As Microsoft recently released Service Pack 2 for Office 2007 suite, it is a good idea to add the update files to the package so it it can be deploy during the installation.

So, first of all we have to download the SP2 executable file from here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=b444bf18-79ea-46c6-8a81-9db49b4ab6e5&displaylang=en (see additional information bellow).

Then, using a command prompt window, extract the content of the package to a folder you can browse to.

Extract (Click the image for a larger view)

Accept EULA and click Continue.

image

Select a folder to extract the files to.

Browse For File

When the extraction is complete, you should have the following files:

Folder Structure

At this point, you can delete the office2007sp2-kb953195-fullfile-en-us.exe file. Copy the other 9 files to “Updates” folder from your Office 2007 source folder.

Updates folder

Now you only have to update the distribution point/s and the next time Office 2007 will install, it will apply the SP2 update during Office 2007 installation.

Applying Updates

Additional Info:

The same steps are valid for Visio and Project 2007.

Microsoft Office Visio 2007 Service Pack 2 (SP2) can be downloaded from here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=78E36742-8BDA-471E-88E6-9B561BB06258&displaylang=en.
Microsoft Office Project 2007 Service Pack 2 (SP2) can be downloaded from here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=c126fa4a-b43f-4f7e-a9d4-522e92a6cfee.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...

Short post that I think might be useful…

If you receive the following error: “An error occurred while retrieving policy for this computer (0x80072EE7)” when Task Sequence Wizard starts, this can happen if you have DHCP or DNS problems.

You should check if you can contact the DHCP server in order to get an IP address or you can configure a static IP address.

Failed to Run Task Sequence

If you have a switch with STP enabled, you might want to read this post.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (7 votes, average: 4.29 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...

This post assumes you have created a reference computer and captured an image of it as described in the previous post.

Import and configure a task sequence to deploy the target computer

After the task sequence to deploy the reference computer (Home-XPSP3-Ref01) finishes, a captured image of the reference computer is stored in \\Home-SCCM\Captures$\Home-XPSP3-Ref01.wim. Now, We’ll create a task sequence that will deploy the captured image of reference computer to the target computer (Home-XPSP3-Tar01).

Create an MDT 2008 Task Sequence for the Target Computer

To create a task sequence to deploy the captured image to the target computer:

  1. Click Start, point to All Programs, and then point to Microsoft System Center. Point to Configuration Manager 2007, and then click ConfigMgr Console.
  2. In the Configuration Manager console console tree, go to Site Database/Computer Management/Task Sequences.
  3. In the details pane, click Import Microsoft Deployment Task Sequence.
  4. The Import Microsoft Deployment Task Sequence Wizard starts.
  5. Complete the Import Microsoft Deployment Task Sequence Wizard by using the information in the table below. Accept the default values unless otherwise specified
On this wizard page Select Client Task Sequence, and then click Next.
General In Task sequence name, type Windows XP SP3 Target Deployment.
In Task sequence comments, type Task sequence for deploying captured reference computer image to the target computer (Home-XPSP3-Tar01), and then click Next.
Details Click Join a domain.
In Workgroup, type Home.local.
In User name, type Work User.
In Organization name, type Work Organization.
In Product key, type product_key (where product_key is the product key for Windows XP SP3).
In Capture destination, type \\Home-SCCM\Captures$\Home-XPSP3-Ref01.wim.
In Capture Account, click Set, and then complete the Windows User Account dialog box by performing the following steps:

  1. In User name, type Home\Administrator.
  2. In Password and Confirm password, type domain admin password.
  3. Click OK.

Click Next.

