Win7 deployment on c: drive problem by using sccm 2012 sp1 integrated with mdt 2012
Hello All;
First of all I would like to tell that probably I've read all blogs and articles about Windows 7 - 2008R2 c:/D: drive installation problem and "OSDPreserveDriveLetter" variable. As  I couldn't have found the solution, I needed to consult you. 
I have a SCCM 2012 SP1 which fully patched and the latest release MDT 2012 integrated. My purpose is to deploy Windows 7 - 2008R2 on C: drive by using MDT Client Task Sequence.

I have tried following ways by using MDT Client Task Sequence:

1) Used original win7 install.wim / Set OSDPreserveDriveLetter=False >>> Win7 was installed on D:
2) Used original win7 install.wim / Set OSDPreserveDriveLetter=True >>> Win7 was installed on D:
3) Used original win7 install.wim / Set set "OSDPreserveDriveLetter" step >>> Win7 was installed on D:

I have tried all above also for Windows Server 2008 R2.

I'm pulling my hairs guys... Please advise what I'm missing...
P.S: I did #1 by using normal SCCM Client Tas Sequence (Not MDT Task Sequence) and Win7 and Win2008R2 was installed on C: drive.
April 11th, 2013 11:39pm

Was your reference image built with MDT? Does it have the bitlocker partition, and are you using it?

this is how I solved my problem

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmanagerosd/thread/c66fd149-0253-4f38-b4d7-6a564528f742

Look at my answer.

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April 12th, 2013 4:04am

Was your reference image built with MDT? Does it have the bitlocker partition, and are you using it?

this is how I solved my problem

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmanagerosd/thread/c66fd149-0253-4f38-b4d7-6a564528f742

Look at my answer.

I am not using reference image, I'm using original install.wim. And yes, it has bitlocker partition. I've seen your post before. When I set it like yours, nothing changes. OS is installed on D: drive.
April 12th, 2013 10:29am

The install.wim is not designed for mass deployment, so it would be a bad practice, this is discussed in several other posts. Create a reference image, and if you can please post the reference image snapshot here.
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April 12th, 2013 3:26pm

I do not believe that it is possible to use the install.wim to provision a system where the BDEDrive partition exists as the first partition and expect it to be C:\WINDOWS.  You would have to use the Setup.exe/Installation Source method to accomplish this.  If you did not have the BDEDrive as the first partition then you CAN use the OSDPreserveDriveLetter=FALSE to provision the install.wim as C:\WINDOWS.

If you want to stick with deploying a .wim file then I believe that only with a custom captured image (which was C:\WINDOWS prior to capture - that is important!) can you provision Windows 7 onto a system with the BDEDrive partition and have C:\WINDOWS.

April 12th, 2013 6:51pm

MadLuka;

As you may know, Win7 Setup.exe/Installation is not supported by SCCM2012SP1...

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April 12th, 2013 9:37pm

I suggest you do a build & capture task to build your own image. Before running it, remember to remove BDE partition from the capture task. Reference computer/VM must have only one partition.
  • Proposed as answer by MadLuka Saturday, April 13, 2013 3:20 PM
April 13th, 2013 12:09pm

MadLuka;

As you may know, Win7 Setup.exe/Installation is not supported by SCCM2012SP1...

I never said it was, but it works fine if you are using an MDT Task Sequence - simply swap the Apply Operating System Image step to apply an OS installer.

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April 13th, 2013 6:20pm

I never said it was, but it works fine if you are using an MDT Task Sequence - simply swap the Apply Operating System Image step to apply an OS installer.

