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Join consultants from Microsoft’s Consulting Services for the 6th session in the MCS Talks Infrastructure Architecture series.  In this session we’ll discuss our approach to deploying a new desktop to an enterprise environment. We’ll discuss desktop deployment strategies and technologies including the importance of understanding your existing infrastructure and some of the options for auditing your current environment. We’ll also cover some important considerations for preparing your infrastructure for a desktop deployment, what technologies are available and how to best to implement them to support an enterprise deployment. Finally we’ll wrap up the session by having a brief look at the multitude of virtualization technologies and how they can be used to simplify and accelerate a deployment project.

We've received a number of questions over the past few days on the best way to upgrade from MDT 2008 to MDT 2008 Update 1 without losing any settings.  The most common problem that has been seen is that the Deployment Points are no longer present after installing MDT 2008 Update 1.  The following instructions will allow you to upgrade and maintain all of your existing settings:

1.  Before installing MDT 2008 Update make a backup of the Deploy.XML file.  The file is located by default in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Deployment Toolkit\Control

2.  Install the MDT 2008 Update 1 MSI

3.  Launch the Deployment Workbench and right click on Distribution Share and choose Create distribution share directory

4.  A wizard will then be presented.  Choose Upgrade an existing distribution share and type or browse to the path of your existing distribution share.  Check the check box to Backup existing scripts and configuration files and click on Finish (the files will be backed up to the Distribution\Backup folder)

5.  Close the Deployment Workbench and restore the Deploy.xml that was backed up earler to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Deployment Toolkit\Control, overwriting the existing file

6.  Launch the Deployment Workbench, navigate to the Deployment Points and your Deployment Points should now be visible.

7.  Right click on each Deployment Point and choose Update.  This will update all of the Windows PE images with the correct version of the scripts

8.  If you are using WDS, you will now need to replace your boot image in WDS with the updated Lite Touch WIM file

We've received several questions over the past few days regarding the Help, About Microsoft Deployment Workbench showing 4.1 even after the upgrade to MDT 2008 Update 1:

The reason why the Help, About Microsoft Deployment Workbench shows Version 4.1 is due to caching that can occur with certain DLL's.  In this case the value of the previous installation of that screen can be found here:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache\@C:\Program Files\Microsoft Deployment Toolkit\Bin\Microsoft.BDD.WorkbenchResources.dll,-105

If you previously had MDT 2008 installed the value was cached in this location and unfortunately does not update properly after the installation of MDT 2008 Update 1.

So how do you determine if you have the correct version installed?  The correct version of MDT 2008 Update 1 is 4.2.523.40.  This can be found by going into Add/Remove Programs.  You should see an entry like the following:

If the About window really bothers you, you can delete the registry entry mentioned above and it will then update with the correct version number. :)

We are pleased to announce the release of our first update to Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008  (MDT 2008).  We have added two major features:  OEM preload scenarios for Lite Touch Installation and Zero Touch Installation with System Center Configuration Manager 2007 and a new management pack for System Center Operations Manager 2007 SP1.  Minor updates include bug fixes and design changes to override driver platforms as well as the ability to inject all drivers into Windows PE. 

Get MDT 2008 Update 1 and the new Quick Start Guides from the Download Center. All of the latest documentation can be found within  updated and  searchable help files.  However, if you would like a full collection of the Word documents, download it here.

Add these great deployment blogs to your list of resources: these experts are always sharing their latest knowledge around deployment.  MS Deployment, Deployment Guys, Michael Niehaus

That is a really long title to a recent KB article that has been posted about an issue with MDT 2008.  You can get the full details here: http://support.microsoft.com/?id=952573

Note the Applies To section should state Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008.

Source Code for Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008 has been released

We have released Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008 (build number 4.1.523.0) source code for customers and partners who want to make modifications, enhancements, or bug fixes to MDT’s components. Source Code is current as of the March 2008 release of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit.

Source code for MDT 2008 can be downloaded from Microsoft download center: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=117775

Announcing Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008 – now Windows Vista SP1-Ready!

