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MDT 2010 External Media, Attempting to image a Dell XPS 13

I've been banging my head against this one for a couple days.

I'm attempting to build a media deploy on a USB key as there is no builtin Ethernet port on this laptop to allow for PXE booting.

I have the laptop plugged into a Targus USB dock. I added the USB controller drivers to the PE environment but cannot get it to connect to the Deployment share after it successfully boots to the USB key. Confirmed by attempting to perform a net use from the command line and can't

The strange thing is, the docking station is being recognized in the PE environment because the USB key is booting fine when plugged into the dock.

Is there a way to deploy my WIM image from the USB key offline and not have it want to call home to the MDT/WDS server? I have Drivers/TaskSequence/OS all added to the Media on the USB key so I don't really get why it still needs to connect to the Deployment share.

Thanks for any help!

James Haywood

This is a really good tutorial to do what you want. Have a read through and see if there is something you may have missed

http://www.cluberti.com/blog/2009/08/10/mdt-2010-and-deployment-from-a-usb-key/

STARS1

ASKER

I actually noticed that tutorial, the only difference is the fact I'm using a docking station and can't get the network to connect when I boot to the USB key. It prompts me to enter the UNC path for the deployment share and I can't connect to it.
When I bring up a comand prompt it won't allow me to map anything and hasn't received an IP address.
So what I would like to do is just boot to the USB key and only point to the image and drivers on that USB key.

Some added info.

I can log into Windows and manually run the Litetouch.vbs script from the USB key. It brings up the Task sequence choice, when I click deploy and choose "Refresh" it won't allow me to do it because Windows 7 is already installed.

STARS1

ASKER

I confirmed the USB loads the Task Sequence on another laptop.

James Haywood

I would try adding all relevant drivers for the Docking station and laptop to the deployment share (x64 and x86). This includes storage drivers etc.

STARS1

ASKER

The only problem is I can't get the dock drivers in any form apart from an MSI, which doesn't unpackage nice. So the only way that I see imaging this thing is to image it offline and not have it connect to the LAN. I just don't get why my entire deployment share gets copied to my media and still it wants to 'look' for the Deployment share on the server.

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James Haywood

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STARS1

ASKER

Well I have the task sequence starting now. I go through each step, it creates the partition, does the format, and then fails on "Installing Operating System" The reason is there is no valid network adaptor.

I just don't get why it is attempting to use the network at this point. I have the image on the USB key.

Thanks for your help so far.

STARS1

ASKER

It was a combination of the Diagnostic partition still in place, and I needed to import the Windows 7 source files into the ExternalMedia. It's happily imaging right now.