Need to CAPTURE IMAGE (as a 'pseudo-backup') before I deploy OS
I looked at various forum notes - not able to find answer. 1) need easy way to "capture image" - but when we do it as a 'task sequence,' as others have noted, on the 'sysprep' step it complains, "Your workstation is joined, cannot do this with a joined workstation" (not those exact words, but you get the drift). First off, that does NOT make sense, because one thing sysprep does is "remove domain pieces" - strips everything, so why should it be a pre-req to unjoin BEFORE running sysprep, then capture? I guess I find that very confusing. Also, upon 'unjoining,' all credentials will be different, so how does the task sequence and SCCM client re-act - I did a "netdom" force unjoin, but I'm not sure if that's the same as a "manual / smooth" unjoin. So the task sequence did not happen after I did the unjoin, but others have said, "Oh, once I unjoined, the "Sysprep + Capture" worked great - Okay, but HOW?! What added steps do I have to do to the workstation? Anything at all - or even though it now is out in a Workgroup, SCCM client will still magically work fine??? 2) The real reason for this is that we need a 'scripted automated' way to 'backup' the computers (before migrating them from XP to Win7) - and so one tech came up with the idea of "Well, since SCCM does not have a built-in "full image backup" ability, we will just do a task sequence to 'sysprep + capture' the image of each machine, BEFORE we do the "deploy o/s" part." Does this sound feasible, because every scenario I have seen completely IGNORES the fact of getting a good image backup (or "all files" backup at least) before deploying the new o/s - and, to me, that is THE CRITICAL step, because you may need to revert to XP (at least temporarily) - and no, we don't have a huge enterprise backup solution - so we would not be able to grab a full image that way - only other thing might be something opensource like "clonezilla." I know I can capture disk-to-disk with that, but can I also capture an image to a network share and then, easily restore that image to the bare metal computer if I had to revert to XP? So, you can see my dilemma - SCCM itself, with a proper set of commands to do a "full capture" would at least allow us to capture a sysprepped image, if we could get that to be automated enough - but since SCCMs specific "sysprep step" *requires* that the workstation first be 'unjoined,' I'm very confused as to how we would automate the unjoin + sysprep + capture. Granted, not an ideal "imaging / backup" solution, but it would give us a full, hal-free image of each box. And again, to me, this is THE BIG MISSING PIECE from the o/s deployment strategies I've seen - even though it's not likely a person would have to roll back, having a full image (even a 'sysprepped' one) would save a TON of time - and it makes perfect sense to have the SCCM O/S deployment scenario take care of that step. Maybe I'm a dreamer. Ideas? Thoughts? Experiences? (As always, thanks in advance). -- Jeff tnjman
May 11th, 2012 7:02pm

You wanna capture the image file through SCCM task sequance check the link, mught be help you, yes, before capturing the image you system should have to in workgroup, http://blogs.technet.com/b/gborger/archive/2010/10/11/getting-started-creating-a-windows-7-capture-image-using-sccm-osd.aspxSharad Singh | My blogs: SharadTech | Twitter: @MrLucknowWale |
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
May 12th, 2012 7:14am

In this blog the Task Sequence Capture Media will be explained. For a Windows XP image the device must be placed in a Workgroup, and Sysprep deployment tools must be placed in C:\sysprep. On Windows Vista & 7 this is not necessary. Then only the device must be placed in a Workgroup. The Sysprep deployment tools are already build-in. http://henkhoogendoorn.blogspot.com/2011/03/create-task-sequence-capture-media.html Also remember to not use strong password authentication My blogs: Henk's blog and Virtuall | Follow Me on: Twitter | View My Profile on: LinkedIn
May 14th, 2012 3:42pm

thank you. that is VERY helpful. I am very grateful. only problem I have is that if I run the task sequence on my "test" machine, then want to re-run it on same test machine, there seems to be no easy way to "reset the task sequence" to make it run again. There is a blog about going to "wbemtest," then choosing the specific advertisement in there, then deleting it, but I have yet to make that work properly. If you have any good info on being able to easily reset a task sequence so it will re-run again, please let me know. Thanks again!tnjman
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
May 14th, 2012 11:02pm

to answer your first question you can do a full WIM backup of a computer using the MDT script called ztibackup.wsf, I reference that script in the following HTAs (hyper text application) which gives you a graphical interface in order to choose 'backup' prior to reboot and running a new computer install (or refresh) take a look and enjoy Introducing the windows-noob.com FrontEnd HTA version 1.0 Multipurpose HTA Introducing the BitLocker FrontEnd HTA Multipurpose HTA with BitLocker Support for all three common scenarios, backup, reinstall, new computer [added Jan 2012] Step by Step ConfigMgr 2007 Guides | Step by Step ConfigMgr 2012 Guides | I'm on Twitter > ncbrady
May 15th, 2012 12:56am