Boot Image In Specify an existing boot image package, click Browse.
In Select a package dialog box, click Windows PE Custom, and then click OK.
Click Next.
MDT Package In Specify an existing Microsoft Deployment Toolkit Files package, click Browse.
In the Select a Package dialog box, click MDT 2008 Files, and then click OK.
Click Next.
MDT Package: MDT Details In Name, type MDT 2008 Files.
In Version, type 1.00.
In Comments, type Provides access to MDT 2008 software during Configuration Manager deployment process, and then click Next.
OS Image Click Create a new OS image.
In OS image file (WIM) location, type \\Home-SCCM\Captures$\Home-XPSP3-Ref01.wim.
In Package source folder to be created, type \\Home-SCCM\Packages$\Home-XPSP3-Ref01_Image.
Click Next.
OS Image: Image Details In Name, type Windows XP SP3 Reference Image.
In Version, type 1.00.
In Comments, type Windows XP SP3 captured image of reference computer (Home-XPSP3-Ref01) used to deploy to target computers, and then click Next.
Client Package In Specify an existing ConfigMgr client package, click Browse.
In the Select a Package dialog box, click Configuration Manager Client Upgrade, and then click OK.
Click Next.
USMT Package In Specify an existing USMT package, click Browse.
In the Select a Package dialog box, click USMT, and then click OK.
Click Next.
Settings Package Click Create a new settings package.
In Package source folder to be created, type \\Home-SCCM\Packages$\CustomSettings_Target, and then click Next.
Settings Package: Settings Details In Name, type MDT 2008 Target Computer Custom Settings.
In Version, type 1.00.
In Comments, type Configuration settings for MDT 2008 deployment process (such as CustomSettings.ini) for the target computer, and then click Next.
Sysprep Package In Specify an existing Sysprep package, click Browse.
In the Select a Package dialog box, click Configuration Windows XP SP3 Sysprep, and then click OK.
Click Next.
Summary Displays a status bar that shows the progress of the tasks defined in the wizard. The Import Microsoft Deployment Task Sequence Wizard closes when the task sequence is imported.

Customize the target computer task sequence

By default, the task sequence sets the password for the local Administrator account to a random value. At this step we will specify the password we want.

To customize the Windows Vista Target Deployment task sequence:

  1. In the Configuration Manager console console tree, go to Site Database/Computer Management/Operating System Deployment/Task Sequences.
  2. In the details pane, click Windows XP SP3 Target Deployment.
  3. In the details pane, click Edit.
  4. In the Windows XP SP3 Reference Deployment Task Sequence Editor dialog box, go to PostInstall/Apply Windows Settings.
  5. On the Properties tab, click Enable the account and specify the local administrator password.
  6. On the Properties tab, in Password and Confirm Password, type P@ssw0rd, and then click Apply.

Select distribution point for packages and images

Running the Import Microsoft Deployment Task Sequence Wizard to create the task sequence for the target computers, creates a new software distribution package and a new image.

To select the distribution points for software distribution package:

  1. In the Configuration Manager console console tree, go to System Center Configuration Manager/Site Database/Computer Management/Software Distribution/Packages.
  2. In the details pane, click MDT 2008 Target Computer Custom Settings.
  3. In the details pane, click Manage Distribution Points.
  4. The Manage Distribution Points Wizard starts.
  5. Complete the Manage Distribution Points Wizard by using the information in the table below. Accept the default values unless otherwise specified.
On this wizard page Do this
Welcome Click Next.
Select Destination Distribution Point Click Next.
Package In Distribution points, select HOME-SCCM, and then click Next.
Completion Click Next.
Wizard Completed Click Close.

To select the distribution points for operating system images:

  1. In the Configuration Manager console console tree, go to System Center Configuration Manager/Site Database/Computer Management/Operating System Deployment/Operating System Images.
  2. In the details pane, click Windows XP SP3 Reference Image.
  3. In the details pane, click Manage Distribution Points.
  4. The Manage Distribution Points Wizard starts.
  5. Complete the Manage Distribution Points Wizard by using the information in the table below. Accept the default values unless otherwise specified.
On this wizard page Do this
Welcome Click Next.
Select Destination Distribution Point Click Next.
Package In Distribution points, select HOME-SCCM, and then click Next.
Completion Click Next.
Wizard Completed Click Close.

