This is how I've deployed Windows 8.1 with Fog 0.32
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Thank you for the responses. I have always sysprep’d all my images as it allows me to push it to a different model computer if needed. I tested pulling a Windows 8.1 image using the ‘Multiple Partition (Single Disk)’ option and was able to deploy the image and boot fine first try with no issues. Just wanted to note that in case future users encounter similar issues.
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I’m using FOG 1.1.2, I’ve tried all of the above, nothing works. When I got the “winload.exe failure”. I booted off a 8.1 disk/usb and ran the repair, that failed.
So, I upload the image as RAW Disk, very slow, but it works.
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you’re using fog 1.1.2 and you followed a guide for 0.32? the software was almost completely rewritten between the two.
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[quote=“Junkhacker, post: 40134, member: 21583”]you’re using fog 1.1.2 and you followed a guide for 0.32? the software was almost completely rewritten between the two.[/quote]
I’ve used several processes from different forums. The process here was the last that I tried.
I’ve used all combinations from many forums, none worked.
With this newer version, there should not be and issue, but Windows 8.1 is a beast.
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you don’t have to do anything special to prepare a windows 8/8.1/10 image with the latest versions of fog. sysprep isn’t even needed. a normal default install and upload just works.
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And just to clear up any confusion. FOG does not require Sysprep.
However Windows heavily recommends a sysprep.
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[quote=“Junkhacker, post: 40149, member: 21583”]you don’t have to do anything special to prepare a windows 8/8.1/10 image with the latest versions of fog. sysprep isn’t even needed. a normal default install and upload just works.[/quote]
No it doesn’t, I’ve tried that first, I’ve tried from other forums, that didn’t work, so I did a RAW disk upload, that worked.
Just the normal upload, then do a download to a machine would give me the winload.exe failure.
I would boot up to a USB Windows 8.1 drive and run a repair, that would fail.
I saw on forum using the RAW disk format, and that worked.
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update to 1.2.0
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[quote=“Junkhacker, post: 40164, member: 21583”]update to 1.2.0[/quote]
All ready tried that, had to move back down, because of Windows 7.
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what about windows 7? 1.2 works fine with windows 7
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[quote=“Junkhacker, post: 40168, member: 21583”]what about windows 7? 1.2 works fine with windows 7[/quote]
Nope, when i did the upgrade, my Windows 7 would net even boot, just a black screen with a cursor. I ran windows 7 repair, failed, ran MBR fixer, still a black screen with a cursor.
I didn’t time to mess with that version, so I move back down. I had to image 30 Windows 7 machine for new hires.
The Windows 8.1 is not being push, but I want to be ready.
The 1.1.2 is working great, my Windows XP, 2003 server, 2008 R2 server, and Windows 7 work, needs to be working, we are expanding again.
If there is no other solution, I just stay with the RAW image format, at least it works.
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When you installed Windows 8, did you install with UEFI? If you installed with UEFI, before you uploaded (using the other than RAW methods), did you disable secure boot?
Did you try installing through CSM/Legacy BIOS on a Pure MBR system?
Your details are very limiting hence all the “back and forth.”
The black cursor. When did this happen? Was it on the PXE boot itself? When it was actually booting to the system? If so, did you try other Exit types?
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[quote=“Tom Elliott, post: 40170, member: 7271”]When you installed Windows 8, did you install with UEFI? If you installed with UEFI, before you uploaded (using the other than RAW methods), did you disable secure boot?
Did you try installing through CSM/Legacy BIOS on a Pure MBR system?
Your details are very limiting hence all the “back and forth.”
The black cursor. When did this happen? Was it on the PXE boot itself? When it was actually booting to the system? If so, did you try other Exit types?[/quote]
The BIOS is set to legacy on all of them, the machines came that way, Lenovo 10AY, the secure boot is disable by default.
These machine come with Windows 8, I wipe them clean re-installed Windows, with out all of the crappy software. Run all of the updates, which is the 8.1 update.After the updates, I run CCleaner to clean the machine up, run check disk, to clean up the disk, then defrag. Then I boot to WinPE to remove the System Volume folder and recycle bin, then create my image.
This has always worked for Windows XP, 2003 Server, 2008 R2 server, Windows 7, never had any issues. Until FOG 1.2
The black cursor for the Windows 7, is after I updated to 1.2.
When it finishes imaging the machine, and reboots, I get the black cursor, and it can’t be fixed. I tried different types single disk, multiple partition singles disk, multiple partition image all disks, changed from partimage to partclone, nothing worked.
So, I move back to 1.1.2, I was running out of time pissing with 1.2, I had to get 30 machines imaged for new hires.
The only question I have, what is up with Windows 8.1? That is the only question.
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First, the image type had no effect on the systems booting. Lots changed between 1.1.2 and 1.2.0. I think this is related to one of two things. 1. maybe it’s related to the exit type, maybe it’s not. But you could give that a shot. 2. It’s most likely related to the hdd’s having GPT, and that also my thoughts of the Windows 8/8.1 that you’re having.
