Image Capture "Nightmares"

[Zeus_at_Work]

Ok I am new to SCCM but understand the basic concepts. I have recently taken over a position that utilizes SCCM to deploy OS's and software packages, and it works fairly well in that regard. It is running on Server 2008 and I am assured it is SP2 (however help/about makes no mention of SP2)?.

 

Being more accustomed to the way Ghost works, I am used to doing things slightly differently. So the scenario here is that I have 50 brand new HP 6000 Pro systems. I've unpacked one, physically set it up with everything each user would get (Office, Anti-Virus, and some custom Windows settings ie: splash screen). Ideally I would LOVE to be able to take (or capture) a "snapshot" of that single machine, create an image file (wim?) and push that out to the reamining 49. Currently SCCM works fine for doing bare metal installs through what might be described as a more "normal" method. Pushing out works fine for doing that. However after 3 days in these forums and others, trying everything I can find to simply CAPTURE the image has failed. I have no issues PXE booting (after finding out that SCCM might make multiple references to the same system and prevent PXE from booting properly). Getting past that hurdle... I get 2 slightly different errors, when trying two completely different processes for just CAPTURING the reference PC (which is completely comfigured).

 

1. Method 1 was just a typical Build and Capture TS looking like the following:

-Build the reference Machine

-Restart in PE

-all other entries of this section have been disabled.

 

-Capture Reference Machine

-Prepare ConfigMgrClient

-Prepare OS

-Capture the reference machine.

 

This boots from PXE and get to the spot where it has a GUI saying "Initializing Windows PE" and I get the following error code "Capture failed with the error code 0x00000032"

 

2. After reading this forum and trying whatever might be suggested, method 2 was a more custom solution to the same problem and looked more like this:

-Use Toolkit Package

-Set Backup Share

-Set Backup Filename

-Create Image

 

For this method, it fails at a similar time, during the screen that says "Iniitalizing Windows PE" and the error code in this case is 0x0000001

 

In either case I cannot seem to JUST CAPTURE AN ALREADY CONFIGURED MACHINE...... being that the other 49 are identical hardware I thoguht this would be the easiest solution, however now I am having nightmares over my inability to get something, that takes 5 minutes with Ghost, to work at all in 3 days of searching forums and trying everything...

 

Is there not a simple solution to capturing a reference PC (forget the build that is done)? Or can anyone shed some light on what those errors might be or how I might proceed? I'm at a dead end here... and if I cannot figure out a way to take a snapshot this week, I will have to resort to bare-metal installs and manually changing a few things on each PC.

 

HELP! Any help appreciated! Thanks! Please keep in mind I am a newb to this software so if you require me to do anything to provide more information, i am happy to do so but you should also tell me how to do that. Thanks again.

[Chris Nackers]

If you are going to capture a physical machine (not recommended)you need to ensure that winpe has the network driver for that machine. What does smsts.log say when the task sequence is erroring out?

 

It's typically recommended that you build your reference machine on a virtual machine. This limits the hardware in the image, as well as allows you to use snapshots to quickly revert/make changes to the image. If you are building/capturing your image using COnfigMgr, then there isn't an interactive login and it can be difficult to make profile based changes, unless you use scripts to mount the registry hive. With Windows 7, it's recommended to not make many profile changes and instead use group policy to control the "Appearance".

[Zeus_at_Work]

I have no idea where/how to check that log (smsts.log) ?

 

the days of sysprep/ghost sure made life easy..... the reason we want to do it this way is becuase I have no access to change group policy configuration... however I can change what I need to on local PC's

 

Ideally if I could accomplish through an SCCM package OR Group Policy the changing of the ugly un-branded "HP" Splash Screen (login screen), then I would have no probl;em reverting to bare metal installs and adding that as a package... but being new to SCCM, and only 1 in 3 things I try ever working, I am not thrilled with the idea of trying to figure that out as well.....

 

in my mind a snapshot made sense because all 50 pc's are identical hardware.... and I can accomplish every setting change I need...... I mean "build and capture" is quite misleading, in that it actually CANNOT capture (or more accurately only capture what it has built).... seems counter-productive to me.... once gain MS trying to force us to do things their way when they dont neccessarily make the most sense.... (Windows Backup on server 2008 is another example)... anyway.... can you suggest how I might accomplish the splash screen change via a "package"?

[Zeus_at_Work]

Also I should add (which i beleive negates the driver issue) is (and I could be compeltely confused). Using the same identical boot image, we are able to push an image to those machines... seems to me that would eliminate a driver issue. Also the attempts to capture get beyond the PXE boot and begin setting up the Windows PE environment before it fails with the error(s). When checking the drivers listed in the x86 boot image, it does list the correct driver for that make/model, and as I said we are able to IMAGE them, just not CAPTURE them.... (if that helps)

[Chris Nackers]

I have no idea where/how to check that log (smsts.log) ?

 

the days of sysprep/ghost sure made life easy..... the reason we want to do it this way is becuase I have no access to change group policy configuration... however I can change what I need to on local PC's

 

Ideally if I could accomplish through an SCCM package OR Group Policy the changing of the ugly un-branded "HP" Splash Screen (login screen), then I would have no probl;em reverting to bare metal installs and adding that as a package... but being new to SCCM, and only 1 in 3 things I try ever working, I am not thrilled with the idea of trying to figure that out as well.....

