For newer servers I don’t really use templates anymore, but if you are deploying a lot of 2003 Windows servers in vSphere, then they can save you some time. Back in the days of vCenter 2.5 you just uploaded those sysprep files to the relevant folder in,
[box]C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersApplication DataVmwareVmware Virtual Centersysprep[/box]
But that location no longer exists (since Server 2008).
You have a 2008 R2 Server to sysprep, but your not sure where sysprep is.
Solution
1. Thankfully in Server 2008 R2, there’s no messing about, its in c:windowssystem32sysprep. (Note: to regenerate a SID don’t forget to tick “Generalize”).
Server 2008 – It’s in the same place.
Server 2003 – As with Windows XP, you need to get it from the Windows install CD, its in the supporttoolsdeploy.cab.
Once the files are extracted you can run sysprep (Note: setupmgr.exe is used to create the unattended / answer files for sysprep.)
Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links
This weekend I needed to install Windows 7 on my shiny new Acer HTPC, but having no internal CD/DVD drive I needed to do this via USB.
Quite a few times now I’ve needed to install Windows (Particularly Server 2008), on a machine that has no DVD Drive. You can now install both products from a bootable USB drive by doing either of the the following.
Note: You will need a USB Drive with enough free space on it to hold the Windows setup files (Windows 7 and Server 2008 require 4GB ish, depending on versions).
Solution
Option 1 (The quick and dirty techie way!)
1. Pop in your USB Drive > open a command windows and execute the following commands:
[box]diskpart {enter} [launches the disk partition program]
list {enter}[Displays all the disks you can work with]
select disk x {enter}[Select the USB Drive number]
clean {enter}[Wipes the USB Drive][/box]
2. Execute the following commands:
[box]create partition primary {enter} [Creates a new primary partition]
select partition 1{enter}[Select the partition you have just made]
active {enter}[Makes the partition bootable]
exit {enter}[Closes diskpart][/box]
3. Now use a utility like 7-Zip to extract the Windows Install media .ISO file to your USB drive.
4. Now boot your device from USB, (Enter the BIOS boot section and change the boot order), or press the key the machine says will load the boot options when you first turn it on.
Note: Some machines require you to change USB emulation before you can boot from them like so.
I wrote an article yesterday about tethering via bluetooth, and had a few problems, sorry to say the web was not much help at all 🙁
Basically the iPhone was marked with a yellow warning triangle, and when clicking the troubleshooting option you see the following,
Error: Bluetooth Peripheral Device doesn’t have a driver.
2. I read some forum posts and the general advice was to download iTunes, extract the driver msi out of it and use those drivers, but that didn’t work either.
Error: Bluetooth Peripheral Device – No driver found.
Solution
The reason this is happening, is by default your iPhone installs with the “Wireless iAP” Service enabled. Click Start > Devices and Printers >Locate your iPhone > Right click > Properties > Services > Untick Wireless iAP > Apply > OK.
Note: You can still use the phone as an internet access point.
Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links
