode can save a little time as it enables and logs in as the local Administrator account and skips Windows Welcome. It also allows the AuditSystem and AuditUser passes of the Unattend file to run. These two articles might help you to understand it better:

Understanding Audit Mode

Customize Windows in Audit Mode

I would like to Recommend MDT if you are not familiar with it. It is task based, similar to SCCM, and provides a common console for many of Microsoft’s deployment tools (WAIK/WADK, USMT, MAP, SCM, etc…). It allows you to keep the software and operating systems separate, so you can update individual items (even off-line images) without having to re-capture a new image.

One last note: TechNet is having a webcast – Everything You Wanted to Know and Ask about Windows Deployment On May 15th and 17th. Registration for the 15th is here, and for the 17th is here.

[Unattended server2008 deployment]

fantastic, glad you got it worked out.

[Unattended server2008 deployment]

I might be a little biased , but I agree with Tripredacus, MDT is the way to go. Here are a couple of pointers to get you on the way.

1. Download and go through the Proof of Concept Jumpstart kit. The PoC contains a VHD of Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 Enterprise (trials of course), along with instructions you can follow to setup this test environment, deploy Windows and applications, prove ROI, etc... All of the deployment tools you could need are included.

2. The Deliver page on the Springboard Series on TechNet will keep you busy with articles and videos that cover every aspect of deploying your operating systems.

You should be able to complete your assignment and convince your boss with working deployments in your test environment in a short amount of time.

Hope this helps,

David

Windows Outreach Team - IT Pro