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 was Released to Web via Windows Update and Download Center this Tuesday and we know there are a lot of companies waiting to deploy it into production. You may be familiar with the Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) tools from the past and the latest version, dubbed Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) which was released in November. We changed the name from BDD because you can now build images and deploy desktops and servers (including Windows Server 2008) with the same toolkit and we thought MDT better reflected that functionality. Today we’re excited to announce the release of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008!  MDT makes imaging and deployment much easier with its new checklist and wizard-driven user interface. At the same time it continues to provide lots of great in-depth guidance for managing your deployment projects end-to-end, as well as quickstart guides if you want to quickly dive into the tools. If you are among the more than 350,000 people still using BDD 2007, we didn’t forget about you. An update for BDD 2007 to support SP1 imaging and deployment is also available today.

Both these tools can save you lots of time in planning and building out a standard desktop experience all the way to rolling OS images out into production. Download MDT 2008 or the updated BDD 2007 today. For more information, go to http://www.microsoft.com/deployment or contact a Desktop Deployment Planning Services specialist.

In addition to Service Pack 1 support for Windows Vista, MDT 2008 also has the following  new features:

• Full support for Windows Server 2008
• Additional Actions including Configure DHCP, Authorize DHCP, Configure DNS, and Configure ADDS
• New scripts that will automate the installation of Mass Storage Drivers for Windows XP and Windows 2003 Systems
• Ability to use a WSUS server for the Windows Update script
• Improved performance for the PXE Filter for System Center Configuration Manager unknown computer support
• Improved documentation including a new Quick Start Guide for System Center Configuration Manager and a guide for implementing the Management Pack for System Center Operations Manager

We've added a new FAQ item with information on how to change the "IT Organization" text for SMS 2003 OSD Deployments.  See our FAQ for more information:

http://blogs.technet.com/msdeployment/archive/2008/01/25/microsoft-deployment-technical-faq.aspx

We have received a number of emails and questions on how to receive support from Premier Support for Microsoft Deployment.  There have been several of you who have been routed to the incorrect support person while trying to receive support for Microsoft Deployment.  We apologize for your frustration and inconvenience.

To get routed to the correct support person, follow these instructions.  Please note that support for Microsoft Deployment is done on via callback with response times generally ranging between 1 and 4 hours depending on the severity of your issue and the other issues in the queue.

To receive support:

a) Call the support number (1-800-936-3500)  http://www.microsoft.com/services/microsoftservices/srv_premier.mspx) or

b) Submit a web incident http://support.microsoft.com/select/default.aspx?target=assistance&c1=508&

c) Clearly state that you have a BDD/MDT issue. (If you talk about deployment they will be routed to a different queue. ). 

Thank you and please let us know if you have any problems receiving support in the future.

Some of your favorite deployment guys including Ben Hunter, Richard Smith, Adam Shepherd, Daniel Oxley and more have teamed up to create a blog called Deployment Guys.  They are just getting started but already have some good information on their blog.  Make sure you subscribe to:

http://blogs.technet.com/deploymentguys

Microsoft Deployment has been released for a little over three months and we now have had enough questions and support calls come in to generate a FAQ.  You might want to bookmark this post because we plan on updating this list as additional questions are asked.

Lite Touch Installation

Q:  Is it possible to change the text IT Organization in the task sequence dialog box?

A: Yes!  You can set the variable _SMSTSORGNAME in the custom settings.ini to match the text you want to use.  For example to set the text to Microsoft Corporation, add the following line to your customsettings.ini:

_SMSTSORGNAME = Microsoft Corporation

Q:  What is the purpose of each of the task sequence templates?

A: In BDD 2007 we supported only the installation of a client Operating System and did not technically support using task sequences for anything other than deploying an Operating System.  With Microsoft Deployment we now support deploying server Operating Systems as well as running customized task sequences that can perform any number of operations.  Here is a list of the templates we provide and their purpose:

• Standard Client Task Sequence - Task sequence used for deploying client Operating Systems such as Windows XP or Windows Vista
• Standard Server Task Sequence - Task sequence used for deploying server Operating Systems such as Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008
• Standard Client Replace Task Sequence - This task sequence is designed to be run on the machine that is being replaced.  This task sequence should be initiated within the client Operating System and will perform a User State Migration, Boot into Windows PE, optionally perform a full system backup, and optionally securely wipe the disk
• Custom Task Sequence - This task sequence is used as a template to install Applications.  This task sequence can be customized to perform any additional actions that you would like to add

Q:  For the Client Replace task sequence, how do I make the task sequence wipe the disk?

