Client install on RIS / SYSPREP image.....

[qtin]

Here's one for the group....

I'm in the process of converting our Win2k master images to have the SMS Advanced client already on it. Here is the issue.... During the setup phase of RIS I get the following error message:

"The currently select graphics display driver can not be used. It was written for a previous version of Windows and can no longer be used.

The system has been started using the default VGA driver."

You can hit OK and the PC will finish w/ the proper driver installed. The catch is we are in the middle of a PC refresh and waiting for the window is a little annoying.

Any thoughts would be helpful.

Thanks,
Q-

 

[Count430]

I think you should add the updates driver to your image before you start the process.

Normally when we receive new hardware or updates images we'll configure the new PC and snap that image with all the latest and greatest bells and whistles.

Are you guys doing something different in your shop?

RIS is this Remote Installation services. Your only issue here appears to be a video driver update.

 

[qtin]

Yes, RIS is Remote Installation Services and yes - we do it a little differently in our shop.

You can't add an updated video driver unless you have an image for each style of machine. That defeats the purpose of RIS. I have one image for 90% of the machines on our network. RIS has worked great for us until now. I would rather not go back to trying to maintain 20 images - I'm lazy and like my 3 base images

When you run RIPREP (first step in making a RIS image) it strips out PnP devices as it copies the image to the server. It also appends everything in sysprep.ini to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Devicepath which tells Windows where to find drivers during the mini setup portion of the install. This allows you to add as many drivers as you want and trick Windows into searching the directories they reside in by default.

Long story short - If I actually install the video drivers for one model PC the others don't work.

Oh how I wish it was as simple as adding updated video drivers

 

[vtjo]

I can't think of the best way to describe this, but have you tried adding the drivers to the file structure of the image? What I mean is, after you create the basic image, you add the file structure of the drivers to the image. Knowledge Base Article 254078 describes the process. I've never done it with video, but it works for NIC drivers.

 

[qtin]

I had the driver structure in place like in 254078 - We have been using RIS for about year.

FWIW - I think I did finally figure out a way around the whole thing.

In case anybody cares:

-Build machine as you like it
-Disable remote control agent in SMS console and don't install accelerated screen transfer on windows clients.
-force a discovery and let SMS install agent
-riprep machine
-turn remote control agent back on w/ screen transfer thingy

When a different PC w/ the new image comes up it will detect the policy change in remote tools and reinstall the agent.

Seems to work on a couple of test machines.

Thanks to all for the ideas.

Q-