Microsoft Windows 7 Archives

How to: Deploy packages using collection variable with ConfigMgr 2012 R2

During a OS deployment you don’t want to deploy all your packages and software to every workstation. You can deploy the software after a full OS deployment, but you can also deploy packages during the OSD using collection variables. Now it is possible to deploy packages only if a specific machine is a member of a collection. This collection can be query based, for example OU membership or Active Directory security group, or it can be static (direct membership).

In this example I’ve created a realy simple deployment, Adobe Reader 11.0. I’ve two virtual machines, SCWIN81-01 and SCWIN81-02. Both machines are members of the collection “Deploy – Windows 8.1 Enterprise x64”, where the task sequence is deployed on. Machine SCWIN81-01 is also member of the collection “Install – Adobe Reader 11.0”. This collection has a limited collection of “Deploy – Windows 8.1 Enterprise x64”. Both machines are deployed on the same time, the only difference is that machine SCWIN81-01 has Adobe Reader 11.0 installed and machine SCWIN81-02 not. Why……based on the collection variable during the OSD 🙂

1.) First create the collections
2.) Make the specific machines members of the right collections (query based or direct membership)
3.) Open the properties of the collection “Install – Adobe Reader 11.0” and navigate to the “Collection Variables” tab
4.) Add one or more variables with some values. In this example the variable is “APP-AdobeReader” with the value “Yes”
5.) Open the task sequence and add a package installation step
6.) Add the package with the program and navigate to the “Options” tab
7.) Select “Add Condition” and select “Task Sequence Variable”
8.) Enter the collection variable you’ve created earlier with the same value. In my example:
Task Sequences Variable APP-AdobeReader equals “Yes”
9.) Select “Apply” and close the task sequence.
10.) Start the OSD on both machines and wait until the installation is done!
11.) Watch the differences between both machines, if everything is okay, one machine has Adobe Reader installed and the other not.

This is an extremely powerfull thing within ConfigMgr, and really helpfull is some scenario’s. For example VDI golden image deployments or hybrid environments with laptops/desktops or multiple organizations using one ConfigMgr environment. One main reason could be consolidation in task sequences. If you want, there should be only one task sequence for all you different deployments. This is why I’m loving collection varaibles! 🙂

How to: Add computer to security group with ConfigMgr 2012 during OSD

In some cases you’ve to add computer to a Active Directory security group. For example Direct Access laptops. In this example I’ve created a VBS script for adding a computer to an Active Directory security group during OSD in ConfigMgr 2012 R2.

1.) Create a new package within ConfigMgr 2012 R2 without a program
2.) Distribute the new package to you distribution point(s)
3.) Copy the script “ADgroup.vbs” to the source location of your new package
4.) Add a step “Run Command Line” to your task sequence
5.) Add the command line: cscript.exe adgroup.vbs [name of your AD group]
6.) Select the package “Scripts”
7.) Select a account with enough privileges to add (new) computer object to the Active Directory
8.) Deploy your task sequence to a collection

You can download the script here. (Right-click and save…)

How to: Directly install from a distribution point during OSD in ConfigMgr 2012 R2

During a OS deployment with ConfigMgr 2012 R2, the WIM file is downloaded locally and than installed on the C: drive of your system. The download proces for the install.wim file takes a while! This post will discribe how to configure the task sequence to directly apply the install.wim from the distribution point.

1.) Open the task sequence and select the step “Apply Operating System”. Navigate to the “Options” tab.
2.) Select “Access content directly from the distribution point” and select “Apply”
3.) Navigate to your Operating System Images and select the properties of the image
4.) Navigate to the “Data Access” tab
5.) Select “Copy the content in this package to a package share on distribution points”
6.) Select “Apply”
7.) The install.wim file will be copied to the SMSPKGE$ folder on your distribution point
8.) Right click on the image and select “Update Distribution Points”
9.) Wait until the content status is “Success”
10.) Start a deployment of a system
11.) The download step is gone now and the image will be installed directly from the distribution point

How to: Install ConfigMgr 2012 R2 hotfix KB2910552 during OSD

A few weeks ago Microsoft has released a update KB2910552 for ConfigMgr 2012 R2. This update fixes a lot of issues, but also speed up the OSD within ConfigMgr 2012 R2. I should highly recommend to install this hotfix in your environment. The hotfix is updating the site system automatically, but the client not. This blogpost will discribe how to install this hotfix during a OS deployment (OSD).