Deploy the captured image of the reference computer to the target computer

Create an advertisement for the target computer task sequence

To create an advertisement for the task sequence:

  1. In the Configuration Manager console console tree, go to System Center Configuration Manager/Site Database/Computer Management/Operating System Deployment/Task Sequences.
  2. In the details pane, click Windows XP SP3 Target Deployment.
  3. In the details pane, click Advertise.
  4. The New Advertisement Wizard starts.
  5. Complete the Manage Distribution Points Wizard by using the information in the table below. Accept the default values unless otherwise specified.
On this wizard page Do this
General In Comment, type Advertisement to deploy Windows XP SP3 reference image.
In Collection, click Browse.
In the Browse Collection dialog box, click All Unknown Computers, and then click OK.
Select the Make this task sequence available to boot media and PXE check box.
Click Next.
Schedule Click Next.
Distribution Point Click Next.
Interaction Click Next.
Security Click Next.
Summary Click Next.
Confirmation Click Close.

Now, we can boot Home-XPSP3-Tar01 computer from the ConfigMgr2007_TS_Boot_Media.iso file created earlier.

On the Welcome to the Task Sequence Wizard page, in the Password field type P@ssw0rd and press Next. You will see that there are two assignments: Windows XP SP3 Reference Deployment and Windows XP SP3 Target Deployment. Select Windows XP SP3 Target Deployment and click Next to start the operating system deployment.

 Task Sequence Wizard

The operating system deployment starts. If any problems occur during the deployment, consult the MDT 2008 document or learn how to troubleshoot task sequence issues in Configuration Manager.

And that was the simplest way (and with any configuration made to the operating system) to make an image of a reference computer and then use that image to deploy target computers.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

This post is especially for those few to whom I told how easy is to deploy Windows Vista with Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 R2 and who told me that they will use Windows XP few more months. In this post, I will show how to deploy Windows XP SP3 (the easiest and least customizable way) in a virtual environment (Virtual PC 2005 SP1) step-by-step. This post is inspired from “Quick Start Guide for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007” document.

In this post, I will create a reference machine with Windows XP SP3 and will capture an image of it. And in the then next post, I will use the captured image to create a new task sequence that can be used to deploy Windows XP SP3 to target machines.

My environment is described below (note that all operating systems and products used are x86 versions):

Computer Description and system resources
Home-DC1 The computer runs Windows Server 2003 SP1 with the following roles and services installed:

  • AD DS
  • DNS Server
  • DHCP Server

The system resources of the computer are as follows:

  • Processor running at 2 gigahertz
  • 128 megabytes physical memory
  • One disk partition that has 35 gigabytes (GB) available disk space and that will become the drive C partition
  • One CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive that will be assigned the drive letter D
Home-SCCM This computer runs SQL Server 2005 SP2 and System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 R2 fully working. The computer runs Windows Server 2003 SP2 R2.
The system resources of the computer are as follows:

  • Processor running at 2 GHz
  • 1024 MB physical memory
  • 33 GB available disk space
Home-XPSP3-Ref01 This is the reference computer, which runs no current operating system.
The system resources of the computer are as follows:

  • Processor running at 2 GHz
  • 1024 MB physical memory
  • 65 GB available disk space
Home-XPSP3-Tar01 This is the target computer, which runs no current operating system.

  • Processor running at 2 GHz
  • 1024 MB physical memory
  • 65 GB available disk space

So, let’s start.

Prepare the environment

Create required folders and shares

The MDT 2008 deployment process requires additional folders that are used as the source for files or to store files created during the MDT 2008 deployment process. Some of these folders need to be shared so that they can be accessed from other computers.

To create the required folders and shares:

  1. On Home-SCCM computer, create the following folders:
    • Captures
    • Packages
    • Source
  2. Configure the following shares and permissions:
    Share name Share permissions Security permissions
    Captures$
    Packages$
    Source$
    Administrators: Full Control
    Everyone: Read
    SYSTEM: Full Control
    Administrators: Full Control
    Creator owner: leave as default
    SYSTEM: Full Control
    Users: Read & Execute, List Folder Contents
  3. Create the following subfolders:
    • Source\MDT2008
    • Source\Sysprep_XPSP3
    • Source\USMT301
    • Source\Windows_XPSP3
    • Packages\CustomSettings_Reference
    • Packages\CustomSettings_Target
    • Packages\ MDT_2008_Files
    • Packages \Sysprep_XPSP3
    • Packages \USMT301
    • Packages \Windows_XPSP3
    • Packages \WinPE_Custom

Note: Please note that I do not have the “Drivers” folder as I’m installing the OS in a virtual machine and I will not use any drivers.

