Monday, November 12, 2007

Task Sequence problems after updating MS Deployment

I just updated my MS Deployment tool to the latest version (4.0.383.0, I think). This is the new deployment tool that is now just out of beta. Thus far the update has went pretty smoothly. I have only had one problem. I backed up my work local and network deployment directories. I uninstalled the last MDT beta, and installed the new version. I pointed everything back to where it was supposed to be. When I got the the wizard for adding my local directory I noticed there was an upgrade option. I decided to try that so I wouldn't have to copy over the Vista source and remake my application command lines. Then I updated files and reburned my boot CD.

After booting to my WinPE CD for the first time I was getting a Task Sequencer not found error. This error was cropping up before it would ask for my username and password to connect to the share for the very first time. Because of this I knew it had something to do with the files that were on the CD. The first place I started looking was at my CustomSettings.ini and Bootstrap.ini files. Those files reside in the Control folder. I looked at my network share first and found a folder named {########...}. In that folder was a CustomSettings.ini and Bootstrap.ini file, with the modifications that I needed to have in them. In the root of the control folder there were also CustomSettings.ini and Bootstrap.ini files. These did not have the correct settings that I needed in them.

At this point I looked in my local deployment folder \Distribution\Control and in there were three sub-folders. Two that had the same naming convention as the one on the network share {########...} and another named 100 (which just so happens to be the number I gave my Task Sequence ID for my Vista build). At this point I replaced the 'upgraded' CustomSettings.ini and Bootstrap.ini files with the ones that had the information I needed. (How to explain this the least confusing way possible?) The two folders that have the same name in your network and local folders are what are going to have your old (and presumably working) ini files. The folder that does not get created on the network share is the folder that the ini files are being copied from to the root of the Control folder on your network resource.

Once you get those files copied over on your local machine then you need to update files and reburn your CD. That should then get you going again so you can go back to working on other MDT issues. :)

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