WDS Capture Wizard Cannot See Disk

Question

I have using a hybrid MDT/WDS model. I plan to capture an image I have created using WDS and then update my MDT Deployment Share with the captured image and use MDT to deploy it to other machines.

However, after sysprepping the machine with the image and PXE booting into the capture wizard I have found that the Volumes to Capture drop down is empty.

I opened the command prompt and used diskpart to try and view the disk, however it cannot see any disks at all.

WDS holds the drivers for the particular machine I am using to capture the image, including the storage driver, and when trying to attach them to the boot image that I create the capture (Win 10 as Win 11 claims to be depreciated) the only one that fails is ipf_acpi [x64], not the storage driver.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

Hello there,

If the WDS (Windows Deployment Services) Capture Wizard cannot see the disk during the capture process, it could be due to various reasons. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try:

Verify network connectivity: Ensure that the computer running the WDS server and the computer being captured are connected to the same network and can communicate with each other. Check the network cables, firewall settings, and network configurations to ensure proper connectivity.

Check storage controller drivers: The lack of appropriate storage controller drivers can prevent the WDS Capture Wizard from detecting the disk. Make sure that the necessary storage controller drivers are available in the boot image used by the WDS server. You may need to inject the drivers into the boot image using the Windows Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool.

Enable disk controller in BIOS/UEFI: Ensure that the disk controller is enabled in the BIOS/UEFI settings of the computer being captured. If the disk controller is disabled, the WDS Capture Wizard won't be able to detect the disk. Access the BIOS/UEFI settings and enable the appropriate disk controller.

Check disk format and partition: Verify that the disk being captured is properly formatted and has partitions that are accessible. If the disk is not formatted or has an unsupported format, the WDS Capture Wizard may not be able to recognize it. Ensure that the disk is formatted with a compatible file system (such as NTFS) and has at least one accessible partition.

I used AI provided by ChatGPT to formulate part of this response. I have verified that the information is accurate before sharing it with you.

Hope this resolves your Query !!

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Answer 2

I have found a solution to the problem. The client machine I was using contained an M.2 SSD. I'm not sure why, but there is something that stops WDS from seeing these SSDs. I swapped the client for another older model that had HDDs in and WDS could see that one fine.