Computer Imaging System Feature Team Guide

Figure 2 illustrates the primary tasks that will be accomplished during the Planning Phase.

Figure 2. Planning Phase activities
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On This Page

	Roles and Responsibilities
	Installing the Computer Imaging System
	Installing the Windows Media
	Installing the Windows PE Media
	Installing Hardware-Specific Media
	Updating the Windows Source Files
	Obtaining Updated Microsoft Software Components
	Configuring the Windows XP Firewall
	Configuring the Image Build Server
	Customizing Windows PE
	Preparing the RIS Server
	Milestone: Image Server Ready

Roles and Responsibilities

All six role clusters from the MSF Team Model play a role in the Planning Phase of the initiative. Table 3 lists those roles and defines the focus areas for each of the different role clusters.

For more information about MSF Team Model role clusters, see http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/msf/default.mspx.

Table 3. Roles and Responsibilities During the Planning Phase

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Installing the Computer Imaging System

The first step in the installation process is to install the Computer Imaging System scripts on the server that will be used for scripted builds. This server will hold the source files (scripts, batch files, Windows installation software, and applications) used as part of the scripted build process.

The computer used can be a workstation, a server, or even a laptop. It may be, but does not have to be, in a domain. It can be running Windows 2000 Professional or Server, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003. If it’s running a server operating system, it can be a standalone server, member server, or a domain controller. You cannot install and run the solution on 64-bit edition of Windows, however.

The build system scripts are installed on the build server using the BDDStandard.msi Windows Installer file. By default, the scripts are installed in the C:\Program Files\BDD Standard 2.5\Computer Imaging System directory.

Once installed, the Computer Imaging System directory should be shared as Unattend, with the appropriate rights granted. This is the share that the workstation boot CD connects to in order to start the image build process. In the remainder of this document, all file and directory paths will be specified relative to this Unattend share path.

The Computer Imaging System server installation process creates several folders, copying scripts, templates, and configuration files to those folders. Table 4 describes the folder structure installed inside the Unattend folder.

Table 4. Build Server Folder Structure

Note   The table does not provide an exhaustive list of the subfolder structure, but it shows enough of it to present the role of each major area in the system.

The Computer Imaging System server’s main purpose is to host the Unattend share and the subfolders and to act as a repository for any image files that may be created from the workstation The folder and share can be moved from one server to another, but when you do so, references to the original server name need to be updated.

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Installing the Windows Media

Once the installation is complete, the appropriate media directories must be copied into the Unattend folder, as shown in Table 5.

Creating a Slipstream Version of Windows XP

If a slipstreamed version of the media is not available, you can create one. Use the following procedure:

To create a slipstreamed version of Windows XP media:

Installing the Latest Sysprep Tools

Adding the Sysprep tools to Unattend\Master $OEM$\$OEM$\$1\Sysprep is optional. If you leave this directory empty, the Computer Imaging System automatically copies the correct version of the Sysprep tools from the Deploy.cab file in Unattend\Source, based on the source used to create each build.

Note   Windows XP Professional x64 Edition uses a unique version of Sysprep. The version of Sysprep that comes with Windows XP Professional x64 Edition does not work with 32-bit editions Windows XP Professional and visa versa. If you’re creating both 32-bit and 64-bit builds, you must leave the Sysprep tools to Unattend\Master $OEM$\$OEM$\$1\Sysprep directory empty and allow the Computer Imaging System to choose the correct version of the Sysprep tools.

To manually install the Sysprep tools, extract the following files from the Deploy.cab file located in the SUPPORT\TOOLS directory on the Windows XP SP2 CD or on a slipstreamed Windows XP SP2 directory:

Place these files in the Unattend\Master $OEM$\$OEM$\$1\Sysprep directory.

This version of Sysprep can be used when building Windows XP (any 32-bit version or service pack) and Windows Server 2003 images. See the Readme.txt file included in the Deploy.cab file for additional information.

Note   Previous versions of Sysprep cannot be used with Windows XP SP2 or Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1. See Microsoft Knowledge Base article Q838080 at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;838080  for additional information.

