New to Windows Deployment Services

[dawks]

Howdy, I am looking to use Windows Deployment Services on Server 2003 to install Windows XP SP2 (June 2007) to clients over the network without a CD.

I have an ISO sitting on the server, but WDS wants a (Windows Image) .WIM, and I'm not sure how to create one. I see something about a tool called ImageX, but it looks like its for Vista?

Is there a way I can convert a standard ISO to this WIM file? Is that what I want to do?

Thanks.

 

[dawks]

bump

 

[DrGreen2007]

Theres a whole section on the BDD2007 from Microsoft, with all the steps to create a WIM image.

to make a WIM image, you have to create a computer like you want it, then use the ImageX to make a WIM image of it that you can deploy to other machines.

WIM (ImageX) is like GHO (Symantec Ghost)

 

[dawks]

So I can't use this basically as a replacement for a CD? I have to use an image of an already installed machine? What if I have 25 different types of computers? Need 25 different images?

Part of my problem right now is I have a PC that I just can't get windows installed on. The only viable way is using a PXE boot. Damnit.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: dawks
So I can't use this basically as a replacement for a CD? I have to use an image of an already installed machine? What if I have 25 different types of computers? Need 25 different images?

Part of my problem right now is I have a PC that I just can't get windows installed on. The only viable way is using a PXE boot. Damnit.

You can boot off PXE once you get everything set up. HOWEVER, IMO WDS sucks ASS! Good God did that make a relatively easy to set up and light weight process (RIS) into something completely bloated and convoluted (WDS). I REALLY hate WDS! I had RIS integrated with Ghost set up to download or upload images to the server via PXE boot but low and behold, MS freakin' yanked out RIS from under me in Windows 2003 R2 SP2. :| Even after you boot from PXE with WDS, it takes forever to get to the freakin' image/unattended install menu. With RIS it was boot PXE, BAM, menu > download. DONE! Oh did I mention creating a WIM image is a pain in the ass?

Ok, so there was my little rant about WDS. Sorry. :|


Edit: Oh and yes, you can use one image for multiple hardware platforms. Look into sysprep.

 

[stash]

Even after you boot from PXE with WDS, it takes forever to get to the freakin' image/unattended install menu.

I haven't played with WDS much, but something doesn't sound right. I know connecting to the WDS servers on the Microsoft network doesn't take any longer than it did when they were RIS servers.

I also found creating WIM images to be much easier than RIS images, especially when dealing with drivers. You can really reduce the number of images too.

Hopefully Akula will see this thread, because I think he has done a lot of work with WDS.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: stash

Even after you boot from PXE with WDS, it takes forever to get to the freakin' image/unattended install menu.

I haven't played with WDS much, but something doesn't sound right. I know connecting to the WDS servers on the Microsoft network doesn't take any longer than it did when they were RIS servers.

I also found creating WIM images to be much easier than RIS images, especially when dealing with drivers. You can really reduce the number of images too.

Hopefully Akula will see this thread, because I think he has done a lot of work with WDS.

I didn't use RIS by itself. I integrated Ghost with it so I can push out one Ghost image by PXE booting into RIS and selecting the Ghost image for the machine. I have one single image that works on any platform at our company. I can't reduce it any further than that.