Windows 7 deploy error 0xc000000e - boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible

jdd49

I have found that once you begin making changes things end up worse. Here is what I suggest start over. Install Win 7 from scratch. Don’t waste time updating, drivers, etc until you know if it works. Just install it and then make the image to test it. Let Windows install with default settings(meaning let it make two partitions). You don’t mention using Sysprep so I’m assuming you aren’t using it. In fog create a new image type for windows 7 and select single partition. Then just upload your image. So in short don’t mess with anything.
1.) Install Windows
2.) Create image definition in Fog
3.) Shutdown(don’t mess with fogprep / bcdedit / etc. don’t do anything)
4.) upload
5.) deploy

MLX

Hi,
Thanks for your reply. Well i ran a test with Sysprep still having an error, and another one with the licence Key that Sysprep doesn’t manage. It’s a.t.m. a SLP licence key, not VLK.

I did an “Acronis” image of the machine before FOG operations (so Windows, updates, softs only) that iapply for a new test.

I’m going to try another time from scratch, just windows.

MLX

OK, with a new install of Windows 7, from scratch, no drivers (except LAN driver ;)), no data/softs, no updates, the deployment results in the same error.
So the error is neither due to windows update/driver, nor a software, nor FOG client.

MLX

The thing is, what does sysprep do FOGprep doesn’t perform, because with sysprep i do not have this error.

jdd49

[QUOTE]The thing is, what does sysprep do FOGprep doesn’t perform, because with sysprep i do not have this error.[/QUOTE]
In regards to booting, as far as i know, nothing. Fogprep is now performed on the client side during the restore process so there is also no need to run it before you shutdown.

MLX

Yes, ok. But still, a windows only doesn’t work.
I dunno what to change, i set all params to default, one partition resizable as advised in the wiki.

What is sure, is if i take a Windows DVD, and chosse “repair”, it detects there is a boot problem and fixes it. But FOG shouldn’t result in this need, i have ~20 laptops and more than 100 desktops (homogeneous config)…

MLX

What could be a solution would be to execute a script after the image is deployed, such as [FONT=Courier New]bootrec /rebuildbcd but i don’t think it’s possible.[/FONT]

MLX

I’m going to test a new image : windows from scratch, with no 100MB partition.

EDIT : doesn’t work:(

MLX

I did it !!!

To solve this error, the only thing that works is the “real” sysprep.
So I sysprep my machine before uploading and it’s ok when deploying.

For those who search how to activate windows, I create a .bat file i place in C:\ and which contains :

[CODE]@echo off
REM source http://www.sizzledcore.com/2009/10/26/how-to-change-windows-7-product-key/

REM insert Windows Key
slmgr.vbs -ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

REM activate Windows
slmgr.vbs -ato

REM Delete file
del c:\Insert_Windows_License_Key.bat[/CODE]

This .bat has to be executed as Administrator, or simply exec it if already connected as local Administrator.
Well, that adds another step and it’s not very “automated”, but this way, i have the real license key, and anyway, i manually log in with local admin account …

Thanks for your help !

steam90

[quote=“MLX, post: 2182, member: 660”]I did it !!!

To solve this error, the only thing that works is the “real” sysprep.
So I sysprep my machine before uploading and it’s ok when deploying.

For those who search how to activate windows, I create a .bat file i place in C:\ and which contains :

[CODE]@echo off
REM source http://www.sizzledcore.com/2009/10/26/how-to-change-windows-7-product-key/

REM insert Windows Key
slmgr.vbs -ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

REM activate Windows
slmgr.vbs -ato

REM Delete file
del c:\Insert_Windows_License_Key.bat[/CODE]

This .bat has to be executed as Administrator, or simply exec it if already connected as local Administrator.
Well, that adds another step and it’s not very “automated”, but this way, i have the real license key, and anyway, i manually log in with local admin account …

Thanks for your help ![/quote]

Just wanna ask, when you said “real” sysprep do you mean you download Sysprep from Microsoft instead of the one that comes with Windows installation?

By the way, before you sysprep did you activate your Windows already? Cuz I’m facing some activation issues and I’ve yet to try your method.

