cannot find a way to make work second XP image to wds

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:05:35 Z

Hello,
I cannot make work second XP image on WDS 2003 R2.

I captured and distributed XP image to 40 pcs using XML and sysprep files placed on WDS.
But cannot find exact instructions what to do in order to make work second image.

Just general info... kind of NOW ADD a SECOND IMAGE.

I captured second image. It was created in the same folder where my first image is.
The items added: 1 folder with new image name and wim file with new image name.

For first image I had 1 folder, wim file and big Res.RWM file. I suspect that this file is for the first image.
Should the second capture create the same. It looks like I need to create separate image group for working with XP.

This is the path for my images. xp-images is the name of image group.
D:\RemoteInstall\Images\xp-images

I see that people more discussing Vista distribution. But XP is not native for WDS.
If somebody has a real experience with adding more than one XP image to WDS and can share this info I will appreciate a help.
What to do in XML (I can add install image section)? And where to place second sysprep.ini?

Thanks,
Michael.

Please provide detailed instructions

cannot find a way to make work second XP image to wds

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:39:47 Z

An update on my issue.

I decided to add a new image group for a second image. Just to be sure that I can create separate and identical path for sysprep for second image.

My steps:
1. In WDS created new image group (image2).
Then, I captured a new image and saved it into "image2" group.

In "image2" D:\RemoteInstall\Images\image2
I have new Res.rwm and image2.wim

2. Following instructions for XP deployment I created the folder "image2" for creating the structure for placing sysprep file: D:\RemoteInstall\Images\image2\image2\$OEM$\$1
So I placed sysprep.ini "$1" folder.

This is exactly what I did for the first image.

In xml file I added entries in install image section

3. Failure.
When I boot the client F12 F12 I have a menu change.
Before adding the second image I had options:
Install image
Capture image

After adding second image I have:
Windows pre Boot Setup (x86)
and
Capture image

After loading boot image I am getting:

Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file
[X:\sources\wdsunattend\wdsunattend.xml]
for pass [WindowsPE].
A component or specified file does not exist.

Here is the problem my unattended xml is in
D:\RemoteInstall\WdsClientUnattend\unattended-xp.xml

And in error it shows the path to not existing folders and file.

This happend after I add second image parametres in my xml file.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

- <unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">

- <settings pass="windowsPE">

- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">

- <DiskConfiguration>

<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>

- <Disk wcm:action="add">

- <CreatePartitions>

- <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">

<Type>Primary</Type>

<Extend>false</Extend>

</CreatePartition>

</CreatePartitions>

- <ModifyPartitions>

- <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">

<Label>WinXP</Label>

</ModifyPartition>

</ModifyPartitions>

</Disk>

</DiskConfiguration>

- <WindowsDeploymentServices>

- <Login>

- <Credentials>

<Password>xxxxxxxxxx</Password>

</Credentials>

</Login>

- <ImageSelection>

<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>

- <InstallImage>

<ImageGroup>xp-images</ImageGroup>

</InstallImage>

<ImageName>image2</ImageName>

<ImageGroup>image2</ImageGroup>

<FileName>image2.wim</FileName>

- <InstallTo>

</InstallTo>

</ImageSelection>

</WindowsDeploymentServices>

</component>

</settings>

</unattend>

What's wrong here?

Thanks,

cannot find a way to make work second XP image to wds

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:44:03 Z

Hi,

You should not add your second image parameters in the xml file.

If you add two install images in your unattend file, how does it know which one to load?

Please only add the install image which you would like to load in your unattend file. If you would like to select which install image to load, add neither of these install images in your unattend file.

For additional information, please refer to the following articles:

Automating Setup

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc730695(WS.10).aspx

Sample Unattend Files

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732280(WS.10).aspx#Combined

Hope it helps.

Tim Quan - MSFT

cannot find a way to make work second XP image to wds

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:44:16 Z

Hi,

You should not add your second image parameters in the xml file.

If you add two install images in your unattend file, how does it know which one to load?

Please only add the install image which you would like to load in your unattend file. If you would like to select which install image to load, add neither of these install images in your unattend file.

For additional information, please refer to the following articles:

Automating Setup

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc730695(WS.10).aspx

Sample Unattend Files

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732280(WS.10).aspx#Combined

Hi Tim,

Is it possible to create unattended xml file for Windows XP deployment..?? since I heard we can create unattended xml file in Vista ,Win 2k8 server & later...Only :)

Regards,
Sachin.

cannot find a way to make work second XP image to wds

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:47:59 Z

Hi Sachin,

No, we cannot use unattended xml for Windows XP/2003 deployment. We should use unattend.txt/sysprep.inf instead.

However, for the WDS deployment, as this document said, we can use two unattend files. One is Windows Deployment Services client unattend file and the other is Image unattend file.

The Windows Deployment Services client unattend file is to automate the Windows Deployment Services client user interface screens (such as entering credentials, choosing an install image, and configuring the disk). It is a xml file and can be created by WSIM.

The Image unattend file has 2 types. One is unattend.xml used for Windows Vista/2008 deployment and the other is sysprep.inf used for Windows XP/2003 deployment.

In this thread, the unattend file pob579 pasted is a Windows Deployment Services client unattend file. Therefore, it is a .xml file.

Tim Quan - MSFT

cannot find a way to make work second XP image to wds

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:37:32 Z

Tim,
you saved the day! :)

I am not xml scripting specialist... So, my logic was to add parameters of the second image because there was a section InstalImage after first image parameters.
And I thought that this will create 2 images.

I followed your advice and remove entries for both. Now I can add other images without touching xml.

To finish my little exploration of WDS. I want to ask one more question.

During my configuration and troubleshooting I created a second image group for the second image.
As you answered me in previous post it is not necessary. All my images will be XP images. So I can keep one image group.
Now I know that my problem was in XML file.

When I had one image group and captured second image into it I had one Res.rvm file but it doubled in size.
Now I guess I can explain why. This file basicaly collects images. And image_name.wim is kind of link to it.
Then I create a folder structure with image name for placing sysprep.ini

I will give a try to one image group.
My Images folder should contain: one Res.rvm file, wim file for each image and folder with each image name for sysprep.ini
Correct?
Hope it will work after your advice about xml.

Thanks a lot.
Michael.

cannot find a way to make work second XP image to wds

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:06:37 Z

Hi Michael,

Glad to hear this issue has been resolved.

An image group is a collection of .wim files that share common file resources and security. Servicing an image within an image group (such as applying a hotfix or a service pack or updating files) requires exclusive access to the entire image group. File resources are shared across the image group (single-instanced) even though the metadata of each image resides in a separate physical .wim file. Image groups contain two file types:

l Res.rwm. Contains the file streams for images as defined in Install.wim, Install2.wim, and WinXP.wim. Note that each image group has its own Res.rwm file.

l Install.wim. Contains image metadata that describes the content of an operating system image. The actual file resources for the image reside in Res.rwm.

Each image group will have a Res.rwm file created when the first image is added to the image group. All resources for all files reside in Res.rwm. The Res.rwm file is a .wim file that is renamed to differentiate the resource-only .wim file from the metadata .wim files and to speed up image enumeration. Because image enumeration only works on .wim files, the Res.rwm file will be skipped.

The .wim file format uses single-instancing technology, so the disk storage requirements for images within an image group are significantly reduced.

Tim Quan - MSFT