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RIS Flat-Image Question


sdomit

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I have set up a RIS server and have deployed RIS flat-images and RIPREP images with no problems. I would like to expand my deployment with a RIS flat-image using different answer files with different driver configurations.

For example:

We have several different Intel Based motherboards (D845GERG2, D845GRG, D915GLVG, D915GUX etc.) each with their own driver packages. I would like to be able to use one Windows XP Pro SP2 flat image to deploy XP to all these systems with the correct drivers installed during setup using RIS.

I have used the following directory structure on the RIS server:

Win2002.pro

l-I386

l-OEM2

l---$OEM$

l-----$$

l-------Drivers

l----------Nic

l----------Video

l----------Audio

Then I modified the answer file (ristndrd.sif) in the Win2002.pro\I386\Templates folder with the following:

OemFilesPath="\\server\REMINST\Setup\language\Images\Win2002.pro\OEM2\$OEM$"

OemPnPDriversPath="\Windows\Drivers\Audio\SMAXWDM\W2K_XP;Windows\Drivers\Nic;\Windows\Drivers\Video\Win2000"

But it won’t copy or pickup the driver files during installation! I’m trying to avoid putting all the driver files into one folder under the $OEM$ because I don’t want to copy every driver set to every PC in the deployment because each set is around 50 MB!

Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated!

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Hi guys..

I dont that the OemFilesPath entry is valid for RIS installations (only CD based), as the $ folders are directly coded to be found below a certain level within each flat image as long as u specify the OEMPreInstall = Yes entry. My recommendations would be to either:

1. Minimize the drivers. s***ty job but in most circumstances it will work, the only family of drivers that I have not been able to remove .exe and colour adjustment from is Nvidia stuff. Especially Intel drivers are usually nice to handle this way (imho).

2. Or accept that the Drv folder strcuture is copied down to the local drive and then at the end of the install, create a .cmd / .vbs that will delete it for u. Sure, it will take a minute more of your time, but I dont work on a hour basis.. :)

Dunno if the OEM2 folder is valid either, maby, havent tried it. However, from my view, a "flat" image is a generic image, for all models that it should support, so why narrow it down to specific models via the .sif file when u can clean it afterwards. On a Win2003 the OEMPnPDriverPath entry support up to something like 2000 characters so that one wont be the limitation...

Good luck to ya, best regards!

Tha Sausage Eater...

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Br4tt3 is correct - the OemFilesPath is not valid in a RIS .sif file, and RIS will ONLY look in the $oem$ folder next to the i386 folder in the setup path. If you don't want all of your $OEM$ driver folders copied down you'll have to use WinPE to deploy your RIS images, or you'll have to create multiple flat file images and have separate $OEM$ folders for each hardware platform (this is my current solution, btw). Thanks to the SIS service, since all of the i386 folders for XP or 2K3 are the same, only one actual copy of each file in the i386 directory for each OS is actually stored on the drive, so disk space is not really an issue.

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