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Getting Started: Capturing a Windows 7 Image with SCCM OSD Using a Task Sequence
TechNet Blogs > GBorger's Configuration Manager Blog > Getting Started: Capturing a Windows 7 Image with SCCM OSD Using a Task Sequence
Getting Started: Capturing a Windows 7 Image with SCCM OSD Using a Task Sequence
Gerry Borger 11 Oct 2010 9:30 AM Comments 1 Operating System Deployment is one of the most utilized features of Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 (SCCM). Many companies are now planning to upgrade their machines from Windows XP to Windows 7 and will be using SCCM to do so. IT organizations may be new to SCCM or Windows 7 OS Deployment so this blog post provides some instruction on how to use SCCM to capture an image from a reference machine. Why would you want to capture a Windows 7 image? It is possible to use SCCM to create a task sequence which installs the operating system, software updates, applications, etc, but by including those in the image itself can dramatically reduce the time it takes to deploy a machine. The downside of capturing everything in an image is that if something within the image must be removed or changed, a new image will have to be created. It is important for IT organizations to plan what is to be included in an image, and what is going to be installed after an image is restored to a machine. Many customers use a hybrid approach by creating an image which contains the OS, Office, patches, and other core applications and then installing drivers, other specialized applications and machine specific hardware applications later in a task sequence. Note: This article will not cover how to setup SCCM as there is quite a bit of documentation which provides guidance on how to do so. Also, this article doesnt address using SCCM and the PXE Service Point role to PXE boot clients. The reason is because setting up a PXE Service Point is fairly easy when clients are on the same subnet as the server, but when traversing subnets or VLANs, additional configuration is required, which exceeds the scope of this article. For further reference, see the following links: Configuration Manager Planning and Deployment Overview Planning for PXE Initiated Operating System Deployments
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At the Computer Client Agent Properties dialog box, at the General tab, under the Network Access Account section, select the Set button. At the Windows User Account dialog, enter the domain\username and password of the NAA and then click OK.
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At the Create Package from Definition Wizard, Welcome screen, click Next.
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At the Package Definition screen, select the Configuration Manager Client Upgrade definition and click Next.
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At the Source Files screen, select Always obtain files from a source directory and then click Next.
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At the Source Directory screen, select Local drive on site server and browse to <ConfigMgr Installation Folder>\Client and then click Next.
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Click Finish at the Summary screen. It is important to distribute the package to all distribution points. In the ConfigMgr console, expand the package for the Configuration Manager Client Upgrade, right-click the Distribution Points node, and select
9. At the New Distribution Points Wizard Welcome screen, click Next. 10. At the Copy Package screen, select your distribution points and click Next. 11. Click Close at the Confirmation screen.
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Check the box Enable command support (testing only) and then click OK. You will be prompted with a dialog box stating that a Distribution Point Update (is) Required Click Yes. The Manage Distribution points Wizard will appear, click Next to continue.
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When the boot image update is completed, click Close. Repeat the above steps for the Boot image (x86) package. Once both boot images have been modified, expand each boot image, right-click Distribution Points and select New Distribution Point.
10. Click Next and at the Copy Package screen, select ALL distribution points. If a PXE Service Point has been installed, it is important to select the SMSPXEIMAGES$ share based distribution points as well. 11. Click Next to continue, and Close to complete the process. 12. Repeat the process for Boot image (x86). Note: When boot images are updated the boot image is mounted and recompiled. During the recompilation, SCCM specific OSD files, drivers, and other settings are injected into the boot image.
Note: A user account will be needed during the reference machine image capture. In this example, the Network Access Account is used. 1. 2. Right-click the folder D:\OSDeploy folder and select Properties. Select the Sharing tab and click Advanced Sharing.
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Select the Share this folder check box and then select the Permissions button. Give the Everyone group Full Control and then click OK and OK again.
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Select the Security tab and add the Network Access Account and give it Modify permissions. Click OK to save the permission settings. Click Close.
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In Add Operating Install Package Wizard, Data Source screen, enter the UNC path \\servername\OSDeploy\OSSource\Windows7x86 in which the package is located. Click Next.
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At the General screen, enter a descriptive name for the install package such as Microsoft Windows 7 x86 and then click Next.
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Click Next at the Summary screen and click Close to complete the wizard.
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At the New Distribution Points Wizard Welcome screen, click Next. At the Copy Package screen, select your distribution points and then click Next. Note: If you happened to create a PXE Service Point, you will not need copy any other package files to the SMSPXEImages$ share, other than the boot image packages. Click Close at the Confirmation screen.
