Unable to boot to some PXE ROM

[DarkEnergy]

Update after updating the trunk as requested.

Since I got a new laptop with too much bloatware it was very much given to install Windows from scratch. Here is the procedure that was follow:
Created an original image from the original installation = Success
Configure Legacy
Disabled secure boot
Enabled PXE
Installed Windows 8.1 from scratch by:
Booting from USB bootable stick
Deleted all the partitions
Installed Windows 8.1
Created an image from the new installation = Failed

The error is the same, invalid partition table. I am starting to wondering if it has something to do with the installation type. Both systems having the issue, Acer Veriton M2611G and the Lenovo Touch B50-30 are experiencing the same issue if a Windows 8.1 clean install is perform or is it just the FOG does not recognize the new partition table? In either case the image creation failed.

Hopes this help to find a solution to this issue.

[Junkhacker]

i’m betting there are leftover GPT bits that are confusing fog. windows doesn’t do a very good job cleaning things up.
run a debug task then run
fixparts /dev/sda
y
w

[DarkEnergy]

Update:

I was persuaded by Junkhacker about the GPT table left over so, using gparted all the partition were removed from the disk and reinstalled windows from scratch and surprise! It did not work! I am beginning to think it has something to do the way FOG handle the partition table when Windows is installed from the original CD/DVD/USB image. To make this even more clear, a Lenovo Touch B50-30 with the original image was able to be image from FOG and the image was uploaded to the server, however, after destroying the partition and installing Windows 8.1 from scratch and retried to upload an image, the problem presented itself again with the same error; invalid partition table blah, blah, blah.

[Tom Elliott]

The disk you’re attempting to image, is it smaller than the original source disk?

[Junkhacker]

[quote=“DarkEnergy, post: 42451, member: 26785”]
I was persuaded by Junkhacker about the GPT table left over so, using gparted all the partition were removed from the disk and reinstalled windows from scratch and surprise! It did not work![/quote]
What?!
i asked you to follow a very specific set of instructions, and expected you to report back the results. This would not have required you to rebuild the image from scratch.

[DarkEnergy]

[quote=“Junkhacker, post: 42474, member: 21583”]What?!
i asked you to follow a very specific set of instructions, and expected you to report back the results. This would not have required you to rebuild the image from scratch.[/quote]

I don’t care doing the extra work as long as it is working correctly. The point I was trying to make in the update was: By writing zeros to the drive there is nothing left and the drive was restored to factory default eliminating any other guesses.

[DarkEnergy]

[quote=“Tom Elliott, post: 42452, member: 7271”]The disk you’re attempting to image, is it smaller than the original source disk?[/quote]

I am not sure what are you asking. These are two new systems that I blew away. I removed the image from factory and performed a clean install to remove all the nasty bloatware that comes from the factory (i.e. Lenovo, HP, Dell, Acer, eMachine, etc.). Then an image is made out of the new install for further deployments.

I am not sure if I actually answered your question.

[Tom Elliott]

[quote=“DarkEnergy, post: 42520, member: 26785”]I don’t care doing the extra work as long as it is working correctly. The point I was trying to make in the update was: By writing zeros to the drive there is nothing left and the drive was restored to factory default eliminating any other guesses.[/quote]

Yes and no.

Have you tried running fixparts on the drive? Is the size of the drive smaller than the size of the drive you were originally creating the image from (if this is a non-resizable image)?

[DarkEnergy]

[quote=“Tom Elliott, post: 42522, member: 7271”]Yes and no.

Have you tried running fixparts on the drive? Is the size of the drive smaller than the size of the drive you were originally creating the image from (if this is a non-resizable image)?[/quote]

I think you are asking wrong question. I am not downloading and image, I an creating a new image from scratch. Meaning, got the systems, destroyed all the partitions, installed windows 8.1 directly from disk, then create a new image into FOG. I think you might be in the wrong track as I am not downloading and image into the HDD but uploading a new one into FOG.
I haven’t use fixparts in the past so, I am not familiar with it. I will have to investigate to find out what it does. However the point I was trying to make was that two different systems having the same exact issue. What are the odds? One Lenovo and one Acer. I can do the same in a third computer and see what I get. Most likely the same issue. In every system that was blew away and installed from scratch the image failed.

[DarkEnergy]

Finally got it to work!!!

I want to thanks all of those for your being patient with me and giving feed backs through out this particular cluster. After getting tired dealing with the “what if” finally it was time to restore the drive to factory state by destroying all sectors, tracks and cylinders. Then installing Windows 8 and letting Windows 8 to create sectors, tracks and cylinders. It worked!!!