How to deploy captured Windows 7 image to a group of 35 computers using WDS-MDT server
Hi
This is the first time I have installed WDS and MDT 2013 on a windows 2012 server .I have built a windows 7 image customised with all application and have captured the image to this new deployment server successfully.
Now as I completed capturing the image. I am not sure as how to deploy this image back to a group of 35 computers over the network. I don't have any experience with WDS -MDT server.
All the PC have PXE enabled.
Please if some one could post me tutorials step by step as how to deploy the captured images to a batch of 35 computers , that will be really helpful for my XP to Windows 7 migration. I have to achieve this by end of next week reimagining 250 PCs
Any help will be really greatfull.
Thanks in advance.
This is the first time I have installed WDS and MDT 2013 on a windows 2012 server .I have built a windows 7 image customised with all application and have captured the image to this new deployment server successfully.
Now as I completed capturing the image. I am not sure as how to deploy this image back to a group of 35 computers over the network. I don't have any experience with WDS -MDT server.
All the PC have PXE enabled.
Please if some one could post me tutorials step by step as how to deploy the captured images to a batch of 35 computers , that will be really helpful for my XP to Windows 7 migration. I have to achieve this by end of next week reimagining 250 PCs
Any help will be really greatfull.
Thanks in advance.
ASKER
Hi Mike
Please see below the answers.
Q1: Did you use a physical machine to create the image or a VM
I used Physical machine to create the image.
Q2: How are you handling the drivers?
I have installed all the drivers on the PC, where the master image was captured for
the particular model PC
Q3: Is there only one model of machine in the whole company that you are targeting?
There 4 different models and a Particular ASUS model PC I have is 150 No's
Q4: What apps are in the image? AV, java, Acrobat and Flash are not good
The applications are, MS office, Acrobat reader, Photoshop, VLC media player and
Educational related programs, like scratch, game maker etc...
The image which I captured have, Flash, Java installed (No Antivirus- I will push the
antivirus from the AV server console after joining the PCs to the domain.
Q5: Are you applying updates during the build or is the image already patched?
I have completed all the MS updates during the build from windowsupdate.com
Q6: If yes, are you using a WSUS store. MDT defaults to point to windowsupdate.com which is a bad idea.
We do have a WSUS store, but during building the master image I updated the image for MS updates from Microsoft .com
Q7: have you deployed the image to a test machine and tested not just the build finishing
but all the apps too. I've seen Word unable to print over 20 pages and other weird issues.
I have not deployed the captured image to a PC still because I was not sure do this, but as you have posted some instructions; I will try and will post you the results.
Q8: if no to 7 are you using WADK or WAIK. WADK uses WinPE4 which has a bug where it hangs at boot if the BIOS does not meet requirements! Meaning bios upgrades for those machines.
I am not familiar with WADK /WAIK , your suggestions much appreciated.
Thanks
Please see below the answers.
Q1: Did you use a physical machine to create the image or a VM
I used Physical machine to create the image.
Q2: How are you handling the drivers?
I have installed all the drivers on the PC, where the master image was captured for
the particular model PC
Q3: Is there only one model of machine in the whole company that you are targeting?
There 4 different models and a Particular ASUS model PC I have is 150 No's
Q4: What apps are in the image? AV, java, Acrobat and Flash are not good
The applications are, MS office, Acrobat reader, Photoshop, VLC media player and
Educational related programs, like scratch, game maker etc...
The image which I captured have, Flash, Java installed (No Antivirus- I will push the
antivirus from the AV server console after joining the PCs to the domain.
Q5: Are you applying updates during the build or is the image already patched?
I have completed all the MS updates during the build from windowsupdate.com
Q6: If yes, are you using a WSUS store. MDT defaults to point to windowsupdate.com which is a bad idea.
We do have a WSUS store, but during building the master image I updated the image for MS updates from Microsoft .com
Q7: have you deployed the image to a test machine and tested not just the build finishing
but all the apps too. I've seen Word unable to print over 20 pages and other weird issues.
I have not deployed the captured image to a PC still because I was not sure do this, but as you have posted some instructions; I will try and will post you the results.
Q8: if no to 7 are you using WADK or WAIK. WADK uses WinPE4 which has a bug where it hangs at boot if the BIOS does not meet requirements! Meaning bios upgrades for those machines.
I am not familiar with WADK /WAIK , your suggestions much appreciated.
Thanks
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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ASKER
Hi Mike
Many thanks for your time and your post
Many thanks for your time and your post
You're welcome. Hope it made enough sense. I can go on sometimes...
ASKER
Sorrt Mike
Completely forgot to give points .Here we go!!
Completely forgot to give points .Here we go!!
No problem. thanks for the points. They all count :).
That's a tall order deploying 250 machines in a week when you've no experience.
On the face of it PXE builds are easy enough to setup, but it can be troublesome.
PXE overview steps
1) Import the boot.Wim (from your deployment share\boot) to WDS boot images
2) Set DHCP boot options are follows
066 Boot Server Host Name set to IP Address of server (or you can use the FQDN name)
On all dhcp subnets
067 Bootfile Name set to Boot\x86\wdsnbp.com
3) on any networking switches between the server and the target machines you might have to enable IP-Helper, so be nice to the networking guy.
4) Enable PXE to respond if you did not select it when installed the WDS role
5) boot a machine and press F12. It will boot from the MDT image and start the build.
You probably need to read my previous answer EE with some MDT links:
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/28171771/Deploy-Win-7-Master-Image.html.
On a side note I have some questions you probably need to consider:
Q1: Did you use a physical machine to create the image or a VM
Q2: How are you handling the drivers?
Q3: Is there only one model of machine in the whole company that you are targeting?
Q4: What apps are in the image? AV, java, Acrobat and Flash are not good
Q5: Are you applying updates during the build or is the image already patched?
Q6: If yes, are you using a WSUS store. MDT defaults to point to windowsupdate.com which is a bad idea.
Q7: have you deployed the image to a test machine and tested not just the build finishing but all the apps too. I've seen Word unable to print over 20 pages and other weird issues.
Q8: if no to 7 are you using WADK or WAIK. WADK uses WinPE4 which has a bug where it hangs at boot if the BIOS does not meet requirements! Meaning bios upgrades for those machines.
I know I've asked some potentially worrying questions there, but there's more to OS deployment than just banging an image out. If you've already done testing, have one model and it needs minimal drivers then you're ready for PXE.
If not, I would suggest you study the links and then meet with management that they need to rethink their timescales. A week is un-realistic in my opinion, and unfair on you.
The sky is not going to fall in if they stay on XP just a little longer.
I hope I'm not teaching you to suck eggs here. I am just trying to point you (and other EEs) in the right direction.
Mike