1.) First install the hotfix KKB2910552. The hotfix is vissible in the installation folder of ConfigMgr. In my example E:\Program Files\Microsoft Configuration Manager\hotfix\KB2910552\Client
2.) Copy the content in this folder to your source directory.
In my example \\CM01\Sources\OSD\Hotfix\KB2910552\Client
3.) Add a new package and configure the source location to the right directory.
In my example \\CM01\Sources\OSD\Hotfix\KB2910552\Client
4.) Select “Do not create a program”
5.) Distribute the package to your distribution point(s)
6.) Open the task sequence and add a new step “Run Command Line”
7.) Select the right package and configure the command line
cmd.exe /c xcopy x64\*.* “C:\Hotfix” /E /H /C /I /Q /Y
This is for x64 systems only! Change x64 to x86 for deployment to x86 systems
8.) In the “Setup Windows and Configuration Manager” step, add the following installation properties
PATCH=”C:\Hotfix\configmgr2012ac-r2-kb2910552-x64.msp”
This is for x64 systems only! Change x64 to x86 for deployment to x86 systems
9.) Start the deployment of a x64 system
10.) After the deployment has finished, navigat to the control panel and Configuration Manager
11.) On the general tab you’ll see the new version number 5.00.7958.1104

How to: Install the Hyper-V Integration Components with ConfigMgr 2012 R2 during OSD

When you’ve to install an operating system in you’re environment, it is easy and usefull to test your OS deployment first in a virtual environment. In my case, it is an Microsoft Hyper-V host server, where I can deploy some virtual machines using ConfigMgr 2012 R2.

One of the important things when deploying a virtual machine within Hyper-V, are the Integration Components (Integration Services). These components installs all the necesarry drivers for that VM. Maybe you want to perform this action during the OS deployment fase (OSD). What steps do you need to make?

1.) First install a new clean Windows 7 VM (in my case it is Windows 7 Service Pack 1)
2.) Insert the Integration Services Setup Disk
Action / Insert Integration Services Setup Disk
3.) Navigate to your Windows Explorer and open the mounted disk
4.) Navigate to the right folder of your architecture, x86 or x64. In my case it is x64.
D:\support\amd64
5.) Copy all the files in this to your Configuration Manager Site Server. In my case E:\Sources\Applications\Level 0\Hyper-V Integration Services x64
6.) The silent installation is not that hard. Just execute setup.exe /? to see all the options.
7.) Create a new package within ConfigMgr 2012 R2 with a normal program
8.) The source location is the location to your folder created in step 5
9.) The command line to perform is setup.exe /quiet /norestart
10.) After succesfully created to new package, don’t forget to distribute it to your distribution point(s)
11.) Now open you task sequence and at the end create a new folder called “Install Applications”
12.) Add a new package to install and select the wright package and program
13.) All you need to do now is deploy a virtual machine
14.) After your virtual machine has succesfully deployed, look at your device manager. All the components are installed.

How to: Save your DPI settings in Windows 2008 R2 with mandatory profiles using RES Workspace Manager 2012

In Windows 2008 R2, users have the ability to change their DPI settings. When users change their DPI settings, they have to logoff and login again before the new settings are live. But….what if you’re using mandatory profiles. When the users logs off, the profile is unloaded and the settings are also gone!! The users are logging in again, and the new and “clean” mandatory profile is loaded, whitout the DPI settings!