A:  Set the variable WipeDisk = TRUE in the customsettings.ini

Q:  In BDD 2007 I modified ztidiskpart.txt to create partitions.  How do I do this in Microsoft Deployment?

A:  Microsoft deployment does not use the ztidiskpart.txt file to create the partitions.  Now, this disks are configured run time based on the task sequence parameters in the Format and Partition Disk step.  This step allows you to create multiple partitions across several disks.  If you do not want a partition formatted you can create your own custom script that calls diskpart /s and provide your own diskpart.xt file

Q:  When trying to add a custom Vista WIM to the workbench, I receive the following error:
Error during wizard processing
An unexpected error occurred while processing the wizard results.
Collection was modified; enumeration operation may not execute.

A:  There is a hotfix available that will fix this problem.  See the following KB article for more information and to retrieve the hotfix:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/941595

Zero Touch Installation with ConfigMgr 2007

Q:  How do I use the media hook capabilities in Microsoft Deployment to deploy to unknown computers?

A: Michael Niehaus has a great blog entry and screencast on how to set up and configure this feature: http://blogs.technet.com/mniehaus/archive/2008/01/19/microsoft-deployment-configmgr-boot-media-unknown-computers-web-services.aspx

Q:  How do I configure my task sequence to capture a reference image?

A:  In the standard client task sequence there are a series of steps at the end of the task sequence that prepare the system for imaging, reboot to Windows PE, and then captures an image of the computer.  To enable these steps the following variable should be set in the customsettings.ini, Microsoft Deployment Database, ConfigMgr variables, or task sequence variables:

DoCapture = YES

Q:  Do I need to use the Microsoft Deployment database with ConfigMgr 2007?

A:  It depends.  We have made Microsoft Deployment flexible enough for you to use the Microsoft Deployment Database, customsettings.ini, ConfigMgr 2007 Task Sequence variables, Web Services, or Collection or Computer variables.  If you already have a populated database from using BDD 2007, you have the ability to use that database in conjunction with Microsoft Deployment and ConfigMgr by customizing the customsettings.ini to make the database connection.  If you choose to use the Microsoft Deployment database (or any other database) then you will need to use the Import Microsoft Deployment Task sequence to create a custom Windows PE image that includes ADO support

Q:  What is install updates offline and how do I use it?

A:  Install Updates offline is a step that can be added to the task sequence that will install Vista and Windows Server 2008 patches to the Operating System prior to the Operating System booting for the first time.  To use this step in the task sequence, you first need to create an updates package inside of ConfigMgr: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680701.aspx.  After creating your updates package you need to add the Install Updates Offline step in the task sequence in the PostInstall section immediately prior to the Configure step

Zero Touch Installation with SMS 2003 OSD

Q:  Is it possible to change the text IT Organization in the task sequence dialog box?

A:  Yes!  Due to how the task sequencing engine works with SMS 2003 OSD, the process is slightly different than for Lite Touch. 

Create a variables.dat file in your package source and distribute it to your SMS 2003 Distribution Points.  The contents of that variables.dat file should be the following:

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<MediaVarList Version="4.00.5345.0000"><var name=”_SMSTSORGNAME”>My CorpName</var></MediaVarList>

A bug has been discovered in Microsoft Deployment where the Application List is not populating correctly if the Applications are pre-defined in the customsettings.ini or in the admin database. 

To work around this bug a small change is needed in the wizard.hta.  Line 731 in the script currently reads like this:

ElseIf oEnvironment.Item(strName & "1") <> "" then

However to fix it, modify it to read like the following:

ElseIf oEnvironment.Item(strName & "001") <> ""  then

Thanks to all of you who have brought this to our attention!

