There is a little known component of the MDT database that, when used with Configuration Manager, can automatically re-install applications that were previously installed on a device.  It is not well known, simply because it isn’t readily...

MDT is very flexible in the ability to define and use variables inline and in different locations. However, this also means that if you forget to assign a variable a value it may lead to unintended consequences that you might not easily discover. There...

Happy new year to everyone! It looks like I am making the first blog post here for 2012 :-) To get the year rolling I thought I'd share anexcellent resource that I stumbled across this week, even though it was published back in November. If you follow...

Here is a common scenario. You are deploying an operating system using MDT Lite Touch, during the deployment you install some user specific applications. However the users think that the deployment is completed an they close the application installs or...

There are many new features of MDT 2012 but one that I particularly like is the ability to apply GPO Packs created using Security Compliance Manager ( SCM ) during the deployment process. SCM is a great tool that allows you to create and manage group...

The latest version of MDT is now available on Connect ( Join the MDT 2012 Beta 2 Connect program here! ) MDT 2012 Beta 2 offers new User-Driven Installation components and extensibility for Configuration Manager 2007 and Configuration Manager 2012 as...

I have recently been working with a customer on a Windows Vista to Windows 7 migration. During the Refresh deployment task sequence, BitLocker is suspended on the C and D partitions. On occasion we had issues where by protection was not always successfully...

I've had this tool sitting in a folder on my laptop half-finished for a few months but after a particularly frustrating problem with a script in a ZTI deployment I was encouraged to finish it! The original MDTDebugger that I wrote is a great help for...

"Why deployment is so hard?", “Where can I find all related information?” What else I need to consider?” Those or similar questions are normal during my customer projects. After getting the same questions again and again, I’ve...

The Microsoft Deployment Toolkit is great for building and capturing your reference images because allows you to use the copyprofile technique to configure user settings. System Center Configuration Manager 2007 is great for Zero Touch Deployments of...

Often times when you are presenting applications to install in the LiteTouch wizard of MDT, you may want to present configurations for each of these applications. These could include installing application features, configuring parameters like computer...

One of the great features of MDT 2010/2012 is the ability to create a media based deployment  – this media based deployment can be placed on a USB based memory device (HDD or Fob) or onto a DVD. This allows the MDT based deployment to run from this...

While USMT 4.0 in a Refresh Scenario provides some great advance by using Hardlinking in a Replace Scenario customers still face multiple operational challenges and potential capital costs during large scale deployments because user data needs to make...

The Lite Touch Deployment Process end in a Summary Wizard pane that displays any warning or errors that were logged in the MDT master log (BDD.log). This is a great feature but customers have pointed out that this summary is not preserved after...

I can't profess to be an Application Compatibility guru like Chris Jackson or Aaron Margosis , but I do work on a lot of deployment projects where I am tasked with helping the client with this area. As such, I have compiled a list of the top 5 most common...

One of the most requested windows7 customization in every deployment projects is the OS branding. Here is a quick step by step guide. Windows Background Picture: If you want to assign a Win7 Background & Logon picture based on the size of the...

I have recently been working with a customer deploying Windows 7 using MDT. One of the requirements the customer had is to be able to use a single deployment share to capture and deploy images without having to use the MDT database. Using a single deployment...

For a while I have been meaning to write up a solution around dynamic computer naming in Zero Touch. Many people have emailed or commenting on how useful this would be – so here goes. Zero Touch Installation relies on a combination of System...

I have been on quite a few customer engagements where I have been asked to develop a process that will restrict the use of legacy media devices, such as DVD or UFD, to deploy OS images. Many of these customers come from legacy environments where they...

Some tools require setting an environment variable when they are used.  For example, the User State Migration Tool has several that can be used for troubleshooting.  One is discussed in the Ask the Directory Services Team blog post here . ...

Each time I work on a Windows deployment project, App-V figures more and more in the conversations that I have with customers. It is, in my opinion, now a vital tool that is needed in order to successfully migrate an existing platform (or deploy a new...

I recently had the need to pop up a message box duing an LTI task sequence. I was creating a stand-alone wizard to allow a manually-initiated launch of a task sequence that would install the Service Pack 1 update on Windows Server 2008 R2. As part of...

When I started blogging five years ago there were not many great blogs out there and twitter was just emerging from its egg. It was hard to find good information on deployment. However things have changed, there is a vibrant community of deployment experts...

If you are using MDT Update 1 to deploy Windows 7 SP1 language packs then please pay attention, this post will save you time. MDT 2010 Update 1 does not address the Enhanced Language Pack handling in Windows 7 SP1.  This means that if you add a Windows...

A couple of weeks ago, I took part in the UK Tech Days event in London. This event – run over one full week – provided a fantastic selection of sessions and included a whole day on desktop related content. During our desktop day we covered desktop virtualisation...