April 13th, 2013 7:57pm

Guys;

Things are so confusing and odd. PLease look at my test results below:

  Image Type OSDPreserveDriveLetter Don't assign drive letter BDEDrive Result
1) Win7 x64 Original FALSE Not checked OS> D: BDEDrive>No drive letter
2) Win7 x64 Original TRUE Checked OS> D: BDEDrive>No drive letter
3) Win7 x64 Original TRUE Not checked OS> D: BDEDrive>No drive letter
4) Win7 x64 Original FALSE Checked OS> C: BDEDrive>No drive letter
5) Win7 x64 "Build And Capture" FALSE Checked OS> C: BDEDrive>D:
6) Win2K8R2 x64 Original FALSE Checked OS> C: BDEDrive>D:
7) Win2K8R2 x64 Original Disabled Checked OS> D: BDEDrive>No drive letter
8) Win2K8R2 x64 Original FALSE Not checked OS> D: BDEDrive>No drive letter
9) Win2K8R2 x64 Original TRUE Not checked OS> D: BDEDrive>No drive letter

#4 >> That's what I had been looking for... 

#4 and #6 have the same config but OSs are different and results are different too. Logical? I think No.

#5 >>> Yannara; It looks like I had better remove BDEDrive partition before deploy captured image as you advised.

Compare #1 and #2 >> Is there anyone who has a logical explanation?

Compare #8 and #9 >> Is there anyone who has a logical explanation?

I'm still testing stuff, I post the results later...

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April 13th, 2013 8:05pm

New test results are as below:

  Image Type OSDPreserveDriveLetter Don't assign drive letter BDEDrive Result
1) Win7 x64 Original FALSE Not checked OS> D: BDEDrive>No drive letter
2) Win7 x64 Original TRUE Checked OS> D: BDEDrive>No drive letter
3) Win7 x64 Original TRUE Not checked OS> D: BDEDrive>No drive letter
4) Win7 x64 Original FALSE Checked OS> C: BDEDrive>No drive letter
5) Win7 x64 "Build And Capture" FALSE Checked OS> C: BDEDrive>D:
6) Win2K8R2 x64 Original FALSE Checked OS> C: BDEDrive>D:
7) Win2K8R2 x64 Original Disabled Checked OS> D: BDEDrive>No drive letter
8) Win2K8R2 x64 Original FALSE Not checked OS> D: BDEDrive>No drive letter
9) Win2K8R2 x64 Original TRUE Not checked OS> D: BDEDrive>No drive letter
10) Win7 x64 "Build And Capture" FALSE Not checked OS> D: BDEDrive>No drive letter
11) Win7 x64 "Build And Capture" TRUE Not checked OS> C: BDEDrive>No drive letter


...I'm stopping at the point. Because I'm bored.

April 14th, 2013 3:49am

Hehee, nice work. When I was fighting with the same problem, and I also ran this kind of table tests as above, but not so many. We only compared the effect of of preservedriveletter-variable and difference between apply image step settings. So because we were in a hurry with our project, I created a case for MS support because of this. They offered me as a solution to create an image in manual way - yes, you got it right - install virtual machine manually and run the capture media on it. I refuced to do that and found the solution by myself. I reported MS that there might be a bug on "do not assign drive letter to this partition" since it has no effect at all.

 
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April 14th, 2013 1:48pm

What a mature software...

Maybe MS thinks that it's a small issue which can be ignored.


April 14th, 2013 10:06pm

BTW, what is wrong with Windows on D: ? it works like any other drive, it is nothing but a mental thing to hav eit on C:, since this is how we are used to. MAC and Linux have no drive letter at all...
I know very few programs that rely on the C as the drive and should probably be tossed out the window.

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April 15th, 2013 12:04am

Maybe you already solved this, but for future reference this might be of interest:

http://keithga.wordpress.com/2013/09/17/osdpreservedriveletter/

October 11th, 2013 10:30am

Ehheh, cannot believe it. Latest case Im working on it, everything worked with CM 2012 SP1, but after R2 upgrade and MDT upgrate from 2012 to 2013, Windows breaks appart and starts going to D again. I got it fighting off with forcing it to C By modifying Apply Windows Image Step (changed OSdisk variable to C:), but now I see BDEdrive with D: letter :D .....

So apperently, everything changes with R2.

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February 23rd, 2015 5:21am

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