Obtain the required software

Besides the OS, SQL, Configuration Manager and other software installed already, we will also need the software listed below:

Obtain this software Place in this folder
MDT 2008 Update 1, available at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=3bd8561f-77ac-4400-a0c1-fe871c461a89
C:\Source\MDT2008
Windows XP SP3 distribution files from the product CD C:\Source\Windows_XPSP3
USMT version 3.0.1 available at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=799ab28c-691b-4b36-b7ad-6c604be4c595
C:\Source\USMT301
Sysprep for Windows XP SP3 available at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloadS/details.aspx?FamilyID=673a1019-8e3e-4be0-ac31-70dd21b5afa7&displaylang=en
Extracted files from “deploy.cab” place in C:\Source\Sysprep_XPSP3

Install User State Migration Tool

The USMT is used to save and restore user state migration information.

Install USMT on Home-SCCM in order to extract the files needed to create the System Center Configuration Manager package.

To install USMT 3.0.1:

  1. In Windows Explorer, go to C:\Source\USMT301, and then double-click InstallUSMT301_x86.msi.
  2. Complete the installation wizard by accepting all the default values.
    This installs USMT in C:\Program Files\USMT301.
  3. Copy the USMT source files from C:\Program Files\USMT301 to C:\Source\USMT301.

Install Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008 Update 1

To install MDT 2008 Update 1:

  1. In Windows Explorer, go to C:\Source\MDT2008.
  2. Double-click MicrosoftDeploymentToolkit_x86.msi and then click Install.
  3. Click Next to skip the welcome page.
  4. On the End-User License Agreement page, review the license agreement, select I accept the terms in the License Agreement, and then click Next.
  5. On the Custom Setup page, click Next.
  6. Click Install.
    The installation process status is displayed, then finishes.
  7. Click Finish.

Enable Configuration Manager Console integration

To enable Configuration Manager console integration:

Note: Ensure that Configuration Manager Console is closed while performing these steps.

  1. Click Start, and then point to All Programs. Point to Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, and then click Configure ConfigMgr 2007 Integration.
  2. The Configure ConfigMgr 2007 Integration script starts.
  3. In the Configure ConfigMgr Integration dialog box, in Site server name, verify that the value entered is your site server name.
  4. In Site code, verify that the value is your site code, and then click Finish.

MDT and ConfigMgr integration

Import and configure a task sequence to create a reference computer

The reference computer is used as the template for deploying new images to the target computers. Configure this computer (Home-XPSP3-Ref01) exactly as the target computers will be configured. An image of the reference computer will be captured and the image deployed to the target computers.

Create a MDT 2008 task sequence for the reference computer

To create a task sequence for deploying the reference computer:

  1. Click Start, point to All Programs, and then click Microsoft System Center. Click Configuration Manager 2007, and then click ConfigMgr Console.
  2. In the Configuration Manager console tree, go to Site Database/Computer Management/Task Sequences.
  3. In the details pane, click Import Microsoft Deployment Task Sequence.
    The Import Microsoft Deployment Task Sequence Wizard starts.
  4. Complete the Import Microsoft Deployment Task Sequence Wizard by using the information in the table below. Accept the default values unless otherwise specified.
    On this wizard page Do this
    Choose Template Select Client Task Sequence, and then click Next.
    General In Task sequence name, type Windows XP SP3 Reference Deployment. In Task sequence comments, type Task sequence for deploying Windows XP SP3 to the reference computer (Home-XPSP3-Ref01), and then click Next.
    Details Click Join a workgroup.
    In Workgroup, type WORKGROUP.
    In User name, type Work User.
    In Organization name, type Work Organization.
    In Product key, type product_key (where product_key is the product key for Windows XP SP3).
    In Capture destination, type \\Home-SCCM\Captures$\Home-XPSP3-Ref01.wim.
    In Capture Account, click Set, and then complete the Windows User Account dialog box by performing the following steps:

    1. In User name, type Home\Administrator.
    2. In Password and Confirm password, type domain admin password.
    3. Click OK.

