KACE Product Support : Scripted installation Windows 8.1 with K2000 - Error: The subsystem needed to support the image type is not present.

Scripted installation Windows 8.1 with K2000 - Error: The subsystem needed to support the image type is not present.

I am currently in the process of making an image to deploy of Windows 8.1 Enterprise (x64) and am running into an error as soon as K2000 reaches the OS install task.

The source image I am using is Windows 8.1 Enterprise with the latest updates injected. I have tested burning the ISO onto a DVD and imaging from the DVD, which has worked fine and all the updates are fine. I have created the new KBE (KACE Boot Environment), installing the latest driver package from KACE and I also have drivers for the network card of the devices I am installing to. I am using the Dell KACE wizard for creating the auto-unattend script but have also tried using my own custom unattend script. My preinstallation tasks are as follows; "Upload Hardware Inventory", "Change KBoot Drive" (this changes KBoot environment drive letter to "Z") and finally "Create two partitions". When trying to deploy with this scripted installation I get the error;

"The subsystem needed to support the image type is not present.
Access is Denied."

Followed by a popup error with the following;

Error on Drive
There is an error in that no data is being found that correlates to an OS.

This error occurs immediately when the script attempts to start the installation of Windows 8.1.

Any help on this issue would be greatly appreciated! Is this maybe something to do with a driver missing from the KACE driver store? Or is this an error in the way I am uploading the source image? I'm currently uploading the catalog file and the ISO of Windows 8.1 but am not sure if I should be uploading only the image file. Also let me know if I need to provide more information.

Many Thanks,
Jesse Kozeluh

4 Comments [ + ] Show comments

Have tried a few more things. I have tried getting the latest versions of the chipset and network drivers of the model I am attempting to image and adding these onto the dell driver share and then rebuilding the KBE. I have run command prompt on the KBE and ran diskpart to make sure I was able to see the volumes on the hard drive. I could see all the volumes and it appears the preboot environment is getting the drivers for the hard drives. I also tried pinging multiple network locations that are used in the install process and all could be reached. I have also been following these links below as they are from similar issues:

http://www.itninja.com/question/the-subsystem-needed-to-support-the-image-type-is-not-present

http://www.itninja.com/question/deploying-cctk-bios-setting-in-k2000

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/974727

I'm thinking this could be a task/process that is 32-bit and is trying to run in the 64-bit KBE I am using from reading those with similar issues. Is it at all possible to enable 32-bit processes in the KBE? I know it can be done on windows server with:

DISM.EXE /online /enable-feature /featurename:ServerCore-WOW64

Again any help would be greatly appreciated as time is running out for me to get this image ready and working. - JesseKoz 10 years ago
Use the adk for 8.0 to create your KBE's to deploy 81 with. Also you deploying as UEFI or legacy? - SMal.tmcc 10 years ago
- Thanks for the reply SMal.tmcc, I've tried both 8.0 and 8.1 ADK's for the KBE now and both are getting the exact same error. I read in some other posts that the 8.1 ADK will not work so I've been trying everything with the 8.0 ADK now. I'm using legacy and not UEFI for deploying. - JesseKoz 10 years ago
Does sound like you are trying to call the wrong bit version for some part of it.

Why are you trying to preserve the second partition? Go with one.

Lets first try to deploy the media with the basic steps. See my answer below for a basic install.

You may need to step manually thru the install at a command prompt to see what is giving the problem. We can do this from the recovery menu. - SMal.tmcc 10 years ago
- Thanks very much for the reply. I've followed your suggestions and started the process again. So this time I'm using ADK 8.0 (I had tried this previously and then tried 8.1). To keep it simple I uploaded just a straight copy of the Windows 8.1 Enterprise (x64).iso and created my new KBE with the ADK 8.0. I have also swapped to using the create single partition and added format and install MBR preinstall tasks. Also I've used the KACE unattend wizard to create a very simple straight-forward unattend script.
  
  What I'm now getting is the following error:
  
  'Y:\source_cds\55\setup.exe' is not recognized as an internal or external command
  Permission Denied
  
  and then the same popup error of:
  
  Error on Drive
  There is an error in that no data is being found that correlates to an OS.
  
  I did as you suggest and ran the recovery CMD and tried stepping through the process. I can do all of the pre-installation tasks successfully but once I reach the command of "Y:\source_cds\55\setup.exe" I get the error of this not being a command. Which I'm thinking it shouldn't be.. So I tried "Start Y:\source_cds\55\setup.exe" which presents the error:
  
  "The system cannot find the file Y:\source_cds\55\setup.exe."
  
  Just to clarify, Windows no longer has an "Enterprise" version but simple the Pro will be Enterprise edition once an Enterprise key has been used? I was sent the DVD I'm using to create my Windows 8.1 Ent iso from another department. When I install with this disc and run the following command in cmd:
  
  systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"
  
  I get the results of "Windows 8.1 Pro" and no mention of it being Enterprise, but after some searching it seems that Microsoft no longer have a difference between Pro and Enterprise.
  
  Also, in my auto-unattend script using the KACE wizard, I'm ticking the "Windows 8 Volume License Key" and I'm wondering if this might have any issues?
  
  I can if needed upload my auto-unattend script to see if anything within this is the cause but I doubt it as it seems to be more of an issue with my source image. Again any help with this is greatly appreciated! - JesseKoz 10 years ago
  - There is still a windows 8.1 enterprise,. We are an ALA and can download the enterprise version via MS's portal.
    
    Operating system edition KMS Client Setup Key
    
    Windows 8.1 Professional
    
    GCRJD-8NW9H-F2CDX-CCM8D-9D6T9
    
    Windows 8.1 Professional N
    
    HMCNV-VVBFX-7HMBH-CTY9B-B4FXY
    
    Windows 8.1 Enterprise
    
    MHF9N-XY6XB-WVXMC-BTDCT-MKKG7
    
    Windows 8.1 Enterprise N
    
    TT4HM-HN7YT-62K67-RGRQJ-JFFXW - SMal.tmcc 10 years ago
  - single partitions are easier to image. - SMal.tmcc 10 years ago
Ok I feel kind of stupid now I know what the issue was. I was uploading a Windows 8.1 ISO file in stead of mounting the ISO and uploading from the mounted drive. I went through the file structure of some previous OS images inside the KBE using the Recovery CMD window and noticed the Windows 8.1 image was listed as just filename.iso and it should have been the full mounted folder structure. After uploading correctly I was able to image systems fine.

Thanks heaps SMal.tmcc! You've saved me as time was running out for me to have these images complete. - JesseKoz 10 years ago