Capturing a reference computer

[btrading]

To all,

 

I have been reading through the other posts and still have some issues. I'm attempting to capture a reference Win7 x64 computer but keep getting error messages (0x00000032). I have attached a screenshot of my TS. I have attempted to run this from RAP but it just reboots into PE and fails. The real problem I have run into is that this WIM will only be deployed to non-domain machines so I don't want the reference machine to be or have ever been on the domain. I would greatly prefer to not use boot media other than PXE if at all possible.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[CorradoGuy]

Why not just use Imagex? I use a VM for all image creations because I add other apps and found this was the easiest way. I created a WinPE CD with imagex installed and then I boot my reference machine from the WinPE boot and then change the CD drive and enter the following.....

 

imagex /capture C: C:\Win7.wim "Windows 7 Enterprise"

 

imagex

/capture (tells imagex to capture an image)

C: (I only create a single partition with my Windows 7 install so it is easy to capture, this steps tells it to capture only the C: drive)

C:\Win7.wim (This tells imagex to capture the C: drive as a .wim image and name it Win7.wim)

"Windows 7 Enterprise" (This is the label you will give the image, make it anything you want)

 

Once I capture my image it will be stored on the root of the C: drive on the reference machine so I only need to copy it to the location where it is stored. You can also use 'net use' to map a drive in DOS and copy it straight to the server share but this is the fail safe method as I had some failures during the capture. I know this doesn't help with the original question but this is how I work around this issue with a machine that has never been added to the domain.

[Peter van der Woude]

The real problem I have run into is that this WIM will only be deployed to non-domain machines so I don't want the reference machine to be or have ever been on the domain.

Even if you the machine is not allowed on the domain, you can still use a normal build and capture... Just leave the machine in a workgroup, make sure it's within your boundaries, make sure you have a network access account set, make sure you have a SLP configured and you're ready to go.

[btrading]

So I've made some progress on this. I now have it able to run from Windows, go through the sysprep process and reboot but the TS reboots into PE and fails with error code 0x00000032. Is there a way to specify whether the TS should reboot into the full OS or PE? I have the smsts.log file copied over but I don't know how much good its going to be other than saying it needs to be run in the full OS.

 

@CorradoGuy, I have looked at doing imagex or some similar alternative. I still have a functional WDS server that I can use to capture the image but I would like to get everything integrated into SCCM if possible.

[Lucid]

If you add a Restart line item in your TS you can tell it to either restart in the TS, or in the default installed operating system. If you don't want to use boot media, have you looked into creating a Build and Capture process that does things for you from start to finish?

http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/rbennett806/pages/using-sccm-to-capture-and-deploy-windows-7.aspx

[btrading]

Lucid, thanks for the link. I had not seen that site before. I'll test with that as soon as I get a chance and report back here with my results.

 

Thanks everyone for the help with this.

[btrading]

Success! Thanks everyone for all of your help with this.