    Click Next.

    Boot Image Click Create a new boot image package.
    In Package source folder to be created, type \\Home-SCCM\Packages$\WinPE_Custom, and then click Next.
    Boot Image: General Settings In Name, type Windows PE Custom.
    In Version, type 1.00.
    In Comments, type Customized version of Windows PE to be used in deployment of reference and target computers, and then click Next.
    Boot Image: Image Options Click Next.
    MDT Package Click Create a new Microsoft Deployment Toolkit Files package.
    In Package source folder to be created, type \\Home-SCCM\Packages$\MDT_2008_Files, and then click Next.
    MDT Package: MDT Details In Name, type MDT 2008 Files.
    In Version, type 1.00.
    In Comments, type Provides access to MDT 2008 software during Configuration Manager deployment process, and then click Next.
    OS Image Click Create a new OS install package.
    In OS installation folder location, type \\Home-SCCM\Source$\Windows_XPSP3.
    In Package source folder to be created, type \\Home-SCCM\Packages$\Windows_XPSP3, and then click Next.
    OS Image: Image Details In Name, type Windows XP SP3.
    In Version, type 1.00.
    In Comments, type Windows XP SP3 package used to deploy to reference computers, and then click Next.
    Client Package Click Create a new ConfigMgr client package, and then click Next.
    USMT Package Click Create a new USMT package.
    In Path to USMT executables and related files, type \\Home-SCCM\Source$\USMT301.
    In Package source folder to be created, type \\Home-SCCM\Packages$\USMT301, and then click Next.
    USMT Package: USMT Details In Name, type USMT.
    In Version, type 3.0.1.
    In Comments, type USMT files used to capture and restore user state migration information, and then click Next.
    Settings Package Click Create a new settings package.
    In Package source folder to be created, type \\Home-SCCM\Packages$\CustomSettings_Reference, and then click Next.
    Settings Package: Settings Details In Name, type MDT 2008 Reference Computer Custom Settings.
    In Version, type 1.00.
    In Comments, type Configuration settings for MDT 2008 deployment process (such as CustomSettings.ini) for the reference computer, and then click Next.
    Sysprep Package Click Create a new Sysprep package.
    In Path to Sysprep executables and related files, type \\Home-SCCM\Source$\Sysprep_XPSP3.
    In Package source folder to be created, type \\Home-SCCM\Packages$\Sysprep_XPSP3, and then click Next.
    Sysprep Package: Sysprep Details In Name, type Windows XP SP3 Sysprep.
    In Version, type 1.00.
    In Comments, type Sysprep files needed to deploy Windows XP SP3, and then click Next.
    Summary Displays a status bar that shows the progress of the tasks defined in the wizard. The Import Microsoft Deployment Task Sequence Wizard closes when the task sequence is imported.
    This process can take several minutes to finish.

Customize MDT 2008 configuration files

When the MDT 2008 task sequence has been imported, customize the MDT 2008 configuration files that provide the configuration settings for deploying Windows XP to the target computer. Specifically, customize the CustomSettings.ini file.

To customize the MDT 2008 configuration files for the reference computer:

1. In Windows Explorer, go to C:\Packages$\CustomSettings_Reference, and then double-click CustomSettings.ini.

2. In Notepad, add DoCapture=Yes to the end of the CustomSettings.ini file.

CustomSettings.ini

3. In Notepad, save the file, and then exit Notepad.

Customize the reference computer’s task sequence

By default, the task sequence sets the password for local Administrator account to a random value. At this step we will specify the password we want.

To customize the Windows Vista Reference Deployment task sequence:

  1. In the Configuration Manager console tree, go to Site Database/Computer Management/Operating System Deployment/Task Sequences.
  2. In the details pane, click Windows XP SP3 Reference Deployment.
  3. In the details pane, click Edit.
  4. In the Windows XP SP3 Reference Deployment Task Sequence Editor dialog box, go to PostInstall/Apply Windows Settings.
  5. On the Properties tab, click Enable the account and specify the local administrator password.
  6. On the Properties tab, in Password and Confirm Password, type P@ssw0rd, and then click Apply and OK.

