Top Ten - Most Common BDD 2007 issues
I see the same issues coming up over and over again with BDD 2007. So, I decided it was time for my own Top Ten List!
Number 1. - Partitioning within the Unattend.xml
BDD likes (no needs) to look after partitioning itself! Do not do this via Unattend.xml. The most common symptom of this is the Task Sequence not restarting after the operating system has been installed.
Number 2. - XP disk partitioning
Affectionately know as the UBERBUG, this little baby causes some machines to blue screen when an XP image is applied to a machine that has been partitioned with Windows PE 2.0. For more information see my previous blog.
Number 3. - Trying to deploy images with WDS
This is a common misunderstanding about the relationship between BDD and WDS. Let me assure the relationship is not a close one, BDD is just using WDS! Simply put uses WDS as a mechanism to boot the Lite Touch WIM which connects to the BDD deployment point. Once this has happened it has nothing more to WDS, nothing! So my advice here is DO NOT try to load an image captured with BDD into WDS.
Number 4. - Failure to join the domain
Oh the joys of documentation, one little error and everyone has strife. The BDD configuration reference states that "MachineObjectOU=NewYork" , it's wrong! Instead it should say something like this "MachineObjectOU=OU=NewYork,DC=DammTypos,DC=com". So if for some reason your machine fails to join the domain then make sure you have specified the correct OU in the correct manner.
Number 5. - Drivers
Where do I start with this one? This could be a number of blogs on its own, maybe I could use this as a teaser to make you keep coming back and finding more useful information on my blog(did I say that out loud?). I will write a blog(s) on drivers soon.
Number 6. - Creating custom WIM image without using /flags
So you already have a Vista machine built up and you have decided that you want to manually image it . So you capture an image and try to import it into BDD but it won't work. Well the real lesson is you should have used BDD to create and capture the image then you wouldn't of had this problem in the first place. But if you really have no choice then remember to specify the correct flags for the Version of Vista you a capturing. Here is and example command line:
imagex /flags “Enterprise” /capture c: d:\image.wim "Custom Image"
And if you want to add a flag to an image you have already capture try this command line:
imagex /flags [flags value] /info mywim.wim [image index] [new name] [new description]
Number 7. - SQL connectivity
Having trouble connecting to your SQL database well take heed of these four simple rules, and your life will be simpler :
1. Make sure your BDD account has access to the database
2. Ensure that the "surface area" of SQL is opened up enough to allow connections
3. Use named pipes - it makes life easier as you cannot use integrated security with TCP/IP sockets
4. If you have an instance then be sure to specify it when connecting to the DB
Number 8. - Memory requirements for Vista PE
Do random things happen when you try to build some machines? Do you have 256Mb of memory? Well the problem you have is that Windows PE 2.0 can boot with only 256MB of memory but it cannot run. This means that when it tries to do stuff it freezes randomly, NICE! So when building machines make sure you have at least 512Mb of memory and everything will be rosy.
Number 9. - Not removing the MININT folder
Are you testing your build and nothing you do seems to have any effect. Usually this is caused by the fact that BDD is storing information from a previous build in the MININT folder. So commit this to command to memory, your gonna need it:
rd c:\minint /q/s
And while your at it you may as well remember this one:
rd c:\_SMSTaskSequence /q /s
Number 10. - Adding Windows PE to console
Are you trying to add your customized version of Windows PE to the console, yeah the one that you spent hours getting just right! Well its not going to work, the Windows PE source files need to be taken straight off the volume source CD. BDD will then combine this with the OS source files and create a version customized just for BDD.
There may be other common issues I have missed but I thought it is worth while getting these out there. Anyway one day I will create a Top Ten Returns list and I will need something to put in it!
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Comments
Anonymous
January 01, 2003
Here are the "Best Of" the questions and answers from today's TechNet Webcast: "Windows Deployment ServicesAnonymous
January 01, 2003
A summary of a very informative post here. Number 1. - Partitioning within the Unattend.xml Number 2. - XP disk partitioning Number 3. - Trying to deploy images with WDS Number 4. - Failure to join the domain Number 5. - Drivers Number 6. - CreatiAnonymous
January 01, 2003
Hi Dustin, In general this is for the "pretty" factor. However you can control this as the ztidiskpart script does. Thanks, BenAnonymous
January 01, 2003
Hoy en cosas interesantes: Exploits para la vulnerabilidad del DNS RPC, Rollup 1 para Exchange 2007,Anonymous
January 01, 2003
What do you mean you still don't read Ben's blog? It is non-stop information all around BDD,Anonymous
January 01, 2003
I've not found mention of this, so... We want to use a custom menu to allow our installing technicians from different departments to use deployment points by updating bootstrap.ini before litetouch.wsf runs. What is the best way to add a menu to the litetouch boot iso? (Management wants a single PXE boot image, so we cannot just point them at boot on their deployment point) ThanksAnonymous
January 01, 2003
Hi Rana, I would expect to find WIMGAPI.DLL in the system path after WAIK is installed. If you go to a command prompt in the TS session, you should see it in the PATH; look for something like "C:Program FilesWindows Imaging". If this is not the case then try reinstalling the WAIK or manually updating the path. Thanks, BenAnonymous
January 01, 2003
I am very happy with the progress of the deployment guys blog so far. Hopefully you all agree that weAnonymous
January 01, 2003
Hi ckarcher, You can do this quite simply. The first thing you need to do is ensure that all of the files you require are in the scripts folder of your litetouch image. You can then call this interface from the bootstrap.ini. Have you seen my blog on how to create a custom interface? Thanks, BenAnonymous
January 01, 2003
When are you getting this error message? Thanks, BenAnonymous
January 01, 2003
10 great tips I am stuck on the last one : the PE config for ZTI, would love a blog on it step by step PaulAnonymous
January 01, 2003
Hi sylvain, Ther are many issues that could cause this error code. I really need to see the logs from your minint folder and the smsts.log file before I can help you. You can send them to me on, ben dot hunter at microsoft dot com. Thanks, BenAnonymous
July 20, 2007
When using BDD to deploy Vista, after copying the files to the location c:DistributionOperating Systems, BDD is returning an error stating that it was unable to load DLL "wimgapi.dll"Anonymous
September 05, 2007
Hi, I tried to deploy a wim image of XP SP2 Pro an have always an error running task sequence "litetouch installation failed with the error code 0x00000002 contact your SMS admin... my winxp.wim image was not applied succesfully by imagex? i tried diskpart clean bootsect /nt52 all and bootsect /nt52 sys c: /force and have always same error??? but i can deploy myvista.wim if you have an idea??? ThanksAnonymous
October 10, 2007
The comment has been removedAnonymous
October 22, 2007
Finally! reason no 8 explains all my problems - thank youAnonymous
April 22, 2008
The bottom progress bar on the LiteTouch "Installation Prograss" window never actually does anything. Am I missing something? It is a minor annoyance but for the "pretty" factor. I was wondering if there was something I needed to do to get my background installs to display thier progress properly.