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The Art of OEM - nLite & OEM Preinstallation


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  1. 1. Would you like for Windows Designer Studio to perform most of the operations described in this guide?

    • Yes, and I want more features too!
      69
    • Yes
      13
    • No, I'd rather stick with the plain old Windows Setup routine.
      5
    • No, it's just a waste of time; nLite/vLite will always be enough for my needs.
      7
  2. 2. Now that this guide is complete, are you happy with its contents?

    • Yes, it's a great idea!
      63
    • Somewhat, I used some of the things described here.
      20
    • Probably, but it is too complex for me to handle.
      7
    • No
      4
  3. 3. Which of these should benefit you the most and you'd like to see first in Windows Designer Studio? (more details soon)

    • Windows Setup SDK (Panther Engine) - WIM capture, Setup customization and ISO making, like in Parts 3 and 4
      46
    • VKEY Explorer - an advanced tool to design the registry of the OS you are designing
      5
    • Package Designer - a set of diff and compression tools to allow you to author/create/add/remove windows components and preinstalled apps
      18
    • VM Workbench - an extension for the free VMware Player product to test the results of your work before finalizing
      10


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Part 6 - Heroes Happen Here

Spotlight on Server 2008 Deployment Services.

This month's event @ Microsoft, "Heroes Happen Here" turned out to be a great success. A lot of resources were available for me since I started working for a gold-certified Microsoft partner.

In this part, I will extend my guide onto the latest technology available: Windows Server 2008.

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6.1. Server Configuration

This is the current network configuration. External/Internal are Gigabit LANs, VMnet #1 and #8 are the NAT and Local-Only from VMware, and WiFi is the local intranet wireless connection. There is also a proxy that supplies internet from External to Internal.

t6-001.jpg

This is the Server Manager with the current configuration for the DHCP role:

t6-002.jpg

The 192.168.1.x and 2002:4d51:c06c:: scopes are running binded on Internal and WiFi. Your ISP might get upset if you start to give IPs to other customers using your own "rogue" DHCP.

As for Windows Deployment Services, in this case I can configure PXE Response Settings like this to speed up things:

p6-003.jpg

Also, be careful to disable listening on port 67 for your WDS Server.

p6-004.jpg

This is the Add Image Wizard:

p6-005.jpg

p6-006.jpg

p6-007.jpg

And my configuration looks like this:

t6-008.jpg

I will use this WDS to install a Ultimate SP1 vLited image in my eeePC:

p6-009.jpg

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If you're using virtualization, you must know your bindings. In this case, VMnet #2 is bridged to Internal.

You must also have a connected cable on it, the DHCP server does not bind to disconnected networks.

p6-010.jpg

This is my test machine booting from the bridge on Internal:

t6-011.jpg

t6-012.jpg

And I chose Windows Setup

t6-013.jpg

As it seems there's no driver in boot.wim for the VMware network, it must be offline-serviced into it

t6-014.jpg

Use Windows AIK like in KB923834. Here's my console output:

Be sure to have your boot image offline in WDS while you do this.

C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools>md temp

C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools>imagex /mountrw i:\remoteinstall\boot
\x86\images\boot.wim 2 temp

ImageX Tool for Windows
Copyright © Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved.


Mounting (RW): [i:\remoteinstall\boot\x86\images\boot.wim, 2] ->
[C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools\temp]

Successfully mounted image (RW).



C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools>peimg /?
Preinstallation Environment Image Setup Tool for Windows
Copyright © Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

PEIMG {Command} {Image} [Flags]

Command /import | /inf | /install | /lang | /list | /prep | /uninstall |
/scratchspace | /targetpath | /timezone

Flags /verbose | /quiet | /f

Image Specifies the path to the Windows directory within the base
Windows PE image. The image must first be applied or mounted
to a local directory using ImageX. This can also be specified
as /image=path.

Commands:

/import=

Imports a package from a .CAB file or directory structure. The
package will be made available for installation.

/inf=

Installs an INF package (typically a driver) to a Windows PE image.
is the path to the .INF file. You can perform this on a
Windows PE image that was previously prepared with /prep.

/install=

Installs a package, where denotes the package name. A list of
available packages and their names can be obtained using the /list
command. Wildcards can be used when specifying a package name. Any
packages with matching long names will be installed.