Select distribution point for packages and image

The Import Microsoft Deployment Task Sequence Wizard created a number of packages and images. After these packages and images were modified as needed, we will select the distribution points from which the packages and images will be copied and available to target computers.

To select the distribution points for software distribution packages:

  1. In the Configuration Manager console tree, go to System Center Configuration Manager/Site Database/Computer Management/Software Distribution/Packages.
  2. In the details pane, click MDT 2008 Files.
  3. In the details pane, click Manage Distribution Points.
  4. The Manage Distribution Points Wizard starts.
  5. Complete the Manage Distribution Points Wizard by using the information in the table below. Accept default values unless otherwise specified.
    On this wizard page Do this
    Welcome Click Next.
    Select Destination Distribution Point Click Next.
    Package In Distribution points, select HOME-SCCM, and then click Next.
    Completion Click Next.
    Wizard Completed Click Close.

Repeat steps 2–4 of this procedure, substituting each of the following packages for:

  • MDT 2008 Reference Computer Custom Settings
  • USMT
  • Windows XP SP3 Sysprep
  • Configuration Manager Client Upgrade

To select the distribution points for boot images:

  1. In the Configuration Manager console tree, go to System Center Configuration Manager/Site Database/Computer Management/ Operating System Deployment/Boot Images.
  2. In the details pane, click Windows PE Custom.
  3. In the details pane, click Manage Distribution Points.
  4. The Manage Distribution Points Wizard starts.
  5. Complete the Manage Distribution Points Wizard by using the information in the table below. Accept default values unless otherwise specified.
    On this wizard page Do this
    Welcome Click Next.
    Select Destination Distribution Point Click Next.
    Package In Distribution points, select HOME-SCCM, and then click Next.
    Completion Click Next.
    Wizard Completed Click Close.

To select the distribution points for operating system installation packages:

  1. In the Configuration Manager console tree, go to System Center Configuration Manager/Site Database/Computer Management/ Operating System Deployment/Operating System Install Packages.
  2. In the details pane, click Windows XP SP3.
  3. In the details pane, click Manage Distribution Points.
  4. The Manage Distribution Points Wizard starts.
  5. Complete the Manage Distribution Points Wizard by using the information in the table below. Accept default values unless otherwise specified.
    On this wizard page Do this
    Welcome Click Next.
    Select Destination Distribution Point Click Next.
    Package In Distribution points, select HOME-SCCM, and then click Next.
    Completion Click Next.
    Wizard Completed Click Close.

Deploy Windows XP SP3 and capture an image of the reference computer

Create task sequence bootable media

A method must be provided for starting the computer with Windows PE and the necessary software to initiate the MDT 2008 process. At this step we’ll create the task sequence bootable media by using the Task Sequence Media Wizard and will use the .iso file to boot a new virtual machine with no operating system installed, just a new unformatted virtual hard disk.

To create task sequence bootable media:

  1. Click Start, point to All Programs, and then point to Microsoft System Center. Point to Configuration Manager 2007, and then click ConfigMgr Console.
  2. In the Configuration Manager console tree, go to System Center Configuration Manager/Site Database/Computer Management/Operating System Deployment/Task Sequences.
  3. In the details pane, click Create Task Sequence Media.
  4. The Task Sequence Media Wizard starts.
  5. Complete the Task Sequence Media Wizard by using the information in the table below. Accept the default values unless otherwise specified.
    On this wizard page Do this
    Select Media Type Click Bootable media, and then click Next.
    Media type In Media file, type \\Home-SCCM\Captures$\ConfigMgr2007_TS_Boot_Media.iso, and then click Next.
    Security In Password and Confirm password, type P@ssw0rd, and then click Next.
    Boot image In Boot image, click Browse.
    In the Select a Boot Image dialog box, click Windows PE Custom, and then click OK.
    Click Next.
    Summary Click Next.
    Confirmation Click Close.

