WDS and Vista integration with drivers

[wijnand]

Hello everyone

I have recently set up a Windows 2008 server with DHCP, DNS and Windows Deployment Service. I grabbed my Windows Vista DVD and imported the Vista Business as an Image to my WDS so far so good... When I tried booting the RIS it worked fine and it wanted to install the Network drivers which it didn't find. After some googleing I was able to fix the unable to find a suitable network driver error but now i am still stuck with the following issues: My Installation goes through the boot automatically (it creates a partition and selects the correct image etc) but when it is in the Vista installation it completly ignores my second XML file. I think this has to do with the fact no drivers are installed and Vista is unable to make a new network connection to the server to fetch the XML file.

How do I add drivers to my image so that they are included during the installation? my XML file looks like this right now I tried adding drivers that it should include for the install but sadly it does not seem to solve the issue that I am having.. I attached the XML file to my boot Image in the WDS (allow unattended install and i selected my XML file) so far I have not been able to figure out why it is not installing my drivers :

The XML file looks like this :

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> 
- <unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
- <settings pass="windowsPE">
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
- <DiskConfiguration>
- <Disk wcm:action="add">
- <CreatePartitions>
- <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
  <Order>1</Order> 
  <Size>70000</Size> 
  <Type>Primary</Type> 
  </CreatePartition>
  </CreatePartitions>
  <DiskID>1</DiskID> 
  <WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk> 
  </Disk>
  </DiskConfiguration>
- <UserData>
- <ProductKey>
  <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI> 
  <Key></Key> 
  </ProductKey>
  <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula> 
  <FullName>PDS</FullName> 
  <Organization>PDS</Organization> 
  </UserData>
- <Display>
  <ColorDepth>32</ColorDepth> 
  <HorizontalResolution>1280</HorizontalResolution> 
  <RefreshRate>60</RefreshRate> 
  <VerticalResolution>1024</VerticalResolution> 
  </Display>
  <EnableFirewall>false</EnableFirewall> 
  </component>
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
- <SetupUILanguage>
  <UILanguage>English</UILanguage> 
  </SetupUILanguage>
  <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage> 
  <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale> 
  <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale> 
  </component>
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpCustomizationsWinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
- <DriverPaths>
- <PathAndCredentials wcm:action="add" wcm:keyValue="1">
- <Credentials>
  <Domain>training.lan</Domain> 
  <Password></Password> 
  <Username>administrator</Username> 
  </Credentials>
  <Path>\\Trainingsvr\reminst\drivers\NIC</Path> 
  </PathAndCredentials>
- <PathAndCredentials wcm:action="add" wcm:keyValue="2">
- <Credentials>
  <Domain>training.lan</Domain> 
  <Password></Password> 
  <Username>administrator</Username> 
  </Credentials>
  <Path>\\Trainingsvr\reminst\drivers\Chipset</Path> 
  </PathAndCredentials>
- <PathAndCredentials wcm:action="add" wcm:keyValue="3">
- <Credentials>
  <Domain>training.lan</Domain> 
  <Password></Password> 
  <Username>administrator</Username> 
  </Credentials>
  <Path>\\Trainingsvr\reminst\drivers\Video</Path> 
  </PathAndCredentials>
  </DriverPaths>
  </component>
  </settings>
- <settings pass="specialize">
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-IE-InternetExplorer" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <CompanyName>PDS</CompanyName> 
  <BlockPopups>yes</BlockPopups> 
  <Home_Page>http://www.pds-site.com</Home_Page> 
  </component>
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-UnattendedJoin" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
- <Identification>
- <Credentials>
  <Domain>training.lan</Domain> 
  <Password></Password> 
  <Username>administrator</Username> 
  </Credentials>
  </Identification>
  </component>
- <component name="Security-Malware-Windows-Defender" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <DisableAntiSpyware>true</DisableAntiSpyware> 
  </component>
  </settings>
- <settings pass="oobeSystem">
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Sidebar" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <SidebarOnByDefault>false</SidebarOnByDefault> 
  <SidebarVisible>false</SidebarVisible> 
  </component>
  </settings>
  <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:c:/windows%20vista/install.wim#Windows Vista BUSINESS" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" /> 
  </unattend>

[wijnand]

I have just tried the image again and I think this part is not functioning as intended:

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpCustomizationsWinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">- <DriverPaths>- <PathAndCredentials wcm:action="add" wcm:keyValue="1">- <Credentials> <Domain>training.lan</Domain> <Password></Password> <Username>administrator</Username> </Credentials> <Path>\\Trainingsvr\reminst\drivers\NIC</Path> </PathAndCredentials>

But i tried everything. Would it just be wisdom to dump the .INF in the install.wim instead of trying to add them lateron? I am dealing with the same hardware on all the computers.

[dexter.inside]

It would save you a lot of trouble to add the drivers in the image and then multicast it from your WDS.

[Tripredacus]

Yes. Mount your image, then use PEIMG to install the drivers into it. Iceman's ImageX tutorial may have some information you can use.