Logon Credentials not working for boot image

[fred2k3]

Hello, I'm trying to create an unattended install using WDS 2003. My boot image is a modified win7 boot image, and the install image is XP Embedded.

When I tested in attended mode last week I successfully got the install image onto the client. Now when I try it I keep getting the message "The specified username or password is incorrect" and infuriatingly I can't remember what I tried last week when it did work although I'm sure it was just domain\user

In the logon box (in the Win7 boot image) is says on the title bar "Deployserv01.Deployserv.local"

If I log into the actual Deployment server (i.e. the sever 2003 machine) the domain name is displayed simply as "deployserv"

I have tried just about every combination of:

Deployserv\Administrator

Deployserv01\Administrator

Deployserv.local\Administrator

Deployserv01.Deployserv.local\Administrator

etc.

...in upper and lower case that I can think of and they all get rejected.

The network must be working otherwise it wouldn't retrieve the boot image. I've rebooted the server and the client and it keeps happening. I know I've got the password correct because I log into the server with the same one.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Tripredacus]

The network must be working otherwise it wouldn't retrieve the boot image. I've rebooted the server and the client and it keeps happening. I know I've got the password correct because I log into the server with the same one.

For one, if using PXE, the boot image NIC drivers aren't used but the PXE ROM. Just because you were able to load a boot image does not mean that the boot image has network support.

Either way, it would seem that isn't your problem since you are getting a credential error. I would strongly recommend that you do not use the domain admin account to do deployments. Create another user specific for that purpose.

[fred2k3]

Thank you for your reply Tripredacus.

Previous to this I did have networking issues on the boot image - that was resolved by injecting a NIC driver into the boot image (hence my description "modified boot image") although I suppose all that information was superfluous to the current problem.

I am going to restart the process as I'm at a dead end and wondering if something got corrupted when I started messing with the modified boot image in SIM, looking at answer files.

I will heed your advice on creating a specific user for the deployment service though.

EDIT: Yes, starting again did the trick. File obviously didn't like being opened in SIM.

Edited April 24, 2012 by fred2k3

[Tripredacus]

For the user account, you just make a new one. Put it in Domain Users or whatever extra group you need. Then that user (or group) just needs the correct permissions to whatever shares you will be using.