Note   The Readme.txt file included in the Windows XP SP2 Deploy.cab file indicates that running Sysprep on computers that have been upgraded from Service Pack 1 to SP2 is not supported—only integrated versions of Windows XP SP2 are supported. After further testing, Microsoft is now supporting this scenario; thus, you can upgrade a computer running Service Pack 1 to SP2 and then run Sysprep.

Note   A manually slipstreamed Windows source directory tree will not contain the updated Deploy.cab file containing the SP2 version of Sysprep. You either need to download the file from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads or obtain it from a Windows XP SP2 CD.

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Installing the Windows PE Media

To simplify the process of building customized Windows PE CDs for the image-building and -deployment processes, the contents of the base Windows PE CD should be copied to the Unattend directory structure.

With the release of Windows XP SP2, Windows PE 2004 is available. To use this version, copy the entire contents of the Windows PE 2004 CD to the Unattend\Source\WindowsPE2004 directory (not just the i386 directory). To use Windows PE 2005, copy the Windows PE 2005 CD to the Unattend\Source\WindowsPE2005 directory.

Note   A customized version of Windows PE can only be built using the appropriate Windows PE and Windows XP source directory combination. For Windows PE 2004, only a Windows XP SP2 (slipstreamed) directory can be used. Windows PE 2005 uses a Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP Professional x64 Edition directory.

Be sure to specify the appropriate Windows PE source directory when creating the Windows PE lab CD.

Note   This solution supports Windows PE 2004 and Windows PE 2005 only.

Note   Due to a Windows PE bug, a customized version of Windows PE cannot be created if the Windows PE source files are located in a path containing spaces. To work around this issue, a modified Mkimg.cmd file is included with the solution accelerator and is installed into Unattend\Source\WindowsPE2004\winpe directory. Do not overlay this file when copying the Windows PE source files from the CD.

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Installing Hardware-Specific Media

Depending on the type of workstation hardware that is being built, you will need software from the hardware vendor—that was not included on the install media for the build system—in order to make the system fully functional. Some of this software is provided on a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM by the hardware manufacturer, but other pieces of this software must be downloaded from the Internet.

Note   If you are providing this solution to a customer, you can save considerable time on-site by collecting all of these required files in advance.

Note   Although Virtual PC 2004 is not technically a hardware platform, its virtualized hardware platform acts like one. No drivers are required for Windows XP Professional to install in a virtual machine, but you can improve performance by installing the latest version of the Microsoft Virtual PC Additions. For Windows XP SP2, use the Additions from Virtual Server 2005, because they have been modified to offer better performance under Windows XP SP2 than those included in Virtual PC. Updated versions will be included in Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 Service Pack 1.

This solution ships with example configurations for a fictitious organization, Trey Research. The following files need to be downloaded, extracted, and copied into the build to ensure that all the hardware models defined for the sample organization work correctly. Where possible, the direct URL has been provided to the file. For the latest versions of these files, visit the manufacturer’s Web sites:

Details on the files needed for the hardware devices included as part of the Trey example hardware configurations are included next.

Note   When you are instructed to copy files to a folder that doesn’t yet exist in the Computer Imaging System, create the folder.

Dell OptiPlex GX270

Analog Devices ADI 198x Integrated Audio Driver Version 5.12.01.3555

Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility Driver Version 5.00.1012

Intel Gigabit LOM Driver Version 7.0.34.2

Intel Springdale-G Integrated Video Driver Version 6.13.01.3510

Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation Version 7.1.382

Dell Latitude D600

SIGMATEL STAC 9750 AC97 Driver Version 6.14.01.3913

ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 Driver Version 8.03_15973C

Dell QuickSet Version 3.9.4, A27

Intel Mobile Chipset Driver Version 5.00.1012

Note   The Intel Mobile Chipset Driver package is an older version of the Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility Driver package downloaded for the Dell OptiPlex GX270. The only difference is that the GX270 package includes one additional set of files for the latest Intel 865 desktop chipset. This download can be skipped, as long as the GX270 package is included.

