imagex and Windows 7 deployment

Delvis

Delvis

Delvis

Caporegime
Joined
7 Nov 2004
Posts
30,197
Location
Buckinghamshire
Hello all

I'm trying to successfully capture a windows 7 image as a .wim file, then deploy it manually to each system using imagex, the problem I'm getting is Windows 7 by default creates the stupid partition before the OS partition, apparently taking an image of both partitions and applying them to the drive in question doesn't seem to work.

Anyone have an easy to use method to deploy Windows 7 over the network? We use imagex as it's free and you can deploy anywhere, ideally I just want to take an image of the entire drive then apply this image to another drive and be done with it!

Thanks
 
Yeah I tried the repair option but it did nothing sadly.

I've managed to put a wim file in to the Deployment Workbench and create some random Task Schedule to apply the image, seems to have worked anyway, just seems bizarre how Microsoft haven't developed imagex to take a wim file of the whole drive....Or is that what VHD files do?

Still need to iron out the way we deploy the image though as it's completely different to what we've been doing for the last 5 years
 
Yes we have a server solely for WDS, however since Windows 7 and the stupid system reserved partition it's just been a pain, before we had one partition and we just deployed that.

Its just over complicated for what it needs to be.

Oh, and yes we have a boot.wim file, I've had to edit and create a new one due to needing extra network drivers to be able to boot to the network.
 
Cheers Marc, I did a similar thing with the GUI (is just format rather than creating a new partition and it seemed to work before) just this time around it was a pain.

No answer file from what recall, we only use the win file to boot to the network, then we use 'net use' and capture or apply the image manually, just creating two partitions and making them work appears to be less straightforward than one would think.

I'll see if I can create another image like you said Marc and do it that way...I've done it via a scheduled task at the moment which works its just 'new' as you need to create the scheduled for each individual image.
 
Chrikey :D

Thanks Jess, much appreciated. I did install MDT and have deployed an image using that, however it still created the system partition?

Currently I have a .wim file in WDS to PXe boot to our network which I can add network drivers to (in MDT) which is a major help. I've then imported a captured .wim file of our OS NOt including the system partition, I've then had to make a standard task sequence which installs that WIM file...However I think it still made a system partition.

I'll have a look through the links again because if we can use MDT to capture images and deploy them I think it will be much easier in the long run.
 
Weirdly, we use bitlocker but had no issues previously as you save the recovery key to an external usb.....?
 
MDT for capturing the image just seems overcomplicated? For a start when I go to setup the task sequence it wants me to select a current .win file from the operating systems in the workbench?

Turns out I was being dumb anyway as the drive was encrypted.
 
It makes no sense though, what if you don't have a current .wim image? What if you are wanting to just sysprep the system and upload it so you can then actually deploy it across the network? :p

You need a basic sysprep task sequence already in MDT that gives you the options to keep things like the video driver installed (which, by the way is highly annoying as a default option) - Once it's been captured you shouldn't then have to create seperate task sequences for Operating systems / wim images, it's just clunky in my opinion.

Improve the GUI so when you PXE boot you can just select 'capture image from disk' then allow the option to deploy that image again and it would be amazing, much like the simplicity that was PQDI for instance.
 
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