Windows Deployment Toolkit and Workbench

[CrownRoyal]

Hello all,

 

I have a WDS server here that is setup in Mixed Mode. It currently pushes out both XP images that were conceived with RIS and a Vista Vanilla image. I have now loaded a new image using the deployment workbench which worked very well. I was able to add all of my applications and Hotfixes as well as all my drivers. All of this went pretty smooth and that is something to say when dealing with MS!!

Anyhow this is where I am currently stuck. I PXE boot (F12) and all of my RIS and WDS images show up as they should (basically verifying that it (NIC) is going out to my WDS server to get image information). I then pick my new Vista image and wait for it to load.... wait for the new WDS wizard to start which it does. I then get the deployment screen. All is going according to plan at this point.... I check "Run deployment Wizard" which is checked by default and click the next button. Screen pops “Specify credentials for connecting to network share" with UserName\Password\Domain. I enter all the necessary info and get "invalid credentials, network path not found". I am using the domain admin account credentials. If I cancel out of that I get a "connection to \\server\distribution$ could not be made error" At his point I have checked the server logs...nothing. I have also tried to ping the server from the command prompt within the wizard and I don’t get a reply. The thing I don’t understand is how does it go off to the server and get the install files using the NIC card installed and then suddenly lose the connection and\or the drivers. I am certain that the drivers are installed and they are correct. ANY ideas would help at this point.

[anyweb]

this sounds like you dont have correct network driver support for your model in windows PE (needed to install vista)

 

so...... what computer make and model are you working with here and have you checked any of the deployment logs at all )

 

what network drivers are you currently using ?

[CrownRoyal]

this sounds like you dont have correct network driver support for your model in windows PE (needed to install vista)

 

so...... what computer make and model are you working with here and have you checked any of the deployment logs at all )

 

what network drivers are you currently using ?

[CrownRoyal]

It is a Asus P5B-Mx Mobo with Vista Business edition. I used the drivers that came with the machine, I know these work as I have installed vista on another machine, exactly the same Mobo and the install ok. I installed the drivers maually for the second machine and have not pushed out this other machine to any end users cause I want to make an image of it first. As for the deployment logs I am unsure of where these are located, so no have not checked them. I loaded all the Vista drivers into the image under "All Drivers" and them made another group called P5N-Mx which has all of the drivers that are spacific to this board\Mobo. When I load the drivers I make sure that I check both drivers groups...maybe this is not correct? I was thinking that perhaps I should unload the Vista drivers and just load the Asus drivers??

[anyweb]

which boot.wim are you using in WDS ?

 

it is the boot.wim file that you need to be adding network drivers to, if you havn't done that then it will not be able to contact the server....

[CrownRoyal]

which boot.wim are you using in WDS ?

 

it is the boot.wim file that you need to be adding network drivers to, if you havn't done that then it will not be able to contact the server....

 

 

Thanks for the tip AnyWeb,

 

I ahve figured it out though. I had added all of the Vista drivers as well as all of the Mobo drivers tot he out of box drivers folder. I beliver that by doing this Toolkit was picking up the first ethernet driver and trying to use this instead of the AsusP5N-Mx drivers that I installed into the same folder. When I installed the drivers I added the Vista drivers first and then the Mobo drivers. Vista must ahve come along and grabbed the first one it could find and tried to install that one. Once I cleared out the out of box driver folder and added justhe Mobo drivers it worked perfectly. Live and learn I guess. Thanks for taking some time on this though. I will be back with more new and exciting questions I am sure.

 

Cheers