Deployment Question with Server 2003 R2 WDS + XP

[DarkTemplar]

Hello all. I've been perusing these forums for quite some time and have come a long way. I didn't know anything about WDS prior to last month and now I've got the server up and running and am deploying WIM files all over the place. haha. As the topic title shows, I'm using Server 2003 R2, WDS, and deploying Windows XP SP3. This entire process goes off without a hitch sans two small areas of concern.

1. Unattend.txt is in the WDSClientUnattend directory but does nothing. I get to the prompt for language and I have to do everything. At first, it would prompt me to say that my unattend file is messed up and setup would stop. Now I don't even get that message, after fiddling with unattend.txt at length. Not sure where to start anymore now that it isn't detecting.

2. That first problem isn't a big deal. The 2-3 steps it takes to get to the image load is something I can live with. The next issue though is the Sysprep.inf file. I've placed it in two places. I have it in the $OEM$ directory in the root of the distribution folder -aptly called "Distribution- and in the image directory under "D:\Distribution\Images\$IMAGE GROUP$\$IMAGE NAME$\$OEM$\$1. The sysprep directory with all of the contents of deploy.cab get copied over but none of the instructions run. This is huge because we have a script that needs to run on the computer in order to add it to the domain and change the admin password, etc.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm sure I'm missing a piece of the puzzle, just can't figure out which piece that is.

Thank you!

[DarkTemplar]

Well, I decided to try and fiddle with the $OEM$ folder and this time added an "Install" folder with a batch file in it with a simple command to run the scripts. This didn't work. It's like it just refuses to run any commands after rebooting and going into Windows. It's a little annoying. Maybe I'll just have to add something to the Startup folder and then have the script delete it when completed. Seems a bit on the ridiculous side, but whatever works I suppose. Still open for suggestions though! Just posting work-arounds for anyone who might stumble across this and has the same issues.

[DarkTemplar]

23 views and 0 responses! My bad luck spans right through imaging and on into the internet.

My self-loathing aside, I'd like to post a status update. Sysprep.inf doesn't automate mini setup regardless of it's location. This WDS is running in Native Mode and I've plopped the sysprep.inf file in $OEM$\1$\Sysprep and in the images group folder under the image name with the aforementioned directory structure added. I've also modified the WdsSysprepTemplate.inf with zero success. Definitely at my wits end. My prior issue had to do with my forgetting to reseal the computers prior to imaging. A rookie mistake, no doubt, but one quickly fixed once I realized sysprep was still starting after login.

In any event, still searching for answers. This weekend is going to be enjoyable.

[DarkTemplar]

Well, turns out I was syspreping the machines incorrectly. The mini switch is a very necessary step. Reimaged the computers with this new command and now sysprep.inf file loads with no issue. Couple nagging questions are still haunting me, however. First, when booting into Windows 7 PE, you select the language and keyboard layout and then it prompts for credentials. My domain credentials are the only one's that work. I've checked the directory security, the image group security, and various other properties and they all have domain users as full read write access. Overkill, I know, but I was trying to narrow down what was happening here. I am not a domain admin, and am just a regular user in AD. I've added domain users to the local administrator account on the server and that didn't help either.

Also, is there any way to randomize the computer names assigned whilst still keeping them on a workgroup using sysprep.inf? I have a script that joins the computers to the domain after the mini setup runs and want to keep it that way. However, when the network sees the duplicate name, it only allows one at a time to join and I have to restart whatever computer had the "duplicate name" error.

Hopefully these questions are "easier" than the first and someone has some insight.