O2Micro O2711EC1 PCMCIA/SmartCard Controller Driver Version 3.0.0.1, A02

Conexant D480 MDC V.92 Modem Driver Version 7.12.9, A14

Alps GlidePoint/StickPointer Driver Version 5.4.102.12

Broadcom 570x Gigabit Integrated Controller Driver Version 6.64.0.0

Intel Pro/Wireless 2100 LAN miniPCI Adapter Driver Version 1.2.3.10

Note   The Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation package was not included here because it was already downloaded to support the Dell OptiPlex GX270.

Dell Precision Workstation 670

Analog Devices ADI 198x Integrated Audio Driver Version 5.12.01.3555

ATI 128MB PCI Express x16 ATI FireGL V3100

Adaptec CERC SATA1.5/6ch (optional hardware for Dell Precision 670)

Note   The CERC controller is not a default option on the Precision 670 workstation. The default configuration calls for a single SATA drive connected to the onboard SATA controller. This configuration is supported by Windows XP Professional x64 Edition without additional drivers. The CERC controller is a common choice, however, and is described as an example of a typical storage driver that requires additional drivers. Follow these steps only if you ordered a CERC controller for your Dell Precision 670.

Note   For details about storage driver integration into Windows PE, see the section titled Storage Driver Installation in Windows PE below.

Note   For additional information about adding storage drivers to an unattended install, see  the Microsoft Knowledge Base article 816299 at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;816299 

Intel PRO/1000 Network Connections v8.4.21.0,A00

HP Compaq Business Desktop d530 (SMF)

ADI SoundMax AC97 Integrated Digital Audio Driver Version 5.12.01.3620 D

Intel Chipset Support for Windows 5.1.0.1008 A

Note   The Intel Chipset Support for Windows package downloaded from the HP Web site contains many of the same files previously downloaded for the Dell hardware. However, this download includes updated versions of the 845G.INF, 845G.CAT, ICH4USB.INF, and ICH4USB.CAT files; these should be merged into the Master $OEM$\$OEM$\$$\INF (INF files only) and Master $OEM$\$OEM$\$1\Drivers\IntelINF (INF and CAT files) directories.

Intel Extreme Graphics 2 Driver for Windows 2000/XP Version 6.14.10.3924 A

Note   The Intel Extreme Graphics 2 Driver for Windows 2000/XP package downloaded from the HP Web site is a more recent version of the Intel Springdale-G Integrated Video Driver. If you have downloaded both and want to use the latest version, be sure to put Drivers\HP\d530\Video ahead of Drivers\Dell\OptGX270\Video in the PNP driver path.

Broadcom Drivers for Multiple Operating Systems Version 7.35 A

Note   A separate download for the Broadcom Driver for Windows XP (SP26992) is available on the HP site, but there is no easy way to extract the drivers from this download. Also note that this Broadcom driver is newer than the Broadcom 570x Gigabit Integrated Controller Driver downloaded for the Dell Latitude D600. If you have downloaded both and want to use the latest version, be sure to put Drivers\HP\d530\NIC ahead of Drivers\Dell\LatD600\NIC in the PNP driver path.

InterVideo WinDVD Player Software for Windows 2000/XP Version 4.0.11.300 A

Insight Management Agent for Clients Version 5.01 B

HP Compaq Tablet PC TC1100

Tablet PC ADI Soundmax Audio Driver Version 5.12.01.3920

NVIDIA Video Driver for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition Version 1.00 D

Tablet PC Button Driver Version 1.00 B

Tablet PC Wacom Digitizer Driver Version 1.6.1 A

Agere Systems AC'97 Modem Driver Version 2.1.41.10 (2 Mar 05)

Broadcom BCM440x 10/100 Ethernet Drivers Version 1.00 B

Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 3B Mini PCI Adapter Driver for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition Version 2.00 B

Support Software for Bluetooth by hp Version 1.00 E

Intel Chipset Installation Utility Version 5.00 A

Q Menu Software for Tablet PC Version 2.00 B

Tablet PC TI PCI1620 4in1 CardReader Driver Version 1.01 B

Motion Computing M1400 Tablet PC

Sigmatel C-Major Audio Version 6.14.1.4200

IntelliSonic DXEC .02 Speech Enhancement (Knowles Acoustics)

