Here is the deal. I had a version of 'Microsoft Server 2008 RC1' and on that server I had BDD 2007. I used the instructions on this site, http://thelazyadmin.com/blogs/thelazyadmin/archive/2007/06/19/capturing-a-custom-image-using-imagex-and-a-generic-winpe-disk.aspx , to capture and apply the image to a load of, at the time, new Dell PCs. I had to do this since the version of Power Quest we had was so old it would not recognize the VISTA partition. I did NOT use sysprep on this image when I did it (YEAH I know not the thing to do) and still everything worked fine. I was able to reimage about 7 machines at a time using the 'Imagex' off of the server.

I got a copy of the official release of Microsoft Server 2K8 so I copied the .WIM file off of the old server, nuked the HDD and loaded the official release of Microsoft Server 2K8. Reinstalled BDD 2007 and dropped the old .WIM in the distribuiton folder. Make a genericx86 boot iso, as I did in the past, and started the 'Imagex' /apply.

 HERE IS THE PROBLEM! When I start the 'Imagex' it says it applies the image and gives me a 100% done. However, when I reboot said PC it dosen't boot into the OS. It acts like nothing ever happend. I have tried to use the VISTA install CD to wipe the drive and fomat the partition, I have used Partition Magic and nuke the drive including the dell partition, I have tried everything I can think off, but I can't get the .WIM to work after applying it with the 'Imagex'. It shows it doing work and even after it is done I type c:\ and then 'dir' and there are a list of files. Can some one help me?

can only think the wim got corrupted?

Have you got it elsewhere - maybe copy it across again. 

Yes I have it else where and I could not get a different copy to work. What is worse I did the same procedure on an other VISTA machine where I did a capture and then tried to apply that image to 2 different PCs and same thing, it does work, but once I reboot it acts like nothing happened. All the PCs, the captured PC and the PCs that where applied, all have the same hardware.

 I need this thing to work and it did before. I just don't know what to do now.
 

Hopefully someone more knowledgable with BDD will reply tomorrow morning, Andy may have a suggestion, he is in England so with the time diff check back tomorrow. I'll ping THE lazy admin if I see him and se what he has to say too.

I hope so. I don't know what to do until then, but be patient. Thanks!

 

###EDIT### 

 

I didn't want to double post. So here is the deal. Imagex downloads all the files just fine. While using the Win PXE CD on the client machine I go to the c:\ folder and I can see all the files. Just when I restart the PC it will not boot into the OS I have downloaded. It's like the /apply didn't really apply. I have checked the BIOS settings and I have it set to boot from the HDD as number one on the Dell, CD rom is number 2.

 Two things I can think of are different than the last time I did this. The last time I did this the server was MS Windows 2K8 RC1 and NOT apart of a domain. Also, the /verify command when issued on the client PC made some noise. That is to say it showed work and was scrolling through lines of code and as it processed the download. So far I have not be able to recreate that. I have check the permissions on the distributions$ on the server and give permissions to everyone for everything.  I will see if that makes a difference. Here is to hoping.
 

might want to set the rights to anonymous as everyone indicates part of the domain.

 Quick questions, have you tried redoing a machine that worked before. Maybe the new machines have something different?

Seems like what I have to do is NUKE the drive and reload Server 2008 or try it with XP to run  BDD2007.

 

As a side note I had one of my co-workers use Imagex on his server using the .wim in question. Did NOT work. However, he then used WDS to broadcast the .wim in question and SUCCESS!! I need more work to use WDS on my own, but that might be what I have to do. Back to the drawling board as it where.

Hey just saw your thread. Try grabbing the update for BDD 2007 AKA Windows Deployment

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=3BD8561F-77AC-4400-A0C1-FE871C461A89&displaylang=en

I'm planning on writing some updates to detail this just as soon as I get some time. :)

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Daniel Nerenberg
LazyAdmin
MCT,MCSE,MCTS,MCITP

Thanks for the reply! Let me give you a bit of an update and add to the confusion a bit. Before you posted your link to MDT I already went and installed the latest version of that software. MDT is just a rename and slight upgrade from BDD. I installed all the updates that I could then I added my drivers, created the distribution share, generated a genericx86.iso(this has the latest WinPE on it, more later) which I burned to disk and started booting on my client machine.

 WinPE, which is what the genericx86.iso basically is, has a little program on it called DISK PART. Now before I get into what I did with this program know that I had previously used the VISTA install CD to format the client machines HDD to start a clean install of the .WIM using ImageX. I had also done the same test with an old copy of Partion Magic, but to no avail. However using the DISK PART, which I got a guide on how to do here, software on the WinPE CD to clean and format then started ImageX I got results, sort of.

 When ImageX was done applying the image I rebooted and it gave me this Windows Boot Manager error message:

File: \Windows\system32\winload.exe

Status: 0xc000000o

Info: The select entry could not be loaded because the application is missing or corrupt.

What I did was reboot, insert the VISTA install or the VISTA repair CD in the CD driver and boot from that. Go through the short steps to get to the REPAIR function on the CD and then all is well.

 Things to note:

1. I did NOT sys prep this image. I know very bad, but I will be doing that this time and I will besure to test capturing and applying the image to see if things change.

2. I tried this technique with an XP image using ImageX and I did NOT have this problem. This image was not sys prep either for the sake of testing.

3. I created two different .WIMs of VISTA. One was a non SP1 copy with all sorts of software and the other was just a the OS with SP1 and both gave me the same error message and where fixed the same way.

4. I had a co-worker of mine try the VISTA wim with WDS and no problems or errors or need for VISTA repair. He has the domains and things setup to do WDS I am still working on this so Imagex will work for me for the time.

5. ImageX can handle up to 11 max PCs imaging from the host server. We have tested this just incase we could not get WDS up in time. We do what we have to do with the time and resources we have :D

6. The instructions on this site on how to capture and apply using BDD work the exact same in MDT so it's all good. I did notice the /verify command works very rarely. Not sure why, but it's nice to see it doing work. Placebo thing.

 

I hope that helps give people a better understanding of this situation. If I find out more on Monday after talking to my co-workers I will let you all know. Thanks!