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In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to Site Database / Computer Management / Operating System Deployment and right-click the Task Sequences node and select New Task Sequence. At the New Task Sequence Wizard, in the Create a New Task Sequence screen, select Build and capture a reference operating system image and then click Next.
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At Task Sequence Information screen, enter the Task sequence name: Windows 7 x86 Image Build and Capture. At the Boot image section, select Browse and select the Boot image (x86).
Click OK.
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Click Next to proceed. At the Install the Windows Operating System screen, at the Package field, select Browse. Select the Operating System Install Package: Microsoft Windows 7 x86 en-US and then click OK. At the Edition field, use the drop-down to select image 5 Windows 7 ULTIMATE. You can leave the Product Key field empty as it can be provided later. Select the option Always use the same administrator password and enter and confirm a password.
11. At the Configure the Network screen, select Join a workgroup and enter the name WORKGROUP and then click Next
12. At the Install ConfigMgr Client screen, select Browse, and navigate to the Microsoft Configuration Manager Client Upgrade package which was created earlier and then click Next.
13. At the Include Updates in Image screen, select All software updates and click Next. Note: Unless the Software Update Point role has been installed, and Software Update deployments and packages have been created, the Install Updates task will not do anything. 14. At the Install Software Packages screen, click Next (unless you have created packages which you want installed as part of the task sequence). 15. At the System Preparation screen, there is no need to configure anything since Windows 7 includes system preparation tools. Click Next. 16. At the Image Properties screen, enter any additional information about the image. Click Next. 17. At the Capture Image Settings screen, enter the Path and filename to the OSDeploy share: \\servername\OSDeploy\OSImages\Windows7x86\ Windows7x86.WIM 18. In the Account field, click the Set button.
Enter the User name and password of the Network Access Account or the account which has permissions to write to the share defined. Enter and confirm the account password, and then click OK.
19. Validate that the settings are accurate in the Capture Image Settings screen, click Next.
20. At the Summary screen, click Next. 21. Click Close at the success screen.
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At the Partition Properties screen, check the box: Quick format and then click OK.
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If you are planning to use PXE Boot, check the box Make this task sequence available to boot media and PXE and then click Next.
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At the Schedule screen, leave the default settings as the task sequence will be optional. Click Next. At the Distribution Points screen, select the option: Access content directly from a distribution point when needed by the running task sequence and then click Next.
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Click Next to the end of the wizard, leaving all default selections. At the Wizard Completed screen, click Close.
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At the Task Sequence Media Wizard, at the Select Media Type screen, select Bootable media and click Next. At the Media Type screen select CD/DVD set and in the Media file field, enter the path and name of your bootable media, such as C:\OSDx86Boot.iso. Click Next to continue. At the Security screen, leave Enable unknown computer support checked. If you want to be prompted to enter a password at boot image, leave Protect media with a password selected and enter and confirm a Password. Click Next to continue. At the Boot Image dialog, select Browse to select the Boot image (x86) 6.1.7600.16385 en-US image and click OK. Click Next to continue and Next again to start the process. Click Close. Copy the file C:\OSDx86Boot.iso to a machine with a CD Burner, and burn the ISO image to a CD.
Note: In Windows 7 you can simply right-click the file and select Burn disc image.
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After booting to the Boot media, you may be prompted to enter a password if you selected that option earlier. If so, enter the password and click Next.
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The Task Sequence Wizard will appear displaying a list of task sequences available, select the Windows 7 x86 Image Build and Capture task sequence and click Next.
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At this point, the task sequence will start. The system will reboot several times and the process may take up to 30-45 minutes. Note: You may be prompted during the process to enter a product key. If you entered it in the task sequence wizard you wont be prompted. Click Click Next to continue. A product key doesnt need to be entered. Once the process is complete, the machine should be at the Windows screen. On the site server, verify that the WIM file has been created under:
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At the General screen provide a descriptive name such as Microsoft Windows 7 x86 Image, specify a version number and comment if desired and then click Next.
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Click Next and then Close to complete the wizard. You will see the new image under the Operating System Images node. Expand the image package, right-click the Distribution Points node and select New Distribution Points.
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At the New Distribution Points Wizard, click Next. At the Copy Packages screen, select your distribution points. As mentioned before, if a PXE Service Point has been installed, you dont need to send the package to the SMSPXEImages$ share based distribution point.
Conclusion
Now that you have captured a Microsoft Windows 7 image and imported it as an Operating System Image in Configuration Manager, you can deploy that image by creating other task sequences. By right-clicking Task Sequences New Task Sequence you can use some of the built in wizards to deploy your new Windows 7 image.