Motion Button Driver Version 3002

Intel Chipset Version 5.1.0.1007

Motion Dashboard Version 3.0.3.4

PCTel Modem

Intel 82855-GME Graphics Graphics Driver Version 6.14.10.3762

RealTek NIC Version 5.505.1004.2002

Bluetooth Driver and Utilities Version 1.4.2.10

Toshiba Portege M200 Tablet PC

Toshiba Rotation Utility for Windows XP Version 3.00.00.03

Toshiba Zooming Utility for Windows XP Version 2.0.0.13t

Toshiba 802.11a/b/g Driver Set (Intel, Cisco, Atheros) for Windows XP Version 1.11

Toshiba Mobile Extension 3 for Windows XP Version 3.59.00.XP

Toshiba Wireless Hotkey Utility for Windows XP/2000 Version 2.0.0.5

ADI WDM Audio Driver for Windows XP/2000 Version 5.12.01.3670

Alps Touchpad Driver for Windows XP Version 6.0.302.3

FREECOM Cable II Cardbus Driver for Windows XP Version 208.2

Toshiba ACPI Common Modules for Windows XP Version 6.01.01.TE

Toshiba Bluetooth Stack for Windows XP Version 3.00.00A

Toshiba Tablet PC Buttons Driver for Windows XP Version 1.0.0.5-RC2

Windows XP Display Driver for nVidia GeForce FX Go5200 Display Adapters Version 6.14.01.4591

Toshiba SD Card Driver Set for Windows XP Version 2.0.4-RC2

Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility for Windows XP/2000/98SE Version 4.30.1006

Toshiba Software Modem Driver for Windows XP/2000 Version 2.1.22

Toshiba Fast Ether LAN Driver for Windows XP/2000 Version 6.4.14

Toshiba Fast Infrared Driver for Windows XP/2000 Version 5.1.2500.0b-RC2

CD-ROM-Based Hardware Applications

These are the files you need to copy from the CD-ROMs provided by the hardware manufacturer for each specific model. They must be copied into the build to ensure that all the hardware models defined for the Trey organization will work correctly.

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Updating the Windows Source Files

When you are creating an image, take care to ensure that all critical security updates are included in the image so that computers deployed with the image are as up-to-date as possible. Different approaches can be used to perform these updates:

Because of issues with using integrated source files to build Windows PE CDs, the first method is recommended. The following sections describe how to download security updates and install them during the build process.

Downloading Windows Hotfixes

Download the required Windows security updates from the Microsoft Windows Update Web site at http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/catalog/en/default.asp. This site allows you to query for and download the updates rather than install them. Once you are connected to the Web site, click the Find Microsoft Windows updates link. Select the appropriate operating system for each source directory that will be updated:

Click the Search button, and then select the Critical Updates and Service Packs links. The resulting list contains updates for components other than Windows XP; only Windows XP updates can be slipstreamed into the Windows source directory. Also, some updates have been superseded; only the latest update needs to be downloaded. As of July 31, 2005, the following updates are required for Windows XP Service Pack 1:

As of July 31, 2005, the following are required for Windows XP SP2:

Download the following updates from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads:

Add the needed updates to the download basket; when all have been selected, download them to a temporary location such as C:\Temp. When the download is complete, copy all the resulting executables into the same folder, Unattend\Source\XPPro\SP1Hotfixes for Windows XP Service Pack 1 or Unattend\Source\XPPro\SP2Hotfixes for Windows XP SP2.

Integrating Windows Hotfixes

Once you’ve downloaded the Windows security updates, you need to add them to the build process. The batch scripts SP1Updates.cmd and SP2Updates.cmd already contain the commands necessary to install the security and critical updates that this guide describes. Both files are in Master $OEM$\$OEM$\$1\Local. Copying the .exe file for each update to the appropriate folder (Source\XPPro\SP1Hotfixes or Source\XPPro\SP2Hotfixes) and then enabling the Apply SP1 Updates or Apply SP2 Updates actions in the Actions panel of Config.hta (see the section “Actions Panel,” later in this guide) will cause the build system to install these updates.