Another things is that did you install all your softwares already before you image your Windows 7? Just to get an overall picture

MLX

Hi,

[QUOTE]Just wanna ask, when you said “real” sysprep do you mean you download Sysprep from Microsoft instead of the one that comes with [B]Windows installation[/B]?[/QUOTE]
I think you want to say “FOG installation”, yes i use the Windows Sysprep instead of FOGprep.

[QUOTE]By the way, before you sysprep did you activate your Windows already? Cuz I’m facing some activation issues and I’ve yet to try your method.[/QUOTE]
No, i don’t activate my windows. It’s useless at this moment : in the sysprep I specify a generic key given from Microsoft.
Plus, my computers have OEM keys so it won’t activate onto many laptops when deployed.

[QUOTE] Another things is that did you install all your softwares already before you image your Windows 7? Just to get an overall picture [/QUOTE]
To answer your last question, here is, basically, what i do for a new machine. I don’t write in details all the steps, because you’ll customize to your needs, but you have all my steps.

insert the windows 7 DVD
chosse “custom installation”
delete all volumes/partitions. Create a new one that takes all the HDD. windows install offers to create the 100 MB partition. Accept.
Windows is being installed.
during installation, windows asks me for a username. I set “Casimir” (well, whatever you want) with no password.
this will be an admin account i’ll use to install all, and delete when I finish just before uploading the computer image.
when installation is finished; i install the drivers :
chipset
sound
ethernet / wireless
card reader
video
etc.
As i now have an ethernet connection, i run Windows update. I update at the maximum. I have a WSUS on my LAN so the computer when deployed, will be able to retrieve new updates from this server. I select “microsoft update” (to get updates for windows and others microsoft products)
once all updates are done (takes 5 or 6 times with as many reboots, specially for the .NET…) i install all my softs.
office 2007 with SP3
zip
etc.
Once again, windows update (to update office and all my microsoft softs).

At this point the computer is nearly ready. I have to do a few tasks before uploading it.

I activate the local admin account and set password. I reboot the computer and log in with the previously activated admin account. That enables me to properly delete my “Casimir” user (folder and user in Manage computer).
I enable remode desktop.
I clean all desktop shortcuts, and I empty all the windows logs. I delete all folders previously created,such as C:\dell\drivers (I have Dell computers).
I copy my unattend.xml + setupcomplete.cmd that I created following this tutorial :
[URL=‘http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?p=14120213’]http://fogproject.org/forum/threads/windows-7-deployment-fog-sad2-driver-tool.380/[/URL]
[URL=‘http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?p=14120213’]or http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?p=14120213[/URL]
It starts at “step 4” and I dont include the drivers as he does. So in this tutorial, I’m using steps 4, 6, 7 and in the .cmd file, i do not add the line that concerns the drivers.

Then I install only the FOG service : [url]http://myfogserver/fog/client/[/url]

At this point my machine is 99% ready.

Then 2 ways are possible :

the machine and the windows image already exist into FOG database
it’s a new machine / new master, one (or both) doesn’t exist.

If “2”, I create the image first / single partition + the machine (netbios + MAC + select image just created into FOG database)
For this machine, i select a new upload task : the task is watiing.

To finish, I execute on the computer C:\windows\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe

i enable OOBE
i check generalize
i select “restart” (so that the capture can begin)

The windows sysprep is being done, then the computer reboots and its image is captured.

And when I deploy a new computer, I deploy it using this FOG image + I have my intranet that stores all my Windows license keys. I created a PHP / Shell script that creates the .bat file with the source code i gave before and copies this .bat into C:\

On the new deployed machine, i only have to log in as local admin, then double click on the ActiveLicense.bat in
My license is inserted and Windows activated this time.

Robin Commander

I’ve had exactly the same experience as described here when imaging with Windows 7, and solved it in exactly the same way (after much wailing and gnashing of teeth !)

I used the Sysprep from the WAIK kit on the Microsoft site, left the 100Mb partition in place and used Single disk, single partition function within FOG.

One thing that I did discover was that if I used an OEM (Panasonic) restore DVD to get the base build to CF-19 Toughbooks, whatever I did I couldn’t get the resulting image to work correctly when used as a basis for imaging to further computers. Still don’t know why, but I did find something on the web to the effect that Microsoft frown on this anyway. Once I swapped to using a volume license key version everything was sweet as a nut.