/lang= [/layerdriver=]

Sets the locale and the UI language of a Windows PE image. The
value is the culture name of the specified language. A
language pack for the specified language must already be installed.
For the ja-JP or ko-KR cultures, the /layerdriver option can be used
to specify which keyboard layer driver should be installed. Values
for are integers in the range 1..6 and are described in the
documentation. You can perform this on a Windows PE image that
was previously prepared with /prep.

/list

Displays a list of packages in the current image. Packages are
displayed in short name form. In the INS column, (+) denotes
installed packages and (-) denotes not installed. /verbose will
display the full package names.

/prep

Optimizes the Windows PE image for size. This operation cannot be
reverted, and after /prep is issued, the /install, /uninstall,
/import, and /list commands will not function. The /lang, /inf and
/targetpath commands will continue to function. The tool will prompt
the user to confirm the command. To suppress this prompt for
scripting, specify the /f flag.

/uninstall=

Uninstalls a package, where denotes the package name. A list
of installed packages and their names can be obtained by using the
/list command. In the INS column, (+) denotes installed packages.
Wildcards can be used when specifying a package name. Any packages
with matching long names will be uninstalled.

/scratchspace=

Sets the amount of scratch space available, in megabytes. Valid
values are 32, 64, 128, 256 and 512.

/timezone=

Sets the default time zone of a Windows PE image. The time zone can
be specified either by a culture name or by a time zone name.
Please consult the documentation for more details. You can perform this
on a Windows PE image that was previously prepared with /prep.

/targetpath=X:\...

For harddisk boot scenarios, sets the location where the Windows
PE image will reside on the disk. This path must be equal to or
a subdirectory of X:\ (which is the default). You can only perform
this on a Windows PE image that was previously prepared with /prep.

Flags:

/verbose

Display long names for packages. Only short names are displayed by
default.

/quiet

Suppress the progress bar.

/f

Suppress prompts for use in scripts. This flag is ignored for
operations that would not normally prompt.

Examples:

REM Import a feature/update in a .CAB file
peimg c:\winpe\windows /import=feature.cab

REM List the installed and available packages
peimg /list /image=c:\winpe\windows

REM Install all available scripting packages
peimg /install=*Scripting* c:\winpe\windows

If this help text scrolls off of your screen, please run "peimg /? | more"


C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools>peimg /inf="A:\Installs\Drivers\eeePC
4G 701\Network\l260x86.inf" temp\Windows
Preinstallation Environment Image Setup Tool for Windows
Copyright © Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Installing INF package: A:\Installs\Drivers\eeePC 4G 701\Network\l260x86.inf

PEIMG completed the operation successfully.

C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools>peimg /inf="P:\program files\VMware\V
Mware Tools\Drivers\vmxnet\win2k\vmxnet.inf" temp\Windows
Preinstallation Environment Image Setup Tool for Windows
Copyright © Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Installing INF package: P:\program files\VMware\VMware Tools\Drivers\vmxnet\win2
k\vmxnet.inf

PEIMG completed the operation successfully.

C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools>peimg /inf="P:\program files\VMware\V
Mware Tools\Drivers\vmxnet\win2k\vmware-nic.inf" temp\Windows
Preinstallation Environment Image Setup Tool for Windows
Copyright © Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Installing INF package: P:\program files\VMware\VMware Tools\Drivers\vmxnet\win2
k\vmware-nic.inf

PEIMG completed the operation successfully.

C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools>imagex /unmount /commit temp

ImageX Tool for Windows
Copyright © Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved.


Unmounting: [C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools\temp]...

Successfully unmounted image.

Another thing to take into consideration is network traffic caused by WDS. If you don't have 1 Gbps LAN, you can easily clug the domain controller functionality if running on the same interface:

t6-015.jpg

Get WDS Client network drivers for "e1000" in VMware here.

Edited by dexter.inside
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  • 1 month later...

Hi to all in the msfn...

i see your work for a long time.

And now i can try it..i have a free time...i

i will comment on them if I manage she is still successfully the guide.

txnks dexter.inside

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Hi guys.