Alternatively, you can integrate each update into the appropriate Windows source trees following the procedure documented in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 828930 at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/828930. All hotfixes released for Windows XP SP2 include the /integrate option described in the article; many of the earlier Windows XP Service Pack 1 hotfixes do not have that option. Because of this, you should follow steps 6 through 13 of article 828930. Most Windows XP core fixes can be integrated, but those to other components (such as Internet Explorer, Windows Script Host, Windows Messenger, or others) may not. Do not include updates that you integrate into the Windows source trees in the SP1Hotfixes or SP2Hotfixes folder.

Note   If you do choose to integrate hotfixes in to the Windows source files, you must add Windows source files for use when building Windows PE CDs. For Windows PE 2004, add Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 source files and don’t include any integrated hotfixes. For Windows PE 2005, add Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or Windows XP Professional x64 Edition source files and don’t include any integrated hotfixes.

Obtaining Other Microsoft Critical Updates

In addition to the Windows security update hotfixes described in the previous section, additional security updates need to be downloaded for inclusion in the image. These updates are applied during the image build after Windows has been installed.

The process for downloading the required updates is the same as the process used for downloading Windows security update hotfixes. Connect to the Microsoft Windows Update Web site at http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/catalog/en/default.asp. Once you are connected to the Web site, click the Find Microsoft Windows updates link. Select the appropriate operating system:

Click the Search button, and then select the Critical Updates and Service Packs links. Select all the non-Windows updates (those updates not selected before). Also, some updates have been superseded; only the latest update needs to be downloaded. As of July 31, 2005, the following updates are required for Windows XP Service Pack 1:

As of July 31, 2005, the following updates are required for Windows XP SP2:

Add the needed updates to the download basket; when all have been selected, download them to a temporary location such as C:\Temp. When the download is complete, copy all the resulting executables into the same folder; for example, Unattend\Source\XPPro\SP1Hotfixes for Windows XP Service Pack 1 or Unattend\Source\XPPro\SP2Hotfixes for Windows XP SP2.

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Obtaining Updated Microsoft Software Components

Several components included in Windows XP have been upgraded since the release of Windows XP. You are not required to update these as part of the image-creation process, but this is often the best time to do so, because the effort required to integrate these updates into the image is less than the effort required to deploy them at a later time using other software distribution methods. Common Microsoft components that can be added to the image include the following:

Some critical security updates listed in the previous section may need to be applied after these components are installed. Because of this, these updates should be applied after the component upgrades are installed and after the build workstation has been restarted.

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Configuring the Windows XP Firewall

Windows XP SP2 and Windows XP x64 Edition include the new Windows Firewall, previously known as the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF). Windows Firewall is a stateful firewall that drops all unsolicited incoming traffic that does not correspond to either traffic sent in response to a request of the computer (solicited traffic) or unsolicited traffic that has been specified as allowed (excepted traffic). Windows Firewall provides a level of protection from malicious users and programs that rely on unsolicited incoming traffic to attack computers.

If required, Windows Firewall can be configured during the unattended installation of Windows XP using the process described in the Using the Windows Firewall INF File in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 white paper, available for download from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=cb307a1d-2f97-4e63-a581-bf25685b4c43&displaylang=en. The changes required can be made to the Netfw.in_ file located in each Windows XP SP2 source directory’s i386 folder. Review the white paper for additional information.

Note   No equivalent paper for Windows XP Professional x64 Edition currently exists, but the steps you follow are similar. The Netfw.in_ file is located in the source directory’s amd64 folder, however.

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Configuring the Image Build Server

Once the build server files are installed and the source directories have been copied into the proper location, the configuration can be performed. To assist with this process, a Hypertext Application (HTA), Config.hta, is provided in C:\Program Files\BDD Standard 2.5\Computer Imaging System\Control\Config.hta. Several configuration panels are available; these are described in the following sections. When all configuration changes have been made, click another tab or close Config.hta to save these changes to disk.

