RIS 2000 and XP SP2 Images

[Rick Csucsai]

Ok, the guys at Microsoft didn't understand what I was trying to tell them
so let me try it here.

1.) I am trying to setup a deployment of 50 XP professional workstations
using RIS on a Windows 2000 RIS server.

2.) MS suggested (and I agree) that I want to use a volume license media
disk to avoid having to activate every machine and to be able to completely
automate the installation to all of my clients using one product key.

3.) You can only get an Upgrade version of WXP Pro under volume licensing.

4.) RIS will not allow you create your initial image (flat file) with an
upgrade disk

5.) Because of 4, I created the flat file/initial image using a full version
disk (OEM supplied with the machines I am deploying, non volume license
media). Upload went fine since it was a full version disk.

5.) I built my machine off of the volume license copy, added my software and
such and RIPrepped the image to the RIS server.

6.) When booting the first client, I am told that I don't have a matching
flat image on the RIS server.

Well....duh. It wouldn't allow me to use the upgrade disk to create the flat
file during RIS setup because I am using a WXP upgrade disk. MS says they
only volume license out upgrade disks so how can you get a matching flat
file if you are not provided the full version volume disk?

Server is W2K (regular version) running SP4 and all of the latest updates.

 

[Rick]

In the event that someone else goes through this, here is the fix:

I believe the issue is fixed. Was not able to cure the problem with using an
upgrade image to upload a flat file, however you can cure the issue of the
error that occurs on the client when you try to download the first image and
don't have a flat file to match.



http://support.microsoft.com/?id=835264 provides a hot fix that will cure
the client error. Apply it to the W2K RIS server.



Use any full version of the XP SP2 to create the flat file, as I did, and
then build the client using the volume licensing disk. Apply the hotfix from
above either after you install RIS or after but must be on before you
attempt to download the first RIPrepped image. Must also use the RIPrep.exe
files from a W2K3 server as opposed to the ones that come with W2K. This is
because W2K doesn't know what XP is.