I also have a HTA installation wizard. When the user selects an upgrade, before the USMT step we will capture a full image. We do not sysprep it first since our goal is to be able to retrieve data that, for some reason was not backup up with USMT. When we mount the image, we can only browse it, not boot from it (since it excludes some windows stuff upon capture) "\imagex.exe /capture c: c:\Store\BackupImage\" & strcomputername2 & name & ".wim ""BackupImage"" /config " & strPathToScript & "\wimscript.ini " We use hardlinking so the image will not have to be copied to the network or to other locations on the disk.
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
May 15th, 2012 3:50am

yes of course, and in the HTA example i provided it allows you to store the captured wim locally on the computer, or on a network share. The captured WIM file can be browsed later with 7zip which easily allows you to extract files. Step by Step ConfigMgr 2007 Guides | Step by Step ConfigMgr 2012 Guides | I'm on Twitter > ncbrady
May 18th, 2012 10:33am

FYI, as an update: we succeeded in doing a capture of the current XP system, just using the OSD task sequence! Wow! Thanks to everyone for their help. SCCM OSD task sequence has a step called "join domain or workgroup" - which also, btw, UNJOINS from the domain (out into a workgroup). After we added that step, it unjoined, sysprepped and captured just fine. 1) BUT, I don't know if I can do another Task Sequence Step in this same sequence, to say, "Ok, now JOIN BACK" and UN-Sysprep, so that you are back the way you were before being sent out into a workgroup? (this would be, for example, if we could not deploy at this time, we would want the have the user's system automatically "return to normal with the old O/S in place.") 2) And, for those that we can deploy right now, can I just add another step to say, "Okay, now you are captured, now DEPLOY Win 7?" When it did finish joining the workgroup, the Task Sequence was at some sort of prompt "waiting for [Next] or some other user input." (for some info that we could do normally with an 'unattended' portion of script (license key and other info, etc.) All steps in Task Seq showed completed fine - and it did unjoin and it did sysprep just fine and caputred fine. But since it was at that 'prompt,' I wasn't sure if an OS Deployment step would continue from that point or what??? Again - THANKS! Very good info here! tnjman
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
May 18th, 2012 5:51pm

Thanks. 1) Can use the MDT script as part of an SCCM task sequence? 2) And so are you also saying that this zti backup is a "full image," so, if needed, I can pxe boot and re-load that image onto a fresh or reformatted hard drive, and have all applications and data the same as before the "zti backup script?" If the above 2 answers are "Yes," then I am good to go. We want to fully use 'SCCM,' without having to use multiple tools - i.e., MDT and WDS - so it needs to be something we can do as part of an SCCM task sequence - or "pre-step" before the task sequence. tnjman
May 18th, 2012 6:02pm

I don't necessarily need to 'boot from' the image, but I do need to be able to rebuild/restore from the image. If this allows that capability, then I may be able to use it. Definitely also is nice to be able to browse a captured image, in case of need to pull discreet data back from it as well. I guess most WIM files can be mounted, so we could browse and do selective things with files, right? Thanks! tnjman
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
May 18th, 2012 6:06pm

sounds like you are using a standard build and capture task sequence, which is designed purely to build a golden image (master image) of your chosen operating system and then to capture for later deployment with another task sequence (the Deploy task sequence). i'd recommend you take a look at this powerpoint (and recording) which contains a lot of info about how to properly do build and capture task sequences and also how and what to put in your Deploy task sequence. systems that are created using the build and capture task sequence are always destroyed and are usually also always virtual machines. Step by Step ConfigMgr 2007 Guides | Step by Step ConfigMgr 2012 Guides | I'm on Twitter > ncbrady
May 19th, 2012 4:52am

This topic is archived. No further replies will be accepted.

Other recent topics Other recent topics