Windows Deployment Services and Vista

[[BB] Rick James]

So I know how to put the Vista image from the disk onto the server. I know how to boot and pull that image down from the server onto a computer. So after I've created a computer image, with software and updates on it, how do I put that computer image back up to the server?

[soulman76]

Hmm, I don't know that that is an option. I use WDS at work and while I admittedly don't set it up on the backend, I haven't heard of that as an option. It has always been a straight deploy (install) from the official WDS (MS) Os setup.
Are you looking to make more of a disk image to replicate on multiple machines or make an os install unique to each machine?

http://www.hardfolding.com/ftag1.php/mem/161313/171/0.png (http://www.hardfolding.com?go=38&tnum=33&id=161313)

[[BB] Rick James]

Hmm, I don't know that that is an option. I use WDS at work and while I admittedly don't set it up on the backend, I haven't heard of that as an option. It has always been a straight deploy (install) from the official WDS (MS) Os setup.
Are you looking to make more of a disk image to replicate on multiple machines or make an os install unique to each machine?

http://www.hardfolding.com/ftag1.php/mem/161313/171/0.png (http://www.hardfolding.com?go=38&tnum=33&id=161313)

On RIS you could do it by using the RIPREP util. But the riprep util doesn't work with Vista. We have multiple machines that would be getting the same software sets along with all updates. I gotta believe there has to be a way. Why would they take that feature away, that would be retarded.

Hmmmm.


Edit: Looks like it's done with something called ImageX.

Edit: Looks lke ImageX will take a computer and turn it into an image, much like what Riprep used to do with RIS. Looks like ImageX is only available through this download. http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c7d4bc6d-15f3-4284-9123-679830d629f2&displaylang=en

[[BB] Rick James]

I'm still lost here. How in the hell do you take a computer, with all the updates and software installs that you want and make an image of that? There is a way to do it, but I can't figure it out. Anyone done this yet?

[zeplar]

If I recall, you can create a Capture image, which is just a modified WinPE 2.0 boot image that loads the Capture Wizard. Add it to the image store. After you sysprep your reference, boot into the Capture image. The Image Capture Wizard should let you upload the image to WDS.

From the WDS help:


Capture image
You can capture images of Windows operating systems that have been prepared with Sysprep, and then deploy them as install images. Capture images are boot images that launch the Image Capture Wizard. They are first saved to a file and then added back to the image store.

To create a capture image by using the Windows interface

1. Expand the Boot Image folder.

2. Right-click the image that you want to use as a capture image.

3. Click Create Capture Boot Image.

4. Enter a name and description for the capture image.

5. Choose a location and name for the new file.

6. Click OK to create the capture image.

7. Click Finish.

8. Right-click the boot image folder.

9. Click Add Boot Image.

10. Browse to select the new capture image, and then click Next.

11. Optionally update the name and description for the capture image, and then click Next.

12. Click Next and then click Finish.


To create a capture image using a command prompt

1. At a command prompt, type the following where <bootimage> is the name of the boot image you want to use to create the capture image and <captureimage> is the file path and file name of the new capture image.

WDSUTIL /new-captureimage /image:<bootimage> /architecture:x86 /filepath:<captureimage>

Note:
Help for WDSUTIL is available by typing WDSUTIL /? at a command prompt.


2. Type the following where <captureimage> is the file path and file name of the capture image you want to add to the image store.

WDSUTIL /add-image /imagefile:<captureimage> /imagetype:boot

[[BB] Rick James]

If I recall, you can create a Capture image, which is just a modified WinPE 2.0 boot image that loads the Capture Wizard. Add it to the image store. After you sysprep your reference, boot into the Capture image. The Image Capture Wizard should let you upload the image to WDS.

From the WDS help:

Well I'm getting further. I'm at hte point where I want to upload the image to my WDS server, I can connect to the WDS server and I then choose the drop down group where I want to store the image on the server, but it won't allow me to click finish.

any thoughts/suggestions?

Edit: nevermind, I got it working. Evidently you need to also select a local directory to save the WIM file along with uploading it to the WDS server.