Deploy Windows 7

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Please note that this guide is designed to get you Deploying Windows 7 with SCCM in a LAB Environment as quickly as possible. This guide is provided as is, if you find any errors please report them in the forums.

 

 

 

In a production environment please consult Technet for best practise, see below links:

 

Operating System Deployment:

 

Operating System Deployment in Configuration Manager

Overview of Operating System Deployment

 

Configuration:

 

System Center Configuration Manager 2007

 

Best Practices:

 

Configuring Configuration Manager Sites for Best Performance

Checklist for Security Best Practices

Best Practices for Central and Primary Site Hardware and Software Configuration

Best Practices for Operating System Deployment

 

 

 

This guide assumes that you've installed and configured SCCM 2007 already and that you have set it up to deploy operating system's such as Windows Vista SP1. In addition you must have installed SP2 for ConfigMgr. It is available for download here.

 

The most up to date version of this Guide will always be found in the Deploy 7 section of the windows-noob.com forums.

 

For best practise information about deployments using SCCM you should always consult with Microsoft Technet.

 

 

 

Step 1. get the ISO

 

I chose the 64bit Enterprise version which was en_windows_7_enterprise_x64_dvd_x15-70749.iso.

 

Now that you have the ISO, mount it or burn it to DVD and copy the contents of it (all files and folders) to a network share on your SCCM server.

 

 

Step 2. Add Operating System Install Package

In System Center Configuration Manager 2007 expand the Operating System Deployment node and right click on Operating System Install Packages, choose add operating system install package.

 

 

 

When the Add Operating System Install Package wizard appears, point it to the path where the Windows 7 operating system files can be found eg:

 

\\SCCM\sources\os\7\rtm\x64\ent\

 

 

fill in the name, version and a comment about the image

 

 

review the summary

 

 

and verify the confirmation

 

 

 

Step 3. Create Distribution Point for the Image

 

Now that we have added the operating system files to our available operating system install packages, we need to create a new distribution point for it so let's do that.

 

Expand the newly added Windows 7 image you just added in Operating System Install Image Packages and right click on Distribution Points, select New Distribution Points. Click next on the Welcome screen.

 

 

As this is not a boot image (it's an Entire Operating System), select only the first distribution point (do not select the PXE one)

 

 

click next and close.

 

Step 4. Update Distribution Point

 

now that we have created a distribution point, let's update it, so right click on distribution points and choose update distribution points, answer yes when prompted.

 

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Step 5. Create the Build and Capture Task Sequence

 

In the Operating System Deployment node of ConfigMgr, right click on Task Sequences and choose New Task Sequence.

 

 

when the wizard appears choose the Build and Capture option

 

 

fill in the Task Sequence Information

 

 

press browse and choose your boot image, in this case pick X64 Windows PE boot environment for SCCM 6.1.7100.0 en-US

 

 

on the Install Windows screen, for Package click on Browse

 

 

and select our Windows 7 operating system install package

 

 

Leave the product key BLANK and assign an Administrator Password

 

 

Configure Network

 

Here we need to enter our network configuration and click next, choose Join Workgroup (recommended best practise). Although joining the domain will work just fine you may have GPO's in place, or startup scripts (login scripts) etc which may taint your master image, keeping it off the domain will keep it clean.

 

 

Install ConfigMgr

 

click browse and pick your configmgr Client Installation Package (from definition) which we created before

 

 

This step is configured with the following switches to locate the Fallback Status Point, Server Locator Point and Management Point.

 

FSP=xxxxx SMSSLP=yyyyy SMSMP=zzzzz

 

where

 

xxxxx=Fallback Status Point server name

 

yyyyy=Server Locator Point server name

 

zzzzz=Management Point Server Name

 

 

Install Software Updates

 

for software updates, choose whether or not to install them during the build (only applicable if you have implemented a SUP), you should have your SLP in use and you need to install the client with the SMSSLP and SMSMP switches as listed above.

 

 

 

if you want to install some software, add it now by clicking on the yellow star and selecting the package and program

 

 

click next at the System Preparation screen

 

 

add some descriptive properties for the image

 

 

fill in your Capture Path (UNC share) and capture account details, you can create the capture folder after clicking browse

 

 

review the summary and click next and then click close at the confirmation screen

 

If you'd like to download a sample Build and Capture Task Sequence for Windows 7 then click here.

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Step 6. Advertise the Build and Capture Task Sequence

 

We will now advertise the Build and Capture Task Sequence to a collection called Build and Capture 7, this collection is empty and without any membership rules, we only use it for creating new images for Windows 7.

 

In the screenshot below I've created some collections for deploying, capturing or build and capturing operating systems and this makes it easy and clear to advertise specific task sequences to the correct collections.