All configuration information is saved in the following files:

Changes made in these files are automatically replicated to the appropriate files (such as Sysprep.inf and Unattend.txt) by Config.hta. Two additional files are also created as part of this process:

Configuration Panel

Some settings apply to all builds; these are configured on the Configuration panel, displayed by default when you first start the configuration tool, or displayed by clicking the Configuration tab (see Figure 3).

Figure 3. Configuration panel
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The following list describes the settings on this tab:

Builds Panel

The imaging system scripts can be used to build one or more images. These different image builds can use different installation source files (for example, SP2 instead of Service Pack 1, or Windows XP Tablet PC Edition instead of Windows XP Professional). The properties of each build are configured using the Builds panel (see Figure 4).

Figure 4. Builds panel
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For each build, the following information must be provided:

Two build-specific files can also be edited from this panel by clicking the appropriate button:

Customization Panel

The Customization panel identifies the scripts included in the solution accelerator that are typically modified; it also provides an easy way to edit these scripts (see Figure 5).

Figure 5. Customization panel
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The following files, which are described in greater detail later in this document, apply to all builds:

Actions Panel

During the image build process, a series of scripts needs to be executed in a particular sequence. Some of these scripts may require that the computer be restarted after the script executes. Through the Actions panel, all of this information can be configured without requiring editing of long batch files containing the commands (see Figure 6). Each action specifies the command to execute, the working directory to run it from, and whether a restart is required. Individual actions can also be enabled or disabled as required in your specific environment.

Actions are specific to each build. You select the action list for each build by choosing the build in the Select Build list. You can quickly copy and paste actions between builds by clicking the Copy Action button to copy an action to the clipboard, changing to a different build, and then clicking Paste Action to paste the action in to the chosen build.

Figure 6. Actions panel
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The following list describes the settings on this tab:

Deployment Panel

Once an image has been created, it must be deployed to additional computers. During that deployment process, the computer needs to join a domain and install any LOB applications (as specified in LobApps.bat). The Deployment panel is used to define the information necessary to complete these items (see Figure 7).

Figure 7. Deployment panel
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The following list describes the settings on this tab:

Windows PE x86 Panel

The Windows PE x86 panel is used to create x86 Windows PE CDs (see Figure 8).

Figure 8. Windows PE x86 panel
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Windows PE CD Creation

The values specified on the Windows PE x86 panel include the following:

Once the proper values are specified, click the Make Lab CD, Make Deploy CD, or Make Generic CD button to create the appropriate ISO files.

After new ISO files have been built, they can be burned onto a CD by using most commercial CD-creation software packages, such as Roxio’s Easy CD Creator, and selecting the option to Record CD from CD Image.

Once the images have been created and successfully tested, they can be placed on a RIS server so that in the future they can be invoked via the Prestart Execution Environment (PXE)-boot and RIS processes. For more information, refer to Microsoft Knowledge Base article Q304992, How to Boot the Windows Preinstall Environment from a RIS Server by Using PXE-Enabled Clients, at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304992.

Windows PE x64 Panel

The Windows PE x64 panel is used to create x64 Windows PE CDs (see Figure 9).

Figure 9. Windows PE x64 panel
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Windows PE CD Creation

The values specified on the Windows PE x64 panel include the following:

Once the proper values are specified, click the Make Lab CD, Make Deploy CD, or Make Generic CD button to create the appropriate ISO files.

After new ISO files have been built, they can be burned onto a CD by using most commercial CD-creation software packages, such as Roxio’s Easy CD Creator, and selecting the option to Record CD from CD Image.

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Customizing Windows PE

Windows PE is essentially a next-generation boot disk. It offers several advantages over using boot floppies, such as:

Windows PE automatically assigns itself a computer name. This implementation of Windows PE requires a DHCP server to provide TCP/IP addresses. It is possible to customize Windows PE for static IP addressing, but that is beyond the scope of this document.

The following sections describe typical customizations that need to be made to Windows PE.