When you’re using RES Workspace Manager, you can save the DPI settings when the users logoff and load the settings when the users login, also when you’re using mandatory profile! By default there are three options to choose:

1.) Smaller – 100% = 96 DPI (Pixels/Dots Per Inch)
2.) Medium – 125% = 120 DPI (Pixels/Dots Per Inch)
3.) Larger – 150% = 144 DPI (Pixels/Dots Per Inch)

Use the following steps to save the DPI settings for your users.

1.) Create a new global Zero Profling setting within RES Workspace Manager
2.) Save a registry value HKEY_Current_User\Control Panel\Desktop\LogPixels
3.) Login with a mandatory profile and change your DPI settings
4.) Logoff your session (now your DPI settings are saved using RES Zero Proling)
5.) Login again with a mandatory profile and look for your DPI settings

How to: Lock desktop icon using RES Workspace Manager 2012

When you’re using a Server Based Computing environment managed with RES Workspace Manager 2012, the users have the abbility to lock their desktop. Normally, the users using the tray icon to lock the desktop. One of the disadvantages using the tray icon, is the 5 seconds wait time before the desktop is actually locked. After a black screen for 5 seconds, the desktop is locked.

It is also possible to create a application for the users to lock their desktop. A great thing about this is that the user don’t have to wait 5 seconds before the desktop will be locked.

1.) Create a new application
2.) Use the following configuration
Command:%systemroot%\system32\rundll32.exe
Working directory:%systemroot%\system32
Parameters: user32.dll,LockWorkStation
3.) Select the user of users that are going to use this application
4.) Select the right Workspace Container, for example Windows XP, Windows 7 or Citrix Xenapp environment

Now the users have a new application available in the start menu. You can force a mandatory desktop icon. All you need to do is double click the new application and your desktop is locked now!

Windows Management Framework 3.0 Compatibility Update

Windows Management Framework (WMF) 3.0, (currently distributed as KB2506146 for Windows Server 2008 SP2 and KB2506143, for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1) has been temporarily removed from Windows Update to protect from accidental installations on unsupported systems. Those who want to install WMF 3.0 to take advantage of all the great features this update provides can do so by installing the update from the Microsoft Download Center, after reading the known compatibility issues detailed below.

Background:

Windows Management Framework (WMF 3.0) was released to the Download Center on September 17, 2012. On December 11, 2012,this package was released through Windows Update. Although it was released as an optional update, many customers chose to deploy the package automatically. Because there are compatibility issues between some released server applications and WMF 3.0, we have temporarily removed WMF 3.0 from Windows Update. This should prevent customers from inadvertently installing the package on unsupported systems.

Known Compatibility Issues:

Windows Management Framework 3.0 (WMF 3.0) is not currently compatible with the following applications.

– System Center 2012 Configuration Manager

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2796086 (Configuration Manager Management Points collocated with clients fail after installing Windows Management Framework 3.0 and running Client Health Evaluation)

– System Center Virtual Machine Manager

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2795043 (Managing Hyper-V hosts using Virtual Machine Manager fails with Error: 0x8033803b after installing WMF 3.0)

– Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and Microsoft Exchange Server 2010

http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2012/12/14/windows-management-framework-3-0-on-exchange-2007-and-exchange-2010.aspx (Windows Management Framework 3.0 on Exchange 2007 and Exchange 2010)

– Microsoft SharePoint 2010

http://connect.microsoft.com/PowerShell/feedback/details/746908/powershell-3-0-and-sharepoint-2010 (Windows PowerShell 3.0 and SharePoint 2010)

– Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Small Business Server 2011

http://blogs.technet.com/b/sbs/archive/2012/12/15/windows-management-framework-3-0-applicability-on-windows-small-business-server-2008-2011-standard.aspx (Windows Management Framework 3.0 applicability on Windows Small Business Server 2008/2011 Standard)

Systems that are running the above server applications should not run Windows Management Framework 3.0 at this time. WMF 3.0 is otherwise supported on Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, and Windows Server 2008 SP2.