Correct sequence for Hybrid image approach

[rmarassovich]

Hello All

 

I have MDT 2010 Update 1

 

The approach I take at most customer sites is the Hybrid method. Create a Windows 7 WIM with core applications as the base WIM file. All other task sequences or images will use this WIM file as the base because it already has the core applications installed.

 

When I first started this approach I had no issues until we received different hardware. No matter what I did I could not get Windows install to detect and install the 3rd party nic driver. In WinPE not an issue.

I checked the log file for PNP detection and MDT is detecting the hardware, finds the appropriate driver, issues the command to copy the driver to the OS drive and the returned result from the copy is 0. So all as it should be.

 

But when I check the C:\Drivers\Nic folder the driver is not there. Strange???? I don’t believe that a copy command would return success if it wasn’t successful.

What I think is happening is my Master image or Hybrid image capture is running too early and the Drivers folder from the master capture is sucking that directory up into the WIM file. So then when that WIM file is applied to the local drive the Drivers folder is being overwritten from the contents in the WIM file.

 

My questions is does this sound plausible and also what is the best sequence or approach for creating Hybrid images or WIM files

 

Cheers

Robert

 

[winoutreach5]

I have a few questions regarding your post. First, is there a particular reason why you are using MDT 2010 Update 1 as opposed to MDT 2012 Update 1 or MDT 2013? If you are deploying Windows 7 and later, you should be able to use MDT 2013.

 

My next question is regarding the C:\Drivers\Nic directory – is this a directory you created? I ask because the directory you specified is not a default directory for drivers. You might want to also check out the setupapi.dev.log for troubleshooting drivers. Typically speaking, you would import the needed drivers into the out-of-box drivers in your deployment share and then you will want to select the selection profile in the desired task sequence. More on Out-of-Box driver management can be found in this TechNet blog article.

 

Keep me posted!

 

Jessica
Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

[rmarassovich]

Hello Jessica

 

Thanks for your response.

 

I work for a company that provides IT services to Federal Government Departments in Australia. I simply can’t perform an upgrade at a customer site without first getting my project managers and the client to approve the work. I can suggest that things get upgraded and such but if I spend time doing work that is not paid for I will no longer be working. So I have suggested that MDT be upgraded, or we install the latest version on a new server but this has not been approved yet. So at the moment I must use MDT 2010 Update 1.

 

I did not create the C:\Drivers folder. There are other subfolders besides Nic. Ones that are for other driver types. MDT creates this folder structure.

 

Here is an extract from ZTIDrivers.log

 

<![LOG[Found a driver for PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_153A&SUBSYS_05A41028: {00ebc0c0-6e3a-46a8-b69b-8d1163bc5502} from \\SERVER\Deploy$\Out-of-box Drivers\Net\E1d62x64_12.6.47.0_39957929A95AAD57551160A75B214110F6E0E9CA\E1d62x64.INF]LOG]!><time="11:25:27.000+000" date="10-29-2013" component="ZTIDrivers" context="" type="1" thread="" file="ZTIDrivers">

<![LOG[Validating connection to \\SERVER\Deploy$\Out-of-box Drivers\Net\E1d62x64_12.6.47.0_39957929A95AAD57551160A75B214110F6E0E9CA]LOG]!><time="11:25:27.000+000" date="10-29-2013" component="ZTIDrivers" context="" type="1" thread="" file="ZTIDrivers">

<![LOG[Already connected to server SERVER as that is where this script is running from.]LOG]!><time="11:25:27.000+000" date="10-29-2013" component="ZTIDrivers" context="" type="1" thread="" file="ZTIDrivers">

<![LOG[Copying drivers from "\\SERVER\Deploy$\Out-of-box Drivers\Net\E1d62x64_12.6.47.0_39957929A95AAD57551160A75B214110F6E0E9CA" to "C:\Drivers\Net\E1d62x64_12.6.47.0_39957929A95AAD57551160A75B214110F6E0E9CA"]LOG]!><time="11:25:27.000+000" date="10-29-2013" component="ZTIDrivers" context="" type="1" thread="" file="ZTIDrivers">

<![LOG[About to run command: cmd.exe /c xcopy /seihycd "\\SERVER\Deploy$\Out-of-box Drivers\Net\E1d62x64_12.6.47.0_39957929A95AAD57551160A75B214110F6E0E9CA" "C:\Drivers\Net\E1d62x64_12.6.47.0_39957929A95AAD57551160A75B214110F6E0E9CA" 1> NUL 2>NUL]LOG]!><time="11:25:27.000+000" date="10-29-2013" component="ZTIDrivers" context="" type="1" thread="" file="ZTIDrivers">

<![LOG[Return code from command = 0]LOG]!><time="11:25:27.000+000" date="10-29-2013" component="ZTIDrivers" context="" type="1" thread="" file="ZTIDrivers">

 

Notice the copy command? It’s copying from the Deployment share Out-of-box drivers to C:\Drivers\Nic.

 

This is done during the WinPE phase so that the Windows setup can find third party drivers such as the critical network driver. The step is called “inject-drivers” during the Pre-Install phase.

 

So I must be something wrong somewhere, I am just unsure as to where. I hope you or someone can assist in pointing me in the right direction.

 

Cheers

Robert

[rmarassovich]

Hello All

 

So is this question so stupid that it doesnt need a response?

or

Is it too hard for anyone to tackle?

 

I would like to know so that I dont waste anyone elses time in the future.

 

Cheers

Robert

[winoutreach5]

I was testing a few things out in my own lab environment to recreate the scenario you are in in an attempt to reproduce the error you are experiencing. I, unfortunately, could not recreate it. So, with that said here are a few things to check -- first, have you pulled the network driver directly from the manufacturer’s site? For example, if the NIC is integrated have you check with Realetk, Intel or whoever makes the NIC in question?

 

Presuming that the issue does lie within the driver store there are a few things you will also want to check; there are three steps in the driver injection process and each one needs to be verified. I understand you have already check the ZTIDrivers.log, but just to confirm the other 2:

 

· Were the needed drivers copied locally by ZTIDrivers.wsf?

· Did SETUP inject the drivers into the driver store?

· Did PNP install the drivers from the driver store?

 

The log files to review for the driver store are ZTIDrivers.log, setupact.log, cbs.log and setupapi.dev.log

 

Also, while looking for a solution to your problem I came across this thread from the TechNet forums in which Johan helped a poster with a similar issue to your own by checking the driver store; it might be worth it to check the thread out and see if any of Johan’s tips assist you.

 

Finally, I would strongly recommend upgrading, if possible, your MDT Toolkit version to the latest version as driver injection stores as well as other features have been improved greatly. I understand your need for approval in your situation but I do feel that upgrading to the latest toolkit version could help alleviate some of the issues above in addition to significantly simplify your hybrid image deployment process.

 

Keep me posted!

 

Jessica
Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro
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