The wizard creates the “ConfigMgr2007_TS_Boot_Media.iso” file in the \\Home-SCCM\Captures$ shared folder.

Create an advertisement for the reference computer task sequence

As I want to deploy Windows XP SP3 to bare-metal machines (which ConfigMgr doesn’t know about), I have to create an advertisement for All Unknown Computers collection.

To create an advertisement for the task sequence:

  1. In the Configuration Manager console tree, go to System Center Configuration Manager/Site Database/Computer Management/Operating System Deployment/Task Sequences.
  2. In the details pane, click Windows XP SP3 Reference Deployment.
  3. In the details pane, click Advertise.
  4. The New Advertisement Wizard starts.
  5. Complete the New Advertisement Wizard by using the information in table below. Accept the default values unless otherwise specified.
    On this wizard page Do this
    General In Comment, type Advertisement to deploy Windows Vista to the reference computer and then capture an image of the reference computer.
    In Collection, click Browse.
    In the Browse Collection dialog box, click All Unknown Computers, and then click OK.
    Select the Make this task sequence available to boot media and PXE check box.
    Click Next.
    Schedule Click Next.
    Distribution Points Click Next.
    Interaction Click Next.
    Security Click Next.
    Summary Click Next.
    Confirmation Click Close.

As “Home-XPSP3-Ref01″ is a virtual machine, at this point I will start it and boot from the created ISO file.

On the Welcome to the Task Sequence Wizard page, in the Password field type P@ssw0rd and press Next. You will see that there is only one assignment: Windows XP SP3 Reference Deployment. Select it and click Next to start the operating system deployment.

Task Sequence Wizard

The last task sequence action will capture an image of the reference computer.

Capture the Reference Machine

If any problems occur during the deployment, consult the MDT 2008 documentation or learn how to troubleshoot task sequence issues in Configuration Manager.

In the next post I will use the captured image to create a task sequence for target machines.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...

Let’s suppose you create a package with one program and want to advertise it only to a few selected platforms, including x86 and x64 Windows 7 systems. Because Windows 7 is not supported yet with Configuration Manager 2007 SP1, you cannot choose it from the supplied list of platforms. As a result of this, after receiving and downloading the package, the system will give you the following message:
Program rejected (wrong platform). Advertisement "XYZ12345" from site "XYZ" was rejected because the client's platform is not supported.

It is expected that SP2 will add support for Windows 7, but until then we can use the following workaround:

  1. Create a collection with all Windows 7 systems
    select sms_r_system.ResourceID, sms_r_system.ResourceType, sms_r_system.Name, sms_r_system.SMSUniqueIdentifier, sms_r_system.ResourceDomainORWorkgroup, sms_r_system.Client from sms_r_system where OperatingSystemNameandVersion like '%Workstation 6.1%'
  2. Create a new program (for example Program for Win7) for the same package and select “This program can run on any platform” as a requirement.
  3. Create a new advertisement and use “Program for Win7” program. Advertise it to Windows 7 collection created earlier.

That’s it. This may not be the best workaround, but it worked very well for me, at least until SP2 will RTM and I can install it in production.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

As I have some free time, I’m testing different things with SCCM, mainly in creating different collections that I might need. Bellow you can find the query that will show you all x64 systems, client and server operating systems.

select SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceID, SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceType, SMS_R_SYSTEM.Name, SMS_R_SYSTEM.SMSUniqueIdentifier, SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceDomainORWorkgroup, SMS_R_SYSTEM.Client from SMS_R_System inner join SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM on SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM.ResourceId = SMS_R_System.ResourceId where SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM.SystemType = "x64-based PC"

You can further customize this so it will show you only x64 servers or only x64 Vista systems etc.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...

Usually, extending the Active Directory schema is the last step I do when installing SCCM. This time, while installing SCCM in a virtual machine, you have to provide a path to a folder with SCCM updates or download these updates from the internet. Working in a virtual machine with a “Local only” network adapter, I couldn’t download those updates; so I switch the network adapter to an external one. After downloading the updates, next step is “Installation Prerequisite Check” and at this step I extend the AD schema.