Maybe start an upload of a good system but make it a Debug task. Before running fog, run fixparts on the system. See if this helps.
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nothing is up with windows 8.1, i’ve deployed hundreds of them.
did you try booting up with them disconnected from the network? did you try different exit types for the pxe menu? -
[quote=“Tom Elliott, post: 40177, member: 7271”]First, the image type had no effect on the systems booting. Lots changed between 1.1.2 and 1.2.0. I think this is related to one of two things. 1. maybe it’s related to the exit type, maybe it’s not. But you could give that a shot. 2. It’s most likely related to the hdd’s having GPT, and that also my thoughts of the Windows 8/8.1 that you’re having.
Maybe start an upload of a good system but make it a Debug task. Before running fog, run fixparts on the system. See if this helps.[/quote]
- When you said the image type did you mean Part-Image and Part-clone?
- The exit type, not sure what you mean by that, a little more detail.
- As fog GPT or MBR, those are not an option during the install, like a said before, the are Lenovo’s. So that part I can’t help you with.
- Start an upload of a good system, I already have that, other wise I couldn’t push what I have right now, but the Debug task sounds interesting. Would like some more detail on that, please.
- Fixparts on system, not sure what you mean by this, and again more detail, thank you.
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[quote=“Thomas Rucker, post: 40178, member: 1970”]1. When you said the image type did you mean Part-Image and Part-clone?
2. The exit type, not sure what you mean by that, a little more detail.
3. As fog GPT or MBR, those are not an option during the install, like a said before, the are Lenovo’s. So that part I can’t help you with.
4. Start an upload of a good system, I already have that, other wise I couldn’t push what I have right now, but the Debug task sounds interesting. Would like some more detail on that, please.
5. Fixparts on system, not sure what you mean by this, and again more detail, thank you.[/quote]I would like to say though Part-Clone is much faster then Part-image.
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[quote=“Thomas Rucker, post: 40178, member: 1970”]1. When you said the image type did you mean Part-Image and Part-clone?
2. The exit type, not sure what you mean by that, a little more detail.
3. As fog GPT or MBR, those are not an option during the install, like a said before, the are Lenovo’s. So that part I can’t help you with.
4. Start an upload of a good system, I already have that, other wise I couldn’t push what I have right now, but the Debug task sounds interesting. Would like some more detail on that, please.
5. Fixparts on system, not sure what you mean by this, and again more detail, thank you.[/quote]- no
- it’s how the pxe boot environment hands off boot to the next device, it’s configurable in the settings page
- he’s talking about the boot sector. if there’s any trace of a GPT boot configuration, even if it’s not what is currently is being used, it needs to be cleaned off.
- and 5. are the same thing, he’s telling you a single thing to do. boot into a debug task, run “fixparts” this is for point 3.
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[B][SIZE=18px]Tom Elliott Could you and I finish this conversation.[/SIZE][/B]
[SIZE=4][B][COLOR=#ffffff][SIZE=18px][COLOR=#141414]I was asking for details, and got general information.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/COLOR][/B][/SIZE]
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I can’t spell everything out.
I’ll try my best.
The upload-debug is it’s own option. So, after you’ve ensured the image is “ready”, and are about to choose to upload it, set it for the setting you want: (e.g. Multipart non-resize, Resize)
Create it as upload debug by going to Host Management-><list/search relevant host>-><relevant host edit>->basic tasks->advanced->Upload-Debug
Image format is what deals with Partclone/Partimage, as you’re uploading it will always be partclone so this does not matter.
Exit type is done by FOG Configuration->FOG Settings->FOG Boot Settings->FOG_EXIT_TYPE and select either exit, sanboot, or grub. (I’m not thinking this the way you’re describing the issue though so it’s safe, for now to leave it alone)
GPT/MBR doesn’t mean much in the Windows world. It just doesn’t care. And my guess is lenovo, while nice enough to reset the image as a legacy model, probably didn’t properly destroy all data on the disks before putting the OS back on them. This is normal because most of us just reimage the systems anyway. However, I’m not smart enough…yet… to detect if the image is meant to be mbr, or gpt. Because of this, my guess is gpt was left on the disk. When fog created the “backup” mbr of the disk, it formatted it in GPT format. That “master” system works fine but all other deployed systems (windows 7/8/xp, or otherwise) would do the “stop at cursor” because they’re expecting data in the first 512 bytes of the hdd (the mbr data). In GPT this doesn’t exist and because “legacy” bios is looking for data there, and nothing exists, the system just stops because there’s nothing to do. To fix this, as again I suck or something, boot into upload-debug. Fixparts is a program that’s in the fog init file. SO when you get to debug, you run fixparts /dev/sda on the command line presented. I don’t know what it will tell you, I just know it “might” help.
Then once the fixparts is done, you can run the command “fog” and hit enter a bunch of times. Then you should be good to go.
For the Windows 8/8.1 issue. I don’t know what else to try. I know it works, but I don’t know all the case scenarios. If RAW works, then maybe, when you have more time, try sitting down to bash it out. If it’s something I’ve done, let us know and I can try to correct it.
