Seen when using WDS on Windows Server 2008 (and 2008 R2). When attempting to PXE boot a client machine, it sucessfully gets an IP address. But it times out at the TFTP stage.
This is a common occurance if the WDS server is also a DNS server. It happens on machines that have had the MS08-037 security update installed. Basically the ports that WDS needs are being reserved for DNS.
Solution
1. On the WDS server > Start > in the search/run box type regedit {enter}.
During a large rollout the more things you can automate the better, before you continue though be aware of one thing…
You can only automatically join a client to a domain if it has an auto generated random machine name!*
*Note: This is not 100% true, if you pre-stage the computer objects into Active Directory with the GUID of the machine (you can see this on the screen at pXe boot time, or get it from the BIOS) Then you can auto join the machines and they will come in with the correct name. However, if you have a large number of machines to build, this is more time consuming than simply renaming them after they have been imaged.
Solution
Before you begin make sure you are clued up on working with WDS unattended files, run through my instructions here.
The following procedure needs to be added to the images unattended file NOT the WDS Unattended file, (again run through KB0000180 if you are unsure.)
1. While editing your unattended answerfile you need to locate, “Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup_neutral”, add it to pass 4 (Specialize) and set the ComputerName entry to * (an asterisk).
Note: In this section you can also enter to windows product code, and owner details, as well as your time zone.
2. Then locate, “Microsoft-Windows-UnattendedJoin”, add it to pass 4 (Specialize). Set the JoinDomain entry to the name of your domain. Set UnsecureJoin to “true”.
4. This procedure will add the following to your unattended file.
Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links
In part one we built and configured the WDS Server. Now you need to prepare the reference Windows 8 machine so that you can ‘capture’ its image.
Solution
Before you start, make sure that the machine you are imaging has PLENTY of room on one of its local drive(s), because it copies the image locally, before it sends it to WDS.
Place Your Reference Windows 8 Machine in Audit Mode
To put all the software on your reference machine and configure it how you like, the machine needs to be in ‘Audit Mode’ before you start. There are TWO ways to put the machine into audit mode.
Note: While a machine is in audit mode, it will log on automatically as the Administrator, and every time the machine boots sysprep will launch (in anticipation of you needing it).
Option 1: A Newly Built Machine
1. When you have first built the Windows 8 machine, you will see the screen below, Press CTRL+SHIFT+F3, the machine will automatically reboot and enter audit mode.
Option 2: You Are Already in Windows
2. You can also put a Windows 8 machine into audit mode by running the sysprep executable with the /audit switch.
3. Once in Audit mode, install all the program and configure all the settings you want in your master image. When you are happy run the sysprep program, (Or simply reboot, as sysprep launches at every boot when you are in audit mode).
4. Tick the ‘Generalize’ option, select either shutdown or reboot, (If you choose reboot make sure the machine is ready to pXe boot from the network, and the boot order has the NICBEFORE the hard drive, or sysprep will start and rebuild the machine before it’s imaged).
5. Sysprep will run, and shutdown or reboot as requested.
6. When the machine boots press F12 to boot from the WDS server.
7. Note: Now you can see why (in part one) we called the boot image ‘Capture an Image’ and the capture ‘Capture an Image’. Select the capture option.
8. WindowsPE will run at the welcome screen > Next,
Note: If the process fails at this point, usually it’s because the network card driver for this machine IS NOT in the boot image.
9. Select the volume that you want to image, (Note: It will NOT be C: that’s reserved, usually it’s D:) > Give the image a name, this is the name you will see in the WDS console, and when you are imaging the target machines > Enter a comment/description > Next.
10. Browse.
11. Navigate to a local drive, and give the image a name with a .wim extension > Save.
12. Tick the box to upload the image > Supply IP/Name of the WDS server > Connect.
13. Supply credentials to log onto the WDS server > OK.
14. Once authenticated you can select the image group we setup in part one > Next.
15. The image will be created on the reference machine.