One thing that amazes me about this community is the number of early adopters and the incredible amount of feedback that we receive on our products.  We thank you very much for testing, implementing, and providing your feedback.  We released Microsoft Deployment almost two weeks ago and we have already seen two relatively minor bugs surface through the public newsgroups.  The following information describes these two bugs and how you can overcome them in your environment.

ZTITatoo.wsf

For those of you who may not know what ztitatoo does, this script adds entries into WMI on the client machine in order to track version information of your deployments so you can run WMI queries or SMS Reports to see some or all of the following properties:

• Deployment Method
• Deployment Type
• Deployment Timestamp
• Task Sequence ID
• Task Sequence Name
• Task Sequence Version
• OSD Package ID
• OSD Program Name
• OSD Advertisement ID

Unfortunately the ztitatoo.wsf script was not fully updated to match our new name so there are some bugs inside of the script that point to registry entries that were used with BDD 2007.

To work around this bug, go to c:\program files\Microsoft Deployment Toolkit\templates\Distribution\scripts folder and edit the ztitatoo.wsf file.  After saving the file in your templates folder make sure you copy the updated ztitattoo.wsf file to your distribution$\scripts directory.

Replace the following lines:

'//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
'//  Record the deployment details
'//----------------------------------------------------------------------------

oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\BDD 2007\Deployment Method", oEnvironment.Item("DeploymentMethod"), "REG_SZ"
oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\BDD 2007\Deployment Type", oEnvironment.Item("DeploymentType"), "REG_SZ"

Set oDate = CreateObject("WbemScripting.SWbemDateTime")
oDate.SetVarDate(Now())
oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\BDD 2007\Deployment Timestamp", oDate.Value, "REG_SZ"

'//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
'//  If this is Lite Touch, populate the task sequence details
'//----------------------------------------------------------------------------

oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\BDD 2007\Task Sequence ID", oEnvironment.Item("TaskSequenceID"), "REG_SZ"
oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\BDD 2007\Task Sequence Name", oEnvironment.Item("TaskSequenceName"), "REG_SZ"
oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\BDD 2007\Task Sequence Version", oEnvironment.Item("TaskSequenceVersion"), "REG_SZ"

'//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
'//  If this is OSD, populate the package ID and program name
'//----------------------------------------------------------------------------

If oEnvironment.Item("OSDPACKAGEID") <> "" then

    sValue = oEnvironment.Item("OSDSITECODE") & ":" & oEnvironment.Item("OSDPACKAGEID")   
    oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\CM_DSLID", sValue, "REG_SZ"

    oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\BDD 2007\OSD Package ID", oEnvironment.Item("OSDPACKAGEID")
    oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\BDD 2007\OSD Program Name", oEnvironment.Item("OSDPROGRAMID")
    oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\BDD 2007\OSD Advertisement ID", oEnvironment.Item("OSDADVERTID")

End if

Replace with this code:

'//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
'//  Record the deployment details
'//----------------------------------------------------------------------------

oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Deployment 4\Deployment Method", oEnvironment.Item("DeploymentMethod"), "REG_SZ"
oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Deployment 4\Deployment Type", oEnvironment.Item("DeploymentType"), "REG_SZ"

Set oDate = CreateObject("WbemScripting.SWbemDateTime")
oDate.SetVarDate(Now())
oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Deployment 4\Deployment Timestamp", oDate.Value, "REG_SZ"

'//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
'//  If this is Lite Touch, populate the task sequence details
'//----------------------------------------------------------------------------

oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Deployment 4\Task Sequence ID", oEnvironment.Item("TaskSequenceID"), "REG_SZ"
oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Deployment 4\Task Sequence Name", oEnvironment.Item("TaskSequenceName"), "REG_SZ"
oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Deployment 4\Task Sequence Version", oEnvironment.Item("TaskSequenceVersion"), "REG_SZ"

'//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
'//  If this is OSD, populate the package ID and program name
'//----------------------------------------------------------------------------

If oEnvironment.Item("OSDPACKAGEID") <> "" then

    sValue = oEnvironment.Item("OSDSITECODE") & ":" & oEnvironment.Item("OSDPACKAGEID")   
    oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\CM_DSLID", sValue, "REG_SZ"

    oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Deployment 4\OSD Package ID", oEnvironment.Item("OSDPACKAGEID")
    oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Deployment 4\OSD Program Name", oEnvironment.Item("OSDPROGRAMID")
    oShell.RegWrite "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Deployment 4\OSD Advertisement ID", oEnvironment.Item("OSDADVERTID")

