Windows 7 32 bit and 64 bit HII process

I have this problem currently with my Windows 7 64bit HII image. I have no 32bit drivers associated with the image either. I have called LANDesk's support about this and it seems no one there has any idea how to fix this issue. I've been trying to figure out a work around for a couple months now.

The problem occurs somewhere during the image process. When you create the image, there shouldn't be an unattend.xml in C:\Windows\Panther or anywhere else. When LANDesk pulls the unattend file that it creates during the script, it places it in C:\unattend.xml

For some reason, a rouge unattend.xml file gets created in C:\Windows\Panther, and sysprep chooses to use that file instead of the one in C:\. I have no idea where this file comes from or how to remove it.

Tom Reeb wrote:

For some reason, a rouge unattend.xml file gets created in C:\Windows\Panther, and sysprep chooses to use that file instead of the one in C:\. I have no idea where this file comes from or how to remove it.

I dont have any answers to your actual problem, but I would like to chime in on the C:\Windows\Panther.

The unattend.xml file that is placed there is the one that the actual Sysprep process uses during the actual process when it is booted up.  The file is placed there when the /oobe switch is ran and is usually processed and created automatically from the C:\windows\system32\sysprep\unattend.xml file unless it is specificed otherwise with the /unattend:C:\unattend.xml switch.

If you guys are having problems with just LANDesk messing up the unattend.xml files during the HII process, you can always have a repository of the "correct" unattend.xml's and copy them over after the image is laid down to C:\Windows\Panther and override what is there and that unattend.xml will be processed.

I wonder then... Would placing a working unattend.xml in C:\Windows\system32\sysprep make this work?

Tom Reeb wrote:

 

I wonder then... Would placing a working unattend.xml in C:\Windows\system32\sysprep make this work?

You would have to place it before LANDesk runs the /oobe command, which im not sure when that is. (I Dont use LANDesk HII process) but i believe it should be one of the Synchronous commands in sysprep.

do you capture your image with /audit or /oobe /generalize?

I capture the image in audit mode.

I took the unattend.xml that landesk creates, modified it (eseentially replaced the x86 stuff with amd64 stuff), and have it copied to c:\windows\panther after the image is deployed, but before the machine reboots.

I've tried everything I can think of, but for the life of me I still can not get this to work. I may call landesk support again. Thanks for your help and I appreciate any other advice you can give.

Also, I'm sorry for the thread hijack but we are working to fix the same issue.

Just chiming in to say I'm seeing the same issue as well. I haven't found a solution or workaround.

not really a solution, but an alternative way.

I use HII only for the neccessary drivers(only network and storage). The other driver will install after Windows 7 (32 or 64) is complete installed. I use the Tool  "DPinst.exe" from the WDK( or SDK - I not sure). I wrote a C# execute file (you can also use wsf or vbs) with WMI-Querys for model and OS to use the correct path on my "drivers storage(is simple a folder structure on a file-server). With different parameters you can use "DPinst.exe" for installing the driver do you need and complete silently.

thomas.wallner wrote:

 

not really a solution, but an alternative way.

I use HII only for the neccessary drivers(only network and storage). The other driver will install after Windows 7 (32 or 64) is complete installed. I use the Tool  "DPinst.exe" from the WDK( or SDK - I not sure). I wrote a C# execute file (you can also use wsf or vbs) with WMI-Querys for model and OS to use the correct path on my "drivers storage(is simple a folder structure on a file-server). With different parameters you can use "DPinst.exe" for installing the driver do you need and complete silently.

 

 

Hi Thomas,

what version of DPinst.exe are you using?

I could not get one version to work on both x86 and amd64.  I had to use the 32-bit version of DPinst.exe for x86 stuff and DPinst64.exe for the amd64 drivers.

Hi EMiranda,

that's thats correct. I have also two version of DPinst one for x86 and one for 64Bit, but my C# tool checks which OS it is(Windows XP or WIN7 / 64Bit or 32Bit) and use than the correct path for example ...\latitude e5420\Winxp\x86\DPinst.exe.

Thomas

I was originally using DPInst as a RunSynchronous Command in the audit user phase after injecting the boot critical drivers but even with that setup, I was still getting the errors discussed above.

To give you an idea, I have 2 folders on a network share, x86 and x64. The x86 folder has the 32bit version of dpinst and all the XP drivers for the models we support (extracted from Dell driver pack cabs). The x64 folder has the 64bit version of dpinst and all the Windows 7 drivers (since we only deploy 64bit windows 7)

Both folders have a dpinst.xml file to configure it to scan the current directory (and all subdirectories, install the drivers silently, and ignore signature checks. The file looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
  <dpinst>

<suppressAddRemovePrograms/>

<!-- The following search and subDirectory elements direct
     DPInst to search all subdirectories (under the DPInst working directory) to locate driver
     packages. -->
    <search>
      <subDirectory>*</subDirectory>
    </search>


<!-- Allows Unsigned Drivers -->
<legacyMode/>

<!-- Disables UI prompts -->
<quietInstall/>


<!-- The following language element localizes its child elements
     for the English (Standard) language. The child elements
     customize the text that appears on the DPInst wizard pages. -->
    <language code="0x0409">
      <dpinstTitle>Device Driver Updater</dpinstTitle>
      <welcomeTitle>Welcome to the Device Installer!</welcomeTitle>
      <welcomeIntro>This wizard will walk you through updating the drivers for your device.</welcomeIntro>
      <installHeaderTitle>Installing the software for your device...</installHeaderTitle>
      <finishTitle>Congratulations! You finished installing your device drivers.</finishTitle>
    </language>

    <scanHardware/>

</dpinst>

DPInst scans all the drivers and installs the necessary ones. It takes about 10 minutes to complete with about 19 model driver packs to scan (about 10GB of drivers)

Instead of calling dpinst during the audituser phase, I've moved it to the execute file action in my provisioning template. This appears to be working but I still have more testing to do to confirm.

Hope that helps

-George

thomas.wallner wrote:

 

Hi EMiranda,

 

that's thats correct. I have also two version of DPinst one for x86 and one for 64Bit, but my C# tool checks which OS it is(Windows XP or WIN7 / 64Bit or 32Bit) and use than the correct path for example ...\latitude e5420\Winxp\x86\DPinst.exe.

 

Thomas

I understand now. Thanks!  I love DPinst.exe, btw.

Hi guys,

anyone has found a solution to this issue? I cannot say to my customer:"Sorry, we cannot use LANDesk HII because...", they have upgraded to SP3 for HII...

Thanks

Has anyone tried to use MDT 2012 and LANDesk provisioning? This seems to be the best solution for this type of issue. I was able to get Windows PE 4.0 (x86) with the LANDesk agent installed to work with LANDesk provisioning in order to facilitate the installation Windows 7 OS (64 bit) using MDT 2012. This included running all MDT task sequences and appropriate drivers.

This fixed my problem. I had an windows xp driver with DPInst and was causing failure in my sysprep file. After removing it from the drivers I did not receive error in sysprep.