Deploy from a Network Share (OPK) (POSReady 7)

  • Article

4/29/2013

After you have an image of your reference installation, you can deploy the image onto new hardware.

In this step, you use the DiskPart tool to format the hard disk, and then copy an image from the network share. For this example, you can use your reference computer as your destination computer.

To deploy from a network share

  1. On your destination computer, insert your Windows PE media and restart the computer by pressing the CTRL+ALT+DEL keys.

    Note

    If this was your reference computer, the hard disk contains an active partition. You must override the boot order to start from the CD/DVD-ROM drive. During initial boot, select the appropriate function key to override the boot order. If this is a newly assembled computer, the hard disk is unformatted and you can skip this step.

  2. Windows PE starts, and then opens a Command Prompt window.

  3. Format the hard disk to reflect the disk configuration requirements by using the DiskPart tool from the Windows PE Command Prompt window. For example, type:

    diskpart
select disk 0
clean
create partition primary size=200
select partition 1
format fs=ntfs label="system"
assign letter=c
active
create partition primary
select partition 2
format fs=ntfs label="Windows"
assign letter=d
exit

    You can create a script with this information by saving it to a text file and by storing it in the same location as your image. To run the script from a Windows PE Command Prompt window, type:

    diskpart /s <scriptname>.txt

    where <scriptname> is the name of the text file that includes the Diskpart commands.

  4. Copy the image from the network share to the local hard disk.
    For example, at a command prompt, type:

    net use y: \\network_share\images
copy y:\myimage.wim d:

  5. If necessary, provide network credentials for appropriate access.

  6. Apply the image to the hard disk by using the ImageX tool located on your Windows PE media.
    For example, at a command prompt, type:

    e:\imagex.exe /apply d:\myimage.wim 1 d:

  7. Use BCDboot to initialize the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store and copy start environment files to the system partition.
    For example, at a command prompt, type:

    d:\windows\system32\bcdboot d:\windows

  8. For more information about BCDboot, see the BCDboot Command-Line Options topic on Microsoft TechNet.

Your custom image is now deployed onto your destination computer. The computer is ready for customer delivery. Repeat this step, Deploy from a Network Share, for each additional computer that you deliver.

You have now completed a basic end-to-end deployment scenario by using an image-based deployment method. You have successfully created your first answer file, a bootable Windows PE CD, and your first custom POSReady 7 image. You also have a basic understanding of how to use Windows SIM and the ImageX and Windows PE technologies.

Next Steps

The next step is to make additional customizations to your answer file and to increase your knowledge of the deployment tools. For more information about how to customize and deploying your POSReady 7 image, see the OEM Preinstallation Kit Scenarios topic in the Opk.chm.

See Also

Tasks

POSReady 7 Deployment for OEMs