Customizing WDS Deployments

By arwidmark / February 11, 2009

Have you ever needed to run something before the WDS client start the Windows Setup… Like a diskpart script to get rid of som pesky utility partitions… then read on..

The first obvious solution is of course to use WDS and MDT 2008 together, and have the MDT Task Sequence handle the partitioning etc…

But what if you (for some odd reason) want to use WDS, and only WDS…  Well you can simply add a RunSynchronous command to your WDS Client Unattend.xml file.

Here is a sample:



   
        http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State“>
           
               
                    Run my Pre-Setup Script
                    1
                    cscript.exe x:\deploy\myhappyscript.vbs
               

           

           
                OnError
               
                   
                       
                            1
                            Primary
                            false
                            15000
                       

                   

                   
                       
                            true
                            true
                            NTFS
                           
                            C
                            1
                            1
                       

                   

                    0
                    false
               

           

           
               
                   
                        TSLAB
                        P@ssw0rd
                        BuildAccount
                   

               

               
                   
                        Install.wim
                        TSLAB
                        Windows Vista Enterprise
                   

                   
                        0
                        1
                   

               

           

       

        http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State” xmlns:xsi=”http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance“>
           
                en-US
           

           
           
            en-US
           
       

   

   

About the author

arwidmark

joedai - February 24, 2009

Johan, I’m trying to setup a sysprep.xml for deploying vista. It really is different from xp’s sysprep and I’m not quite understanding it all. I’d like a sysprep file so I can create a wim image to be deployed. Other websites talk about using windows PE via cd or usb but I can boot directly to the network. why would I need to do it the other way. We have a key server so a product key is not necessary. I’m not sure how to create, or what is needed, in the sysprep.xml if i create it thru WSIM..

Benjamin - March 12, 2009

Johan:
Thanks for this blog because it brings up an interesting point — and question. I personally use MDT with LTI to install my first installation of Vista and then use it to capture to a WIM. Then I use WDS to deploy the WIM. Why do I use WDS to deploy the WIM instead of using MDT? Simply because I cannot figure out how to make LTI in MDT to use the WDS naming policy. Instead, the LTI method always names the computer either the username with some random characters or MINIT with some random characters (based on the settings that I put in the unattend.xml file). Does anyone know of a way to make LTI use the name that WDS has already assigned to the computer in Active Directory? Then I would be able to take advantage of the many benefits that MDT with LTI has to offer (easy driver updates, offline patches, etc). Thanks.

jrwade27 - March 12, 2009

I have the same question as Benjamin 3/12/2009. Will populating the MDT database with the UUIDs and computer names take care of this issue for a complete use of MDT and proper computer naming? Is it essentially equivalent of pre-staging in AD.

Thanks.

Benjamin - March 12, 2009

jrw27:

I’ve read where alot of people are having the same question. I particularly would like to use the same names that are currently in my AD structure. That way I won’t have to maintain 2 copies of the same information — once in AD and once in a database. In the meantime, I am just using a captured WIM of Vista and deploying it straight through WDS. But it sure would be nice if I can take advantage of the features of LTI/MDT for more than just my initial capture!

Benjamin - March 12, 2009

Johan — do you know of any resources that could help us? I’ve tried using the contents of my WDSClientUnattend.xml and the unattend.xml that I use to do a hand’s off WDS of my Vista image. And the tricks that work there (not including the computername selection in xml) don’t work. So I have tried just about everything — using %machinename%, changing the variable of osdcomputername, blanking it out, putting an asterisk — you name it. I’ve look at the WDS API — still can’t find where the WDS client gets the name from WDS. I’ve just about given up on looking — but keeping hoping someone has a way.

Benjamin - March 13, 2009

I’ve posted this question over at the Microsoft Technet Forums under:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/itprovistadeployment/thread/c04460c8-4476-4d57-bf1b-89dffbf256f3

mla - June 23, 2009

Johan,
I setup WDS on 2003 and use it for XP deployment.
No problem with deploying one image using XML and sysprep.ini on WDS.
Cannot find a way for setting up second image and have a choice when F12 on client.
I captured second image and placed it in the same Image Group where first one resides.
What’s next?
How to adjust XML and where to place second sysprep.ini ?

Here is part of my XML. I added the name of second image placed second sysprep in path below but it doesn’t work.
Where is the problem?




abc
user_name xxxxxxx



OnError

june3
xp-images
xp-5800-(1).wim

general_5800
xp-images
general_5800.wim

0 1


***********************************
here is the path to sysprep:

For first:

D:RemoteInstallImagesxp-imagesxp-5800-(1)$OEM$$1sysprep

For second (was my logic :). But by adding second and changing XML for second image doesn’t work.

D:RemoteInstallImagesxp-imagesgeneral_5800$OEM$$1sysprep

Please help. Thanks.

Michael.

mla - June 23, 2009

I try to paste XML part that didn’t posted completely.
Should be Ok (I paste from text file now).




abc
user_name xxxxxxx



OnError


june3
xp-images
xp-5800-(1).wim


general_5800
xp-images
general_5800.wim


0 1


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