Making image work on multiple hardware platforms

[Guest]

Hello Friends,

Goal :
-----
I am trying to reduce the No. of images being used in our environment and trying to make image independent of
hardware platform.

I am trying to do this by detecting the hardware model on which image is being applied and load drivers required for that particular model dynamically/programmatically.


Problem :
----------
Image pulled on one hardware model does not work on another hardware model.

Problem Description:
-----------------------
I took Dell Optiplex GX260 as BASE hardware model on which i capture image (after removing audio,nic,video,pcmcia/modem and other common hardware drivers). This image when applied on c610 hardware model hangs after completing "Starting Windows". BUT if i take c400 as BASE hardware model and apply image pulled from c400 on c610, windows boots without any problems.

What could be the reasons ?

Help Reqd in Resolution:

 

[Kevin Anderson [MSFT]]

Ritesh,

What time of image are you using? RIPREP / SYSPREP?

The only thing that has to be the same from image to image is the HAL.

KevinAnd [MSFT] - "This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
confers no rights."

Hello Friends,

Goal :

trying to make image independent of

hardware platform.

I am trying to do this by detecting the hardware model on which image is

being applied and load drivers required for that particular model
dynamically/programmatically.

Problem :

(after removing audio,nic,video,pcmcia/modem and other common hardware
drivers). This image when applied on c610 hardware model hangs after
completing "Starting Windows". BUT if i take c400 as BASE hardware model
and apply image pulled from c400 on c610, windows boots without any
problems.

What could be the reasons ?

Help Reqd in Resolution:

drivers like nic, audio, video, modem etc which i have already removed
before pulling image from BASE hardware) ? How to flush all devices from
device manager ?

 

[Kevin Anderson [MSFT]]

Ritesh,

Are any of the machines multiprocessor capable?

What drivers are you having to specify for the C610? In the unattend
installation are we specifying the OEM hardware? On the third reboot the
c610 system hangs during starting Windows.

Could you take out any confidential material from your SYSPREP.INF and post
the text of it here?

Thanks.

KevinAnd [MSFT] - "This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
confers no rights."

Hi Kevin,

I am using sysprep. But sysprep comes into the picture a bit later than a

point at which i am having a problem. Let me explain it to you.

1) pull an image on BASE computer (in my case Optiplex GX 260) without

running sysprep. It should be possible to apply this image on any hardware
platform ........ This is where i have problem as explained in my earlier
mail. I am not able to apply image pulled on gx260 to c610 whereas image
taken from c400 when applied to c610, system boots without any problem
....... question is why gx260 image fails to boot after applied to c610 when
c400 image succeeds ? What do we need to do to make it atleast boot ? HAL
is same for all 3 types i.e gx260, c610 and c400.

This image when applied will make the system reboot 3 times as explained below.

a)First boot ( In my problem .....PC hangs here) will detect h/w model and

load specific driver paths into registries..... i.e drivers having inf file.
It will also run sysprep with pnp and reboot options.

b) Second boot will load drivers and restart
c) Third reboot will load drivers not having inf and install specific applications.

I hope you would have got a picture what I am trying to attain.

Pls do let me know if you need more information.

----- Kevin Anderson [MSFT] wrote: -----

Ritesh,

What time of image are you using? RIPREP / SYSPREP?

The only thing that has to be the same from image to image is the HAL.

KevinAnd [MSFT] - "This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
confers no rights."

Hello Friends,

environment and
trying to make image independent of

hardware platform.

image is
being applied and load drivers required for that particular model
dynamically/programmatically. hardware

model.

capture image
(after removing audio,nic,video,pcmcia/modem and other common hardware
drivers). This image when applied on c610 hardware model hangs after
completing "Starting Windows". BUT if i take c400 as BASE hardware model
and apply image pulled from c400 on c610, windows boots without any
problems. standard
drivers like nic, audio, video, modem etc which i have already removed
before pulling image from BASE hardware) ? How to flush all devices from
device manager ?

 

[Guest]

Hi

They are all Uniprocessor machines

Machine hangs on first boot after loading image

Here is the text of sysprep file....

;SetupMgrTa
[Unattended
OemSkipEula=Ye
InstallFilesPath=C:\sysprep\i38
KeepPageFile=

[GuiUnattended
AdminPassword
OEMSkipRegional=
OemSkipWelcome=

[UserData
FullName=Use
OrgName=GES
ComputerName
ProductID

[Display
BitsPerPel=3
Xresolution=102
YResolution=76
Vrefresh=6

[SetupMgr
DistFolder=C:\sysprep\i38
DistShare=win2000dis

[Networking
InstallDefaultComponents=Ye

[GuiRunOnce
Command1="c:\winnt\options\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons /unattend
Command2="c:\winnt\regedit.exe /s c:\winnt\networkicon.reg
Command3="c:\winnt\regedit.exe /s c:\winnt\hiddenfiles.reg
Command4="c:\winnt\startupdel.bat


One very important question ..... Do you have any idea of HAL's interhangeability ? from booting capability point of view..... I know answer is They will not work.... some drivers may not work..... system may become unstable..... BUT I AM asking only from BOOT CAPABILITY point of view.

i have an observation..... if system has halaacpi.dll it boots well if you load halacpi.dll........ but trying reverse way around does not work i.e if system has halacpi.dll and if you try to apply halaacpi.dll system hangs during boot time. Do we have any broad guidelines on interchangeability of HAL's ..... atleast from practical experience ?

Thanks Kevin for your effort

Regards
Rites