Adding NIC Drivers to Windows PE

Occasionally, you will encounter a system that has a NIC that Windows XP and Windows PE do not recognize because they don’t have a driver for it. This typically happens when a new NIC is released after the operating system was released.

The HP d530, for example, comes configured with a Broadcom Gigabit NIC. Windows PE does not have a driver for it. In this case, the driver can be downloaded from the support section of the HP Web site.

Once the driver is downloaded, it needs to be expanded and the appropriate files extracted. You can typically do this by running the downloaded file and letting it expand the files into a working directory.

Each manufacturer creates drivers differently, so there is no way to provide specific guidance; but most drivers use several file types, including .cat, .inf, .sys, .dll, .din, and, possibly, .exe files.

One way to gain information about the needed drivers is to install the drivers manually on a system running Windows XP and then look at the Driver Details tab of the Properties page for the NIC in Device Manager.

Note   The files needed for the HP d530, Dell GX270, and Dell Precision 670 are not available in the Extranics or Extranics.x64 folder until they have been copied there. See the “Installing Hardware-Specific Media” section in this document for information about populating the Extranics and Extranics.x64 folders.

Once these files have been isolated, place them into the Unattend\Boot Disks\WINPE\extranics (or extranics.x64 if you are building x64 Windows PE) directory, or another appropriate location, and then specify this directory when re-creating the ISO files using the process described above.

Note   Subfolders of the Extranics or Extranics.x64 directory will not be processed. All additional NIC driver files must be placed directly in the Extranics or Extranics.x64 folder.

To test this CD, start the workstation using the newly created CD. After a few minutes, it should automatically connect to the build server and present the menu of images that can be built. If you receive an error indicating a problem in the Winbom.ini file, that means the drivers provided were not correct or complete. Verify that all the files are available on the CD.

Updating Windows PE

Because Windows PE is composed of the same files used in Windows XP, it can have the same security vulnerabilities. Because of this, it may be necessary to update Windows PE.

There are issues with integrating security updates in to the Windows source files that you use to build Windows PE images, however. If any update replaces the files required for ADO, WSH, or HTA support, the Windows PE images might not work properly. The script used to add these optional components (BuildOptionalComponents.vbs) does not handle updated source files. As a result, it’s best to build Windows PE using unmodified Windows XP Service Pack 2 files for Windows PE 2004, Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 files for Windows PE 2005, or Windows XP Professional 64-bit files for Windows PE 2005 64-bit. Applying updates to Windows source files that do not change the files required for ADO, WSH, or HTA will not prevent the Windows PE images from working properly.

Building Workstation Images

Typically, the best way to start is to let the system build a workstation with the default settings that come with the system. Doing so allows the developers to get familiar with the process at a high level before getting into the details of customizing the image. It also helps to highlight any immediate areas that may need attention, such as the need for extra NIC drivers.

To build the workstation, start the target workstation with the Windows PE lab CD. It will take a few minutes for the system to initialize and start up. You should see a Windows XP–style system startup process and a command window open on the screen. The system will launch Plug and Play enumeration and attempt to configure a network card driver and obtain a dynamic TCP/IP address from a DHCP server. Windows PE will attempt to automatically generate a unique computer name for the workstation.

Installing Storage Drivers to Windows PE

Workstations such as the Dell Precision Workstation 670 can use specialized storage or RAID controllers that are not part of the normal Windows distribution. If you ordered a CERC controller with your Precision 670, you will need to ensure that Windows PE can find your hard drive by loading the necessary drivers as part of the installation. If you did not order a CERC or other specialized controller, you can skip this process.

To load the CERC drivers so that the Windows PE boot process can see them, you need to either integrate the drivers into a custom Windows PE image or intervene in the initial Windows PE boot by pressing F6 at the very beginning of the loading process when prompted on the screen.

To integrate the drivers into Windows PE for the Dell Precision Workstation:

[Version]
signature="$Windows NT$"

[OemDriverParams]
OemDriverRoot=""
OemDriverDirs=cerc

Alternately, you can use the F6 intervention to load the drivers. In this method, once you have pressed F6, you will be prompted to load additional drivers. Press S to specify additional drivers, insert a floppy disk with the drivers for your workstation, and press Enter to load the drivers. Once the boot process has completed and the Business Desktop Deployment Computer Image Build screen shown in Figure 10 has displayed, you should remove the floppy from the drive.