 

in my mind a snapshot made sense because all 50 pc's are identical hardware.... and I can accomplish every setting change I need...... I mean "build and capture" is quite misleading, in that it actually CANNOT capture (or more accurately only capture what it has built).... seems counter-productive to me.... once gain MS trying to force us to do things their way when they dont neccessarily make the most sense.... (Windows Backup on server 2008 is another example)... anyway.... can you suggest how I might accomplish the splash screen change via a "package"?

 

When you say ugly HP splash screen, are you trying to capture an image of a OEM machine? What OS is this? You need to use volume license media to deploy an os, you can't capture OEM media and redeploy it.

 

Typically you would have a single image that covers all your hardware, it's a hardware independent image. You typically would have a task sequence to build and capture, or you could use a task sequence to just sysprep and capture a already build system.

 

I can't speak to your splash screen change, since i'm not 100% sure what you are referring to.

[Zeus_at_Work]

When you say ugly HP splash screen, are you trying to capture an image of a OEM machine? What OS is this? You need to use volume license media to deploy an os, you can't capture OEM media and redeploy it.

 

Typically you would have a single image that covers all your hardware, it's a hardware independent image. You typically would have a task sequence to build and capture, or you could use a task sequence to just sysprep and capture a already build system.

 

I can't speak to your splash screen change, since i'm not 100% sure what you are referring to.

 

We have volume license keys, licensing, and imagine are not the issue. They are brand new HP's in a box.... if you call that an OEM machine then I guess it is (in my mind every machine then would be an OEM machine)

 

Splash Screen... is the ugly HP branded crap you see when Windows loads... and you are logging in (some is ugly MS branding as opposed to HP). Press Windows-Key / L to lock your computer and you will see the screen I am referring to. Its a few registry edits and an image to replace.... which I have no idea how to do with SCCM.... however, you are not offering help for the question asked, you are acting liek a Microsoft MVP (when you dont know the answer, reply anyway and deflect the question).

 

I have asked you how to get the log file.... you didnt respond to that ......... if SCCM cannot take an image of the machine, I am certainly not opposed to spending the $250 for Ghost Solution Suite and going back to what I know works ...... SCCM can be used to update after deployment.... but for imaging, it's dreadfully lacking if you cant image a pc.

[anyweb]

as regards your errors, 0x00000032 means not supported, 0x00000001 means incorrect function.

Chris is just trying to help and you are most likely so frustrated with trying to get the job done that you failed to understand that,

 

the SMSTS.log file can be found/accessed by reading this post

 

after working with SCCM for some months/years you'll soon realise that it is a far better tool for the job than Ghost could ever be, as you can automate everything from start to finish in a repeatable way,

 

I'd recommend you go the build and capture route, start from scratch, learn what you hve to learn and understand that Ghost's way of doing things may be fine for small deployments but is not diverse enough to allow you to take control of an enterprise. Sccm (Configmanager) will handle small deployments and very big ones too, and learning how to do build and capture will teach you loads about the process's involved and how to streamline everything.

 

we will help you if you are willing,

cheers

niall

[Zeus_at_Work]

as regards your errors, 0x00000032 means not supported, 0x00000001 means incorrect function.

Chris is just trying to help and you are most likely so frustrated with trying to get the job done that you failed to understand that,

 

the SMSTS.log file can be found/accessed by reading this post

 

after working with SCCM for some months/years you'll soon realise that it is a far better tool for the job than Ghost could ever be, as you can automate everything from start to finish in a repeatable way,

 

I'd recommend you go the build and capture route, start from scratch, learn what you hve to learn and understand that Ghost's way of doing things may be fine for small deployments but is not diverse enough to allow you to take control of an enterprise. Sccm (Configmanager) will handle small deployments and very big ones too, and learning how to do build and capture will teach you loads about the process's involved and how to streamline everything.

 

we will help you if you are willing,

cheers

niall

[Zeus_at_Work]

I can already build and capture.... as i said it works fine when we use bare metal to any machine.... I guess you can say it is a superior product if it accomplishes what you want, however from reading other posts I am not the only one here who wishes you could take a snapshot and have it work. I am not sure how you can say Ghost is not adequate, I can do hot-images from the PC you are on and using while in use, and push that out to new PC's.... anyway I don't want to argue about which product is better, after deploying 20+ per day for 3 years, that amounts to deploying roughly 15,600 pc's in that 3 years.... im not sure why it isn't good for "large" deployments.

 

It appears I will not get a satisfactory answer here..... althoguh anyweb it was a couple of your posts which got me this far..... and your solution to the seemingly retarded issue when attempting to image the same machine over and over..... (thanks microsoft... ) why shouldn't it work properly.... ?

 

4 full days.... not a single PC imaged (the way WE want) not the way MS says they would like us to.....brilliant product..... completely efficient!

[anyweb]

ok then, let's try and fix the problem,

 

what OS are you trying to capture ? you can try using this custom task sequence to capture windows 7,

 

or is it XP ?

 

there are many way's to capture an image to WIM file but it is not the same thing as a ghost file (gho), ghost is bit by bit, WIM is files...

 

let us know..

cheers

niall

[Zeus_at_Work]

It is Windows 7 Pro