End if

Set Diskpart Bios Compatibility Mode Task

You might have noticed that we have included a task item in our templates for Standard Client and Standard Server Lite Touch Task sequences called Set Diskpart BIOS Compatibility Mode.  This task is designed to fix the Windows PE Uberbug that is described in the following KB articles:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=931760
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=931761

This task is disabled by default.  If you have enabled the task you have probably noticed that the task sequence fails and examining the smsts.log file shows that an "Access is denied" error occurred when running the ztisetvariable.wsf script.  The actual error message is really Incorrect Function but that does not help you solve the problem.

The problem or bug is actually within the client.xml and server.xml files that serve as templates for our Standard Client and Standard Server task sequences.

Inside of the client and server.xml files in c:\program files\Microsoft
Deployment Toolkit\templates folder, modify the following section:

Change this:
      <step type="SMS_TaskSequence_SetVariableAction" name="Set Diskpart
BIOS Compatibility Mode" description="" disable="true"
runIn="WinPEandFullOS" successCodeList="0">
        <action>cscript.exe "%SCRIPTROOT%\ZTISetVariable.wsf"</action>
        <defaultVarList>
           <variable name="VariableName" property="VariableName"
hidden="true">OSDDiskpartBiosCompatibilityMode</variable>
           <variable name="VariableValue" property="VariableValue"
hidden="true">TRUE</variable>
         </defaultVarList>
      </step>

To this:
      <step type="SMS_TaskSequence_SetVariableAction" name="Set Diskpart
BIOS Compatibility Mode" description="" disable="true"
runIn="WinPEandFullOS" successCodeList="0">
        <action>cscript.exe "%SCRIPTROOT%\ZTISetVariable.wsf"</action>
        <defaultVarList>
           <variable name="VariableName"
property="VariableName">OSDDiskpartBiosCompatibilityMode</variable>
           <variable name="VariableValue"
property="VariableValue">TRUE</variable>
         </defaultVarList>
      </step>

Essentially you are just removing the hidden="true" from the XML file.  Once
you save the XML files just delete your task sequence from the workbench and recreate it.

Again thank you very much for finding these issues and please keep the feedback coming!

One of the new tasks and scripts in the Microsoft Deployment Lite Touch Task sequence is called Windows Update.  This task is disabled in the default task sequence for the Client Template.  The task runs a script called ztiwindowsupdate.wsf.  One item to note is that the current version of this script requires client access to the Internet and also does not support proxy authentication.  However if you meet those requirements, there are some really nice advantages of using this action.  Here is a brief description of what actions this script performs. 

This script will install and download updates from Windows Update http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com  and Microsoft Update http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate over the Internet using the Windows Update Agent API http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Aa387099.aspx. By default this feature is disabled in each Task Sequence, it must be manually enabled to run, and each computer must have a connection via proxy to the Internet.  This script was designed to run on Windows XP, 2003, Vista, and should be compatible with Windows Server 2008 when released.

Most companies will already have established teams and infrastructures in place to patch newly deployed machines on the corporate network. This involves tracking the latest set of patches, drivers and updates available for each desktop configuration and determining which updates should be downloaded and installed for each configuration. If your company already has an established process, this script should not be necessary. For those teams who do not have established processes, yet wish to ensure that their images are updated when deployed, this script was designed to fill that need.

Microsoft Windows Update will automatically scan your machine and download a wide range of updates:

·         Windows Service Packs (for Windows XP, Windows 2003)

·         Many 3^rd party Drivers have been placed on Windows Update, and will be automatically installed

·         Enhanced features for Windows Vista Ultimate

·         And the latest QFE (Quick Fix Engineering) patches for your System.

·         And more!

