WinPE 2.0 using WDS and RIS variables

[rdvtx]

I'm trying to get the WinPE 2.0 and WDS to work like the old RIS environment using WinPE 1.6 (2005).

It successfully boots WinPE 2.0 using WDS, however the Variables that were available using RIS arent available anmore, like %machinename%.

Does anyone know if there is another way of getting this to work? the method i'm using to deploy my companies pc's relies on the RIS generated computername with GUID.

I've tried the unattend.xml, but as documentation is far from clear, i've not been able to get it functional.

Help would be greatly appreciated!

[Br4tt3]

Hi!

I actually asked MS the same questions, cause we also make heavy usage of the variable functions within the old .osc screens of RIS and we wanted to move that functionality into the WDS environment. The answer from MS was:

Alt 1: Write some C/C++ code that will use the supplied API's for WDS, released from MS to enable third party companies to write plug-ins. That sounds pretty nice, but I dont know how to code C/C++, or....

Alt 2: Produce your own .hta application that can be run prior/post to the WDS client that could gather the required information which then could be used later on in the installation process. This is the way that I will try as it is much easier, even though not so smooth as real compiled code!

Once done, I can drop u an example of the .hta if u want to! But dont stay up, it is not due for some time...

[rdvtx]

Thanx, it would be great if you could send me the HTA code in due time!

But does this mean that computer acounts do not get created by WDS, and no GUID gets coupled to it?

Edited November 30, 2006 by rdvtx

[Br4tt3]

Thanx, it would be great if you could send me the HTA code in due time!

But does this mean that computer acounts do not get created by WDS, and no GUID gets coupled to it?

The actual machine account object creation from within a WDS setup is done from the .xml file, pretty much as unattended join to the domain, as if installed through CD or DVD. So it the issue, where it would be tricky to install workgrouped computers using RIS, is eliminated.

[rdvtx]

If you were to use RIS to Install workgrouped computer you could use the maintenance and troubleshooting tools section. Then no Domain acount is created.

But the Main advantage of the OSC files with RIS is that the acount gets created with the GUID.

And so the computer keeps its acount name for the lifetime of it.

If they left that out in WDS then we are back to the old situation where duplicate accounts become a problem again. And no incremental acount names are possible. so back to creating MAC adres - Computername files? blah

So its also a fact that when booting from WDS the acount is not created? and the options presented in he properties from the WDS server are for legacy RIS support only?