Capture an image with ImageX or Capture Media
Hi All,
Can someone point out what are the differences between using Capture Media and ImageX to get a .wim file?What I noticed is that with Capture media you can capture a volume only but with ImageX you can capture partitions too.
Why I’m asking? Until today I always used Imagex, using Capture Media today I saw that it is doing something with the configmgr client. Does configmgr client needs some preparations before a machine is syspreped…?
If I use ImageX to capture an image, will configmgr client work well on all deployed machines using that image?
Thanks!
Answers
Hi ,
If you want to capture manually with sysprep , please keep in mind that :
1.You schould log in to your windows
2. copy over the sysprep folderto the c:\Sysprep
3. STOP the smsexec service
4. Navigate to c:\Windows\smscfg.ini and delete the file !
5. Run Sysprep
6. Boot to Winpe2.0
7. Run imagex and capture the image
That are basically what the Capture Media is doing .
Hope it helps , Kenny Buntinx www.scug.be/blogs/sccm/- Marked As Answer byVitalie Ciobanu Sunday, April 12, 2009 1:44 PM
All Replies
- Capture media just automates sysprep and everything. I generally capture with imagex manually.
John Marcum, Systems Management Architect - www.TrueSec.com - Capture Media is using a hidden, undocumented TS to perform its actions. Although I hadn't thought about it before, one of the tasks in that hidden TS is probably the Prepare ConfigMgr client task which performs the steps outlined here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb694095.aspx.
Technically, the images captured are identical because Capture Media TS is just using ImageX and can thus be used in the same manner.
Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys Hi ,
If you want to capture manually with sysprep , please keep in mind that :
1.You schould log in to your windows
2. copy over the sysprep folderto the c:\Sysprep
3. STOP the smsexec service
4. Navigate to c:\Windows\smscfg.ini and delete the file !
5. Run Sysprep
6. Boot to Winpe2.0
7. Run imagex and capture the image
That are basically what the Capture Media is doing .
Hope it helps , Kenny Buntinx www.scug.be/blogs/sccm/- Marked As Answer byVitalie Ciobanu Sunday, April 12, 2009 1:44 PM
3. STOP the smsexec service
4. Navigate to c:\Windows\smscfg.ini and delete the file !
Hope it helps , Kenny Buntinx www.scug.be/blogs/sccm/
I suggest you simply do not install the SCCM client on the reference machine if you are going to capture manually, the task sequence will install it when you install the image from OSD.
John Marcum, Systems Management Architect - www.TrueSec.com- I concur. However, why not use a Build and Capture Task Sequence? Why waste all that manual effort building, and rebuilding, and rebuilding and rebuilding, and rebuilding images?
Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys - A lot of people who use thick images can not use the build and capture TS because they have apps that are not packaged and don't play nice with SCCM. For a thin image or for people who have all the apps packaged I agree 100% with you.
John Marcum, Systems Management Architect - www.TrueSec.com
John ,3. STOP the smsexec service
4. Navigate to c:\Windows\smscfg.ini and delete the file !
Hope it helps , Kenny Buntinx www.scug.be/blogs/sccm/
I suggest you simply do not install the SCCM client on the reference machine if you are going to capture manually, the task sequence will install it when you install the image from OSD.
John Marcum, Systems Management Architect - www.TrueSec.com
You cannot exclude the agent install , because your "setup windows & configmgr client " step is needed to complete any installation .This means also that your client is automatically installed .( This is something the configmgr product team should change in v5
Hope it helps , Kenny Buntinx www.scug.be/blogs/sccm/- You are saying the "setup windows & configmgr client" step when installing the image correct? What I was saying is that you do not have to have the SCCM client in the reference image so why add it if you intend to capture the image using imagex rather than using the capture media. I am not talking about using the build and capture task sequence, I am talking about buidling a thick image manually.
John Marcum, Systems Management Architect - www.TrueSec.com - Hi All,
Thank you all for your replies!
You have replied to my question and also pointed out some nice and helpful things.
Thanks again! You are saying the "setup windows & configmgr client" step when installing the image correct? What I was saying is that you do not have to have the SCCM client in the reference image so why add it if you intend to capture the image using imagex rather than using the capture media. I am not talking about using the build and capture task sequence, I am talking about buidling a thick image manually.
John Marcum, Systems Management Architect - www.TrueSec.com
John ,
My bad ... I should read better :-) Indeed when you build them manually , you do not need the client :-)
Hope it helps , Kenny Buntinx www.scug.be/blogs/sccm/Is it possible to just do a capture from within the SCCM manager using PXE? I have successfully done build & capture. But I want to deploy Windows, customize it, and capture this as an image. How can i do this? Is it possible without ImageX or creating the capture CD? Seems like you should be able to do this automated with PXE some how.
Jeremy Whittaker MCSE MCSA CCNA CCA Senior Consultant N2 Network Solutions http://www.N2NetworkSolutions.comYou could just boot to PE anad capture with imagex
John Marcum | http://www.TrueSec.com/en/Training.htm | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jmarcum- or you can use the capture cd
John Marcum | http://www.TrueSec.com/en/Training.htm | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jmarcum - Is it not possible to create a task sequence and push it out to the machine? This way I don't have to go to the machine to put a CD in it? Or use imagex? I figure if I can do a build & capture why can I not just do a capture?
Jeremy Whittaker MCSE MCSA CCNA CCA Senior Consultant N2 Network Solutions http://www.N2NetworkSolutions.com - 6. Boot to Winpe2.0
7. Run imagex and capture the image
Hi,
Can you please provide more details about the 6 and 7 step ?
I am using WDS installed on Windows Server 2008, and i am supposed to capture image of Vista client.- Proposed As Answer byN A Malik Thursday, November 05, 2009 9:05 PM
Hi All,
Thank you all for your replies!
You have replied to my question and also pointed out some nice and helpful things.
Thanks again!
hi
i need same help, can you elaborate 6 and 7 step for me ?- here's a guide on steps 6 and 7
http://www.windowsvistaplace.com/capturing-a-custom-image-using-imagex-and-a-generic-winpe-disk/business-desktop-deployment
John Marcum | http://www.TrueSec.com/en/Training.htm | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jmarcum - And here's another guide if you don't have MDT and you want to manually create the PE boot disk from WAIK. Just don't forget to add imagex to it.
http://www.vistapcguy.net/?p=71
John Marcum | http://www.TrueSec.com/en/Training.htm | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jmarcum - Thank you for your concern i will go through the links you recommended.
Here also can you clear me if i should install the Imagex on the WDS server running on the Server 2008 ? - you don't install imagex you add it to your winpe disk.
John Marcum | http://www.TrueSec.com/en/Training.htm | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jmarcum - Hi
Then how i can add it and what you meant by WinPe disk ? Can you please explain a bit for me/ - if u go follow those links i posted u will understand
John Marcum | http://www.TrueSec.com/en/Training.htm | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jmarcum - hi
yes i got it now, but one guide is for XP and other is for Vista, i need for vita and unfortunatly for vista it is a little bit complex, anyways i got some basic understanding.