Tip Many hardware manufacturers have placed their drivers up on Windows Update. This means for those drivers you will no longer need to maintain these drivers in your “Out of Box Drivers” directory. You can experiment by removing drivers from your distribution share to see which ones are available on Windows Update. Note that if the drivers are not included with Windows by default you should not remove “Networking” or “Storage” drivers, as the OS will require these drivers to boot and connect to windows update over the internet.

Microsoft Update will automatically scan your machine and download a wide range of updates:

·         Updates for Microsoft Office

·         Updates for Exchange Server and SQL Server

·         Updates for Visual Studio

·         Some 3^rd party (non-Microsoft) applications

·         And more!

ZTIWindowsUpdate.wsf is run multiple times during the deployment of an OS during the state restore phase. First it is run after the OS has started for the first time. This ensures that the latest updates and service packs are installed prior to installation of any applications that might require dependencies. This can include the latest version of the .NET Framework, for example. ZTIWindowsUpdate.wsf is also run after the installation of applications allowing Microsoft Update to ensure that the latest application service packs and updates have been applied. For example Microsoft Update can ensure that the latest updates are applied to Microsoft Office 2003 or 2007.

It is possible that during installation of one or more components, Windows Update might need to reboot. This script is designed to automatically reboot and resume again if the Windows Update API requires it. If this script is run and determines that the machine is fully up to date, it will exit and continue, however if after 7 unsuccessful attempts to update the machine, the script still requires a reboot, ZTIWindowsUpdate.wsf will log an error.

Installation Processing

During runtime, ZTIWindowsUpdate.wsf will perform the following:

·         Will ensure that the latest version of the Windows Update API is installed on the machine.

·         Will ensure that the latest version of the Microsoft Update binaries are installed on the machine.

·         Will search the local machine using the default query: "IsInstalled = 0 and IsHidden = 0". Meaning that it will search for all updates that apply to the local machine that are not already installed, and may or may not be normally hidden.

·         For each update found, there will be an associated ID and a KBArticle

o   The ID will be in the GUID format, example: “67da2176-5c57-4614-a514-33abbdd51f67”

o   The KBArticle will be a numerical value: “987654”

·         The script will compare the ID and the associated KBArticle against a list of known exclusions:

o   WUMU_ExcludeKB – A list of KBArticles to exclude. Any Update with a KBArticle found in this list will not be installed.

o   WUMU_ExcludeID – A list of ID’s to exclude. Any Update with an ID found in this list will not be installed.

o   In addition, any update that requires user input will be excluded, and not installed.

·         All updates that require a EULA to be approved are approved. Be sure to manually read and check each EULA before running this script in a production enviornment.

·         Each update is written to the log with the string “INSTALL” or “SKIP” if the update has been approved for installation, along with the Update ID, a short description of the update, and the KB article.

·         Then each update is downloaded and installed in batches.

·         A number of reboots may be required to continue installation.

Note  Internet Explorer 7.0 requires User Interaction, so it is not installed by ZTIWindowsUpdate.wsf

Note By default you should include 925471 in your KB exclude list to prevent Windows Vista Ultimate from installing extra language packs.

Customization

During the typical lifecycle of the ZTIWindowsUpdate.wsf tool, you will want to periodically review the list of updates being installed by the ZTIWindowsUpdate.wsf tool to verify that each update meets your teams needs and expectations. All updates are logged and recorded in the ZTIWindowsUpdate.log file generated during deployment. Each update should indicate if it was “INSTALLED”, or if the script “SKIP”’ed installation of the update, the Update ID, the name, and the KB article associated with each update. If you come across an update that you wish to exclude, you can add that entry to your CustomSettings.ini file (for Lite Touch Installations).

For example, if you wish to exclude the installation of Windows Vista Langauge Packs, you would look up the line in the ZTIWindowsUpdate.log showing where the update was identified and installed, and select either the ID, or if present, the KB article number. In this case the KBArticle number for the Language Pack is 925471. Your Custom Settings would then contain the lines:

WUMU_ExcludeKB1=925471

If you are looking for a quick overview of how to set up the Microsoft Deployment environment, the Quick Start Guide is now available for download directly.  Based on feedback from the community, this guide offeres the walkthrough step by step instructions on how to set up Microsoft Deployment in a Lite Touch environment.

 The document can be downloaded directly from here