WDS/MDT and Windows XP

Hi

I am trying to use WDS/MDT so I can deploy Windows XP to our client computers.
I have installed a Windows XP SP2 and used sysprep to reseal it, then I
booted through PXE and captured the image onto the WDS server and then I
added the image to MDT so that I can deploy it.
Which files do I have to change so that it actually starts up totally
unattended after I have applied the image?
I have tried to create the unattend.txt with Sysprep but it seems like it
ignores the file. In MDT under Task Sequences I can edit both sysprep.inf and
unattend.txt but are those files used, if they are used, when does it use
them?

I have tried searching for a WDS/MDT and Windows XP how to but can't find
any that covers my problems.

/Lasse

Assuming you selected mini-setup when you resealed this should be as follows:
Under the WDS install structure you will find a folder called images, then
the image group name folder which should contain your image you captured.

What you need to do is create a folder with the same name (minus the .wim)
and then make these folders within that:
\$OEM$\$1\sysprep

within the sysprep folder save a sysprep.inf created with setupmgr and when
you copy the image to a PC, it takes that folder and contents, when
mini-setup starts it looks in c:\sysprep for a answer file which will now
have been copied over.


"Lasse" wrote:

> Hi
>
> I am trying to use WDS/MDT so I can deploy Windows XP to our client computers.
> I have installed a Windows XP SP2 and used sysprep to reseal it, then I
> booted through PXE and captured the image onto the WDS server and then I
> added the image to MDT so that I can deploy it.
> Which files do I have to change so that it actually starts up totally
> unattended after I have applied the image?
> I have tried to create the unattend.txt with Sysprep but it seems like it
> ignores the file. In MDT under Task Sequences I can edit both sysprep.inf and
> unattend.txt but are those files used, if they are used, when does it use
> them?
>
> I have tried searching for a WDS/MDT and Windows XP how to but can't find
> any that covers my problems.
>
> /Lasse
>
>

Hi Golderm

Thansk for your reply.

I selected the mini-setup and I have now added the folders as you wrote.

Everytime I deploy the image afterwards I assume the "..\$OEM$\$1\Sysprep\"
folder will be copied to the destination computer and the Sysprep.inf will be
used for the mini-setup?
I am trying to add the destination directly to our AD and into a OU, I am
using the following settings in Sysprep.inf:
JoinDomain=DomainName.dk
MachineObjectOU="OU=WDS,OU=Workstations /
Notebooks,OU=Computers,DC=DomainName,DC=dk"
DomainAdmin=Administrator
DomainAdminPassword=Password

I could get it to add the computer to the AD without the MachineObjectOU but
when I add the line it fails during the mini-setup. I suspect that
"Workstations / Notebooks" causes the problem since it contains spaces but I
haven't testet it yet.

"golderm" wrote:

> Assuming you selected mini-setup when you resealed this should be as follows:
> Under the WDS install structure you will find a folder called images, then
> the image group name folder which should contain your image you captured.
>
> What you need to do is create a folder with the same name (minus the .wim)
> and then make these folders within that:
> \$OEM$\$1\sysprep
>
> within the sysprep folder save a sysprep.inf created with setupmgr and when
> you copy the image to a PC, it takes that folder and contents, when
> mini-setup starts it looks in c:\sysprep for a answer file which will now
> have been copied over.
>
>
> "Lasse" wrote:
>
> > Hi
> >
> > I am trying to use WDS/MDT so I can deploy Windows XP to our client computers.
> > I have installed a Windows XP SP2 and used sysprep to reseal it, then I
> > booted through PXE and captured the image onto the WDS server and then I
> > added the image to MDT so that I can deploy it.
> > Which files do I have to change so that it actually starts up totally
> > unattended after I have applied the image?
> > I have tried to create the unattend.txt with Sysprep but it seems like it
> > ignores the file. In MDT under Task Sequences I can edit both sysprep.inf and
> > unattend.txt but are those files used, if they are used, when does it use
> > them?
> >
> > I have tried searching for a WDS/MDT and Windows XP how to but can't find
> > any that covers my problems.
> >
> > /Lasse
> >
> >

Hi Lasse,

now worries, sorry i haven't had the need to assign to an OU yet but that
looks correct, examples i have seen do have spaces although they tend to be
under the network credentials not before, maybe try that?