Dexter.inside

I tryed the guide and solved my previous problems whit sysprep section, the err0r was some MassStorages drivers

now i pased of this part.

After its i mount and imaging the partition, copy to sources folder of longhorn,but whe i try

to install all its fine, before begin the copy files then the setup

sendme this error...

Setup cant copy files

....

tanks in advance

i wait fr your helpdexter plz.

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Are you using sysprep -bmsd to populate sysprep.inf ?

Try this to make sure it's not something else causing it -

in HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup add or modify:

Cmdline:REG_SZ:setup -newsetup -mini

MiniSetupInProgress:REG_DWORD:0x1

SetupType:REG_DWORD:0x1

SystemSetupInProgress:REG_DWORD:0x1

and

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\SetupExecute:REG_MULTI_SZ:setupcl.exe

(according to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321070)

This should run mini-setup without driver detection. If this fails, you should post the last stuff that failed in the setup log. If it doesn't, you are not building mass storage driver list properly.

If you have extra steps to perform (related to drivers) or you need to bypass completely the windows mini-setup driver detection (like driverpacks), append it in the REG_MULTI_SZ after setupcl.exe

Hope it helps. It did for me.

Edited by dexter.inside
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Tanks dexter. :thumbup

Sure i use Sysprep -bmsd, and for the moment i skip the aditional MassStorage Drivers and its working.

Sysprep has pased, now i mount the drive and imagining it, patch with tiny hexer.

Add Eula, etc, and work fine.

But, when its hour to copy files after select partition to install, it giveme the next error.

Error trying copy files, and after i click ok, its close

I think that its for version of imagex that i use, so i download ximagex for longhorn,

whit this versio i can see /info and manipule install.wim of longhorn,but no, its not working the error is the same

Tanks for advance, you are great man,I very interesting on your guide, but i see no much people searching or

trying it. :blushing:

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That means either your image is corrupted at editing or setup is incompatible with that WIM API.

Have you tried booting from a live cd and applying your image manually with ximage onto the target partition to see if it works?

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Hi dexter.

I am very happy for you help.

:thumbup

I try its that you sayd, and i will post when i do it.

tanks.

ooo

And dexter, do you have boths images or iso`s that you use in this guide,

and if its not problem, its are downloable?

If its yes, where i download i search for months but i dont found, i found it in the warez web`s

but someones links are dead, they are in rapidshare, megaupload, Torrents, and others but all theys

are deads, not working.

Do you giveme this iso`s?

i hope that its not offend you. :unsure:

oks tanks.

I hope have much more conversations whit you, maybe in msn.

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I list segui trying i finally it, copies the files, for some reason though it patches the install.wim with the mirkes hexer, and the/info shpwme the correct Image Index, it was not loading it, because the image inndex is not recognizes by the setup,

when i try to apply the install.wim directly whit

ximage /apply path\install.wim z: 3

it sayd that the image not exist in the install.wim

But now that I have added 2 images mas in the same install.wim, it copies the files and finishes the installation, and makes me the first boot, and after the Bootscreen, now it throws a BSOD,.

i will trying,

and post later...

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well i try all.

and already is finish it, in the virtual machine i had a BSOD an reboot inmediatly, but, in a normal machine all is work.

and i finish the instalñation proces, Driver detection and i had my desktop of the same form when i capture it,

tanks for the help,

Now i whis add more More MassStorage drivers and other driver to my instalation, so i tri it and post.

See you later dexter.inside

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well i try all.

and already is finish it, in the virtual machine i had a BSOD an reboot inmediatly, but, in a normal machine all is work.

Quite normal, if you have a SCSI/SAS drive in the VM and no mass storage driver for it. XP usually goes with BusLogic and Server 2003 with LSI

As for the disks, they are not mine, I've used the deployment server at work for the tutorial. My employer wouldn't be very happy if I were to share their MSDN subscription :whistle:

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well its fine...

im testing the burned cd rom in diferents pcs, and its work great,

only i had problems in to virtual machine,but its fine for the moment,

Tanks for all your help and time to deply tis guide,

so i hope that you will teach us, in this proyect or others i very happy if exist more proyects that try,

well tanks. and see you later.

And it isnt a bye, is only see you later,i will try a post in msfn.and hope that you =.

:thumbup

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