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Bypassing TS Format & Partition step using the unattend.xml

Con risposta Bypassing TS Format & Partition step using the unattend.xml

  • Wednesday, August 01, 2012 2:24 PM
     
     
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    A series of events has led me to this point.  Without giving a huge back story, I need to be able to bypass the format & partition step of a TS, and force the TS to format the HD via the unattend.xml.

    It is not possible to simply disable the step as the deployment fails straight away.  I have been playing around with the unnatend.xml, the disk configuration step is attached below:

    I created this by using the default example through WSIM help files.  The TS will inject drivers and everything will work fine up until the installation of Windows.  As soon as 'Setup is starting' text appears, I get an error saying that 'Windows cannot parse the unattend answer files <diskConfiguration> setting.'

    I'm pretty stuck without getting this to work.  If you need the backstory then I'll provide, just wanted to get straight to the point in the first post.

    Many thanks in advance,

    Doug

     

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  • Wednesday, August 01, 2012 4:52 PM
     
     
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    This isn't possible, because at this stage of the setup, the local disk is already being used for saving the logfiles and task sequence progress state. If somehow Windows Setup would be able to wipe the disk again and repartition the disk, this information would be lost and the task sequencer cannot continue.

    The WillWipeDisk entry is needed if you want to repartition the disk, since you cant shrink the current partitions and then create new ones using the unattend.xml, and thus by the short explaination above, this cannot work.

    I'm curious of why you're not able to use the built-in format and partition disk step? Alternatively, you could always create a diskpart script instead and execute that instead of the built-in task sequence step.

    Kind regards,

    Stephan Schwarz.

    If one of these posts answered your question or issue, please click on "Mark as answer".

    My Blog | Twitter: @Schwarz_Stephan | MCTS, MCITP, MCSA, MCC-2011.
    How to configure Windows RE/OEM Recovery Partition with MDT

     
  • Wednesday, August 01, 2012 5:29 PM
     
     
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    Hmm, a diskpart script may do the trick actually.

    OK, the reason behind this mess is this.

    MDT 2012 will not create a system resvered partition as type MBR when installin to a machine that has an EFI enabled Motherboard.  The TS ignores the partition type setting within the format and partition step of the TS, hence my attempts at getting the unattend.xml to handle this task. 

    The reason I need the partition type of MBR is because 32 bit OS cannot be installed on an EFI system that has a GPT partition style, I think this is due to the re-location of the BCDStore.

    SO really, this has all come about from a need to retain the partition type MBR rather than GPT.  I'll look into getting a diskpart script to run this.  I have done something similar to this for rolling out OS side by side with pre configured VHDs, should I configure the format and partition step of the TS to have no partitions and to continure on error?  Then call the scripts right after this step?

    Thanks for the advice.  And an interesting article you have linked at the bottom of your signature, when I have some more time I'll enjoy looking through your blog.

    Doug

     
  • Wednesday, August 01, 2012 7:31 PM
     
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    Simply disable the built-in task sequence step for disk configuration, and either add a run command line right before it, or after it that executes diskpart using the /s switch to specify a file that contains the diskpart commands to be executed.

    I'm working on an updated version of the topic in my signature that should work for anyone, since I've noticed some people were still having some issues after getting it to work in regards to the bcdstore being changed. This new version will be based on MDT2012. Might need a couple of weekends before I have it all worked out though.

    Kind regards,

    Stephan Schwarz

    If one of these posts answered your question or issue, please click on "Mark as answer".

    My Blog | Twitter: @Schwarz_Stephan | MCTS, MCITP, MCSA, MCC-2011.
    How to configure Windows RE/OEM Recovery Partition with MDT

    • Marked As Answer by dmdougie Thursday, August 02, 2012 8:55 AM
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