FOG sure is a godsend and is well worth the effort to keep persevering on with. Great job guys

Cheers
Robin

steam90

Thx for the info MLX. Appreciate it!!
Hey Robin, I guess is because it’s an OEM version that I should only work on the machine that you bought with it.

Robin Commander

Yep, it makes perfect sense with hindsight. I was looking for a quick win timewise and thought that I could use the MS dummy keys then once generalised I could enter the oem key from the bottom of each of the laptops. Hey Ho… Never stop learning

MLX

Yes Robin, that’s what my method does. And if you use an image on a single computer, you can even place the .bat file I wrote earlier somewhere on your HDD with a linf into Programs > Startup, so that the key will be enabled the first time you login as Admin.

harrysen

Firstly you can restore your computer and try with another window 7. You can also take
[url=http://www.igennie.net/microsoft-help.html]Microsoft Customer Help[/url] for fix this issue.

chad-bisd

[quote=“Robin Commander, post: 2232, member: 64”]I’ve had exactly the same experience as described here when imaging with Windows 7, and solved it in exactly the same way (after much wailing and gnashing of teeth !)

I used the Sysprep from the WAIK kit on the Microsoft site, left the 100Mb partition in place and used Single disk, single partition function within FOG.

One thing that I did discover was that if I used an OEM (Panasonic) restore DVD to get the base build to CF-19 Toughbooks, whatever I did I couldn’t get the resulting image to work correctly when used as a basis for imaging to further computers. Still don’t know why, but I did find something on the web to the effect that Microsoft frown on this anyway. Once I swapped to using a volume license key version everything was sweet as a nut.

FOG sure is a godsend and is well worth the effort to keep persevering on with. Great job guys

Cheers
Robin[/quote]

Most OEM recovery discs create a reserved partition or partitions for doing a live recovery from the hard drive. This confuses Fog 0.32 somehow. I have fixed this booted to a GParted Live and removing the OEM recovery partition and resizing/rearranging the main OS partition, leaving alone the small extra win7 partition.

Also, if you install from the Win 7 disc, when it reboots and asks for your computer name/user name, hit the ctrl+shift+F10 to reboot into audit mode/sysprep mode. This lets you do all your install/configure stuff quite nicely.

Sir_Timbit

I just experienced this problem with a non-sysprepped Win7 image I was dealing with, and the steps listed here, [url]http://fogproject.org/forum/threads/windows-7-without-sysprep.862/[/url] , from lkrms, did the trick for me. Quoted below:

[LEFT][SIZE=13px][FONT=Tahoma][COLOR=#141414]"I wasn’t able to find bcdedit commands to replicate what sysprep does to the system BCD store, but here’s what I did to achieve the same result (using VirtualBox snapshots):[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE][/LEFT]

[LEFT][SIZE=13px][FONT=Tahoma][COLOR=#141414]1. Capture a snapshot of a working audit-mode Windows 7 machine. 32-bit or 64-bit doesn’t matter - the BCD data seems to be interchangeable.[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE][/LEFT]
[LEFT][SIZE=13px][FONT=Tahoma][COLOR=#141414]2. Boot your machine, open a command prompt and run: “C:\Windows\System32\sysprep\sysprep /generalize /quit”. The /quit is important; you want the machine to stay up after sysprep so you can collect the BCD store as sysprep leaves it.[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE][/LEFT]
[LEFT][SIZE=13px][FONT=Tahoma][COLOR=#141414]3. If curious, run: “bcdedit /enum”. You’ll see what sysprep has done to your BCD store.[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE][/LEFT]
[LEFT][SIZE=13px][FONT=Tahoma][COLOR=#141414]4. Capture your BCD store: “bcdedit /export C:\generalized.bcd”. Save the resulting file with your other deployment files; mine ends up living in C:\Windows\System32\sysprep alongside my unattend.xml etc.[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE][/LEFT]
[LEFT][SIZE=13px][FONT=Tahoma][COLOR=#141414]5. Feel free to discard the sysprep’d virtual machine. Restore to your step 1 snapshot or similar.[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE][/LEFT]
[LEFT][SIZE=13px][FONT=Tahoma][COLOR=#141414]6. As part of your FOG pre-capture workflow, when not using sysprep, run “bcdedit /import generalized.bcd”."[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE][/LEFT]

Windows 7 deploy error 0xc000000e - boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible

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