Well, the following error was written in ExtADSch.log file:
Unable to connect to RootDSE - Cannot update Active Directory. Error code = 1355.
Failed to extend the Active Directory Schema.

Error 1355 is: ERROR_NO_SUCH_DOMAIN. That means that the specified domain could not be contacted or does not exist. The problem here is that I did not switched back to “Local only” network adapter and so the Active Directory could not be contacted. Setting the adapter to “Local only”, I could contact the Domain Controller and extending the schema was successful.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 1.00 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...

Someone just asked how to create a collection with all laptop computers? Well, if there is a good naming convention on site, this query will be easy to make even for me :-) But, otherwise, we need to use chassis type value because laptops and notebooks are not the same things.

The full list with chassis types are bellow (taken from http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/guide/sas_cpm_btnz.mspx?mfr=true):

Value Description
1 Other
2 Unknown
3 Desktop
4 Low Profile Desktop
5 Pizza Box
6 Mini Tower
7 Tower
8 Portable
9 Laptop
10 Notebook
11 Hand Held
12 Docking Station
13 All in One
14 Sub Notebook
15 Space-Saving
16 Lunch Box
17 Main System Chassis
18 Expansion Chassis
19 Sub Chassis
20 Bus Expansion Chassis
21 Peripheral Chassis
22 Storage Chassis
23 Rack Mount Chassis
24 Sealed-Case PC

So, to make a collection with all kind of mobile systems (Portable, Laptop, Notebook, Sub Notebook) we will use 8, 9, 10 and 14 chassis types. The final query looks like this:

select SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceID, SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceType, SMS_R_SYSTEM.Name, SMS_R_SYSTEM.SMSUniqueIdentifier, SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceDomainORWorkgroup, SMS_R_SYSTEM.Client from SMS_R_System inner join SMS_G_System_SYSTEM_ENCLOSURE on SMS_G_System_SYSTEM_ENCLOSURE.ResourceID = SMS_R_System.ResourceId where SMS_G_System_SYSTEM_ENCLOSURE.ChassisTypes in ("8", "9", "10", "14")

If you receive the “This query has a syntax error.” error, change the quotation marks when pasting the query, as this one does not work with ConfigMgr.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...

I don’t do this usually, but this time this is really interesting.

I want to recommend a very good blog post written by Kenneth Van Surksum about troubleshooting Task Sequences in Configuration Manager. Find it here http://www.techlog.org/archive/2009/03/01/troubleshooting_task_sequences.

He talks about the smsts.log file, where to find it during installation and what tool you can use to read the logs easily. Also, at the end, he wrote a list of helpful links to get you start troubleshooting.

Definitely I will add his feed to my “SCCM blogs I read” list.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

Recently, I needed a collection with all computers that do not have Adobe Reader 9 installed.

I created a collection with this query: SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS.DisplayName not like "%Adobe Reader 9%". Everything was fine except the fact that my computer was also listed, despite the fact that I have Adobe Reader 9 installed. Well, I’m not an SQL geek but I know that SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS.DisplayName like "%Adobe Reader 9%" should return all computers with Adobe Reader 9 installed. This one was ok – the collection listed only me. Something was wrong with my first query so I asked for help our SQL guys and in a few minutes I had the right query :-)

Also, I didn’t want to install the Reader on server computers with SCCM client. So the final query looked like this:

select SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceID, SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceType, SMS_R_SYSTEM.Name, SMS_R_SYSTEM.SMSUniqueIdentifier, SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceDomainORWorkgroup, SMS_R_SYSTEM.Client from SMS_R_System inner join SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM on SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM.ResourceID = SMS_R_System.ResourceId where SMS_R_System.OperatingSystemNameandVersion not like "%Server%" and SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM.Name not in (select distinct SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM.Name from SMS_R_System inner join SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM on SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM.ResourceID = SMS_R_System.ResourceId inner join SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS on SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS.ResourceID = SMS_R_System.ResourceId where SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS.DisplayName like "%Adobe Reader 9%")

I’m sure there are more ways to do this, but this is the query that worked for me.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...