How to use Task Sequence Variables in a running Task Sequence by script in ConfigMgr 2007

Using Task Sequence variables in a running Task Sequence by script is actually really straight forward. Also for most of you this might be common knowledge, but I noticed this week that it doesn’t count for everyone, yet. So in this post I will show the two (only two!) steps it takes to get or set variables with your script. The first step is to create an instance of Microsoft.SMS.TSEnvironment. As this is a COM automation object, you could use every language that can use those. I will use VBScript in this example. Creating the object can be done by the following line of code: set env = CreateObject(“Microsoft.SMS.TSEnvironment”) Now that we’ve got our object the second step is to get, or set Task Sequence …

Read more

ConfigMgr 2007 and clearing a Computers’ Last PXE Advertisement by script

In a previous post I showed a script to remove a computer from a collection. This post will be an add-on to that previous post. As we are removing the computer from the collection anyway, we can as well perform a Clear Last PXE Advertisement –action. By doing this, it’s not necessary to perform a manual action the next time the computer needs to be re-imaged. An easy way to do this is to run a script at the end of a Task Sequence that will clear the last PXE Advertisement. This makes sure that a computer can get re-imaged as soon it gets added to the correct collection. For this you can use the script from this post. The usage of this script is …

Read more

ConfigMgr 2007 and removing a Computer from a Collection by script

I have to admit that it’s just really easy/ handy to create scripts to make life a bit easier. This also counts for this scenario… A customer wants to prevent, at all costs, that a computer can’t get re-imaged “by accident”. It already happened a few times that somebody by accident did a Clear Last PXE Advertisement on a Computer, or even on a Collection. An easy solution for this scenario is to run a script at the end of a Task Sequence that will remove the Computer directly from the Collection. This makes sure that a computer can’t get re-imaged, as it’s not a member of the collection anymore. For this you can use the script from this post. The usage of this script …

Read more

ConfigMgr vNext: It just gets easier and easier.

Its about time that I write my first post about ConfigMgr vNext BETA and well I really have to say that it just gets easier and easier compared to ConfigMgr 2007. The only thing I have to get used to is that everything is in a different location. Capture User Files and Setting Offline (WinPE) with Hard-Links As I have been busy a lot with capturing user files offline on my blog, lets start about how easy that becomes in ConfigMgr vNext. I still remember making BAT-files to run the ScanState –commands, in ConfigMgr vNext its just selecting the checkboxes Capture locally using links instead of copying files and Capture in off-line mode (WinPE only). After this the Capture User Files and Settings –step will …

Read more

Capture User Files and Settings Offline (WinPE) or Online (FullOS) with ConfigMgr 2007

They always say never change a winning team, but sometimes its just cowl to see if its possible to be even better. I had the same with a previous post in which I already showed how to do a Hard-Link migration, when started from WinPE (and FullOS). The biggest part of that example is still the same, but some pieces changed to get a better result. In this post I will go step-by-step (again) to mention the changes that I made to make it even better. At the end of both parts of this post I will shine a light on the changes that I made. Part 1: Capture User Files and Settings For creating a Task Sequence, that does an Online or Offline Capture, …

Read more

User Driven Installation with ConfigMgr 2007 and MDT 2010 Update 1

A few months ago I wrote a post about User Driven OS Deployment "Modena". By then it wasn’t sure if it was going to be released to the big public. Well I can tell now (after finally looking around in the the MDT 2010 Update 1 Beta) that it is going to be released, as it is a part of the MDT 2010 Update 1 (Beta). Of course the scripts are now made to fit with the other MDT scripts, but the look-and-feel is the same (see picture). This means that there is now an easy way coming for everyone to get their users “involved” in an OS Deployment. The only requirements are to have ConfigMgr 2007 and MDT 2010 Update 1 (Beta) installed and …

Read more

ConfigMgr 2007 and editing the registry during a Task Sequence on a 64-bit OS

Of course you know, deep down, that the ConfigMgr 2007 Client is 32-bit and that it will react a bit different on a 64-bit OS. The reason for this is of course the emulation layer, also know as Windows 32-bit On Windows 64-bit (WOW64), that enables a 32-bit application to run seamlessly on a 64-bit OS.  As the ConfigMgr 2007 (RTM, SP1, SP2) Client is only available in a 32-bit version, you may run into some bumps on a 64-bit Operation System. One of these bumps is editing a registry key in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software, because, for the ConfigMgr 2007 Client, this will get redirected to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node. Luckily there is an easy solution for this in a Task Sequence of ConfigMgr 2007. Just create a Task Sequence, …

Read more

Using USMTUtils.exe during a Task Sequence with ConfigMgr 2007

As I had a lot of questions about the use of USMTUtils, I decided to devote a new post to this. In my previous post I used USMTUtils to clean up the hard-link statestore location. USMTUtils is needed to clean up a hard-link statestore, because otherwise the hard-link store cannot be deleted due to a sharing lock. The command-line provided by Technet to do this is usmtutils.exe /rd <storedirectory>. Only this is exactly where the problem starts when running a command like this during a Task Sequence, because this will make the Task Sequence “hang” on the point where it has to delete the hard-link statestore. Taking a look at the SMSTS.log, at this point, will show something similar to this: <![LOG[Executing command line: Run …

Read more

Capture User Files and Settings in Offline Mode (WinPE) with ConfigMgr 2007

In a previous postI already showed how to do a Hard-Link migration, when started from FullOS. That part still exists in my Task Sequence, but it is now moved under the Group Capture User Files and Settings – FullOS. This part will now only run when the Task Sequence is started from FullOS. In this post I will add a part to the Task Sequence that makes sure that the User State will also be captured,  when the Task Sequence is started from WinPE (also called Offline Mode). The cool part is that it will also be done by/ with using Hard-Links! Capture User Files and Settings For creating a Task Sequence, that does an Offline Capture, my way, a few variables and locations need …

Read more

User Driven OS Deployment with “Modena”

It took a while but this weekend it was finally time for some testing of, what’s code-named, “Modena”. Modena is a tool, developed by Microsoft IT, that enables the ability of an End-User Experience by using a powerful OSD Wizard. When you are searching for a way to get your users “involved” in an OS Deployment, then I would recommend you to take a look at Modena. The OSD Wizard of Modena (see picture) can be changed in a lot of different way’s. As an administrator you can select which settings can be done by a user and which are pre-set. By these customizable settings you can think about things like computername, domain, local administrators, language, time, image, backup (via USMT 4.0) and the applications. …

Read more