SCCM 2012 Image Capture: task sequence

There is no real need to capture the wim file. Just use an answer file with your MS DVD wim and you should be able to do 99% of things you are trying to do by capturing.

Thanks for the advice but it doesn't answer my question.

The hole idea for us is that we can take an image after we've installed the OS and Windows Updates, and several other configurations

I thought that it could be raid drivers, as when i installed server 2008 i had to point to specific drivers.

I've therefore uploaded drivers to SCCM, added them to the x64 boot image, but i'm not sure if i can make a boot USB using this and use the same server or not?  How do i get it to boot into Windows instead of the SCCM splash screen?

Rule #1 in creating a master image is to create this image in a virtual machine to eliminate any machine dependencies. You can also by using snapshots practice to your hears content until you get it working.

To fix this particular issue you should be looking at the log files in the minint folder .. if you want you can by using imagex / dism in a customized winpe that holds either of these 2 programs  capture the image of the syspreped machine by hand .. Only by looking at the log files can you diagnose the issue.

where is the minint folder stored?  SOrry but I don't know what imagex/dsm is...

ideally I just need to know how to take an image of a Windows Server 2008 system, and then deploy that

I followed some instructions on a site, but they must be wrong if its failing

What site is that? Few sites will tell you to take image for a Server OS.

Sorry but what do you mean what site is that?

The site that had the guide to take image of the server.

Something like this

http://gerryhampsoncm.blogspot.in/2013/02/sccm-2012-sp1-step-by-step-guide-part.html

http://prajwaldesai.com/deploying-sccm-2012-part-15-build-and-capture-windows-7-x64/

Hi,

Nagendra is asking what website did you find that told you to take an image of a physical server and then try to deploy. He is asking because it is a really, really bad idea and doomed to fail, aside from the legality of licensing.

There are too many reasons to list as to why it's bad, so I will focus on the correct way

1) Get MDT
2) Create an reference image on a VM (Hyper-V/VMware)
3) Patch and capture that image
4) Import to SCCM
5) Deploy to your physical machines

That is a very short and sweet summary but is the rough outline. Please take advice from websites run by MVPs in the first instance, then reputable bloggers only. You're in a bit of a mess from following someone who may well be a 14 year old boy in his bedroom. He may even be super genius but if he's saying capture a server he needs educating!

Mike
PS: google Johan Arwidmark for *proper* guidance on deployment

The 1st link recommends using an MDT task sequence and I concur with him. Also you should add mdt and add the mdt config manager extensions because it will add 200+ configurable items to SCCM

Thanks for the help, I didn't realise I was doing it all wrong.

I was following the guides to take a reference image of a x64 windows 7 machine and just assumed the same would work for a server OS.

I'm still a bit confused over the difference between using MDT, and VMware, and SCCM.  How do they link together and what if the image works on a VM but doesn't work on a physical server, such as when specific drivers are needed?

MDT is a toolkit (solution accelerate) of 300 or more scripts and an MMC that has been developed over 10 years to help deployment MS OS as "light touch" - meaning a few clicks and that's it.

VMware is a virtualisation platform for creating and running virtual machines; essentially files that pretend that they are physical computers

SCCM is an Enterprise scale software management tool that can deploy OSes, patches, software, settings and inventory etc.

Ideally you install MDT and integrate it into SCCM. Then you build your reference image using MDT, capture it as a WIM file and then either import it into SCCM or create a second deployment share in MDT and import it there. Then create your final image.

The problem is capturing physical hardware (whether desktop or server) will have lots of device drivers than may not be wanted in future deployments. Sometimes they can get ugly and bluescreen machines. So, to avoid any of the mess, create the reference image in Hyper-V. It's free, so what's not to like!

Mike