Note   These instructions for a CERC controller are provided as an example that highlights the steps required for any storage controller that doesn’t have integrated drivers in the Windows distribution. For additional information about installing storage drivers into an unattended Windows installation, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 816299 at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;816299. For additional information about installing storage drivers into Windows PE, see the Windows PE help file.

Once the system has initialized, it will attempt to connect to the build server with the credentials provided during the build server installation process. If it is successful, the following dialog will be displayed (see Figure 10).

Figure 10. Building the workstation
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The following actions are available:

This last option is the one that should be used when first building systems because it allows the entire process to run—in order to verify that the build process has been configured appropriately and that the appropriate drivers were successfully loaded.

Note   When installing Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, choose the Build the machine completely now option to install the operating system unattended. Since lite-touch deployment of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is not supported in this version of the Solution Accelerator for Business Desktop Deployment, do not choose the Sysprep the machine completely option.

Once this choice has been made, the system erases the existing hard disk, formats it for NTFS, and starts copying the system files.

The build should take at least 30 minutes to complete. With additional applications, it could easily take an hour to build the system.

When the build is complete, a message will indicate that the system build is nearly complete; click OK to finish.

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Preparing the RIS Server

If you plan to use RIS to distribute Windows PE images, you need to prepare the RIS server for these images. If you do not plan to use RIS, you may skip this section.

Note   The Solution Accelerator for BDD doesn’t provide guidance for using RIS to deploy Windows XP images that are based on Riprep. For complete guidance on using RIS, see “Designing RIS Installations” in the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit at http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/WindowsServ/2003/all/deployguide/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/WindowsServ/2003/all/deployguide/en-us/acicc_ris_overview.asp.

Installing Windows PE on a Windows 2000 RIS Server

You can load the Windows PE CDs onto a Windows 2000 RIS server so that a capable workstation can PXE-boot Windows PE from RIS instead of using a local CD-ROM. To enable this feature, refer to the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

Adding a Third-Party NIC to a Windows PE Image on a Windows 2000 RIS Server

If you need to add a new network drive to the Windows PE image on a RIS server so that RIS can find the NIC during its text-mode download phase, you can follow the directions in the following articles:

The key to this process is to copy the new NIC drivers to the Windows PE folder, because it is a self-contained flat-file image. See the “Adding a Third-Party NIC to a Windows PE Image on a Windows Server 2003 RIS Server” section later in this document to learn how to add new NICs into the images themselves.

Installing Windows PE on a Windows Server 2003 RIS Server

You can load the Windows PE CDs onto a Windows Server 2003 RIS server so that a capable workstation can PXE-boot Windows PE from RIS instead of using a local CD-ROM. To enable this feature, refer to the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

You should also change the ImageType=Flat line from Flat to Windows PE (ImageType=WinPE). Doing so allows Windows PE to show up on the Tools menu in RIS but does not force the creation of a computer account in Active Directory. This is new functionality in Windows Server 2003.

Adding a Third-Party NIC to a Windows PE Image on a Windows Server 2003 RIS Server

If you need to add a new network driver to the Windows PE image on a RIS server so that RIS can find the NIC during its text-mode download phase, you can follow the directions in the following articles:

The key to this process is to copy the new NIC drivers to the Windows PE folder, because it is a self-contained flat-file image. See the “Adding NIC Drivers to Windows PE ” section earlier in this document to learn how to add new NICs into the images themselves.

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Milestone: Image Server Ready

At this point, a prototype workstation image has been successfully created and captured (see Table 6). It is now ready to be deployed and tested.

Table 6. Deliverables

The primary emphasis of the development team during the Planning Phase has been to get the lab environment configured and operational, to install the imaging system, to create the workstation boot CDs, and to collect all of the needed drivers and media. The team has also verified that the system is functioning by building base prototype images. These workstation images have not yet been customized.

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