 

 

Right click our newly created task sequence and choose Advertise.

 

 

when the new advertisement wizard appears select the following option make this task sequence available to boot media and PXE and browse to and select the Build and Capture 7 collection shown above

 

 

Schedule

 

Set your schedule depending on whether you are in a Lab or Production Environment.

 

For a Lab Environment

 

Make the Task Sequence mandatory by clicking on the yellow star and select As soon as possible.

 

Select ignore maintenance windows when runing program and allow system restart, set the program rerun behaviour to always rerun program so that we can rerun the task sequence over and over as we require for testing.

 

 

For a Production Environment

 

In a Production environment set the advertisement from Mandatory to Optional, this gives us less risk of an accidental deployment but also introduces the possibilty of choice.

 

 

 

if you want to remove choice then keep the advertisement mandatory but change the program rerun behaviour to never rerun (see below screenshot).

 

 

 

 

 

choose the following Distribution Point options

 

 

show the task sequence progress

 

 

click next through the security and summary and review the confirmation

 

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Step 7. Add a system to the Build and Capture 7 collection

 

In Operating System Deployment, right click on Computer Association and choose Import Computer Information

 

 

choose Import Single Computer

 

 

enter the computer name and mac address

 

 

 

review the choices

 

 

browse to the Build and Capture 7 collection

 

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Step 8. PXE boot the newly added Windows 7 client

 

PXE boot your Windows 7 client and it should start the process of PXE boot

 

 

starting Windows PE

 

 

Starting the Task Sequence (Windows is Starting up)

 

 

and then formatting the hard disc

 

 

after the format the Windows 7 installation begins

 

 

files get copied and expanded

 

 

until they reach 100%

 

 

finally it continues with the next bits (software updates if chosen) and then reboots

 

 

after the reboot it will attempt pxe boot again if pxe is the first boot device and correctly do an abortpxe

 

 

followed by continuing with the installation and now we get to see the lovely Windows 7 boot screen animation

 

 

 

back into the Task Sequence

 

 

 

after a short delay it will reboot the computer again

 

 

and preparing the computer for the first use

 

 

setting up windows and the configmgr client

 

 

and then it installs FireFox

 

 

followed by the third Reboot

 

 

then it runs Sysprep

 

Note: if sysprep fails for you at this point with SMSTS.log file reporting verifycapturerequirements fail 8004001 then simply recreate the ConfigMgr client package from definition, and push it out to a DP then use that client package in your TS

 

 

after sysprep it will reboot again and then start the actual capturing process

 

scanning volume 1 of 1

 

 

then capturing the volume to your network share specified while creating the Task Sequence

 

 

finally it will reboot again and start the computer with your sysprepped settings

 

 

and the Build and Capture is now complete

 

 

On your SCCM server, browse to your capture folder (I changed the path of this during this guide due to lack of server space) and you can see the newly captured Windows 7 Enterprise WIM file

 

 

 

We will be using that file for part 2 of Deploy Windows 7

[sweety_devil]

HI,

 

Thank you for your website, it is the best I've ever seen !

 

I used your guide "Deploy Windows 7 part1" and it doesn't work for me.

 

When I boot my computer, I have an IP and the first screen "Windows is starting" loads but after that I have a black screen and my computer reboot.

 

Do you know what is the problem? I should have the next screen about the formatting.

 

Thank you.

[Peter van der Woude]

You probably have to add a NIC driver to your bootimage

[sweety_devil]

Could you explain me how to do it?

I have an error when I click on the Drivers tabs (see doc1.pdf).

 

I have SCCM v4.00.6221.1000 and SQL 2008 and Window server 2008 SP2.

 

Thank you

Doc1.pdf

[anyweb]

you can't do this without installing SP2 RC for Sccm 2007, and your version doesnt match that

 

secondly you need to install a hotfix or two for SQL 2008 to get it to work properly with SCCM

ConfigMgr 2007 SP1 customers must apply hot fix KB955262

 

sql server 2008 sp1 might negate the need for that hotfix,

[sweety_devil]

Thank you, I installed SCCM R2 and SQL SP1 + patch KB955262.

 

Now the error next to drivers has disappeard.

 

But I have the same problem: my computer reboot after it tried to do a netwotk connection.

 

I added the driver vista x86 for the broadcom card and Intel card in the boot image but it is the same problem.

 

My computers are HP DC7100,DC7600,DC7700,DC7800,DC7900.

 

Thank you for your help.

[jhkappert]

Little question where do i get the X64 Windows PE boot environment for SCCM 6.1.7100.0 en-US?

 

I trying to deploy windows 7 and use the PE from the vista guide.

 

Greetings Jan