Systems Deployment

gurnles,

Have the sysprep files been copied to c:\sysprep on the machine that is being imaged, and is the answer file named sysprep.inf?


craig --<>.

yes. I create a copy of the sysprep folder in C:\winnt\sysprep-copies\sysprep.

I make all the modifications to the sysprep.inf there, and then when I'm finished copy the syprep folder, containing just sysprep.exe, syprep.inf and setupcl.exe to the root of C:. Then I run sysprep, it shutsdown the machine, and then when I power it on, it comed up to the full mini setup with none of the questions answered at all.

I think it might be a problem with either the IDE driver or a processor HAL issue, but I really don't know enough to being to troubleshoot it.

Sysprep is at least running at startup, so I think you should be okay on the hardware side.

There should also be a file in the c:\sysprep folder named pnpids.exe. I am thinking you probably have that in there, but just forgot to note it in your previous post.

I would start troubleshooting by extracting clean sysprep files from the Windows 2000 disc. Do a test run of sysprep using them with no or minimal modifications to the sysprep.inf file. The result will give you a better idea of the source of the problem.

craig --<>.

I have done that with the same results.

I have used setup mgr to generate a sysprep file, I have used a syprep.inf that is fully automated and works on earlier hardware models.

All have the exact same result. When the machine is rebooted it runs through the full mini setup with not one answer included.

It's got me stumped. Should I try including the IDE storage drivers? And how do I do that? I've put in a call with dell but we're still waiting for them to give us some suggestions.

That is truly very strange. Obviously you are not new to sysprep, and are using it as it was designed.

I have read many reports of bluescreens and lockups related to HAL's, etc, on the GX270 line, but not anything like what you are experiencing.

Is the is image built from an OEM install of W2K? I was in an environment once where WinInstall packages would not deploy to machine images that were built from OEM installs of the OS. Once we built a base machine with Microsoft media, the problem disappeared. I am trying to think outside of the box here since things are not making sense right now.

craig --<>.

No I did a clean install of windows and built the image actually on a gx260. I pushed the image over to the 270 (the image ran fine w/o sysprep). I updated some drivers for the 270 and ran the sysprep and pushed the image.

That's where I started having problems.

There's a thread over at http://www.joshie.com/~jlevitsk/blog/archives/000032.html
and http://www.joshie.com/~jlevitsk/mt/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=30

That discuss some other problems imaging with XP, and the dell 270's are mentioned. I think I'm probably content to wait for Dell's answer, although I have a significant deployment of 270's this summer, but I can use Altiris's deployment solution to modify the SIDs of the machines.

I just don't know enough about the sysprep process to really know what to troubleshoot, nevermind all the crazy stuff about uniprocessor and multiprocessor HALs.

Wow I have a similar problem between GX260 and GX270, but in reverse.

I think it has to do with the PnP drivers for the hard drive controller , because I use a file injector tool that injects drivers, post-imaging, but pre-sysprep. And I'm pretty surte tha HALs are the same, aren't they?

If I use the my driver package which includes all drivers for all my modelsplus the GX270 drivers on, and I blow an image to a GX260 machine, it freezes on boot for the GX260. But it works fine on the GX270.

What gives any progress?

Actually I have had some solutions.

I had hidden the winnt folder and that was why sysprep refused to run. One of my coworkers tried it on a clean windows install and had some problems but they've cleared up.

We do have an image and a sysprep that runs on the 270s and 260s. One suggestion we saw frequently was to turn hyperthreading off on the 270s, as this may cause it to use a multiprocessor HAL. It doesn't seem that that had anything to do with our hangups, but I'll pass the info along in case it helps.

Gurnles, would be helpfull if we talk some time. I do Syprep, Ghost, Wininstall for a larger company in Switzerland. well have the full DELL range here.

How can i contact you?

Use the oldest model Dell as your "master PC", use this sysprep.inf. No need to load all those extra hard disk controllers, the generic is all that is needed to get it booted up. If you need more info on determining what ide driver to load at pnp detection (microsoft or intel), I can get more specific. This one is set to join a domain automaticaly without having to give the installer the password.
;SetupMgrTag
[Unattended]
OemSkipEula=Yes
TargetPath=\WINNT
ExtendOemPartition=1
DriverSigningPolicy=Ignore
OemPnPDriversPath=WINNT\PNP\198X-24;WINNT\PNP\198X-5;WINNT\PNP\29160N;WINNT\PNP\3C90X1;WINNT\PNP\815;WINNT\PNP\815NCR;WINNT\PNP\ADI;WINNT\PNP\ATI16;WINNT\PNP\GX150IDE;WINNT\PNP\INTELGIG;WINNT\PNP\INTELIDE;WINNT\PNP\INTELINF;WINNT\PNP\PRO100;WINNT\PNP\SPRINGG;WINNT\PNP\TNT2GF
InstallFilesPath=C:\WINNT\i386

[GuiUnattended]
AutoLogon=Yes
AutoLogonCount=1
AdminPassword="blahblah"
OEMSkipRegional=1
OEMDuplicatorstring=V1.0
OemSkipWelcome=1

[UserData]
FullName="Our Corporation"
OrgName="Our Corporation"
ComputerName=
ProductID=xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

[Display]
Xresolution=1024
YResolution=768
BitsPerPel=32
;Vrefresh=70

[RegionalSettings]
LanguageGroup=1
Language=00000409

;[SetupMgr]
;DistFolder=C:\pnp\i386
;DistShare=win2000dist

[Identification]
;JoinWorkgroup=WORKGROUP
JoinDomain=OURDOMAIN
DomainAdmin=ADMIN
DomainAdminPassword=passord
[Networking]
InstallDefaultComponents=Yes

[SysprepMassStorage]
PCI\CC_0101=%windir%\inf\mshdc.inf