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Windows Deployment Services (WDS)

Part 5. Automating deployment

Tuesday, 29 January 2008

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Part 5. Automating deployment
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This article will explain how to setup WDS in unattended mode, partitioning and formatting drives and selecting the correct image automatically.

A 'WDSClientUnattend.xml' file needs to be created which tells the Windows PE boot environment what to do including what language to use, what credentials to use (for connecting to the WDS server), how to partition the disk and which image to deploy.

For Vista, this can be done per image as 'sysprep.inf' options are also specified but when deploying XP you must specify the 'WDSClientUnattend.xml' script at the server level.

Copy, and edit as appropriate, the sample 'WDSClientUnattend.xml' file from below and place it in the WDSClientUnattend folder under the RemoteInstall share.
In the WDS console, right-click on your server name, choose properties and then the client tab.
Tick the 'Enable unattended installation' check box and browse to your 'WDSClientUnattend.xml' file.

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
- <unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
   - <settings pass="windowsPE">
     - <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" processorArchitecture="x86">
      - <WindowsDeploymentServices>
        - <Login>
            <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
          - <Credentials>
              <Username>Replace with an appropriate username</Username>
              <Domain>Replace with your domain name</Domain>
              <Password>Replace with your password</Password>
            </Credentials>
          </Login>
        - <ImageSelection>
            <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
          - <InstallImage>
              <ImageName>Image name as shown in the WDS console</ImageName>
              <ImageGroup>Image group name as shown in the WDS console</ImageGroup>
              <Filename>Image filename (e.g. image.wim)</Filename>
            </InstallImage>
          - <InstallTo>
              <DiskID>0</DiskID>
              <PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
            </InstallTo>
          </ImageSelection>
        </WindowsDeploymentServices>
      - <DiskConfiguration>
          <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
        - <Disk>
          - <CreatePartitions>
            - <CreatePartition>
                <Order>1</Order>
                <Type>Primary</Type>
                <Extend>true</Extend>
              </CreatePartition>
            </CreatePartitions>
        - <ModifyPartitions>
          - <ModifyPartition>
              <Active>true</Active>
              <Extend>false</Extend>
              <Format>NTFS</Format>
              <Label>OS</Label>
              <Letter>C</Letter>
              <Order>1</Order>
              <PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
            </ModifyPartition>
          </ModifyPartitions>
        - <DiskID>0</DiskID>
            <WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
          </Disk>
        </DiskConfiguration>
      </component>
    - <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" processorArchitecture="x86">
      - <SetupUILanguage>
         <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
         <UILanguage>en-UK</UILanguage>
        </SetupUILanguage>
        <UILanguage>en-UK</UILanguage>
      </component>
    </settings>
</unattend>

The complete file can be downloaded here.

When you now boot into the WinPE deployment environment (e.g. Turn on > F12 > PXE boot > Deploy Windows XP) you will no longer be prompted for any settings. The drive (including any hidden OEM partitions) will be wiped, a new partition created and formatted, the required image will be selected (after automatically logging in to WDS), the locale will be selected and finally the installation will be confirmed and started.

13 comments have been left for this article.

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Jeff wrote:
Posted on: 07/02/2008 21:34:49

There's no link for it.

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Dave wrote:
Posted on: 07/02/2008 22:21:54

Haven't added this bit yet, been a bit busy, sorry! I'll add it in the next day or two.

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Ben wrote:
Posted on: 20/02/2008 13:12:14

My WDS server is logging in but not selecting the image automatically. I've used the exact image name, group name and filename but I still have to select the image.

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Ben wrote:
Posted on: 20/02/2008 21:21:50

Also, your file when downloaded has "-" all through it. This causes it to fail validation. Do you have a clean file that you can upload?

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Dave wrote:
Posted on: 20/02/2008 21:39:26

@Ben: The file should still work with the hyphens in there but I've removed them anyway and reuploaded so try again! In terms of not selecting the image automatically, try changing <UILanguage>en-UK</UILanguage> to <UILanguage>en-GB</UILanguage>. If that doesn't work try using <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage> instead. I'm still a bit sketchy with this part but IIRC it will also depend on your image's language.

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Dave wrote:
Posted on: 20/02/2008 22:40:42

@Ben: I've just seen from your IP address that you are in the US so you definitely shouldn't have en-UK or en-GB specified as your image is going to be a US version. You should therefore have this instead:

<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>

Or just remove the entire section:

<SetupUILanguage>
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
<UILanguage>en-UK</UILanguage>
</SetupUILanguage>
<UILanguage>en-UK</UILanguage>

Let us know how you get on.

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Ben wrote:
Posted on: 22/02/2008 12:55:38

Dave,

I finally got it to work but had to use another sample file from out on the web. I had already changed the language sections though. Thanks for the great guide!

Ben in SC

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Dave wrote:
Posted on: 23/02/2008 09:30:07

Can you send me a copy of the file that you used for comparison?
djones @ midteq.co.uk

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Nick Young wrote:
Posted on: 05/06/2008 19:21:54

Excellent guide! Good work!

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Mike Ortega wrote:
Posted on: 11/06/2008 15:47:09

The file isnt working for me, it seems like it it being completly ignored. I am using the boot.wim off the Vista CD, could that be causing my problem? Also on line 3 "<settings pass="windowsPE">" should I be changing that to say the same thing as my Deploy image name?