"Lasse" wrote:

> Hi Golderm
>
> Thansk for your reply.
>
> I selected the mini-setup and I have now added the folders as you wrote.
>
> Everytime I deploy the image afterwards I assume the "..\$OEM$\$1\Sysprep\"
> folder will be copied to the destination computer and the Sysprep.inf will be
> used for the mini-setup?
> I am trying to add the destination directly to our AD and into a OU, I am
> using the following settings in Sysprep.inf:
> JoinDomain=DomainName.dk
> MachineObjectOU="OU=WDS,OU=Workstations /
> Notebooks,OU=Computers,DC=DomainName,DC=dk"
> DomainAdmin=Administrator
> DomainAdminPassword=Password
>
> I could get it to add the computer to the AD without the MachineObjectOU but
> when I add the line it fails during the mini-setup. I suspect that
> "Workstations / Notebooks" causes the problem since it contains spaces but I
> haven't testet it yet.
>

Hi again

I tried adding the MachineObjectOU after the user credentials but that
didn't change the result. I then tried the following:
MachineObjectOU="OU=WDS,DC=DomainName,DC=dk"
This worked perfectly so it might be the spaces that causes the problem.

The reason for moving deployed computers into that OU is so that I can
deploy Office 2003 and other MSI packages through GPO the first time they
start.

"golderm" wrote:

> Hi Lasse,
>
> now worries, sorry i haven't had the need to assign to an OU yet but that
> looks correct, examples i have seen do have spaces although they tend to be
> under the network credentials not before, maybe try that?
>
> "Lasse" wrote:
>
> > Hi Golderm
> >
> > Thansk for your reply.
> >
> > I selected the mini-setup and I have now added the folders as you wrote.
> >
> > Everytime I deploy the image afterwards I assume the "..\$OEM$\$1\Sysprep\"
> > folder will be copied to the destination computer and the Sysprep.inf will be
> > used for the mini-setup?
> > I am trying to add the destination directly to our AD and into a OU, I am
> > using the following settings in Sysprep.inf:
> > JoinDomain=DomainName.dk
> > MachineObjectOU="OU=WDS,OU=Workstations /
> > Notebooks,OU=Computers,DC=DomainName,DC=dk"
> > DomainAdmin=Administrator
> > DomainAdminPassword=Password
> >
> > I could get it to add the computer to the AD without the MachineObjectOU but
> > when I add the line it fails during the mini-setup. I suspect that
> > "Workstations / Notebooks" causes the problem since it contains spaces but I
> > haven't testet it yet.
> >

Hi again

Just another question that you might be able to answer:
When booting up through the WDS server to deploy an image, is it possible to
create an answer file so I don't have to select Locale/country, Keyboard
layout and user credentials everytime?

/Lasse

"golderm" wrote:

> Hi Lasse,
>
> now worries, sorry i haven't had the need to assign to an OU yet but that
> looks correct, examples i have seen do have spaces although they tend to be
> under the network credentials not before, maybe try that?
>
> "Lasse" wrote:
>
> > Hi Golderm
> >
> > Thansk for your reply.
> >
> > I selected the mini-setup and I have now added the folders as you wrote.
> >
> > Everytime I deploy the image afterwards I assume the "..\$OEM$\$1\Sysprep\"
> > folder will be copied to the destination computer and the Sysprep.inf will be
> > used for the mini-setup?
> > I am trying to add the destination directly to our AD and into a OU, I am
> > using the following settings in Sysprep.inf:
> > JoinDomain=DomainName.dk
> > MachineObjectOU="OU=WDS,OU=Workstations /
> > Notebooks,OU=Computers,DC=DomainName,DC=dk"
> > DomainAdmin=Administrator
> > DomainAdminPassword=Password
> >
> > I could get it to add the computer to the AD without the MachineObjectOU but
> > when I add the line it fails during the mini-setup. I suspect that
> > "Workstations / Notebooks" causes the problem since it contains spaces but I
> > haven't testet it yet.
> >