New into Windows 7 deployments are you? 

To learn about the core deployment tools and Windows 7 setup changes, consider downloading Deploying Windows 7 Essential Guidance, a free ebook from Microsoft Press and Microsoft TechNet.

The 412 pages long ebook is written by Mitch Tulloch, Tony Northrup, Jerry Honeycutt, Ed Wilson, and the Windows 7 Team at Microsoft. It is divided in two main parts, Part 1 – Content from the Windows 7 Resource Kit, Part 2 – Content from Microsoft TechNet Magazine.

Download from:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=EE2A1D38-88A9-43B3-95BC-7E962F0B6030&displaylang=en

Happy reading…

/ Johan

ps.

Another useful reading for in-depth information about the underlying setup infrastructure is:

Understanding Component-Based Servicing
http://blogs.technet.com/askperf/archive/2008/04/23/understanding-component-based-servicing.aspx

Ds.

I’m finally done with my MDT 2010 Deployment CD…

After spending a good few hours about every evening for more than three weeks now, I’m truly excited to bring you the MDT 2010 and ConfigMgr 2007 SP2 version of my free Deployment CD. Version 2.0 if you will.

This second Deployment CD has the following detailed Step-by-step Guides and Video Tutorials:

MDT 2010 Lite Touch Deployments (deployment without ConfigMgr 2007 SP2 R2, just the free tools)
– LTI01 – Installing the server for MDT 2010 Lite Touch
– LTI02 – Creating a Windows 7 reference image using Lite Touch
– LTI03 – Deploying a Windows 7 image using Lite Touch
– LTI04 – Dynamic Settings, creating and using the deployment database

MDT 2010 Zero Touch Deployments (deployment with ConfigMgr 2007 SP2 R2)
– ZTI01 – Installing the server for MDT 2010 Zero Touch and ConfigMgr 2007 SP2
– ZTI02 – Creating a Windows 7 reference image using ConfigMgr 2007 SP2
– ZTI03 – Deploying a Windows 7 image using ConfigMgr 2007 SP2
– ZTI04 – Dynamic Settings, creating and using the deployment database

Additional Presentations
– E01 – New features in MDT 2010
– E02 – Upgrading MDT 2008 to MDT 2010
– E03 – Migrating Windows XP to Windows 7

1. Please send me feedback – What’s good, What’s bad, What’s missing, Whatever…
    
2. Spread the word about these guides in the community and with friends, send people to the www.deploymentcd.com  site, so that they can sign up for their very own (free) copy.
    
3. Register for a free download at www.deploymentcd.com  
    

Regards / Johan

 

Among the highlights are:

New Operating System Support
– Windows 7
– Windows Vista Sp2
– Windows Server 2008 R2
– Windows Server 2008 SP2

And really fast client policy evaluation …  (we like)

Download ConfigMgr 2007 SP2
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=3318741A-C038-4AB1-852A-E9C13F8A8140&displaylang=en

There is a little known Server Selection Feature in WDS in Windows Server 2008 R2. Its not documented, it’s not supported by Microsoft. But its very useful for lab and test scenarios…

How to enable it?  Simply go to HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\WDSServer\Providers\WDSPXE\Providers\BINLSVC and set AllowServerSelection to 1.

Then restart the Windows Deployment Service. After doing this you get the option tp press F11 and the PXE client will now discover local PXE Servers and allow you to select which one you want to use.

Here are some Screenshots of the feature:

Image 1: Initial PXE Boot Screen

Image 2: The discovery process

Image 3: Selecting the server

Here are the slides from the “Deploying Windows 7 using MDT 2010” Windows Management User Group (WMUG) Live Meeting I presented on September 21… A recording will be available soon, check the WMUG homepage for updates http://wmug.co.uk/default.aspx

 

Download slides…
http://www.deployvista.com/Repository/tabid/71/ctl/EntryDetails/mid/396/EntryId/58/language/en-US/Default.aspx

There is now a fix for the MDT 2010 “Multiple connections to a server or shared resource by the same user, using more than one user name, are not allowed” problem.

http://blogs.technet.com/msdeployment/archive/2009/09/18/fix-for-multiple-connections-to-a-server-or-shared-resource-by-the-same-user-using-more-than-one-user-name-are-not-allowed-problem-with-mdt-2010.aspx

 

For Windows XP/Vista/2003/2008 Deployments, this is a valid config.

Site Server:
SCCM 2007 SP1
WAIK 1.1
MDT 2010

Note: You need a separate machine (client or server) with MDT 2010 and WAIK 2.0 to administer the MDT database

For Windows XP/Vista/W7/2003/2008/2008R2 Deployments, this is a valid config.

Site Server:
– SCCM 2007 SP2
– WAIK 2.0
– MDT 2010

Summary: You cannot mix above… SCCM SP1 requires WAIK 1.1 and no other version. SCCM SP2 requires WAIK 2.0 and no other version. SCCM SP2 is requires for W7/2008R2 support. 

MDT 2010 is finally released.

Download from
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=3bd8561f-77ac-4400-a0c1-fe871c461a89&displaylang=en&tm#filelist

Among the new features are…

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 support
Support for hierarchical management of items in deployment shares
Support for drag-and-drop, copy-and-paste, and cut-and-paste operations in the Deployment Workbench
Support for automation of management tasks using Windows PowerShell cmdlets.
Improvements in diagnostics output, logging, and network recovery logic.
Support for WAIK 2.0.
Support for USMT 4.0, including hard-link migration and shadow copy.

MDT 2010 Supports deplolying the following operating systems

Windows 7
Window Server 2008 R2
Windows PE version 3.0
Windows Vista SP1 and later
Windows Server 2008
Windows XP SP3
Windows Server 2003 R2

 

The Windows 7 Summit – Don’t miss this free online webinar

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 will revolutionize the way we manage Windows environments. This is the greatest Windows platform, ever… Are you prepared?

During this free online event you’ll learn to master the new features, all presented by leading computer industry experts like Marcus Murray, Johan Arwidmark and many more…

Meet the team that worked closely with the development team in Redmond, built production systems, configured, deployed, hardened, debugged, tested, crashed, modified and ran the new platform through all possible scenarios.

Join us for an amazing journey on October 7.

For more information, detailed agenda and free registration, go to http://www.windows7summit.com 

Johan Arwidmark
Microsoft MVP – Setup and Deployment

Some 11 years ago I was working quite a lot with linux installations, and one of the funniest moments was when selecting the redneck language during the redhat installation.

Thanks to virtual machines, and some hard to find Redhat 5.1 Manhattan installation media (from 1998), its possible to feel the joy once more  🙂  Here are some screenshots